Ceremonies

There are many ceremony options to consider; any special life- event that has significance can be a cause for celebration and ceremony, for instance –

Wedding
Renewal of Vows (can be made at anytime but often and typical at 5 year celebrations)
Same Sex Commitment
Commitment
Funerals
Name Giving
Birth Welcome
Engagement
Significant Birthday
Important Wedding Anniversary
Pet Ceremonies

All part of life’s journey and all emotional turn-pikes in the relationships between people. Of these Weddings and Funerals are probably the biggest of life events and require the professionalism of a professional celebrant.

Best Celebrants has a wide selection of ceremonies for weddings and would usually create a custom designed ceremony to suit the individuals involved.

Best Celebrants believes it is ‘your wedding’ not ours, and will assist to find the perfect words and poetry for your personal and individual occasion.

There are many traditions and ceremonies within the ceremony that can be included to make your service exclusively yours, for instance the following are just a few ceremonies that could be considered for your important day

Warming Of The Rings: A wonderful Celtic custom and way to involve all of your family and guests in your special celebration. In the time immediately leading up to the ceremony a specially chosen person (usually an intimate family member) is entrusted with the wedding rings to circulate amongst guests providing the opportunity to touch (warm) the rings with a blessing for the marriage to follow.
Candle Ceremony: The Candle Ceremony demonstrates the unity of the marriage couple with the lighting of one candle from two separate candles held by the bride and groom.
There are a number of creative variations that can include special people such as the mothers or the parents of the bride and groom. Quite often the candles are kept by the bride and groom and
re-lit on the wedding anniversary each year in celebration of the wedding event.
Handfasting Ceremony: Another ancient Celtic ritual calling upon the natural elements to create a scared circle in which the couple are hand bound with cloth (or ribbon) while making personal declarations of intent where the bride and groom state that they are marrying of their own free will.
Rose Ceremony: In an informal ceremony the couple take roses from the wedding table and visit the parents or significant family members honouring and presenting them with the gift of a rose as part of the wedding ceremony.
Flower Ceremony: This is a ceremony for family and friends to participate. Each person/guest comes forward to place a flower in a receptacle to create a garden of love
Ribbon Ceremony: A variation of the Handfasting Ceremony invoking the powers of the four directions. In many cultures it is believed that the human soul shares characteristics and virtues of the four cardinal directions; East, South, West & North and the ribbon is used to bind the couple to the directions of our world.
Wine (or Water) Ceremony: Based on the writings of poet Kahlil Gibran “fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup”, the couple ceremonially fill each other’s glass, drink (sip) from their own and then both cup’s are poured to become one, from which the couple sip again signifying togetherness and becoming one.
Jewish Wine Ceremony: Used by Jewish and non Jewish communities these days, similar to the Wine ceremony above, but after drinking the wine, the glasses are wrapped in a cloth, and crushed underfoot representing an end and a new beginning.
Coin Ceremony: A Latin tradition, the groom drops 13 coins into the bride’s hands representing her dowry and his vow to support her. Sometimes the ring bearer will also take the coins in a coin purse down the aisle. The wedding celebrant gives the coins to both the bride and groom, usually pouring the contents of the purse into the bride and groom’s open hands, then wishing them prosperity.
Sand Ceremony: Two vessels of sand are poured together either into a third keepsake vessel or into the wind to represent the coming together of two lives, different coloured sand is often used (there are quite a number of variations of this ceremony).

One of the exciting trends in Celebrant weddings these days is “anything goes”, whether a large expensive wedding or a small less expensive intimate affair, our experience is unmatched when it comes to the variations and option available today.