Wedding Vows & Ceremony Discussions — The Knot Community

Classic cars

nlosiowski — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 02:19:36 +0000

My fiance and I would like to get a classic car for our day, instead of a limo. Does anyone know of a good place to rent from? We've found a few sites online, but not many to choose from.

Writing our own ceremony

MrsLiggett7 — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 18:39:37 +0000

Can anyone help? I've googled it but haven't found anything useful! We aren't religious and I have a few readings picked out (Shakepeare Sonnet 116 and others). Other than that I have no idea.

We are having a family friend lead the ceremony but are (on paper) officiating our own wedding, which is legal in the state of Colorado.

Is there an order to things I should be conscious of? We don't want the ceremony to be terribly long...

Ceremony in June outside or inside..recommendations?

vkayse137 — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:36:32 +0000

I'm getting married next June 1st 2013. I'm our reception at a beautiful old mansion called Greystone Hall. I have the option to get married on site or we were going to get married in a Catholic Church. Problem is the latest ceremony they will do is on a Saturday is 2 pm and I will have a big time gap betweeen the ceremony and reception. My parents want the church ceremony but my f'iance and I are leaning towards a beautiful June outdoor wedding. Thoughts? experiences?

Ceremony Timeline

Tabbie11 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:56:47 +0000

Hi Ladies! We are having my fiances older sister perform our ceremony and I have no idea where to begin with planning the ceremony...

I need ideas for timeline/order etc. I am thinking about a hand binding/tying ceremony since we both have celtic background and maybe a hand blessing which I found earlier.

Would anyone mind sharing their ceremony program/outline?

Song or songs for down the aisle

Nikki71 — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:33:06 +0000

Hello! I have 4 bridesmaids to go down the aisle before me... no ring bearers, flower girls or anyone else. A song I would LOVE to go down the aisle to is just about 3 minutes long... which seems a little short. I've timed it out in my head and I think my bridesmaids and myself can all make it down the aisle in this amount of time, but then someone mentioned that brides usually have a separate song to go down the aisle to. But if there was an entire other song just for my trip down the aisle... there would be a lot of time with us standing and music playing because my aisle is not football field length by any means.

I haven't been to very many weddings, so i don't really know what is typical. Do BMs walk down the aisle to one song and bride to another? Does the music just play out as the bride stands there already to her groom? Thanks for the input, ladies :)

Guest Book

KSParker2012 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:39:06 +0000

We bought the regular guest book that people sign but I also want to have one of those photo guest book to display in our home. Is that overkill?

Unity something... I need your ideas!

bmetelka — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 23:32:48 +0000

We are have a non-religious ceremony at a zoo in August and I need some help with the unity part of the ceremony. We are writing our own vows and we were thinking of flipping an hourglass but that seems anti-climatic. Anyone have any cool ideas for this part of the wedding?

So far I have heard of:

Candle-been done a lot

Hourglass-ok, but super quick and anti-climatic

Mixing water or sand-ok

Mixing a cocktail- a little too informal for us

Thanks for your help!

Getaway Toss After the Ceremony

dork2014 — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 22:12:45 +0000

So I absolutely hate doing bubbles after the ceremony since they tend to just be super sticky, but my church won't allow us to do anything like confetti or petals since they are hard to clean up off the steps. Does anyone have any other ideas for what our guest can toss after our ceremony?

rose petals on aisle and dress question

bananapants628 — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 04:47:47 +0000

Hi ladies!

I am thinking about incorporating rose petals in my ceremony. The flower girl will drop them on the floor as she walks down the aisle and then I'll follow. My question is: won't my dress (it's a floor length dress) sweep them all as I walk down the aisle?? Maybe there's something that can be done to keep this from happening?

The rose petals are not 100% necessary, I just thought it would be a nice touch, so if it can't be done, then I'll scratch that idea.

Thanks for your advice!!

