The Ceremony Checklist
The most important part of any wedding must be the ceremony, whether it is in a church, registry office or other venue, because this is the part of the day where you actually pledge yourselves to each other and are legally married. Just with every other part of the day, there is a lot to remember so use this checklist to ensure you don't forget anything and have a last minute panic.
- Book the church or other venue for the actual ceremony. In many cases,
this should be done at least a year in advance.
- For a religious ceremony, if the bride and groom are of different faiths
or if one or both have not been baptised, religious instruction might
be necessary and baptisms may need to take place weeks or months before
the wedding.
- Choose the form of service you want. For example, in the Church of England
some people prefer the traditional prayer book wedding service to the
modern version and many brides do not promise to obey the groom.
- Decide whether it is going to be a double ring ceremony, ie both bride
and groom exchange rings.
- Choose your hymns and other music for the ceremony including the music,
if any, played while waiting for the bride to arrive, the music to which
she enters and to which the couple leave the church or other venue at
the end of the ceremony. You might also want music played while the couple
sign the register.
- Book the organist or other musician/s and also the choir if you want
it.
- Make sure that the church or other venue has seating for all the guests
you intend to invite to the ceremony.
- If you want the church or other venue decorated with flowers, check
with the minister or manager that this is something they allow and whether
there are any restrictions. You might want to get the florist who does
the bridal bouquet and buttonholes to quote for this too.
- For a church wedding, if you want photographs
taken during the service, check with the minister that this is permissable.
Make sure your photographer knows when and where s/he can take photographs
before, during and after the ceremony.
- Check whether the church or venue allows confetti when the bride and groom leave. Some don't but may allow flower petals or rice. If there are restrictions, make sure that your guests know about them.