Sample Wedding Ceremonies
There are as many potential wedding ceremonies as there are couples desiring to unite as one. Each wedding and commitment ceremony I officiate is unique and tailored to the personalities and expectations of the couple involved. I offer these examples to give you an idea of what I have crafted with couples in the past, but they should by no means be considered either typical of their type or a menu from which you must choose. There are tons of ritual elements that can be included in weddings that aren't even touched on in these examples.
There are as many potential wedding ceremonies as there are couples desiring to unite as one. Each wedding and commitment ceremony I officiate is unique and tailored to the personalities and expectations of the couple involved. I offer these examples to give you an idea of what I have crafted with couples in the past, but they should by no means be considered either typical of their type or a menu from which you must choose. There are tons of ritual elements that can be included in weddings that aren't even touched on in these examples.
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Secular
Often referred to as a civil ceremony, a secular wedding is perfect for couples who have a desire to place the focus of the ritual solely on their union rather than on any particular religious doctrine or spiritual beliefs. Spiritual I hear the phrase “we’re spiritual, but not really religious” quite a bit when I meet with couples to discuss their expectations for their wedding. I’ve found quite a few couples these days would like a ceremony that evokes a religious feel, but isn’t explicitly connect with a particular religion. Christian This ceremony is provided as an example of a non-denominational Christian ceremony in that it does not conform to a particular denomination’s liturgical requirements or reference any specific Christian theology. This particular wedding was written for a couple raised in two different Christian denominations, but not currently active in a congregation within either tradition. Multiple Elements This particular ceremony would be considered spiritual I suppose, but I offer it here to show how a couple included a variety of ritual elements into their wedding. Honoring Your Heritage I am always delighted to work with couples who present unique challenges with the opportunity to construct new rituals. I do feel a wedding ceremony should be meaningful to both the couple and their family and friends. This document contains a ceremony that includes elements honoring a Macedonian Orthodox heritage. Most interestingly, you may notice the Order of Service does not include any explicit Exchange of Vows. Contemporary Jewish Many Jews who are not active in a synagogue or temple may still wish to honor their cultural heritage in the context of their wedding ceremony. This document includes not only a sample ceremony, but also book suggestions and links to helpful websites. Buddhist The Buddha considered marriage to be a social relationship rather than a religious sacrament, so consequently there are no prescriptions for the wedding ceremony in Buddhist scripture. Buddhist weddings around the world reflect the indigenous culture in which they are being performed. That being said, there are indeed ways you can incorporate your Buddhist spirituality into your wedding ceremony thereby creating a Buddhist wedding. 
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Amey and Jonathan at Front Street Park in Melbourne.
Beach Weddings
The three ceremonies in this document by no means represent all that can or should be done for a wedding to be considered a beach wedding. The only thing required is the beach. You needn’t mention the location at all if the symbolism has no meaning for you. I chose to share these particular beach weddings because they also demonstrate the differences among the three primary types of wedding services I officiate: secular, spiritual and non-denominational Christian. Unitarian Universalist My website gets a lot of visitors searching for Unitarian Universalist weddings and vows. The first thing to appreciate is that there is no such thing as the Unitarian Universalist wedding. Because our religion is non-creedal, our membership includes people who hold a wide range of religious and spiritual beliefs. If you want a truly "Unitarian Universalist wedding," I recommend consulting with a member of the UU clergy to help create a wedding ritual meaningful to you. Native American There is no such a thing as the "Native American" wedding ceremony. There are, of course, ways in which couples that cherish their Native American ancestors can honor their heritage. Native American refers to hundreds of tribes, each with their own traditions and beliefs. If you wish to have a wedding ceremony recognized by a specific tribe, you should contact the tribe directly to inquire how that would be done. If you wish to include earth-based spirituality or Native American elements in your wedding ceremony, than I can be of assistance. African American If a couple has any religious, ethnic or family traditions they would like to honor during their wedding ceremony, their wishes should be accommodated if at all possible. This is an example of a wedding that includes elements honoring an African heritage such as Pouring of Libation and Jumping the Broom. Celtic Elements Should you wish to honor your Irish or Scottish heritage on your wedding day, there are a number of things you can do to add a dash of the Celtic to your celebration. This document does not contain a sample ceremony, but does describe some elements you could include throughout your wedding. Spanish This is not exactly a sample ceremony though the crucial elements are there. This document contains sections of a wedding ceremony translated into Spanish. I read Spanish much better than I speak it and I can recite it phonetically fairly well. I must be doing something right because inevitably, someone approaches me after the ceremony speaking rapid fire Spanish expecting me to be able to respond. Photo Attributes Header: Gift of the Bride and Groom, Photographer Unknown Left: Cheryl Clermont of Space Coast Photographer Above Right: Amanda Stratford of Stratford Photos |
