Wedding Officiants

Tracking down a wedding officiant can be a little intimidating. Perhaps you remember a time when it was hard to get one if you weren't among the "regularly churched"! But times have changed, and hiring an officiant for your wedding is now standard procedure.

Basically, brides-to-be find themselves in one of two camps: Either they have a regular church and a favorite minister, who might be a longstanding family friend, or they need to find one through word-of-mouth or web sites.

The latter situation often costs more, but allows for a lot of flexibility. Depending on your tastes and faiths, you can often find a judge, a Catholic priest to marry you outdoors, a Rabbi to officiate at an interfaith wedding, a non-denominational officiant who encourages you to write your own vows, and so on.

How to find officiants

A good national directory for finding Catholic officiants is www.rentapriest.com.

If you're stuck for ideas, try asking vendors. Your florist or caterer is probably well acquainted with local options.

Another excellent way to find officiants is to visit a large wedding forum, like The Knot, and post on boards for your local geographic area. You can often get an idea of the flavor, preparedness, flexibility and even appearance of a popular local officiant.

When should you book an officiant?

Some officiants book early. If you're really particular about whom you want to do the service and can't budge on the date, try to book more than six months in advance. Some couples book a year ahead.

How much do officiants charge?

A minister at your own church may not charge anything at all, but may accept donations. In that case, a $100-200 donation is about average. Ask the minister yourself if there's any doubt.

An officiant you engage yourself will set his or her own rates. Rates generally range from $250-600, but some well-known officiants may charge more.

Do we send an invitation?

By custom, you invite your officiant to your rehearsal dinner as a guest. You also invite the officiant and his or her spouse to your reception with a formal invitation, just like other guests. Unless the officiant is an old family friend, he or she may decline to stay, but an invitation is proper. You aren't expected to invite the officiant's children.

Can you use a friend as an officiant?

It's done all the time, and can make weddings very personal. A father, mother, or the friend who introduced you can make for an amazing event. Be sure to pick someone comfortable speaking in front of large crowds, and brush up on your state's laws and licensing requirements. Here's a good site to begin your research:

www.northernway.org/marriagelaws.html

Your chosen friend or family member can become ordained "instantly and online" at the Universal Life Church, which in some areas will enable them to perform legal weddings. Again, be sure of your state's laws. Many times, ministers ordained by ULC will also have to register in their state and obtain a license before they can practice. Call your local county clerk for clarification.

Do I meet with the officiant before or after booking, and what should I expect at the meeting?

Ideally, an officiant will allow a "getting to know you" meeting before you book them, though not all will. Most at least offer telephone interviews, which helps you see how they fit with your personal style.

During your first meeting, the officiant will typically tell you about his or her background, discuss the logistics, bring up any premarital counseling requirements, ask some questions about your personal history, and show you a sample ceremony script. This is a good time to discuss special unification ceremonies or personal vows, bring up interfaith issues, and learn whether your officiant plans to attend your rehearsal.

About the Author
Blake Kritzberg is editor at "FavorIdeas.com" Stop by for a huge selection of wedding favors, Bridezilla's weekly adventures, and free resources for brides: save-the-date eCards, screensaver, wallpaper and web site templates.
http://www.favorideas.com

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Renew your Wedding Vows

Hearts, romance, love, lips, roses and other valentine related digital designs on branded items. Branded romantic items include t-shirts, sweatshirts, mouse pads, magnets, stickers, mugs, tote bags, bumper stickers, buttons and more.

Why are vow renewals so uncommon? I really don't understand. Isn't it natural to go back to the place where, as a young couple, you first committed your lives to each other?

In a world where marriages are falling apart every day, we should celebrate the marriages that are making it through the tough times. A vow renewal is a great way to tell your husband how much you cherish him, and that you are more committed to him today than the day of your wedding. Whether it is your 5th anniversary or your 50th, a vow renewal is an amazing way to recommit and reconnect with your spouse.

Planning a vow renewal is simple. All you need is your husband, someone to proceed over the ceremony, and lots of love.

Choose a Location: Do you have a special place in mind? You can plan your renewal at the church where you were married, in your own backyard, at a park or another special location. Or have the ceremony where you had your first kiss, first dance, or where you were engaged. Be creative.

Inviting Participants: Do you want a small, intimate renewal, or the large wedding you never had?

The Ceremony: Design your own ceremony. Have a religious ceremony or a simple exchange of vows. Do you want to recreate your wedding by reading the same readings and playing the same music you had the day of your wedding or choose new verses and
songs that mean more to you now?

Write your Vows: If you're going through the effort to have a vow renewal, why not write your own vows? They'll mean so much more to you. Design them to include specific instances in your life.

