Sunday, February 28, 2016

The Who, When, Where or How of a Wedding Rehearsal

Where and when should I hold my wedding rehearsal?
1…In an indoor ceremony arrange a rehearsal a week before the wedding if convenient for everyone needing to be present
2…In an outdoor ceremony, rehearse at the time of day and week as the wedding ceremony couple of weeks before the wedding day

Who attends the rehearsal?
1…The Celebrant attends to help with the setting of the bridal party
2…Bridal attendants who will be part of the wedding party
3…Readers who will be included in the wedding ceremony
4…Parents who might be involved in the wedding ceremony
5…Musicians who will time the various wedding ceremony events
6…Those people who have been given a role as helpers in various capacities
7…A number of stand-ins for absent participants who will later be told anything they need to know

How do I decide on my ceremonial site?
1…Position your wedding party in different areas to find the most attractive focal point for your ceremony and for your wedding photographs
2…Decide on the best place for the table and chairs for the signing of the documents so it can be seen by all the guests and allow for easy photography
3…Look over the area and see if aisles are desirable for the processional and how to define them – aisle-runner, plants, ribbons, flower petals, protected candles, attractive pebbles or sea shells
4…If you intend to use an aisle-runner, appoint specific people and advise them when the aisle runner should be put in place, such as when the bride arrives at the ceremony venue just before she is ready to make her entrance
5…Instruct the same people when the runner is to be remove – preferably once the guests have left the ceremonial site
6…If rose petal path is to be created, appoint specific people how and when you want the area covered
7…Ask that on the wedding day the petals are placed some thirty minutes before the wedding ceremony and have them covered with a sheet so that the wind doesn’t disturb the petals beforehand if the wedding is outdoors
8…On the day arrange that the sheets be taken off as the guests begin to arrive
9…Have the same people who created the petal area, sweep up the petals at the end of the ceremony

How do I arrange the seating at an outdoor site?
1…Decide whether you will provide seats for all or only some of your guests
2…Decide on how to arrange the chairs so that all the guests can see the wedding party
3…Rather than placing them in straight lines, try curving the lines of the chairs towards where the bridal party will be standing
4…Try placing the chairs in a semi-circle around the bridal party
5…To generate feeling-good atmosphere, make the distance between guests and the wedding party shorter rather than longer
6…Initially set up chairs for two-thirds of the expected guests and the rest of the chairs stacked close by
7…Continue to add rows of chairs as guests begin to arrive so that there’s no empty chairs no matter how few or how many guests arrive
8…If there’s an aisle between the chairs, encourage guests to fill both sides irrespective of which side of the family they belong to

How do I arrange the seating at an indoor site?
1…Make a floor plan of how the venue will actually look on the day of the ceremony
2…Mark out areas which will be taken up with flower pedestals, wedding arch, potted plants, speaker’s stand, music stand and other large decorations
3…Place a few rows of chairs to see how close the guests can be seated without encroaching upon the wedding party
4…Using chairs, create a suitable aisle for the bridal party
5…Decide where to place chairs for young attendants who will take part in the bridal march but will not be standing with the adults
6…Place a special and a favorite toy on the chair to identify the seating for the child
7…Leave extra chairs for the carers of the children
8…Make your entrance and your exit being aware of how much space you’ll have once the venue is completely set up for your wedding day

What props do I bring to the rehearsal?
1…Half a dozen programs to follow the ceremony format
2…Substitutes for bouquets so that the attendants can decide how to carry them and how to hold them
3…Imitation wedding dress train and veil to make sure that the bride and her attendants know how to handle them on the day
4…Shoes being worn at the wedding day to test their comfort and practicality
5…Ring pillow to help the ring bearer become familiar with his task
6…Flower girl baskets filled with bits of paper for practicing tossing petals
7…Recorded music being used on the wedding day
8…Candles, chalices, roses, handfasting ribbons and other props that require practicing an action
9…Video recorder to record the whole process from processional to recessional to be viewed later to see if anything needs to be changed
10..Rehearse the children in the clothes and shoes they’ll be wearing on the day to discover if there’s anything too tight, too loose, too big, too scratchy or just generally uncomfortable for the child