Receiving Line - will it take too long?

coco0019 — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 21:01:41 +0000

Hello all! I need some advice!

Our ceremony and reception is at the same place. Our ceremony will end around 5:30 and reception will start at 7:00 so we get an hour and a half for cocktails. We will probably have around 185-200 guests.

We don't want to see each other before the ceremony so we will have to take some pictures between 5:30 and 7:00. However I really want to do a receiving line. People are telling me that it will eat up too much time to do one, and it would encroach on our picture-taking time before the reception at 7 pm. How long do you all think it will take to do a receiving line for about 200 guests? I was thinking about 30 mins total hopefully! :-/ Is that unrealistic? Should I have our coordinator move people along?

Thanks!!

Drapping tulle down the aisle... is this rude?

hlstrean — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:19:01 +0000

Help! I've officially hit the first disagreement with my future mother-in-law. I was planning to use tulle down the aisle drapping it from the back of the aisle up to the front, leaving the first few pews open. I thought I could put the aisle runner down with roses and flowers which would sort of block off guests from entering the pews from the center of the aisle. So they would be ushered in through the sides. I attached a picture of what I was thinking... keeping in mind our ceremony will be held at a church. Also note - family would be ushered down the center of the aisle and seated in the front few pews without the tulle on the sides.

So anyways.... I just received a call from my futher mother-in-law saying she thought "it was rude to herd people down the side of the pews as if they're 'not good enough' to walk down the center". And that she "very strongly" disagrees with me using the tulle like that and she would never make her friends do that and she's never seen it done at a wedding before.

I NEVER thought it was a rude jester, and was more so going for the grand look of walking into the church and seeing the complete picture of everything. I thought it would be elegant and make walking down the aisle a little more special. Am I wrong here? Should I not use the tulle like that?

Wedding Colors

[Deleted User] — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 16:39:45 +0000

Which way does a bride and groom go when choosing wedding colors? Traditional seasonal colors (for example, I'm getting married in the Fall, so should I choose colors to match the season), or colors we both want? I am leaning toward the latter, which are shades of purple, blue, and ivory.

Any suggestions?

Ceremony Locations

Andi3112 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 20:45:56 +0000

I am looking for a church that will allow our pastor to marry us...and will allow for a Sunday wedding. Does anyone have any helpful info?

Program Help Please!!!

Penguin8412 — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 04:41:01 +0000

I want to have programs at my wedding however I am not quite sure what all you put into them. I will be making them myself so does anyone have any cute ideas they did for their progams? If so can I see? And what all should I put in the programs? Need your help ladies please!

Where do you find those engravable silver serving platters?

SarahA2b — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 04:25:52 +0000

For less than $100?

Morning Weddings

Penguin8412 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:10:18 +0000

My fiancee and I are getting married in our local playhouse that we both love so much. We are having our ceremony and reception there. It's insanely cheap (I'm talking about $800 for 5 hours!) and perfect space for our guests. The only problem is, we want to get married on our 2 year anniversary which is on a saturday and the playhouse is having a play that evening. That forces us to have a morning wedding. We are ok with it (everyone says we will save money) but I want to know what you all think? Is it really such a great idea? Will it be worth getting up so early in the morning? Just want some feedback to know that I won't regret having a morning wedding.

Junior Bridesmaids as Flower Girls?!

lv0408307 — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 17:08:41 +0000

I am getting married this upcoming September and are having my two younger (and only) female cousins as my flower girls. Here's the thing my cousins are both 9 years old and I am the first one in our family to be getting married so of course they have to be apart of the wedding, is it wierd to have girls that old being flower girls?

to have a wedding or just go to city hall

SA102006 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:41:09 +0000

my fiance and i got in engaged on christmas day. we are having our engagement party in may. we want to have our ceremony at the same site as the reception. we started to look at venue's and we were hoping for the prices to be cheaper. he doesnt want to not include the children in his side of the family. he suggested we just get maried in city hall and have a more expensive honeymoon instead of spending a ton of money on the wedding so we can use the rest of the money on our home. i agree we shouldnt spend alot of money for the wedding . i would rather put the money towards the house and have a nice honeymoon but i also want our family to be there to watch us get marry. i dont know what to do because i dont want city hall. can anyone suggest anything?