* "I loved you even when you backed my truck into the mailbox."
* "Back when I first saw you in college..."
* "I knew I'd love you forever when ..."

Involve your Children: If you have children, involve them in the ceremony. Older kids can read the readings. Younger children can hold flowers. You can also recite vows to your children.

* "I promise to love you, cherish you, and kiss you good-night..."
* "I am thankful every day to have you in my life."

Why not stand tall and announce to everyone in your life that you still love and still cherish your husband? Tell the world that your two feet are firmly planted and you are committed to
the wonderful man you married. What more treasured gift can you give your children than to have them participate in your vow renewal and for them to witness your vows to each other? What's stopping you? Don't wait for your 50th anniversary. Don't say "maybe next year". It doesn't need to be fancy or expensive. Just do it.

Let Romance Motivate Us
All of us need motivation. We eat because we feel hungry. We drink water because we are thirsty. We do everything in life for a reason. [ continued ]

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Valentine Ideas without breaking the bank...
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Wedding Rings Through the Years

Hearts, romance, love, lips, roses and other valentine related digital designs on branded items. Branded romantic items include t-shirts, sweatshirts, mouse pads, magnets, stickers, mugs, tote bags, bumper stickers, buttons and more.

The exact origin of the wedding ring is uncertain and is rife with superstition and mythology. Papyruses dating back to the ancient Egyptian civilization depict wedding rings, and historians credit the land of the Pharaohs with originating this tradition. Engagement or betrothal rings were in use as far back as prehistoric times, but the wedding ring is a relatively new tradition, and unlike the engagement ring, is steeped in religious ritual.

In ancient times, accepting a wedding ring constituted a legally binding agreement between husband and wife. The wife became property of the husband, a holding of sorts. It also represented protection to the wife?a protection against challengers seizing her legal and rightful position in a power grab.

Early Egyptian wedding rings were simple circular bands, crudely crafted from indigenous materials such as hemp and reeds. The lifespan of the average wedding ring was approximately one year. It's a safe bet that the average marriage outlasted the average wedding band, since the eternal circle signified eternal love and devotion. The circle also represented the joining of two halves to create a whole. The hole in the center symbolized the gateway to the unknown?the future. Wedding bands of ivory, leather, and other sturdy materials were crafted by those who desired a more permanent token of eternity.

Metals replaced the earlier hemp and reed wedding bands. The early Romans moved to lead, while other civilizations chose brass and copper. Eventually, gold emerged as the metal of choice. In fact, early Irish couples insisted on gold, as any other material was thought to bring bad luck at best, and constitute an illegal marriage at worst. For couples unable to afford gold wedding bands, gold wedding rings were secured for the service and returned immediately afterward.

Early crude designs were adorned with semiprecious metals in an attempt to disguise the handiwork. The color of the stones also held significance. The red ruby signified the heart, the blue sapphire signified the skies and the heavens, and the rare diamond's indestructible nature signified the indestructible bond of marriage.

Fit played an equally important role in the realm of superstition surrounding the wedding ring. The fit had to be perfect. Too loose a fit would lead to a sloppy marriage, carelessness, and even cause the couple to grow apart. Too tight a fit would doom the couple to a suffocating, painful marriage.

In ancient times, wedding bands occupied the third finger on the left hand just as they do today. The significance of the third finger was the belief that the vein in the third finger, the "vena amoris," led directly to the heart. This was a thought propagated by the Egyptians and adopted as truth by the ancient Greeks and Romans, until later disproved.

Even after the discovery that there was no vena amoris, the custom of wearing the wedding band on the third finger survived. Early Christian marriages included a ritual that landed the wedding band on the third finger: As the priest recited, "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the holy Ghost," he took the ring and touched the thumb, the first finger, and then the second finger. When he said, "Amen," he placed the ring on the third finger, sealing the marriage. The wedding band has occupied the third finger into the 21st century, except for a short period during the Elizabethan era, when whimsy decreed that the wedding ring reside on the thumb.

Double-ring ceremonies gained popularity during World War II as young soldiers shipped off to war. The token of the marriage contract took on new sentimentality during those troubling times, and that custom remains intact today. Ceremonies differ, vows are often unique, but the tradition of the wedding band has survived through the ages, and probably will?for all eternity.

About the author:
M J Plaster is a successful author who provides information on shopping online for engagement rings, wedding rings, and wedding bands. M J Plaster has been a commercial freelance writer for almost two decades, most recently specializing in home and garden, the low-carb lifestyle, investing, and anything that defines la dolce vita.

Let Romance Motivate Us
All of us need motivation. We eat because we feel hungry. We drink water because we are thirsty. We do everything in life for a reason. [ continued ]

Valentine News:

Valentine Ideas without breaking the bank...
[ romantic ideas ]

View the original article here