ways to include guests.

montsgirl · August 2010

My fiance and I are thinking about doing a stone ceremony as part of our wedding, but I was wondering if anyone had other ideas of how we can include our guests in our wedding. Something along the lines of the stone ceremony not like readings (we already have friends and family lined up for that!!)

mwhitson14 · August 2010

Personally, guests should be just that: guests. There's no reason to include them in the ceremony. They're already included just by being invited to watch you. They come to see you get married, not be a part of it.

tldh · August 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_ceremony-ideas_ways-include-guests?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding BoardsForum:10Discussion:29c2b88d-d9af-4fa4-a687-c4ee4ecf97f6Post:a67700a0-70e6-4708-a50b-d5056fb44155">Re: ways to include guests.</a>:
[QUOTE]Personally, guests should be just that: guests. There's no reason to include them in the ceremony. They're already included just by being invited to watch you. They come to see you get married, not be a part of it.
Posted by mwhitson14[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Unless I am in the WP or doing a reading, I don't want to take part in a wedding ceremony.

bbyckes · August 2010

We arranged our tables for the ceremony in a semi-circle. Our guests were
seated and we were married in the center. Our officiant (after our vows had been taken) called our guests up to "join hands and form a circle around the bride and groom", this served two-fold. 1) Our officiant was giving the final blessing and 2) our guests were to "shower" us with rose petals after the pronouncement.

Now usually, I would agree with Whit, that wedding ceremonies don't need to be interactive, but this small portion of our ceremony was really moving and touching. I wouldn't have changed it for anything. With that being said, we did not have any type of unity ceremony and I would not encourage having your guests participate in a unity ceremony either.

Depending on the number of guests, it could just be a cluster...

Mrs.B6302007 · August 2010

I've been to a wedding with a stone ceremony. While it was nice, it didn't do anything for me as a guest nor did it make me feel special or "involved". The delicious food and free drinks on the other hand...

skippylouwho · August 2010

Thanks but not for me. As a PP said, unless I'm a reader or in the WP then I just want to be a guest. I enjoy that a lot and I get a lot of watching people exchange vows and make a commitment.

aerinpegadrak · August 2010

http://offbeatbride.com/2009/08/ring-warming-wedding

2dBride · August 2010

We had a very small ceremony, and involved all of our guests. Two were maid of honor and dude of honor; one did a reading; seven did the seven blessings during the ceremony; one did the video of the ceremony; one operated the music CD for our ceremony music; and one gave the blessing over bread after the ceremony. Also, all of them signed as witnesses to our ketubah (Jewish wedding contract). However, I don't think that guests feel any more involved if they are all doing something as a group.

amatadei · August 2010

We are going to include our guests by having them be a part of the unity candle lighting. The idea came to us based on the Christmas tradition the church has of singing Silent Night while passing a single flame from the Christ candle (center of the advent wreath) around. Each member of the congregation has a candle and the flame is passed around that way. We haven't figured out the details of this yet (whether we will have this flame passed around before or after the lighting of the two side candles), but the general idea is of everyone on each side of the family symbolically being a part of the flame lit on either side of the aisle (and that flame, in turn, is a symbol of all those represented by each side of our family/friends). Then, when we light the unity candle together, it is not just the symbol of two families being joined together by our love, but everyone we love playing a role in what we are creating.

Catwoman708 · September 2010

You are "including" all the guests by inviting them. Not everyone wants to participate, most will just want to observe.

MikesAngie · September 2010

We are having our guests do a quick "meet and greet" before the ceremony as most of them will be family at the end of the ceremony they might as well start getting to know one another. Plus it is in keeping with my hertiage as they will all be seated together (no aisle), the bridal party will be entering the ceremony site on the left and on the right.

trix1223 · September 2010

Inviting them to witness your ceremony IS including them. I think trying to come up with clever ways to "include" them has the real potential to become cheesy.

ways to include guests.

Re: ways to include guests.

Choose Another Board

Search Boards