John and I are getting married in fewer than eight weeks and tonight I’m working on the ceremony program. Our wedding is going to be very tiny (only twenty people!) so I want to make sure we include some really intimate touches. What unique ideas did you incorporate into your ceremony or have you witnessed at others? Poems read? Songs sung? A lovely letterpress program? A unique guest book? I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts and ideas! I haven’t been to a wedding since I was little girl and could use some serious help! xx Katie
(image via Colors of Honey)
This is so sweet to invite readers to help! I love it. Let me think about it and get back to you. I know that for fragrance, gardenias really smell great and perfume an entire room.
Dancing Branflake — Aww, thanks! I love gardenias–their scent is heavenly. I feel so lucky to have such smart, stylish and resourceful readers to turn to for these things. I’d be lost without you! xx
your 20-person wedding sounds like a dream! that’s how I’d want my wedding to be.. small and intimate. I think a poem reading would be fantastic. can’t wait to see how everything turns out, miss katie! xx.
We had an artist friend sketch our wedding location, a beautiful old estate, and used that sketch on the invites & programs, which we now have framed…a beautiful reminder of the day!
What an exciting time, enjoy every minute!! We also had a small wedding….so great.
I always wondered what the point of a ‘guest book’ was… I figured it would just end up in a box somewhere. So, we had our guests sign a mat that would go in a frame with our favorite wedding portrait. It’s not a new idea but it’s one of my favorite things from our wedding and I love to read everyone’s wonderful thoughts and good wishes when I walk by it!
Fallon — I’m glad you like the poem idea, I think it’s a must. Can’t wait to someday read about your wedding missy!! xx
Susan — Just the type of unique touch we’d love to incorporate! I like that it was both an artistic touch and that of a friend. How wonderful to now have it framed on your wall. Thank you so much for sharing!!!!
Amber — I’ve seen that done and think it’s so charming! Much more memorable than a guest book you only pull out once every few years! Thanks for reminding me of this good idea.. xx
We had a sweet guest book that was made up of baby photos of us! It was fun watching our friends and family flip through and see where we are now! Also, a cute tradition that I love is putting framed photos of your parents and grandparents weddings on a table. More of a reception thing, but it could be cute at the ceremony too! Best of luck! I have two weddings to go to over the next two weekends, I’ll let you know of any more ideas after them! xoxo
*kate
Put a Polaroid camera at the front table as guests come in so they can take pictures of themselves – along with that a glue pen and writing pen & blank book. They can paste into the book and write a personal message. I did this and it is the BEST. Some great photos.
I got married last September, and I’ve always felt like music and poems MAKE the ceremony. So I sang a song to my husband (which was a total surprise to him), and one of my bridesmaids read a poem!
Well you do have a fantastically talented little bro named Joe…so a song maybe? And my brother and sister in law had a small wedding, and we all got our own flower leis, which was really cute. Though that may not fit with your theme, it gave us all a feeling of being included. Plus there are other types of flower arrangements…
My friend Deb created a neat scrapbook in the wedding colors …. http://paperturtle.blogspot.com/search/label/Krissy%20loves%20Jamie is the link. I think it came out pretty! She has an etsy shop and MAY be able to make one for you if you give her the photos and the colors.
Another friend and I made a board for her wedding. We took cork board cut to the size of an old large frame, covered it in fabric and made a family tree with photos of their families back to great grandparents, and the last two were the bride and groom’s baby photos connected to their engagement photo. It came out very sweet.
I am SO excited for you!
I just went to a wedding where the bride and groom had placed a framed picture of one or both of them with the guest and hand written a memory or thank you on it. They put these at each guests place setting and when everyone arrived and saw them it’s all anyone could talk about. It was such a special, personal touch.
Our wedding was small too–only 35–and I’m so glad we did it that way! We’re both bibliophiles so our centerpieces were color-coordinated books (from our own collection) arranged with flowers, and our tables were named after our favorite authors instead of numbered. We had traditional recited vows but also each wrote a short paragraph of our own–that part I loved! I walked down the aisle to “Willoughby” by Over The Rhine, a song my hubby played at a guitar concert in college. My wedding ring was (is) a Mother’s Ring that belonged to my grandma, with a birthstone from all four of her children (my aunts and uncles). We met while both working at Starbucks, so our baker made two little cakes in Starbucks cups, complete with green straws! And the list goes on! It was really important to us that our wedding be personal–it’s amazing how many people forget that little detail on their wedding day. Anyway, good luck planning–I’m sure it will be lovely and I’m so happy for you both!
