Unique, fun and alternative wedding ceremony ideas for non-traditional couples who dare to be different.
We humans have been coupling up and getting wed for thousands of years but what started as forming alliances between families has evolved through the ages to what we know as marriage today: a union and commitment between two people who love each other, respect each other, ‘get’ each other and want to share a life together
So, if our reasons for getting married and our ideas surrounding the meaning of marriage have changed with the times, modernised and moved away from the ‘traditional’, why can’t our wedding ceremonies?
A celebrant wedding really opens up the possibilities for your ceremony to be so much more than people once expected. Gone are the days of following the ‘rules’! So, if you’re the type of people who dream of something more unique than a typical white wedding (sorry Billy Idol), an alternative ceremony with a twist, something memorable and symbolic yet extraordinary to add a bit more of a personal or fun touch into your day, then read on, my daring friends, for five of my top unity ceremony ideas to spice up your day.
The Vows: Ditch the drab and dreary old-fashioned vows. A celebrant wedding means you can write your own or have your celebrant help write them for you. Make the promises YOU want to make, the ones that are important to you and your partner. Better still, sing them, rap them, communicate them through the art of interpretive dance! (I joke but it could be cool?). Seriously, start thinking outside the white lacy, pearl embellished box and show who you are through your vows. Have your friends and family members contribute their own vows too if you want. It’s a beautiful moment when a mother, father, sibling, child or best friend shares a promise to support you in your marriage (even if it is simply to always bring a bottle when they visit). Bottom line: make the vows your own.
Booze Blending: No, I don’t mean mixing up a fishbowl of Blue Lagoon, circa Faliraki 2003. We’re classier than that. What I’m talking about is the symbolic unity ritual of a wine ceremony. Wine is celebratory, it gets better with age and it can be rich, deep and sweet. Just like life and love right?
During this alternative ceremony, you and your partner choose your favourite wine which you each have in your own glass or bottle. Traditionally one would be white and the other red, but we’re not following rules here so if you’re both red or white drinkers, feel free to choose your preferred tipple. It could be a wine from a significant year, a significant place or it may be the wine you drank on your first date. The most important thing is that it means something to you. After you have both poured your own wines into a single glass or ceremonial cup, you both drink from the glass, toasting to your past, present and future. Sips or gulps…it’s up to you!
Not a wine drinker? Not a problem; we’re not following any rules, remember. You could use whiskey, beer, even tequila if that’s your sauce. One ancient Scottish ritual is for the couple to drink whiskey from a Quaich: a ceremonial vessel that is typically made from wood or silver.
However you choose to recreate this fun unity ritual, it is a great alternative way to symbolise the coming together of two people, their trust, love and families. Cheers!
Mid-ceremony games: Who says a wedding has to be a formal affair? Why can’t we have a bit of fun? Undoubtedly, your wedding ceremony will have moments of beautiful sentimentality that will probably have you and your guests shedding a tear or two, and so it should. But once you’ve played on those heart strings, why not tickle some funny bones and get your guests involved with a game?
One firm favourite of mine is the classic Mr & Mrs game during which you, your partner and your guests find out just how well you know each other. This game can be played with just the happy couple, the couple and their wedding party or you can even involve the whole guest list! All involved will have something to represent each of the two lovebirds. Some couples even use their wedding shoes! Your celebrant will then ask a series of questions: Who is the best dancer? Who is the most romantic? Who will cry the most today? and everyone holds up their vote. This fun, quirky ceremony interval is sure to keep your guests entertained and raving about your wedding for a very long time.
Shots, shots, shots! You heard me. Get the party started from the very start; why wait for the reception? Actually, taking a shot of your favourite spirit or cocktail as a unity ritual is as much symbolic as it is fun. In a similar way to wine blending, toasting to each other and drinking a shot in unison symbolises the trust you are sharing, your celebration of each other and the fun times you have ahead. Sealing it with sambuca, tying the knot with tequila or vows with vodka can also involve your wedding party and guests, confirming your wedding as the most interesting and enjoyable they’ve ever been to. Chin chin!
(Ok, I realise there seems to be a slightly boozy theme running through some of this list, but weddings are the BEST types of celebration so let’s do it in style. However, if you are non-drinkers or have underage guests, you can simply swap in non-alcoholic alternatives for any of these symbolic and celebratory unity ceremony rituals).
Flash Mob: Over recent years, a lot of videos have gone viral showing brides and grooms doing an unexpected dance down the aisle or a choreographed routine with a number of their guests during the reception (my favourite being the dance from ‘Thriller’). Flash mobs such as these add an element of surprise and a unique twist to any wedding, and the possibilities for how to add a flash mob into your ceremony are really diverse. How about an unexpected band, quartet or mini-orchestra popping up mid-ceremony to accompany you as you sing your vows? How memorable a flash mob choir, expertly hidden among your guests, would be as they reveal themselves one-by-one in harmony to sing you out of the venue as a newly married couple.
The most amazing flash mob ideas make it about the couple in some way – they might include your favourite song, poem, rap or dance for example. It’s important to put your own stamp on it, and if family and friends join in halfway through, the extra effort that is clearly involved is the icing on the cake.
Whether or not you decide to include an alternative unity ceremony to make your wedding unique, fun or extraordinary, you can be sure that by choosing to have a celebrant wedding, you and your guests will have a lot of fun, a lot of laughs and an amazingly memorable experience that will go down in wedding history. Enjoy!
