Would you like to renew your Wedding Vows?

Would you love to renew your Wedding Vows? Would you like to recommit yourself to the one you love? Would you like to reaffirm the promises you made all those years ago? Unsure of how to go about it? Then look no further because I am here to help.

WHAT IS A VOW RENEWAL CEREMONY?

To put it simply, a vow renewal ceremony is a little bit like a wedding, you and your partner revisit the vows that you made in your wedding and recommit yourselves to each other for the next stage of your life. Some couples choose to use the same vows and promises while others like to write new ones to reflect the new phase of your lives together. Vow renewal ceremonies tend to be less formal than wedding ceremonies but are not any less romantic. They should be fun and very often involve many members of the extended family.

WHERE DOES IT TAKE PLACE?

Because a vow renewal ceremony is not a legal proceeding it can take place anywhere. It could be in the family home, a place of special significance to the couple, the original hotel venue, a beach, a forest, the possibilities are endless.

WHO SHOULD WE INVITE?

Again this is individual to every couple. A vow renewal ceremony can be as intimate or as ostentatious as you wish. If possible, it is common for the original best man or maid of honour to play a part in the ceremony.

WHY SHOULD WE USE A CELEBRANT FOR THE CEREMONY?

You wouldn't want your wedding to be celebrated by an amateur and so it should be with a vow renewal. With a Celebrant you will know that you will have a ceremony that will be bespoke, unique and very romantic. The celebrant will tell the love story of the couple and make sure that the ceremony flows beautifully. The celebrant can also help with choosing readings and poetry and the all important picking or writing of vows.

WHERE CAN WE GO FOR MORE INFORMATION:

If you would like to discuss the possibility of having a vow renewal ceremony please get in touch on the contact page. I would love to hear from you.

Wedding Insurannce

As Ireland recovers from the walloping of ex-hurricane Ophelia it got me thinking about the importance of Insurance. Every time I renew my home or car insurance I always think to myself, ‘well I hope I won’t need that’. It’s one of those things that we pay for but hope we never actually have to use.

I strongly advise all couples that I meet to take out wedding insurance. There are lots of different companies out there that offer lots of different packages but you can get pretty decent cover for about €50. A quick google search will readily show you what is available. Wedding insurance tends to cover lots of unfortunate events  such as the wedding being cancelled, suppliers failing to turn up on the day, suppliers going out of business before the big day, but as always there are caveats so be sure to read the fine print!

With many weddings now costing between ten and twenty thousand euros Wedding Insurance is an absolute must to protect you and your money. We buy a new iPhone and we don’t think twice about insuring it, so why should a massive event like your wedding be any different? Get the insurance, file away the documents and carry on planning, safe in the knowledge that if anything does go wrong you’ll be sorted.

My hope for every couple is that you never have to use it and you have the most wonderful day of your lives.

 

Happy Wedding Planning.

Wedding Ceremony Music

Ceremony music is something that a lot of couples rightly spend a lot of thought time considering. If a couple chooses the right music it can elevate and enhance the wedding ceremony. I've performed at weddings where there have been live singers, string quartets, choirs, soloists and I've been at ceremonies where somebody is given the job to press play on the lowly iPod at the right moment. Whether you go for live or recorded will probably depend on your budget but I alway advise couples to use music in some shape or form.

Your choice of entrance and exit music are probably the most important. The entrance will set the tone for the entire ceremony while the exit is one that will hopefully get toes tapping, guests smiling and uplift the whole gathering. Entrances often tend to be slower and Romantic and exits tend to be lively and boppy. However, this is your ceremony so you choose what is right for you.

Many couples have a song that means something to them, but a word of caution - your song may not necessarily be suitable for the wedding ceremony. The story of the song may not work or the lyrics might not be suitable, if this is the case you're better off leaving it for the band to play later.

How many songs should you have? As a Celebrant I think 3 or 4 songs are good. One at the start, one at the end and then 2 during the ceremony.  You might like instrumental music during parts of the ceremony such as the lighting of candles, or sand during sand ceremonies.

I also think it is great if your guests can see the musicians. If your venue has the space, it is good if the musicians can be at the top of the room. This gives something for your guests to focus on during the songs and keeps fidgeting and chatting at bay.

Finally, don't feel that you need to have your singers sing the entire song. Many times, a verse or two and a couple of choruses will do the job perfectly.

If you need some inspiration the great people over at The Knot.com have compiled a great list of suggested songs. Enjoy and happy browsing.

http://www.theknot.com/content/amphtml/wedding-party-entrance-songs

Goood luck,

Will.