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Dan Jones, Wedding Officiant

Embracing Ceremony Blog

Remember to Have Fun!

As a wedding officiant I have the somewhat unique opportunity to see some of the wedding dynamics that others do not see. When I arrive for a ceremony the preparations are well underway. If I’ve done my job correctly with the bride and groom, any details pertaining to the ceremony are in place. But what I often see is the stress of the bride as she worries about the myriad details coming together as planned.

As in so many things in life, at some point there is merit in letting go some control and letting the dynamics of the situation unfold. This is a challenge on the best of days! But to the extent you can do this it allows you to have lots more fun through the ceremony and it increases the likelihood that you’ll remember the fun and be able to treasure the memories.

Here are a couple of simple examples, the first one particularly apt for your outdoor wedding in northern New Mexico or Colorado where we often have wind and changeable weather.

Rather than dread the possibility of a gusty day, plan for that possibility. Weight your decorations. Have your hair done in such a way that the wind won’t destroy it. Have a backup plan in case a thunderstorm converges on the hour of your ceremony.

Children and dogs are wonderful additions to the ceremony. And they can’t be precisely scripted. Their spontaneity becomes part of the joy of the day.  Whatever they do will be cute and appreciated by your guests.

At a recent wedding a hanging flower ball cracked me in the head during a particularly big gust of wind at the start of the ceremony. It got a great laugh out of the guests and really warmed up the crowd. As your wedding officiant I remain calm and go with the punches, so to speak. The small unexpected occurrences are wonderful opportunities for humor and to lighten everyone’s spirits. This exemplifies why I prefer the term wedding celebrant over officiant!

When you’re able to go with the flow and laugh with the spontaneity, everyone else will take your cue. And when you get to the reception the real fun can commence!

Want more information on this topic? Email Dan at Dan@EmbracingCeremony.com

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