Oh my goodness—so many good ideas! I am having so much fun reading these. You’re all so helpful. I can’t wait to show all your responses to John tonight! Thank you thank you thank you! xx Katie
I have just begun to think about this aspect of our wedding. we will be having quite a few more people than you and John, but non-the-less we all still want some special details. we will have quite a few people from out of town and many native Minnesotans who aren’t familiar with the sites of st. paul, so I am thinking of including in the program a map of the area(the hotel, church and venue are all within walking distance of each other) with sites marked down and potentially coupons for the local pups. that way, while they are waiting for the reception to start they can feel free to walk around see some of down town and maybe get a drink and catch up with family and friends.
another special thing I am going to include in all the paper goods is a logo of a male and female cardinal. tylers late grandmother loved them and they swear she became one after she passed. I know it would mean a lot to him to have that memory of her on that special day. a day when I know he will be wishing his grandmother could be here to celebrate with him.
I can’t wait to see what you end up doing! I’ll probably be taking plenty of inspiration from you my dear!
xx Kirby
Yay! I don’t have many really good ideas to add – people have suggested some awesome things. I’m so excited for you two!!!
Wow! I’ve loved reading these too because I’m going to need help! I’m getting to this point too. Here’s my two cents…I just got the latest Martha Stewart weddings and there is a great ceremony article..they have alternative ideas to a unity candle, like planting a tree together, etc…and for our guest book, we’re using a vintage book written about France that my friend got me! And then we can use it as a coffee table book and read it whenever we’d like : )
We did the old fashioned “fortune tellers” at our wedding. We had a small wedding (60) but btwn my husbands family, his baseball buddies and my gfriends it was an interesting mix. It was really fun to play with the paper fortune tellers as a way to just get people talking. My grandma was running around to Major Leage players with a white card stock fortune teller in her hand yelling “pick a number…1..2…3…4…now pick a color…R….E…D..now pick” it was sooo fun and sweet to see every one having such a great time with our $5.00 idea!
Horray, your big day is drawing ever closer! John and I have always talked about including a reading of a Pablo Neruda poem during our ceremony; he set Sonnet XVII in the most beautiful song, and we want to include that little piece of our love story during our big day.
I love small intimate events. It makes the guest feel so special. You will look back in a few years, and the 2o that were there, life’s erosion will take it’s toll.
Savour the memory of that day, just enjoy one another and share personal bits with those you love. I illustrate weddings and I always just tell the couple it is the love they radiate, the reason for the day and beyond.
I love musical chairs and dancing.
pve
because i was in law school my mother did the entire reception (for 350, she did a fantastic job!) and i did the ceremony. i wanted it to be very personal and meaningful. my father in law played the flute, a college friend who sings opera sang the lord’s prayer and another piece, i actually had the congregation sing an opening hymn (i love music!), and i had candles everywhere! and i was just so so happy about saying my vows, that probably was the best part for all the attendees!
Hi Katie!
So happy to hear you have arrived and are getting settled and chest deep in wedding planning- SO exciting!
We didn’t have bridesmaids/groomsmen in our wedding (because i secretly HATE being a bridesmaid, spending all that $$ on a dress you will never wear, to look like 8 other dolls in a row…)
But I still wanted to include the women in my life that make me who I am-
So, I walked down the aisle with my Daddio without a bouquet, the minster welcomed everyone, explained that everyone was there because they had been such an important part of Reid and/or my life and then, to signify that, my girlfriends came up (from wherever they were sitting), one by one with a single flower, gave me (and Reid!) a hug/kiss/ whisper and those flowers formed by bouquet! Then, my 94 year old Grama tied the ribbon to hold it all together.
It was lovely, so meaningful, the ladies could sit with their significant others, wore whatever they wanted (it’s their individuality that I love about them! why make them wear the same thing?!)…
I cannot wait to hear your wedding day details!
xoxo
Hi Kate! I’m so excited for you! My husband and I had a very small wedding (just us and our folks, and we had 2 close friends sing and play guitar). Having a big wedding wasn’t important to us, we just wanted our parents there. So, we used the money we would have spent on a big wedding to take a month-long European honeymoon (word)! There were two things that I really wanted to incorporate in our wedding though. 1) My mom always calls me “Sweet Pea,” so I made sure sweet pea flowers were incorporated in my bouquet and ma’s corsage. 2) I can trace almost all of my lineage back to Scotland/Wales/Ireland, and wanted to make note of that somehow. My husband and I also firmly believe that you don’t have to give up your identity when you get married (I think probably a lot of people feel that way, but we have friends who completely changed once they got married). We found the perfect Celtic wedding vows to blend these two elements:
You cannon possess me for I belong to myself
But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give
You cannon command me, for I am a free person
But I shall serve you in those ways you require
and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.
I pledge to you that yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night
and the eyes into which I smile in the morning
I pledge to you the first bite of my meat and the first drink from my cup
I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your care
I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine
I shall not slander you, nor you me
I shall honor you above all others, and when we quarrel we shall do so in private
and tell no strangers our grievances.
This is my wedding vow to you.
This is the marriage of equals.
We used “traditional” vows, too (to have, to hold, yadda yadda…). We just celebrated our 2-year anniversary over Memorial Day weekend. 50 years of luck and love to you and your sweetie! (Sorry for the extra long post!)
