Ceremony Planning

CEREMONY PLANNING

First of all, you will have to decide on what type of wedding you want to have. This will depend on the amount of money you want to spend, the number of guests you want to invite, where and when your ceremony and reception will be held, and the degree of formality you want your wedding to express.

A Formal wedding means that you basically want to conform to strict traditional rites both of the church and of secular society. Generally, a formal wedding is larger both in size of wedding party and number of guests invited, and features more elaborate decorations, attire, invitations, and reception arrangements, than a semi-formal or informal wedding.

Semi-formal weddings basically stay with tradition, but everything is slightly less elaborate and more flexible than a formal wedding. Semi-formal weddings may take place in a church, a club, or a hotel.

An Informal wedding can be either a simple ceremony or you can let your imagination go to work. Informal weddings normally have a smaller wedding party and fewer guests than formal or semi-formal weddings.

If you plan on a church wedding, you should make an appointment to meet with your clergy-person as soon as possible after you set your wedding date. He/she will be able to advise you on any premarital requirements, such as counseling, that the church may require. He/she can also answer any questions you may have concerning the ceremony itself (see below). He/she can guide you in the selection of music, any church wedding customs, and help you with special vows or other liturgical elements you would like to have in your wedding service. He will also be able to tell you if there are any restrictions concerning church flowers, photography, fire laws, church capacity, availability of kneelers and other equipment, and dressing facilities for attendants.

If you are planning to have a civil ceremony, you should talk to the justice of the peace or judge who will marry you to set a date, time, and place for the ceremony. Usually, only the immediate family and a few guests attend.

You may decide to have your wedding ceremony in a hotel or club, with either a civil or religious person officiating. Keep in mind that many of the items you will need may not be supplied, so you will have to rent them. Check with the hotel to see which items are available.

A home wedding can be formal or informal. Keep in mind the number of guests that your home can comfortably accommodate. Don't move all the furniture out just to make more room or you will lose the "homey" atmosphere you wanted in the first place.

If you plan an outdoor ceremony, keep in mind that the weather may not always cooperate and have an alternate location readily available. Try to pick a quiet spot without much traffic, general outdoor noise, etc.

If you plan to have your wedding ceremony take place in a location other than a church, keep in mind the preparations you will have to make. Things to consider are how accessible the site is, what facilities exist for guest parking and seating, and what equipment is available.

When determining the date and time of your wedding, your work/school schedule, convenience for families, and your honeymoon plans should be taken into consideration. Saturday is usually the day chosen for weddings, but any day is acceptable. In fact, many weddings are being held on Friday evenings because of the better availability of reception halls.

Everything must be rehearsed. The only way to be sure all goes well is to rehearse the ceremony. Everyone must attend. It is helpful for all of the attendants to hear the processional and recessional music so the pace of their steps can be timed. The ushers should also be briefed on their duties. The entire wedding party should become familiar with the church/synagogue/temple. This includes the interior, exits, vestry, waiting room, and dressing room if necessary.

The wedding rehearsal should be scheduled for the evening before the ceremony. Allow at least two hours. The rehearsal should be pleasant and fun. This will allow you to relax, and be assured that everyone is well-informed.

A rehearsal dinner generally follows immediately after, and is traditionally paid for by the groom or his family. Be sure to keep it an early evening, however. Tomorrow, the day of your wedding, requires you to be alert and cheerful.

Jewish Weddings
Ceremony Programs
Selecting Musicians
Ceremony Music
Ceremony Readings
Sample Lutheran Ceremonies
Receiving Line

Questions Brides Ask About Ceremony Details

Questions Brides Ask About Wedding Locations

Questions Brides Ask About Guests

Ceremony Music

CEREMONY MUSIC

Music is a very important part of your wedding ceremony. Before selecting your service music it is advisable to check with your clergy-person and organist on any special rules for music selection that your church may have. Following is a list of suggestions for selecting your wedding music:

1. Meet with the organist before you begin selecting your music. Keep in mind that some churches have very firm guidelines on what music is used in liturgical settings. The organist should be well qualified to aid you in selecting your music.