Wanted: A Creative Alternative to Unity Candles

iamerican — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 17:11:46 +0000

I have seen the unity candles and the unity sand vases. I really like the sand idea. It can be very elegant and a good alternative to the traditional candles, but I was just wondering if anyone had any other alternative ideas to unity candles? Thanks!

Which Vows Are Better?

scorpgirl1120 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 04:29:00 +0000

So I wrote a set of vows a while ago and I really liked them but I wrote another set recently and now I can't decide which vows I like better.....can you guys please help me?! (Sorry it's a little long)

The Originals

Groom

In your eyes, I have found my home.
In your heart, I have found my love.
In your soul, I have found my mate.
With you next to me, I feel whole, fully alive.
You make me laugh. You let me cry.
You are my breath, my every heartbeat.

I promise when you are weak, I will be strong
And when you need to let go, I will hold on
When you need to cry, I will be there to dry your eyes
When you feel lost and scared to take another step,
Just take my hand and I promise to love you through it.

Bride

In your words, I have discovered my inspiration.

In your arms, I have felt complete safety.

In your comfort, I have found my soul’s fire.

With you next to me, I feel unstoppable

You help me laugh, you teach me love

You are the smile to my days and the security to my nights.

The New Ones
I, _____________, take you _______________ to be my (wife/husband).
I vow to confide in you, having faith in your words, actions and love for me
I will love you when we are together, even more when we are apart
I will embrace you during times of peace and at times of turmoil
I will be your strength when you feel weak
I will support you through life’s challenges and through love’s tranquility
I will honor your goals and dreams and help you to fulfill them
I will have trust in you, valuing your thoughts and having assurance in your words
And I will to always listen with my heart and encourage your ambition
I promise to be a true and faithful (wife/husband) for as long as we both shall live

Intimate Wedding Ceremony in Boston, MA

fishing33 — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:20:12 +0000

Hi!! I'm curious if anyone knows if you're allowed to get married on the steps of the State House in Boston (not the Old State House - the current one with the gold dome). I'm thinking of having our immediate families up (about 20 people) and getting married one morning right on the beautiful state house steps. Just not sure if there is a law of any kind against this. Thanks!

Two Ceremonies!?!

afink07 — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:18:44 +0000

So I have a huge problem with my FI wanting a greek wedding, but I really want my catholic wedding. We thought about doing two ceremonies, one on saturday and then the other on sunday, but my mother thinks that's crazy and our families will only come to the one in each's respective church. Any tips or ideas would be so helpful!

Wine Ceremony?

MSwanny87 — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 20:46:38 +0000

When we met with our officiant last month (our first meeting with her), we explained that due to my fiance's preference to keep our outdoor ceremony non-religious, we were hoping to find our own "tradition" to do during the ceremony (in lieu of unity candles, blessings etc.) The sand ceremony is on the table, but she actually suggested something that I though was really cool, a wine ceremony. I guess each of us will take a different type of wine (in seperate glasses) and combine the two into one glass, mixing the wines together. She said it will have the same meaning behind the sand ceremony, that once the two wines are mixed, there is no undoing it. Has anyone ever hear of/seen this done before? I'm intrigued!

Need Ceremony Decoration Ideas- Water Themed

PikaTrips — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 04:41:23 +0000

We have great ideas for reception decorations for our upcoming water themed wedding (submerged flowers in tall glass with lampshades on top for centerpieces; fountains decorating the edge of the dancefloor and the guestbook table, etc).

However, we're both stumped when it comes to adding touches of water in our ceremony decor. We're having a modern Episocopalian wedding in the Episcopal church I grew up in.

