Your wedding ceremony is the main event and the entire reason for the celebration. There are some key components to the ceremony, such as the wedding party, officiant, witnesses, speakers, and all of your special traditions. It is important to define the roles of each person involved and understand how everything will work together to create a seamless and unforgettable ceremony.
Maid of Honor
The maid of honor is a personal assistant to the bride on her wedding day. It is just as much of a duty as it is an honor. The maid of honor takes a supportive role in the process, and will assist the bride with getting ready, adjust the brides dress at the altar and offer a toast at the reception.
Bridesmaids
Bridesmaids escort the bride down the aisle, offer support throughout the day and at the altar.
Best Man
The best man is the personal assistant to the groom on his wedding day. He assists him throughout the day and provides support. It is common for the groom to hold the rings during the ceremony.
Groomsmen
Groomsmen escort the groom down the aisle and offer support to the groom, just as the bridesmaids do for the bride.
Page Boys
Page boys are usually older than ring bearers and are dressed in mini versions of whatever formal wear the groomsmen are wearing. They usually have the role of escorting the flower girls.
Flower Girls
Flower girls walk down the aisle behind the ring bearer and scatter rose petals or blow bubbles. They usually dress in a mini version of the bridal gown, but can dress in matching dresses that work with the color scheme of the wedding.
Ring Bearer
The role of the ring bearer is usually filled by a young boy who walks down the aisle in front of the bridal procession. Traditionally, the rings are carried on a decorative cushion or pillow. It is common to use fake rings during the ritual and to allow the best man to hold the real rings.
Ushers
Ushers are people managers. They assist with seating guests, handing out programs, and coordinating the movement of guests within the venue.
The Father of the Bride
Traditionally, the father of the bride escorts the bride down the aisle and gives her away. Traditions and circumstances will influence who escorts the bride. This role could be filled by a family member, close friend or no one.
Keeping Your Wedding Ceremony Organized
One of the best ways to keep things organized is to create a chart that numbers each position within the ceremony space. You can add names next to each role and a list of duties delegated to each person. Practice makes perfect. One week prior to the wedding ceremony, practice your ceremony with the involvement of the entire wedding party. This will ensure that each person knows their role and the order of the process. While you can never practice enough, make sure the final rehearsal is just a few days prior to the event to keep the timeline and order fresh in everyone’s mind.
The Wedding Venue
Your religion and culture might make many of the decisions about whether to hold the ceremony in a church or a ballroom; however, many couples choose to hold their wedding and reception at one location. If your ceremony takes place at a separate location from the reception, keep distance in mind when planning. Travel takes time away from the celebration and can make the logistics awkward. Most wedding venues provide a ceremony space and reception ballroom at one location.
Making the Wedding Ceremony Legal
Commitment ceremonies are becoming a popular trend. However, if you want your wedding ceremony to be recognized by the government, you will need to take a few extra steps beyond the actual ceremony. You will need a marriage license and an officiant to seal the deal. You can obtain a marriage license from any county in the state of Florida and get married within any county within the state. While much of the process can be done online, the bride and groom must appear in person to retrieve their marriage license. This process should be accomplished a couple of weeks prior to the wedding. Keep in mind that the license is only valid for a certain period of time.
The Officiant
Build a relationship with your officiant. The officiant is not only the one that will make it all legal, they will orchestrate the ceremony and rituals. Communicating with your officiant will ensure that you create a more personal experience, have all of your unique rituals, and everything transpires according to the way you imagined it.
Crystal Ballroom at Veranda
Your wedding ceremony should be the unforgettable moment of your dreams. Ceremonies at Crystal Ballroom at Veranda are designed and decorated by professional wedding designers. The ceiling is crowned with a canopy of sheers and gorgeous chandeliers. Extravagant decorations are placed at your wedding arch. Your aisle is designed with rose petals and elegant floral arrangements. Plan your wedding ceremony and reception at Crystal Ballroom, and create a fairy tale.
