Wedding Traditions - 5 meaningful touches to add to your wedding day
We Love creating meaningful ceremonies
One of our favorite roles as Sedona wedding officiants is creating your ceremony. We love getting to know you so that we can craft a ceremony that reflects your style, whether it be playful, serious, spiritual, practical … creating a ceremony that honors the true you always brings us joy.
For some couples, keeping things simple is the way to go. A short introduction, some sweet vows and a ring exchange suits them perfectly. (Read about a basic ceremony flow in our December 19, 2022 Blog - Sedona Weddings 101)
For other couples, adding some extra touches and traditions feels right. Below are 5 of our most loved additions to basic ceremonies. All are available for our Uniquely Yours, Picture Perfect, and Sedona Spiritual Weddings and Vow Renewals.
1) Opening meditation
The beginning of your wedding ceremony is so important. Even the longest of ceremonies seem to fly by in an instant. Having your Sedona wedding officiant open by leading a brief meditation can work wonders. Not only does it calm your excited nervous systems, it allows you to become present.
That way you not only enjoy the ceremony as it unfolds, you will also have stronger memories to take into the future. Our Sedona wedding officiants are experienced meditation guides. We know how to bring you and your guests into the moment, letting your ceremony flow in a gentle and unhurried manner.
2) Crystal bowl/flute
If music is your thing, we love adding flute and/or the crystal singing bowl. Hearing the soothing tones of Native American style flute wafting over the stunning Sedona landscape is so moving. And the crystal singing bowl not only adds sound, the vibration helps your heart to feel even more open and joyful. We like to add the bowl just before you speak your vows, so that you speak from your open heart.
3) Handfasting
This Celtic tradition is one of our favorites! Bring cords or ribbons that reflect your relationship through color or added details. In handfasting, your Sedona wedding officiant loosely binds your hands to one another’s, symbolizing the bond between you.
You can use single or multiple cords or ribbons, representing different ways in which you are committing to one another. Once the ceremony is complete, you have a beautiful reminder of the day that you can take home and keep in a special place in your home.
4) Sand ceremony
Another of our favorite touches, in a sand ceremony each person pours sand that represents them into a combined see-through vessel. The act represents each person maintaining their own individuality while coming together to form the beautiful piece of art that is your married life. Bring your own see-through vessel and sand colors to express yourself. And feel free to include children as part of this sweet tradition.
5) Unity locking tree
A newer addition to our list is the unity locking tree. There are lovely artwork versions of trees with spaces on them to attach padlocks. Each person can have their own padlock, or you can choose just one with both of your names. Attaching the lock to the tree symbolizes your enduring commitment.
The locks either come without keys to reopen them, or you can take the key home to bury in a special spot. As with the hand fasting and sand ceremony, you provide your own tree and locks to express your unique selves, and go home with a beautiful symbol to display at home.
Share your favorites with us!
These 5 additional touches are some of our favorites, and we have others we love as well. Please let us know if you have traditions meaningful to you that we can explore adding to your ceremony!