2. Music is a service rendered as are flowers and photographs. Be sure to discuss the musicians' fees. They are generally commensurate with the performance experience, number of rehearsals and amount of music to be performed. Do not assume a friend will perform for free.

3. If at all possible, bring a musician with you when you select your music. It will enable the musician to play through any music with which you may not be familiar.

4. Know your musicians' vocal ranges and musical abilities and keep these in mind when choosing your music. (For example, most popular music comes in only one range and has only piano accompaniment available.)

5. To be sure you are ordering the correct music, know the exact title, the composer and/or arranger, the voice range, and the type of accompaniment needed. If possible, know the publisher also – which is included in the wedding music list contained in this chapter. In many cases, the musicians may want to order their own music.

6. Be sure to get enough copies of each piece. Copying music is illegal and your church could get in trouble for permitting you to use copies. Most professional church organists maintain libraries of music.

7. Select your music as soon a possible. If something needs to be back-ordered or you it can take up to six weeks to obtain. Also, you should allow time for your musicians to familiarize themselves with the music.

8. The soloists – vocal and instrumental – should rehearse with the organist before the wedding is to take place.

9. It is nice to take the time with your family to discuss your music selections so that they understand the Church's music policies and ritual requirements. It is not a good idea to surprise them with something that may be disappointing. It is also quite possible that a family "favorite" may be inappropriate for what the Church believes is a sacred moment.

10. Always have alternate choices. Many times a song may only be available in a collection, or a particular arrangement may have gone out of print, or if you have not allowed yourself enough time, an item may be out of stock. And again, a song may be judged inappropriate in a sacramental celebration. Keep yourself open to new suggestions.

RECOMMENDED MUSIC ITEMS  Facing Future CD   Live In Dresden: The Wedding at the Opera DVD   Fiddler on the Roof Soundtrack CD   A to Z of Classical Music CD   The Wedding Singer: Music From The Motion Picture CD   Canon in D - Piano Solo - Sheet Music   The Knot Guide to Wedding Vows and Traditions: Readings, Rituals, Music, Dances, and Toasts Book

Prelude music can begin about a half hour before the ceremony begins. In a church wedding, these pieces are usually classical organ music, though other instruments such as guitars, flutes, and pianos are sometimes used. Again, consult your musician or clergy-person for suggestions.

If you are having a soloist, the time immediately before the processional is an excellent time for a song. Other songs may be sung during the service if the church customs permit.

The processional music should be majestic and joyful.

The recessional music can have much the same "presence" as the processional, but should be a slightly faster tempo with a hint of excitement.

Processionals and Recessionals
Organ Collections
Piano-Organ Duet Books
Organ and Brass
Organ and Other Instruments
Vocal Music for Liturgical Weddings
Vocal Music for Non-Liturgical Weddings
Duets
Dance Music Lists
Reception Music

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Cater Own Wedding

I wanted to know what would be the easiest way to cater my own wedding? Do you have suggestions!

 I assume that by cater your own, you mean make the food & do all the arrangements yourself. It can be done, but it's a lot of work to add on to your final wedding preparations. Depending on where you plan to have the reception, you would need tables/cloths, chairs, dance floor (maybe), plates, silverware, etc. besides the food.

For type of food, you can consider the time of day of the wedding for some suggestions. After a morning wedding, you could serve a breakfast or brunch. After a noontime ceremony, you may want a sit down lunch. Early afternoon ceremony could have tea sandwiches, cake and beverages. Mid afternoon ceremony consider hors d'oeuvres and cake. For a late afternoon or evening wedding, probably a seated buffet or dinner-by-the-bite (hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, pastas, sushi setups, meat trays and other bite-size food) reception is best. Generally lighter foods work well in summer and heavier foods in winter. Seasonal fruits and vegetables always work well.

Some brides have planned picnics after their wedding, in parks or similar areas. Some have done pig roasts with beer and wine. One bride was doing a barbeque at the beach. It depends on what kind of atmosphere you want at your reception and what is available to you for venue.

Generally, a variety of salads, fruits/vegetables/dip, meat/cheese trays and cake would feed lots of people easily. They could be made up in advance and is pretty easy to do

For some self-catering items and quantities, see Do it Yourself for more ideas.