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Skype for Wedding Ceremonies

The technology of today is amazing! I have many couples who have had parents, grandparents and

friends from all over the world at their weddings, even though these same guests were unable to be

there in person.

With Skype guests are able to enjoy the wedding ceremony and feel included, even responding and

being involved in a meaningful way.

There is one very important thing to remember when you are considering using Skype. Does your

venue have a strong enough internet signal to facilitate it? Perhaps you need to organise your own

internet source, so which provider has the strongest signal in the area your venue is in?

Another issue can be the best positioning of the person holding the tablet or phone. Work out where

the sun is going to be beforehand, the rehearsal might be a good time to do this, so you are not

having to point it into the sun.

Remember too, if the Skype-guests are not involved in the ceremony itself, to turn down the volume

so they can hear but can’t be heard. It might not always be amusing to have them chatting away in

the background 

What a fabulous job I have! As a bilingual German speaking celebrant, I have had the privilege of experiencing some very moving moments. One bride’s Mum could not make it to the wedding at the last moment because of a serious health issue. We did the ceremony in German and English so the bride’s Mum & Dad and granny could all enjoy it on Skype, live with the rest of us. It was very touching. The bride hung photos of her mother’s and grandmother’s weddings in the tree under which the ceremony took place.

Wedding Rituals tend to be a very important part of wedding ceremonies where either the bride or groom, (or both), originate from overseas. When family, friends and loved ones can’t make it to the wedding they can send meaningful objects such as ribbons, photos, books, and recordings, which can be included in the ceremony. It’s a beautiful way to include more of their own culture.

“I don’t even know where to start. Delwyn (our german speaking celebrant) did an absolute amazing job. She did our ceremony in German and English. All the guests also loved her. She helped us so much with creating our ceremony so we could give it a very personal touch. I will def call her again if we ever gonna refresh our vows. Delwyn war einfach nur super. Unsere Trauung war auf English and Deutsch. Alle Gaeste waren begeistert. Ich werde Delwyn auf jeden Fall anrufen wenn wir irgendwann mal unsere Eheversprechen erneuern.” Laura H

Delwyn Joy Klevenow – German Speaking Celebrant from Matthew Bettinaglio on Vimeo.

The multiple coloured Handfasting Ceremony is one of the best wedding rituals to use if you

want to include family and friends in your wedding ceremony in a meaningful way. It

includes up to 14 coloured ribbons that all represent the significant qualities you are

bringing into your marriage relationship and your dedication to these important values.

The verb to handfast in the sense of “to formally promise, to make a contract” is recorded

for Late Old English, The term was presumably loaned into English from Old

Norse handfesta “to strike a bargain by joining hands”; there are also comparanda from

the North Sea Germanic sphere, Old Frisian hondfestinge and Middle Low

German

During this wedding ritual the bride and groom’s hands are tied with several ribbons, prior

to them saying their vows. The knot is fastened – the origins of ‘tying the knot’ – after which

the ribbon is removed from their hands and placed in a keepsake box. Like their love, the

knot will stay tied forever. Nominated family members and friends can each take a ribbon

and tie a half-knot and finally all the ribbons are tied together in a full-knot.

I am a bilingual, German speaking marriage celebrant, and this ceremony is often included

in wedding ceremonies where many of the family members come from overseas. Many

times ribbons are sent from family and friends who cannot attend in person but their love

and best wishes are represented in their ribbon. The tied ribbons make a lovely keepsake

after the wedding ceremony.

A single sash, ribbon or rope can also be used and while the ribbon is being tied, usually by

the marriage celebrant, various questions are asked of the couple. This is a lovely simple,

but very meaningful, ceremony.

The Hand-Fasting Ceremony gained renewed popularity when Kate and William included it

in their wedding ceremony. It’s one of my favourites too.

Have you seen a wedding ritual being performed at a friend’s wedding or heard about wedding rituals but don’t know exactly what they are or how to integrate one into your wedding ceremony? They can be a pretty powerful expression of your values and cultural background so it’s important that you choose one that suits you and reflects what is important to you.

Here are some of my favourites, briefly described, to help you in you in deciding what might be right for you.

The Unity Candle Lighting ceremony stems from ancient religious customs. It’s common that the bride and groom light individual small candles and together light a larger centre candle as a symbolic act of their union. Please Note: This ceremony is difficult to perform at outdoor venues.

For the Ring Warming Ceremony the wedding rings are placed in a little bag or tied together with a ribbon and passed around the guests. Each person makes a wish on the rings for the couple (ideal for small weddings) before they are placed on the couples fingers. Please Note: More than 50 guests and this ritual can be difficult to complete.
A Rose/Flower Ceremony can take many forms. The bride and groom can give each other a flower as their first gift as ‘husband’ and ‘wife’. It can be a promise that whenever they argue through their marriage they will always present each other with a flower to say sorry. Alternatively the bride and groom can present their mothers will a flower as a token of their thanks and love. In fact, a flower can be given to anyone at the ceremony!

The Sand Ceremony originated with the bride and groom each taking a handful of sand and flinging it in the air where it became one and inseparable. Nowadays the bride and groom, sometimes with family members, pour sand from individual glasses into a larger centre glass as a symbolic act of the blending of their lives and families. As the grains of sand will never be able to be separated, the couple are bonded for life.

Hand-Fasting Ceremony or Lover’s Knot This is one of my personal favourites and I have developed a couple of lovely options. During this ceremony the bride and groom’s hands are tied with one sash or several ribbons, usually when they say their vows. The knot is fastened – the origins of ‘tying the knot’ – after which the ribbon is removed from their hands and placed in a keepsake box. Like their love, the knot will stay tied forever. When several coloured ribbons are used these colours represent certain values which are important to you in your relationship.
A Wine Sharing Ceremony has its origins in many religious and European traditions, but can really be done by any couple! The bride and groom drink wine from the same cup and agree to share all the sweetness and bitterness that their marriage brings. Sometimes they share some bread too!

The Time Capsule or Wine and Love Letter Box is another of my personal favourites that you can be very creative with. The couple can ask guests to bring something on the day to place in a locked box or time capsule. It can be opened on any anniversary (1st, 5th, 10th etc…) Many include a bottle of champagne or wine and love-letters to each other but other nice ideas are photos, wish notes from guests, letters and newspaper clippings from that day.

As a marriage celebrant in Perth it isn’t very often, in fact it’s way too seldom, that you get a request to do a naming ceremony. Yesterday evening I was again offered that privilege. A beautiful young couple wanting to mark the welcoming of a very precious little person into their lives and their circle of family and friends. They want to celebrate the fulfilling of a wonderful lifetime wish and to show their thanks and appreciation for all the support and love they have received, especially from their family and friends. They and the godparents will publicly accept their responsibilities for, and declare their promises to, this precious child. We will have some fun too preparing a surprise for him for his 5th birthday. I love being a wedding celebrant but performing a Naming Ceremony to celebrate a miracle in the shape of a precious baby is truly a fabulous privilege.

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Skype for Wedding Ceremonies

German Speaking Marriage Celebrant

The Handfasting Ceremony

Best Wedding Rituals

A Fabulous Privilege