There are plenty of ways to make your wedding ceremony special, from personalized vows to a thoughtful music playlist. But if you're looking for a heartfelt way to customize the formal portion of your big day, consider including a unity ceremony to honor your marriage.

Unity ceremonies are meaningful rituals performed during your wedding to represent becoming a union.  A unity ritual is certainly not required by any means, but there may be a ceremony option that's the perfect fit for you and your partner, whether you're looking for something religious, historical, or secular. Often, a unity ceremony allows for other family members to participate as well, furthering its meaning and representation of two families joining together.

You might be familiar with common wedding unity ideas, like lighting a candle or pouring sand, but you aren't limited to these options.

Candle

Sand

Handfasting / Ribbons

Blending Paint

Wine Pouring

Tequila Shots

Planting / Watering

Log Cutting

Guacamole

Bonfire

Knot-Tying / Braiding

Sealing Love Letters

Handwashing

Ring Warming

Tea Ceremony

Jumping the Broom

Food Sharing

Love-Lock 

…. and more

In fact, there are plenty of creative wedding unity ceremonies that will personalize your big day.

In discussing wedding jewelry, it’s easy to focus on the engagement ring and leave the wedding band as an afterthought.  Remember to reserve space in your budget for both partners to receive a wedding band;  just like an engagement ring, a wedding band should be ordered well in advance of your nuptials. Some jewelers recommend four to six weeks for order processing and shipping,  

Keep your bands in a safe place that you and your partner both know about to avoid misplacing your precious rings.   On the big day, give the bands to your designated wedding attendant, who will be in charge of them until the ceremony.

Tradition dictates that the best man holds both wedding rings before the ceremony. Of course, if you feel more comfortable giving the rings to the maid of honor (or another member of the wedding party), go ahead and pass it off to someone you trust.  Another option is to ask your officiant to hold them.

Are you using a Ring Bearer and Flower Girl?  Ask someone to "manage" this process - one less thing you have to worry about on your wedding day.

Traditionally, the groom goes first in the exchange of rings.  Although most couples choose to follow tradition, there's no rule that says you can't switch things up. If one of you is more comfortable than the other in front of an audience, then you might want that person to go first, so the other will be less nervous.

Weddings are Expensive - in case you didn't know that already.  lol.  I love being an Officiant and this is a hobby for me.  Since I am not doing this full-time, I do not have business expenses to cover, or employees to pay.  I am not looking to drain the wedding coffers, just enough to cover my time and expertise - and have some fun while we are at it.

One of the most important tasks of the officiant is to explain and define the flow of the ceremony, the rituals, the ebbs and flows, vows and rings, etc. – adding requests if necessary, and tailoring the ceremony to “fit” the personality of the couple. I try to get as many details from my prospective couples about their big day as possible.

A wedding officiant is perhaps best known as the person who leads the ceremony. However, that’s only part of their job. An officiant works with the couple in the months before the wedding day to craft the ceremony, which may include personal vows, readings, music selections, and more. They may also provide premarital counseling.

And remember that unlike other wedding vendors, your officiant has a legal role to play on your big day. The officiant must be legally ordained to perform weddings in your state and understand your jurisdiction’s laws as they pertain to the marriage license. On your wedding day, your officiant will fill out and sign the marriage license (along with witnesses) and usually send it back to the county clerk’s office for certification. This may sound like a minor detail, but without a marriage license, you’re not actually married—so your wedding officiant has an essential role to play here.

When planning a wedding ceremony, it’s important to get the guidance from a professional wedding officiant to help you design, write, and perform the right ceremony for you. There are so many factors to consider in creating a wedding ceremony script – selecting from the different types of wedding ceremonies, determining the proper wedding ceremony order, selecting wedding readings that match the rest of your ceremony, writing wedding vows that are meaningful to you and your soon-to-be-spouse, and much more. With so many options available and so many decisions to make, having an experienced professional to guide you through the process can save time, money, and ensure the success of your special occasion.

Last of course is the moment of truth. This is when the officiant becomes the spotlight, the “public service announcement”, the moment of truth where the “dearly beloved” guests – involved witnesses – are gathered, asked to become part of, and focused on the ratification of this wonderful and joyful moment.