Wedding Officiants
  • About Us
  • Virginia Marriage Officiants
  • Wedding Photos and Awards
  • Request for Quote to Susan
  • Request for Quote to Vicki
  • Virginia Wedding Venues & Other Places to Get Married
  • Virginia Marriage License Information
  • Other Wedding Vendors
  • Beach Weddings in Virginia
  • Special Elements to Make your Wedding Unique
  • Outdoor Wedding Do's and Don'ts
  • Weddings & Doings Susan's Blog

So Many Choices!

Family Blending Elements

Picture
I loan you the crystal candle holders, you provide the candles.
PictureFamily Sand Ceremony Set. I loan you the outer vases, gift you with the joining vase.
  • Vows to Children
  1. Vows can be made to the children or to the parent, promising to do your best as a new parent.
  • Vows From Children
  1. If the children are older, they may by asked to affirm their cooperation and acceptance.
  • Sand Ceremony or Candle Lighting
  1. The couple blends sand with the children and then covers their sand with the remainder of theirs as a symbol of love and protection they promise to them in their new home. This can also be done with the children adding a carefully selected seashell  each.
  2. Older children can light their own candles and the couple lights their candles from their flames or simply symbolically touches each flame with theirs as they light the center unity candle. 
  • M&M Blending
  1. Along the same lines as the sand ceremony except the family blends colored M&M's, very popular with the younger children.
  • Ice Cream Sundae Ceremony
  1. The venue has a large bowl of every family member's favorite ice cream scoops and they take turns adding the toppings. Each topping represents the diversity and personalities that will be blended into the new family. This is a very creative element and requires the parents to share general information about each child with the officiate so this can be customized.
  • Family Tree
  1. A tree which can be planted in the yard of your home or in a park...or a bonsai tree if you prefer, is highlighted in this element to represent new beginnings. Parents and children each have a role in tending to the tree...watering, feeding, adding soil, tending the soil. Symbolizes how relationships between family members must be carefully tended so they all grow. 


Couple Unity Elements

  • Candle Lighting
  1. This can be done with just music playing in the background with a beautiful saying printed in the program, such as: the late ygritte from game of thrones to her beloved Jon snow: “I am your woman now. I am yours as you are mine. If we die we die, but first, we'll live.”
  2. I also have many beautiful words that can be share during the candle lighting and you select them.
  3. A Reverse Candle Lighting for an evening wedding is just beautiful! Ask me how this is done and what is said!!

  •  Sand Blending
  1. The wording of the sand ceremony is your choice from about 30 different offerings or write/bring your own. This can include parents, guests, children, etc. 
  • Water Blending
  1. This can be done in two different ways: Blending together Blue water  and Gold water which creates green, the color that symbolizes new beginnings.
  2. Or, Blend together waters from different places that holds great meaning for the couple...perhaps the water from the lake where one spouse fished with grandpa; the other spouse brings sea water from where they first met, etc.  This is created specifically for you.
  • Hand Fasting
  1. 1 cord or ribbon, or 4 cords or ribbons, or 6 cords or ribbons......3 different choices and all are beautiful.
  • Fisherman or Sailor Knot
  1. This is a literal "Tying the Knot" !  This is accomplished with 2 pieces or cord and the harder you pull on it, the tighter the knot...representing life's pressures drawing the couple closer together instead of pulling them apart.
  • Tree Tending
  1. This tree is to be planted in your yard as a visible symbol of the joining together of the couple into a new family. In this ceremony you will add soil, fertilizer, and water with a deeper meaning in each.
  • The Wine Blending Ceremony
  1. The blending of the red and white wines symbolizes in a visual display the blending of the two lives into one. And the sharing of the wine symbolizes the commitment you are making to each other. 


Picture
I provide the interesting carafe you can use, the venue or you provide the wine and wineglass.

Ethnic Traditions

Picture
  • Jump the Broom
I provide a beautifully decorated broom for this African American tradition, jumping into the "land of matrimony". The wording of this ceremony is also very appropriate for mixed race couples as the couple symbolically sweeps away all "prejudices and differences between peoples" making way for all things wonderful to come into their lives.
  • Mazel Tov & Breaking of the Wine Glass
These traditional Jewish elements can be either religious or spiritual without religion. 
  • 7 Blessings of a Jewish wedding
The 7 blessings are read by a Jewish friend or a member of the family, or if not available, I am happy to read. 
Sharing of the Wine and Mazel Tov.

  • Catholic/Hispanic/Filipino Traditions 
  1. Catholic Blessings can be added to your ceremony to honor traditions of blended couples of different faiths, 
  2. I am also very comfortable with the Hispanic/Filipino Traditions of: Sponsors, 13 Coins, Veil, Lasso or cord, and/or Bible. These elements can also be religious or non religious.

