Amidst the flowers and the music, the officiant will set the tone for your wedding ceremony, and of course you want it to reflect you and your fiance. So, how can you customize your ceremony to do just that? I decided to chat with Nashville wedding officiant, Gary Copeland, to get his input on how to make the ceremony unique to each couple.
1. Samples. Gary likes to share samples of ceremonies he has previously performed to spark ideas and format for the ceremony. He does have religious and non-religious ceremony options available.
2. Enhancements. He mentions that ceremonies become personal with the music selected, type of instruments used, vocals, readings from the Bible, poems, etc. (Tip: Keep music choices to 90 seconds or less.)
3. Religious Traditions. Most couples come from different backgrounds and want to combine ceremony traditions to show respect for both families, such as breaking of the glass in Jewish ceremonies or readings from the gospel like 1 Corinthians 13. (YES, Gary can accommodate different religions and/or denominations in one ceremony service.)
4. Length of Service. This is purely personal but usually the ceremony lasts 15-20 minutes. As Gary says, if it is any shorter, people wonder why they came. 🙂 Of course, a catholic full mass usually takes an hour or so.
5. Google. The all-knowing google is a great place to research how to mix and blend services. Share these ideas with your officiant.
Whoever does your wedding needs to be experienced, professional, and trustworthy. Three words we would use wholeheartedly to describe Gary Copeland. If you are still looking for an officiant, contact him, garyspeaks@aol.com.