The Ceremony:

Traditional Church Weddings

Choosing a site for a wedding ceremony can be as easy as going to church each Sunday. The choice of a church is usually based on a religious belief of either the bride or groom, or both. Many couples simply choose to be married in the church they are currently attending or in the church either family may have attended for years. And, once the church is chosen, usually the person who will perform the ceremony comes with it. The couple will then work with this clergyperson on all the details of their ceremony, and any needed requirements the church may have such as premarital counseling, baptism, or membership in the church.
Couples desiring a religious ceremony without a particular church in mind, must try to find a church that will marry non-members or begin a relationship with a particular church or clergymember. Some churches offer non-denominational ceremonies. If a particular religion is desired, the couple should search out churches of that faith and immediately talk to the clergymembers to learn about the requirements for marriage within that particular church.

For those wishing an alternative to the traditional church wedding, couples are finding quite a variety of sites to tie the knot!


Home Weddings

A popular alternative site for many couples is in the home. This may include their parents' home, the home of a close friend, or even their own home. This offers the couple and their guests intimacy, comfort, and a familiar setting for family and friends. Creative imaginations can lead to anything from a small, casual indoor ceremony, to a backyard gala, or even an elegant formal affair. With the help of a caterer, decorator, rental company and other wedding professionals, the host/hostess may take as little or as much involvement in the event as he/she desires.

Outdoor Weddings

Outdoor weddings are, of course, nothing new, but they are becoming more popular. Even in this area, where winters are cold and the weather is always unpredictable, the beauty of nature is unsurpassed. Outdoor sites may be as close as your own backyard or a nearby city, county, or state park. If you are considering a site that does not have a shelter of some kind, never fear, there are rental companies that will deliver them to the site you choose. The choice of a tent can set the stage for a unique wedding celebration. Tents can be set up almost anywhere!

Officiants

Ceremony officiants range from those dedicated to a particular religion or church, to civil servants that will perform a ceremony strictly based on law without any religious content. For those wanting to include religion in a non-sectarian sense, ceremony officiants exist who can fulfill those needs. These reverends and other clergypersons will help couples by performing ceremonies that will include a general religious message without referencing any specific religion. Often these officiants will go to unique sites to perform a ceremony or may have connections with a particular church where they can also perform the ceremony if the couple desires.

Vows

For these more unique ceremonies, often special vows are written. It should be discussed with the officiant any particular wording that should or should not be included. The officiant may also be able to help by referencing ideas from past weddings that they have performed. The actual vows themselves can be anything that the couple may desire to share in declaring their heartfelt message to the one that they love! For church weddings, the couple should discuss with the clergymember any specific wording they may want to use in their vows. While some churches may allow couples to include their own vows, other churches may not.

Special Touches

Besides writing ones own vows, or choosing a unique wedding site, there are other ways to personalize a ceremony. Special touches including decorations can add a personal touch to even the most traditional of weddings. Elegant bows, balloon arches and flowers can change the atmosphere of any location.

Proclaiming the new union of husband and wife can be immediately celebrated as the couple leaves the ceremony greeted by their guests blowing bubbles or to a release of dozens of helium balloons. How about taking the celebration to new heights? Companies specializing in dove releases can provide a breathtaking touch to the union. Pure white doves joyfully rise as a testament to the new marriage - symbolizing love, hope, peace and harmony. Releases can include two doves, romantic and sweet, or ten to twenty doves to fill the sky for a fairy tale beginning to married life. Available for release year-round, these doves are not left defenseless in the wild, they return directly to their aviary and never linger at the site. Want to start marriage off with a bang? Pyrotechnicians (fireworks specialists) can light the night sky with a variety of colorful bursts sure to leave guests oohing and aahing! Creativity is truly the only limit to making a wedding ceremony unique.

Transportation

Spending time together with the wedding party is a great way to enjoy the entire wedding day but can also cause havoc moving from place to place. Many wedding parties of today include a large number of bridesmaids, groomsmen and ushers. Luckily there are transportation businesses ready to accommodate these large groups. Whether going from the wedding site to the reception site or for a pre-wedding fun night out on the town, there are a variety of vehicles now available to choose from.
Traditional limousines remain a popular mode of transportation. Limousines offer many luxurious options and have a variety of extra special features sure to make traveling in style fun too! Limousines most often are available in wedding white or elegant black. Many limousines provide the comfort of leather seating and features like televisions, stereos, bars and special lighting.
Buses have also become a popular way to move large wedding parties from place to place. The choices of available styles and sizes vary greatly. From luxurious motor coaches to mini-buses, these vehicles are as different on the inside as they are on the outside! Some buses are very casual, while others are extraordinary, giving people a whole new look at motor coaches travel!
For a nostalgic feel a trolley provides the festive appearance of an era gone by with the room to sit back and celebrate while on the go! These vehicles evoke a fun feeling even before you hop aboard!
No matter what type of transportation is chosen, getting there together is a great way to share a fun-filled day with those closest to your heart.