Thoughtful Wedding Ceremonies: Why Matter
As BC’s first trailblazing Celebrant, I’ve come to clearly see that each couple crosses a symbolic threshold during their wedding ceremony. They leave behind one phase of their life and step forward to walk a new journey together. This is the path of marriage. It will reshape them in ways they can only guess at on their wedding day: marriage is life changing, exciting, and terrifying all at once!
I believe that women and men yearn for their wedding ceremony to be alive with personality, joy, and heartfelt moments and for it to reflect their intentions and hopes for their marriage. Yet engaged couples can get so caught up in externals like flowers, cakes and invitations that the rich inner world on the way to becoming a married couple is often forgotten.
Why are many wedding ceremonies today so short, so boring, and so similar?
Hmm… honest answer is that too many wedding officiants see their work strictly as business. They want to minimize the time they spend and it’s way easier to stay in the ‘this is the way we have always done it’ mode, than take the time to be truly creative. Or maybe they just do not have inclination to delve into the reflective nature of these threshold ceremonies. Sadly, many wedding officiants say they do custom work, when they are really using a core ceremony. Wedding planners and photographers know all about this… they get to hear the ceremonies!
How I am Different: Weaving the Story of You
Storytelling is a fading art and what is a life together but a story worth telling and telling well? You cannot really compare my custom ceremonies to other wedding ceremonies in BC, because virtually all of them are based on the premise that one-size-fits-all.
That is not my thing! Working with me begins with my fun, relaxed Signature Reflective Process™ which you work on in your own time, in your own way. Even the self-proclaimed shyest Groom in the world LOVED it! Then I come to your place for a relaxed interview to get to know more about you as a couple. Only then, after all this work, do I weave together the threads of your values, beliefs, and life experiences into a beautiful tapestry — the story of you — so that your family and friends can understand how you feel about each other.
I use your own words throughout the ceremony because it is what love and marriage mean to you that count, not the words of others. Both of you will feel seen and heard. In fact that is something that people say is distinctive about the ceremonies I create – men feel welcomed and included.
Your wedding ceremony will be an intimate reflection of you, just like everything else that day. It’s your once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to show people who you are and why your love is so important. Your wedding ceremony sets the tone for your big day and it’s the first time many guests will have met. What a precious opportunity to bring them together in a heartfelt and shared experience!
Instead of Feeling Nervous during the Ceremony: You will feel like Dancing!
You will be amazed at how my tried and true process allows you to give voice to feelings that you may otherwise find hard to express. Fun, quirky, and touching questions bring out rich material without tons of effort on your part. And if you are of different faiths or cultures, I research and integrate traditions from both your backgrounds into the ceremony.
I promise you this: Your wedding ceremony will be a journey of the heart, a collectively heartfelt experience that will inspire the two of you for years to come. There will be powerful moments when you feel as though time is standing still and the faces of your spellbound guests will show that the very human belief in one true love continues to flourish in our world.
What about Same Sex Marriages?
Creating wedding ceremonies for same sex couples is a special experience for me. This ‘right’ of passage was far too long denied. Regardless of your sexual orientation or gender expression, all that matters to me is that you share an abiding love. I welcome same sex couples and promise a ceremony that celebrates your commitment to each other.
Q + A on My Fees
My fee to create your completely custom Making Memories Wedding Ceremony™ written exclusively for you, and about you, is $1,600 plus HST. These ceremonies are typically 30-40 minutes and there is a TON included in the package. You’ll want to call or email to ask more about it.
For those who dream of a Modern Celebrant-style ceremony but, for a variety of reasons, need something less involved, my colleague Amanda offers our Short and Sweet Wedding Ceremony™ for $500. This is a customized ceremony, not custom. Shorter in process and length, but long in warmth and tenderness!
Can we work with you to go even more deeply into this process? Absolutely!
Because I am a Rites of Passage Expert, some couples ask me for even more intentional experiences to help them set forth into their marriage. I’ve developed two special wedding ceremony packages for these big-time outside the box thinkers. These include tons of extras like my Couple Visioning Box™. $2,500 – $3,100. I only do a couple of these a year. They’re for the rare and wonderful seekers out there!
I am delighted to offer you a Complimentary Consultation.
604-992-4217
Michele@moderncelebrant.ca
