Orlando Wedding Ceremony Customization and Options
Your ceremony is not a checklist. It is a story with a beginning, a middle, and an ending that your guests will talk about for years. Everything on this page is a choice you can make or leave out entirely. My job is to help you figure out which choices are yours.
Within this page, there is information about:
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Outline of Your Personalized Wedding Ceremony
Every ceremony I write is its own, shaped entirely around the two of you. A well-crafted ceremony follows an order that flows naturally, makes sense to your friends and family, and builds toward the moment I introduce you as a new couple.
When I write a ceremony, I focus on telling a story: your story. It begins with how the two of you fell in love, then moves into the promises you make to each other for the rest of your lives together. From there, we often add symbols of your union. Then comes the moment everyone's waiting for: the kiss, followed by the first time I announce you as a married couple.
Through years of doing this, I've learned what lands. I know which moments tend to bring on the happy tears, and which ones get people laughing. All of that experience shapes how I write your ceremony.
Below is the order of a ceremony if every option were included. A quick note: I rarely perform one with all the choices. It's entirely up to you.
Welcome and Announcements (usually no cellphones)
Processional
Opening Remarks and Love Story
Optional: Reading
Declaration of Intent (I Do’s)
Vows
Optional: Unity Ceremony (Sand, Candle, etc.)
Ring Exchange
Optional: Ring Warming
Reflection
Pronouncement (By the authority vested in me…)
Kiss
Optional: Blessing
Introduction of the Couple
Recessional
Bonus: Signing Ceremony after the recessional
The Processional:
Setting the Tone
The processional sets the tone, builds anticipation, and visually signifies the beginning of your union. Although tradition often dictates a specific order, modern couples have embraced the freedom to personalize this moment, making it a meaningful reflection of their unique relationships and family structures.
Typically, the processional is a collaboration between the couple and your coordinator or planner. But, I like to share with couples the many choices you have.
Traditional Order with Personal Touches:
The officiant, followed by the groom, then the wedding party in pairs or singly, with the bride and her escort finishing the processional.
My Recommendation: Process in one at a time so that the photographer can get terrific photos of each attendant by themselves. There will be an additional opportunity for your attendants to recess out in pairs and get a different photo.
Focusing on Family:
Parents Walking Together: Instead of just the bride being escorted, both partners can choose to be walked down the aisle by their parents, symbolizing the support and love of their families.
Blended Families: For couples with children, the processional can be a powerful moment to showcase the merging of families. Children can walk with their parents or even all together as a new family unit.
Grandparents and Other Honored Guests: Consider including grandparents or other significant loved ones in the processional to acknowledge their importance in your lives.
A Special Role for the Groom:
Traditionally, the groom often stands at the front awaiting his partner. However, there's a growing trend and a beautiful sentiment in having the groom also be walked down the aisle by loved ones. This can be a powerful way to honor his parents or family, include stepparents or mentors, and symbolize his journey to this moment.
Bonus: For some grooms, having a loved one by their side during the entrance can provide comfort, support and ease nerves.
Ultimately, your processional is a personal expression. There are no right or wrong answers, only the choices that feel most meaningful and authentic to you as a couple.
Readings
A reading is a chance to bring someone you love into the ceremony in a meaningful way. A parent, a sibling, a best friend who is not in the wedding party, reads something that matters to you both, and suddenly the ceremony belongs to more people than just the two of you.
The most powerful readings are the ones that already mean something before you put them in the ceremony. A poem you both love. A passage that has guided you. Something a family member wrote just for this day.
If you find yourself scrolling through lists of wedding readings looking for something that feels right, that is usually a sign that readings are not the right fit for your ceremony. And that is completely fine. Your ceremony does not need a reading to be meaningful.
If the words already exist and they already matter to you, we will find exactly the right place for them.
Remembrance and Memorials
For many couples, the absence of loved ones who have passed away or those who are unable to attend due to distance or circumstance is deeply felt on this momentous occasion. Incorporating a moment of remembrance at the beginning of your ceremony offers a tender way to honor their memory and acknowledge their continued influence in your lives.
Here is one way that I acknowledged loved ones in a recent ceremony:
“Today is a day of tremendous joy and celebration, and as we celebrate we are mindful especially of those who we so deeply wish could be with us, but who are unable to be physically present. They’re in our hearts and minds, and they’re with us in spirit in all that's happening here today.”
Many couples also choose to create a memorial table, displaying photographs of their loved ones who are no longer with them. This provides a visual representation of their presence and allows guests to pause and remember them throughout the celebration.
It's worth noting that while both options are beautiful expressions of remembrance, couples often choose one or the other, rather than both. This helps to keep the focus of the ceremony primarily on the joyous occasion of your marriage while still providing a meaningful opportunity to honor those who are missed.
Mentioning God, Blessings, and Prayers
Faith plays a big role in many couples' lives and relationships, and some couples want that reflected in their ceremony. Others don't, and that's just as fine. It's your ceremony, so my job is to help you figure out what fits you both.
I'm not an ordained minister, but I'm glad to bring God and other spiritual elements into your ceremony in a way that reflects what you believe.
Here are a few ways couples do this:
Ways to Mention God:
Opening Remarks: I can open the ceremony by acknowledging God's presence. Something like, "We are in the presence of God, our family, and our friends, to celebrate the love and commitment of [Partner A] and [Partner B]."
Readings: You can include a scripture reading or another sacred text that speaks to your faith and to what you believe about love and commitment.
Personal Vows: Your vows themselves can reference your faith, whether that's a promise grounded in your beliefs or asking for God's guidance in your marriage.