Which part of the ceremony do I rehearse first?
1…Place the whole bridal party at the ceremonial site as if the ceremony is to begin – this includes the bride and groom, the celebrant, and all the bridal attendants
2…From that position, acting as if the ceremony has just finished, begin the recessional
3…Having practiced the recession several times, practice the wedding march
4…When you’re happy with both the recessional and the processional, practice the actions of the wedding ceremony itself – father handing over the bride, couple facing each other to begin their vows, readers walking towards the speaker’s stand, Best Man handing over the rings

From the book ‘1,000+ Answers to Your Wedding Questions’.
Find it on Amazon and Smashwords

Check out the different ways you can Celebrate your Wedding and how to begin planning your Wedding Day.
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Thursday, February 18, 2016

Honeymoon with Baubles, Bangles and Beads

If you are a man who enjoys jewellery, make your choice in the context of your overall look and not either as a challenge or a sop to your unspoken critics.

Take into consideration your size, bulk and type. If you’re a huge man don’t poke a little-girl slipper in your ear. Instead, wear a huge bracelet or a massive watch or a gold necklace. If you’re bald – because you like the look or because nature hasn’t given you a choice - and you’re into jewellery, keep your skull beautifully clean and polished and your jewellery impressive; exotic, even.

Is your challenge not lack of hair but an over abundance of it? Watch not only the style and size of your jewellery but also the part of your body to which you attach it. Have you ever noticed that ancient civilizations usually were either hairy and without jewellery, or satiny smooth and full of precious ornamentation? For example, Egyptians who were fond of wearing necklaces, rings and ear studs, were in the habit of removing all body hair - quite often even the hair on their heads.

Still, if you will wear jewellery irrespective of what earlier mankind considered appropriate, anything you hang on your magnificently hairy chest should be good sized and in no way apologetic. The same goes for your hairy knuckle. A hairy knuckle shouldn’t be wearing anything small and timid. Make sure that the ring is not only worthy of exhibition, but also impossible to miss.

If you’re a woman who wants to sparkle remember that one good, sensational piece will awake more interest than half a dozen little nothings - even expensive nothings - strewn all over your body. Still, use any jewellery you do wear to enhance your appearance.

If you’re wearing earrings keep them close to your face if you’re a mature woman. Dangling items around the face don’t flatter. If you’re young and want to dazzle and dally him wear an intriguing item like an anklet - and give him the opportunity to take it off - eventually!

Like a man who wears jewellery, make sure there is harmony between the size of the piece you’ve chosen and your own size and shape. If yours is a small hand, you might choose one or more small rings. On the other hand, if yours are large hands, you will find one large ring very becoming. If you have stubby fingers, a large stone may not be particularly flattering. Similarly, round stones or wide bands are not the best choice for the plump hand. On the other hand a very wide bracelet may be just want you need if you have a thick wrist.

As a mature woman who wears jewellery and glasses, regard the latter as a glittering accessory in itself. Keeping the face-jewellery small and with dull rather than glittering shine, use earrings and a bracelet rather than earrings and a necklace. Keep your make up low key with emphasis on eyes and mouth instead of cheeks.

And speaking of glasses, even though Dorothy Parker stated famously that guys don’t make passes at girls who wear glasses, glasses can also be chosen with shapes that flatter and enhance the shape of the face. If you have a round face, choosing a wide frame will make the lower half of the face look thinner. A small frame will flatter the small face, while a long frame is best for the long face. If yours is a square face, choose large square or oblong frames going past the cheeks to reduce the square look of the lower part of the face.

Taken from the book, ‘Honeymoon! A Sizzle or a Fizzle? Prepare Mentally, Physically and Emotionally for the Best Time of Your Life’.

