From the monthly archives:

October 2006

More Wedding Bells in the Garden State….

October 26, 2006

Wedding bells may soon be ringing for a lot more people in the Garden State. While rumors are swirling that they will be “civil unions” instead of “marriages,” same-sex unions are coming to New Jersey. Some are saying legislators, given 180 days to hammer out the details, may comply with the state supreme court ruling [...]

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China: Simple Ceremonies the new trend

October 24, 2006

From around the world comes this news from China: short, simple wedding ceremonies have become the new hip trend.  In America, current estimates put the ceremony/chapel/officiant cost at $250 out of a $24,000 budget, while the article describes a Chinese tradition of making the ceremony a “grand show.” Although many American couples do spend a lot [...]

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Family Medallion Link and ideas

October 14, 2006

Recently, I’ve come across people looking for the family medallion to exchange with children during a wedding ceremony. The medallion contains three linked rings to connect the adults with the children in the new family. The ceremony can also be done with the other jewelry, including religious jewelry. The important part of the ceremony is [...]

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How to plan an atheist ceremony

October 10, 2006

I ran across this article about how to plan an atheist wedding ceremony and found it an interesting discussion. When I talk with couples who do not wish to include God in their ceremony, for whatever reason, I find it simple to seek out passages for readings that reflect the beliefs of those getting married. [...]

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“Obey” = Domestic Abuse?

October 5, 2006

I saw this article about the Church of England’s decision to omit “obey” as part of the traditional marriage vows because it could be interpreted as justifying abuse. When I got married a few years ago, I asked the officiant to strike those words and to change “man and wife” to “husband and wife.” The [...]

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“With this ring, I thee wed”

October 4, 2006

Most couples choose to exchange rings during the ceremony. Some are plain gold bands, while others are designer bands with stones and detailing. Regardless of the bands you choose, you must decide what they symbolize to you. The ancient Egyptians believed there was a vein in the ring finger of your left hand that went straight [...]

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Processional Questions

October 3, 2006

Many couples have questions about the processional. The general order has the groom enter first, followed by the grandparents, the parents, the groomsmen, the maids of honor, the flower girl/ring bearer, and the bride and her escort. But you don’t need to follow this. It is up to you whether the officiant is waiting before [...]

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Non-Denominational Ceremonies

October 1, 2006

If you or your spouse (or both of you) are agnostic, atheist, or share different ideas about faith, how can a ceremony by a minister address that? First, you and your spouse need to come to a decision on how to handle a difference of religious beliefs, especially if you plan to have children. That [...]

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