A Blessing or Prayer After the Ring Exchange:
Right after you exchange rings is also a natural moment for a blessing or a prayer. Here are two I've used in recent ceremonies:
Blessing 1:
Let us now take a moment to offer a blessing upon these rings and upon the union they represent. May God bless these rings as symbols of the unbroken circle of your love. May He grant you both the grace to cherish and support one another, to grow in love and understanding, and to build a life filled with joy, peace, and His abundant blessings. Amen.
Blessing 2:
May God bless you and keep you and may God’s face shine on you all the days of your marriage and may you be a blessing to others.
Casa Feliz | Winter Park, Florida
Vows - Write Your Own or Repeat-After-Me
The exchange of vows is the heart of your wedding ceremony: the moment you make your heartfelt promises to one another. You have a few ways to approach this part of your day:
Repeat-After-Me Vows
How it works: Your officiant will say a line, and you repeat it to your partner.
Highlight: Provides structure and can ease anxiety for couples who might be nervous speaking freely during the ceremony.
Good Choice If: You plan to share more personal vows during a private first look, or if you anticipate being very emotional during the ceremony and prefer a guided approach.
Vows Written by the Couple
How it works: You and your partner each write your own unique promises to one another.
Highlight: Often the emotional peak of the ceremony, offering a deeply personal and intimate expression of your love and commitment.
Tip: Make sure to have them written in a booklet. No reading from your cellphone!
Allows You To: Share specific promises, memories, and hopes for your future together, and reflect your unique personalities and relationship dynamic.
Both, One Right After the Other (My Favorite)
How it works: You each read your own vows first, then I lead you both through a short set of repeat-after-me vows right after.
Highlight: Your own vows get to be as personal and free-form as a love letter. Following them immediately with repeat-after-me vows gives that moment a familiar structure and a clean, confident close.
Good Choice If: You love the idea of writing your own vows but want the ceremony to land on something a little more traditional right after.
“Your ceremony should be a personal reflection of you both as you embark on your life journey together. I am here to help guide you in the process.”
Custom Unity Ceremonies
A unity ceremony is a symbolic act within your wedding that visually represents the joining of your two lives or families into one. It's a beautiful way to personalize your ceremony and create a lasting memory of your commitment. Here are a few popular choices:
Unity Candle
How it works: You each light an individual candle, then together light a larger center candle, symbolizing the merging of your individual lives.
Highlight: Classic and visually appealing, representing the joining of two flames into one.
Tip: Not a good choice for outdoor weddings.
Sand Ceremony
How it works: You each pour different colored sand into a single vessel, creating a unique layered design that cannot be separated.
Highlight: Represents the blending of your lives and families, creating a beautiful keepsake.
Water Blending Ceremony
How it works: Similar to the sand ceremony, you each pour water (sometimes with added coloring) into a single vessel.
Highlight: Symbolizes the irreversible blending of your lives and can be particularly meaningful if water holds significance for you.
Wine or Whiskey Blending Ceremony
How it works: You each pour a different type of wine or whiskey into a shared carafe, then take a sip of the blended drink.
Highlight: Represents the blending of your individual tastes and the richness that comes from your union.
Tree Planting Ceremony
How it works: Together, you plant a small tree or shrub using soil from your childhood homes or other meaningful locations.
Highlight: Symbolizes the roots of your relationship growing and flourishing together, creating a living reminder of your commitment.
Handfasting Ceremony
How it works: Your hands are gently tied together with ribbons or cords, symbolizing the binding of your lives and your commitment to one another.
Highlight: A beautiful and ancient tradition that visually represents your union and allows for the inclusion of meaningful colors in the cords.
Love Letter & Wine Box Ceremony
How it works: You each write a love letter to one another and place them in a box with a bottle of wine. The box is sealed and meant to be opened on a future anniversary (e.g., 5th or 10th) to reminisce.
Highlight: A sentimental ceremony that creates a time capsule of your love and provides a special moment to look forward to in your marriage.
Ring Warming Ceremony
Looking for a meaningful way to involve your loved ones in your ceremony? Consider a ring warming ceremony.
What it is: Before you exchange rings, your wedding bands are passed among selected guests, who each hold them for a moment and add their own silent blessing or well wish for your marriage.
How it works
Wedding Party: The rings can be passed through your bridesmaids and groomsmen as they stand.
Parents: A touching way to involve your parents, symbolizing their support and guidance.
Children: If you have children (from previous relationships or together), this is a beautiful way to include them in the symbolism of your union.
Extended Family & Close Friends: You can choose a select group of important people to participate.
Everyone: For a more inclusive approach, the rings can be passed through a larger portion or even all of your guests.
By the time the rings reach you, they've carried a piece of everyone who held them, a simple way to feel surrounded by your family and friends the moment you exchange rings.
Community Vows: The Support of Family and Friends
Victoria 1883
New Smyrna Beach, FL
A marriage isn't just about the two of you. It's supported by the people around you. The Affirmation of Community, sometimes called the Support of Family and Friends, is a simple way to bring everyone in the room into the ceremony, not just as guests, but as part of it.
What it is: A short call-and-response moment where I ask your guests for a public promise, that they'll be a source of encouragement and support for you both throughout your marriage. When they respond together with "We do!", they mean it.
Why it's meaningful: For you, it's a reminder that you're surrounded by people who care about you and that you won't face the hard parts of marriage alone. For your guests, it turns them from spectators into participants. They leave knowing they didn't just watch you get married, they promised to help hold it up. It's also one of the most photogenic moments of the ceremony, all those voices answering together.
The Choice is Yours!
Every option on this page is exactly that. An option. Most ceremonies include a handful of these elements, not all of them. The best ceremonies are the ones where every choice feels intentional rather than obligatory.
Bring me your ideas. The sentimental ones, the unexpected ones, the ones you are not sure will work. That is exactly the conversation I love having.
If you are ready to start building your ceremony, I would love to hear your story.