Wine Box and Time Capsules

There are some rituals for the ceremony that I am hearing more about, it is the time capsule or a wine box ceremony, there are lots of people out there who have seen a candle ceremony and the sand ceremonies done at weddings, and thought that they are a great idea but feel that they might not want to have it as their friends had it at their ceremony, or that they are not something that would suit their personalities. If that is the case, a wine box or a time capsule could be something that you might like to consider.

Depending if you like wine or not would be one way to decide on if you would make a wine box or a time capsule, but really essentially they have the same idea behind them. During the ceremony, you can put together the time capsule or wine box. It is something that you choose to open at one of your wedding anniversaries, maybe your 10, 15 or 20 year anniversary. Long enough away so that time has passed and you have forgotten some of the details of things that have gone into the box. You can buy these boxes, or you can make one yourself. During the ceremony you can put all sorts of things in the wine box/time capsule. One great thing that you can put in it is a letter to each other, one from each of you, you can put in it how you feel about each other now, what you hope for in the future and how you are feeling about the up coming wedding day, it is something that will be great to read years down the track. You can add things that hold special meaning to you in your relationship, or momentos that you have from special places.

This is also a great way to include children in the ceremony, if you have children from a previous relationship or together it would be a great way to include them, they could write letters to the two of you. Other ways you can include children in your ceremonies can be found on my other blog posts on Sand ceremonies with children, and Children in the wedding ceremony.  It can also be a great way to incorporate members of your family and to include people that have passed away, by asking someone close to them to contribute something to the wine box/ time capsule, they can be mentioned in the ceremony when the box is being compiled and a great way to incorporate them into the ceremony without drawing too much attention to the people who are missing if it might be recent or too upsetting for some people.

You could also choose to do this at the reception instead and have this as something that all of your guests can contribute to, they could fill in a questionnaire, answering things like, where will we be living in 10 years time? How many children will we have? How many animals will we have and what types? Or you could ask your guests to provide you with tips and advice for married life.

Thanks to Corey Brown, once again for the wonderful photos. Check out his blog here.

Responsibilities of the bridal party.

Being a part of someone’s wedding doesn’t just involve turning up on the day and looking great in your dress or suit. There are many things you need to take into consideration. It can be huge responsibility being a part of a wedding – something that the bride and groom must seriously consider (read more about this in my blog about selecting and honouring people in your wedding here).

The select few need to be aware that is takes a lot of work when you are a part of someone’s bridal party – often being expected to plan and pay for things that contribute to the special day. In addition the bride and groom need to take the amount of work they expect their closest friends and family to contribute into consideration. It is a great idea to plan just how much each person is contributing – minimising confusion amongst your nearest and dearest closer to the special day. The bride and groom should inform the attendants well before the date what they are expected to buy for the day, this could mean contributing to the dresses and suits for the bridal party.  Often this is not clear; as a part of the wedding party it is always a good idea to ask – lay out all the expenses on the table and plan the payment. If you, as the bride or groom, are covering expenses for the bridal party, you may like to have the final say on what is to be worn, however when expecting the guests to contribute, a certain amount of leeway should be taken into consideration.

There are often a lot of events that members of the bridal party are expected to be at. I feel one of the most crucial pre-wedding event is the rehearsal, it is really important that the wedding party attends. This is beneficial not only for me as a celebrant to become acquainted with the attendants, but also for the wedding party to become familiar with their role on the day. I once had an guest tell the couple that he was “too cool” to go to the rehearsal, funnily enough he was the one with the most questions on the day; looking a little lost when everyone was getting into place. The point of a wedding rehearsal isn’t to put people out or burden them with yet another commitment, it is aimed to help the wedding party feel comfortable with the ceremony and to ensure all will run smoothly on the day. It may feel some what daunting to be a part of the immediate wedding party on display at the ceremony, having the knowledge of what is expected on the day makes the experience that bit easier. It is a great chance to ensure the music; timing and placement are perfect for the big day.

A lot of time needs to be spent, picking out clothes, planning a bridal shower and hens and buck events. For the most part the wedding party is expected to be a part of these traditions where possible. It is perfectly understandable if you are overseas or out of town, however, traditionally the wedding party plan these events and the support of the bride and grooms nearest and dearest is expected.

What you, as a part of the wedding party, must always take into consideration is that this is the bride and grooms day and it is going to be one of the most special events in their life. They may get a little stressed and grumpy, but try and look past that and remember that this is what their world has revolved around for several months. Enjoy the moment and feel honoured to be a part of their special day.

Thanks again to Kirralee for the use of her amazing images. Check out her blog here.

Amy and Paul

I met Amy a long time ago. She went to school with my husband, and I have always known her to be such a lovely, bubbly, happy, person. I saw Amy again at Kris and Glen’s wedding. (see post about their wedding here) It was really lovely to see her again after such a long time.  I was really happy when a number of months ago she called me asking if I would like to conduct her wedding. The whole wedding process with Amy and Paul was a joy, they were so wonderful to work with, and it was fun to meet up with them for all the stages of planning their special day.

Amy and Paul met at The Burnley Gardens about 12 years ago, so it was very fitting that they chose to have their winter wedding there. I was a little worried as on the Friday before the big day as the weather had been cold and wet, but the Saturday turned out to be quite nice for a Melbourne day in June.  The weather held out for us, and we only had to contend with a little rain. Amy arrived in a fantastic blue kombi van that had bridal ribbons coming off the side mirrors.  She looked stunning in her beautiful dress and had the most perfect hair accessory to match the dress. Amy was accompanied by her father, nieces and friend Brooke down the aisle.

Amy and Paul shared beautiful vows, and the story of their lives together in front of their family and friends. The Burnley Gardens looked fantastic with all of the big umbrellas that they had hired for the occasion. Their guests shared some drinks before and after the ceremony before they all left the gardens to go and enjoy magical views and great food at the Rialto.

Really you couldn’t meet two more lovely people, and for me it was an absolute pleasure to be a part of their wedding day. It is always so much fun for me to get to know about the couples that I work with, to hear about how they met and how people love and support one another. Amy and Paul are a perfect example of this; they support each other and encourage each other to be the best people they can be.  It made me realise just how lucky I really am, to do what I do, I love every moment of it, and love spending time with fantastic people on one of the happiest days of their lives.

Thank-you to Nat at Waterlily Photography for the use of her lovely images, check out Waterlily Photography’s website here.

Blessing Tree

The blessing tree is a great idea and can be used at your wedding, reception, baby naming ceremony, baby shower or just about any other ceremony or celebration you can think of.

Much like a Fingerprint tree (check out my previous blog about fingerprint trees here), it is a great way to involve everyone who is a guest at your special day. The underpinning idea is that you have a ‘tree’ (you can buy the tree or make one yourself) and attach cards that your guests have written a blessing or messages to you on with ribbon. The blessing tree could be placed at the reception or ceremony venue – a great way to get guests involved and into the spirit of the event! Welcoming your guests with Blessing cards is another option – these can be kept for the bride and groom to look back on in the future or read at the reception.

It is a great way to decorate a table at a wedding and you can use colours to match stationary and the aesthetic theme of your wedding or special ceremony. Do you know anyone who used this idea at their special ceremony?