We chose really awesome current music that meant something to us and had our friends and family perform. The wedding party and I walked down the aisle to Sleeping at Last “Umbrellas” at the build and it was just like I hoped for.
Our guest book was a polaroid camera and we had some friends take photos of everyone as they arrived and then they each signed the photos with well wishes!
Oh, I second the polaroids. We had a Polaroid and 4.5 x 11 cardstock sheets so the guests could stick their photo on the cardstock and write a note. We collected them all in a gorgeous box my sister had made for the occasion. My third wedding anniversary is in a few weeks and I still love going through those notes and photos.
I walked into the ceremony to the Oh Susanna song from the end of the movie Tully. I love the song so much. You can see it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppkdaZHcb-0
I would just listen to the music and lyrics and not become sick from the wiggly camera. :-)
We also did the hora even though we are not Jewish and it was SO. MUCH. FUN.
Finally, after the ceremony we walked back up the aisle and took about five minutes just to be with each other before diving back into the cocktail hour. It was really nice to just take the moment in.
Have fun and congratulations!
We had a small wedding (about 30 people) and then a big reception that same day. It was wonderfully intimate for our vows, then a great party. During the ceremony we had a friend read a favorite passage from a book, we did a sand ceremony instead of a unity candle, we cut out the inside of an old book and had our ring bearer carry the rings inside of it (we’re bibliophiles) and on and on.
For the guest book we had a friend take a picture of every person/couple/group that came. Then they wrote a quick message on an individual page in a leather journal. Later I glued each picture next to the corresponding message. It was a great way to make sure we saw everyone who was there.
Just do stuff that feels like “you” as a couple, not stuff you’re suppose to do. And enjoy your day!
It may be cliche, but I love the idea of having an old fashioned typewriter where people can write advice and tips on marriage!!
http://ladulcivida.blogspot.com/
We just attended a small wedding last weekend that I thought was one of the most unique and beautiful I’ve experienced in a long time. The bride has an adorable Betty/1950s sort of aesthetic, so everything sort of leaned toward the retro. She included precious vintage fabric napkins (rumored to be from Etsy) at everyone’s place setting, but my favorite touch was the old typewriter that they set up near the exit for everyone to type special advice or well wishes before they left.
Thought about you when I saw this cute, creative idea for a guest book …
http://www.chookooloonks.com/blog/2010/5/13/love-thursday-a-wedding-guest-book.html
Sounds lovely… we had my friend who is an illustrator write it all out and draw a picture for the cover. Then we had one of my closest friends sing Heavenly day.
Have so much fun! Enjoy every minute of it.
xxx
CEO
I can’t wait to see photos of your wedding – it’s going to be so beautiful. I can’t believe how fast it’s coming up!! One of the things we did was use music that had meaning to us (since we’re both really into music) so we didn’t do any of the traditional type songs…it was all music that we liked and had meaning for us. And also we had our moms stand up and say something during the ceremony…it was BEAUTIFUL. not a dry eye in the room and was one of my fave moments!
I think it’s just fantastic you’re keeping it so small! The biggest advice I’ll give you is that whatever you decide to do, make sure it’s about who you and John are, not about trends or fads. I have some fun little plans in store for myself one day, and they all represent me or my boyfriend so well.
Hi there! I’m a fan of Rikshaw Design and just found your blog through her site. I too wanted a small wedding like yours. We ended up having 75 people, and that was a compromise as my husband comes from a small town and wanted to invite the whole town!
I saw a guestbook idea someone had to have river stones and an acrylic pen. People would sign the rocks and then you can use them for home decor in a giant vase or bowl etc. My friend also had a cute idea. She layered fun scrapbook papers that were in her wedding colors and left out lots of fun pens and had people sign and write advice, memories, or funny stories on them. She then used them in her wedding scrapbook. A nice way to personalize your scrapbook.
One other thing I did at my wedding was I took about 4 tissues, folded them in half lengthwise and the rolled them and wrapped a 1 inch wide strip of pearlized vellum around it (the vellum matched my invites). I had a basket of these tissues next to the programs as people came to the ceremony. I knew it was going to be a tear jerker and everyone really liked them. Some took extras just to keep in their purses.
I second the gardenias. They were my wedding flower, I had a “tiara” of gorgeous gardenias surrounding my updo. They were simply gorgeous, so fragrant.
Good luck with your wedding plans! I hope you post some pictures of the wedding! :)
Emily http://findingmyaloha.blogspot.com
For our wedding, we had each guest light a candle on the “altar” (it wasn’t in a church, but it was behind where my husband and i stood during the ceremony) on their way to be seated, as a way of contributing to the ceremony. we also did a ring-warming thing, where we put our rings in a pretty bag and had guests pass it. they could hold it in their hands, warm it, pray over it, whatever they wanted to do.
also, our guest book was a pretty book of blank sheet paper (a song-writer’s journal, to be exact). we’re both musicians so it meant a lot to us.
finally, our acoustic guitar player made the evening much more intimate.