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Monday, February 8, 2016

30 Questions to answer before Planning a Wedding Ceremony


If you’re asking some of these questions as you’re planning your Wedding Ceremony


1.     What sort of wedding ceremony can I have?

2.     How can my friends and relations take part in my ceremony?

3.     What rituals can I have to involve my relatives and friends?

4.     How can I involve my friends outside the wedding ceremony?

5.     What do I do about my readers and their readings?

6.     How can I enhance the ceremony with music?

7.     How do I arrange my arrival?

8.     How is the traditional processional arranged?

9.     How is a formal processional arranged?

10.  How is an informal processional arranged?

11.  What can a wedding ceremony consist of?

12.  What form can my wedding vows take?

13.  How do I create personal vows?

14.  How do I plan the wedding ring ceremony?

15.  How can I dramatize the ring ceremony?

 16. How can I use my engagement ring as part of my wedding ceremony?

17.  How can I use candles as part of my wedding ceremony?

18.  How do I arrange the rose ceremony?

19.  How do I arrange the sand blending ceremony?

20.  How do I arrange the wine-sharing ceremony?

21.  How do I arrange the releasing of doves or butterflies?

22.  What is a Hadfasting Ceremony?

23.  How can I end the ceremony with a ritual?

24.  How do I arrange the conclusion of my wedding?

25.  Who should be my witnesses?

26.  What are some symbolisms that I can adapt for my wedding?

27.  How can I personalize my wedding program?

28.  What parts of the ceremony can be included in the program?

29.  How can I make sure everyone signs my guest book?

30.  How do I create memories of my wedding day?


You’ll find the answers in ‘1,000+ Answers to Your Wedding Questions'

Check out the different ways you can Celebrate your Wedding and how to begin planning your Wedding Day.


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Thursday, February 4, 2016

Wedding Handfasting Ritual

Colour is an important element in a Handfasting ceremony. Brides are less likely to be dressed in white than in other colours symbolic in nature. This might be red to denote a passionate love, as well as the importance attached to the colour generally. To express the everlasting nature of the marriage commitment, a bride may dress in black, or have her attendants in black. While unpopular among traditional brides, green is another colour a Handfasting bride might use. Denoting growth and fertility, in early civilizations a young widow might wear it to indicate that she was still able to bear children.

Other significantly meaningful colours are blue for loyalty, pink for friendship in love, orange for joy, brown for stability, yellow for happiness, gold for abundance, and white for peace.

Different cultures attribute different meaning to different colours. To the Chinese, for example, the colour blue stands for eternity. Consequently, partners are likely to choose not only colours with a particular significance, but colours with a significance they themselves attribute to them.
Meaning of Colours in Handfasting Ceremony

Red: passion, strength

Orange: encouragement, attraction, kindness, plenty

Yellow: charm, confidence, joy, balance

Green: finances, fertility, charity, prosperity, health

Blue: tranquility, patience, devotion, sincerity

Purple: Power, piety, sanctity, sentimentality

Black: strength, wisdom, vision, success

White: purity, concentration, meditation, peace

Gray: neutrality, canceling, balance

Pink: unity, honour, truth, romance, happiness

Brown: earth, grounding, talent, telepathy, home

Silver: treasure, values, creativity, inspiration

Gold: energy, wealth, intelligence, longevity


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Tuesday, February 2, 2016

10 Ways to learn from your Competitors

While it is unlikely that celebrants competing with you will be motivated to help you improve your celebrancy business, celebrants who live in different cities or different states, may be quite willing to share their experiences with you. Never forgetting that what works for another celebrant in a totally different situation from yours, may not necessarily work for you, contact at least three other highly successful celebrants for comparison factors. Take note of the following:
  1. Locality. Are they living in a city or a country area, what size area do they service and how many celebrants are they competing with? 
  2. How long have they been in the particular area, and how well are they known? 
  3. What are they noted for? High quality work? Reasonable fees? Availability? 
  4. What type of clients are they attracting? Young? Mature? Well to do? Lower income? 
  5. What fees do they charge? Higher or lower than most celebrants? If higher, how do they justify their fees to their clients? 
  6. What form of communication with their clients do they prefer? Predominately telephone? Email? Mailing out kits or brochures? 
  7. What aspects of their services do they promote most? 
  8. What services do they provide which you don’t? Is there any reason why you haven’t considered offering this service? Should you be considering this particular service? 
  9. Is there anything unique in the services they provide? Is this something you could adapt or is this too specialized for you to consider at this particular time? 
  10. Which of the services offered by the celebrants are valued most by the clients?
Extract from How to be a Profitable Celebrant


Find it on Amazon and Smashwords


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