  • Celtic Traditions
  •       Irish coin or bell 
  1. After the blessing of the rings, during the marriage ceremony, one spouse presents the other spouse with a silver coin and says "I give you this as a token of all I possess." The coin symbolizes the willingness to share all that he/she has with his/her spouose in the future.  The coin is kept as a family heirloom and is passed down from mother to her eldest son on his wedding day.
  2. "This bell is to be placed in your home and when a disagreement arises one of you should ring the bell to end the argument and remind you of the joy you feel today and the vows you’ve taken.”

  • Hand fasting
  • Spouse's names, you have chosen to enter married life hand-in-hand, ensuring mutual support and love. Let this/these ribbon/s symbolize the bond between you and the sincerity of your vows to one another.
    As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound.  Woven into this ribbon, into its very fibers, are........


  • Turning of the Claddaugh Rings
  • "To symbolize the joining of your two hearts in marriage, please turn the ring so that the heart now faces......." 

  • Cambodian Cord of Red
  • The officiant takes a red cord and ties a knot it the middle, making a wish for the couple's married happiness out loud. The cord is passed to the left to others where they are asked to tie a knot and make a silent wish for the couple. When the last one has tied a knot, the cord is 

  • Honey Ceremony
  • The couple takes turns dipping their little fingers into a small dish of honey and offering it to the spouse. This is a little sensual, but really represents the sweetness of life in the heart of a loving marriage and is stated in the wording of this ceremony.

  • Breaking of the Bread
  • This is an Eastern European tradition and adds a sentimental and fun element to the wedding. I bake the loaf of bread that is used, baking in the couple's initials. To begin this element, the couple stands back to back, holding the bread over their heads, they break the bread in two. Whoever gets the larger piece is considered the 'boss' of the family. The couple will then pinch small bites from the soft inner bread and dip into honey held by one of the spouse's Mom, representing the sweetness of life in a happy marriage, and feed each other. The couple pinches another small bite each and dips into salt held by the the other spouse's Mom, representing the prosperity wished for them by all present; they feed this to each other also.

  • The Seven Spices
  • This unique wedding ceremony tradition uses spices to demonstrate the qualities that make for a healthy and well-balanced marriage, getting its roots from the Middle East



Religious Elements

  • Anointing with Oil
  • And, as God seals His bride with an anointing of the Spirit, so you are sealing your mutual choice and mutual possession by anointing one another with oil. (Anoint each other with oil) This anointing represents your choice.....

  • God's Knot
  • The cord of three strands symbolizes the joining of one man, one woman, and God into a marriage relationship. Marriage takes three; you, your spouse, and God. It was God who taught us to love, and chose you, Spouse's Name, to be united .....

  • Unity Cross Sculpture
  • “At this time, the couple will assemble a Unity Cross. This beautiful sculpture will be displayed in their home to remind them of the covenant they are making today. Groom, in Genesis we read......

  • Bouquet and Bible
Today I will be giving you two important things which will help you to form a strong marriage in Christ.
The first item is a bouquet of flowers that we will build, flower by flower. Each flower stands for something that no Christian marriage should be without.
The second item is a Bible. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.......

  • Blending of different faiths
  • Let's talk about your differences and your common ground and create a ceremony that honors both without offending either.



Beach Elements

  • Sand Ceremony 
  • I have you collect the sand from beneath your feet, holy ground where your vows were spoken, or another sand ceremony of your choice using sand you provide. I offer many choices.

  • Wish to the Sea
  • Everyone holds a shell during the wedding ceremony and having been filled with all their best wishes, is then thrown into the sea. This can be done by all present or just the couple with or without the wedding party.

  • Keepsake Stones or Shells
  • Attach simple cards to the shells or stones and have each guest write a special blessing, wish, advice and leave the cards at the gift or sign in table or large bowl at the reception. If you make this selection, I will incorporate this into the ceremony.

Other Unique Elements

  • Blessing of the Hands
  • Rose Ceremony
  • Wedding Carpet
  • Gold Keys
  • Memorial for lost loved ones
  • Blessing Stones
  • Time Capsule
  • Wine Box and Love Letter
  • Warming of the Rings
  • Release of Doves
  • Release of Butterflies
  •                                       ASK ME FOR MORE INFORMATION FOR ANY OF THESE!
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About Us
  • Virginia Marriage Officiants
  • Wedding Photos and Awards
  • Request for Quote to Susan
  • Request for Quote to Vicki
  • Virginia Wedding Venues & Other Places to Get Married
  • Virginia Marriage License Information
  • Other Wedding Vendors
  • Beach Weddings in Virginia
  • Special Elements to Make your Wedding Unique
  • Outdoor Wedding Do's and Don'ts
  • Weddings & Doings Susan's Blog