Any ideas?

Ceremony & Reception start time?

alanie1 — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 01:59:13 +0000

What time are you starting your ceremony & What time are you starting your cocktail hour?

Your Dream Wedding!

jillsweets — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:10:30 +0000

Lots of us have been planning our dream weddings since we were little girls. I recently planned a dream wedding for a character of mine in a book I wrote and was on the knot constantly. I also now have a big desire to get remarried, but so far my husband of 23 years isn't going for it!!

I'm sponsoring a contest where you can tell us about your dream wedding for the chance to win a kindle fire and other prizes.

Here's the link for more details!!

http://jilliandodd.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/dreamwedding/

Pastor problem ... need advice!

kstirton — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 17:31:07 +0000

I need advice!! My fiance and I had an officiant picked out (informaly) hadn't paid anything ... then starting going to a church where we liked the pastor a lot. We've probably been going now for a couple months. About a month ago we asked him about marrying us. He said he'd do it - and that he offered pre marital counseling, which we are looking forward to - and doesn't charge anything to marry us. I've heard from him maybe once or twice since then - seen him at church but he struggles to remember my name ( i understand w/ an attendance of around 1000 guests). However - I just get the feeling like I am worried that he won't be reliable, or that he won't show up, or will have something come up, etc. One thing I was to be confident in is the person who will be doing the actual marrying! The wedding date isn't until October 20th ... so, I don't know. Am I just stressing?? I sent him an e-mail on Monday touching base and asking if we could meet in the next few weeks to discuss the process. I haven't heard back from him. Help! I don't want to be a naggy bride to be - but I also want to have my ducks in a row!

Weird officiant/church situation

fridaysdance — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 19:26:59 +0000

FI's grandfather is a preacher. He was a pastor for 20 years or so before his health began to fail. He has married every other couple in the family and we want him to marry us.

I grew up attending a very beautiful church and wanted to use that church for the ceremony. The church FI and I attend is not set up very well for weddings and needs several repairs, or we would use it. My dad talked to the associate pastor at the church I grew up in and he said he believes the rule is that one of their pastors must be involved in the ceremony to ensure that nothing goes against church doctrine. He didn't really seem too sure though because most people there are either related to the pastor or have been attending so long that they could not envision asking anyone else.

I know the current pastor very well. He was a good friend of my grandmother's. If I set up a meeting so that he could discuss the entire ceremony with FI's grandfather, could that possibly allow him to perform the ceremony? I haven't been able to call him about this yet and am just wondering how to approach it.

I do not know anyone at the other churches in town and really want a church wedding.

Ceremony Programs

ilovezak — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 15:49:17 +0000

are they necessary? anyone not doing them?

To see the groom before the ceremony or not...that is the question!

jbates926 — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:25:55 +0000

I had decided from the minute we got engaged that I did not want to see my groom before the ceremony. This is one thing that I did not want to budge on. I just think that every reveal that I have been a part of has been so fake and it takes away from that special moment that you get to see your groom for the first time on your wedding day.

Now that the wedding is getting closer and we are working out all of the logistics, we are going to be so cramped for time after the ceremony, that Im worried that we arent going to get all of the pictures that we wanted if we have to take them all after the ceremony.

Our ceremony is at 3:00 and I am hoping that we can be done by 3:30. Our transportation is picking us up from the venue (same place as ceremony) at 3:45 and we have to be back by 5:30 to be announced into the ceremony.

Between the ceremony and reception, we have plans to take pictures on the beach and downtown in the city we are getting married, both of which are about a 5-10 minute drive. I want to make sure that we are able to have a good time with our bridal party and take all of the pictures we want, but I dont want to have our guests waiting forever for us to get the party started.

I guess I am looking for some thoughts on whether taking the pics before the ceremony is better and less stressful. Are there any brides out there that have had this same issue and did the reveal before and regretted it? Am I overthinking this?

Help!