The wedding ceremony may be done outside the church, like in a garden, beach, hotel ballroom, chapel or any place that the bride and groom prefer. The ceremony is conducted by a pastor or a minister. The wedding ceremony is generally shorter in length since there is no full Mass involved, as compared to a traditional Catholic wedding.

Therefore, the bride and groom have more leeway in terms of customizing their Christian wedding ceremony.

One of the advantages is that the couples can choose to get married in the same place as the wedding reception. The floral arrangements will just be a single job then, since there will be no church floral decorations to attend to. It will also be very convenient for the guests since they don’t have to rush from the church to the reception.

There are also some guests who skip the wedding ceremony altogether and simply attend the wedding reception. If you will have the ceremony and reception in one place, then this will not happen. Friends and family will all be there to witness your beautiful ceremony and then enjoy the reception immediately following the ceremony.

But prior to the actual wedding, the wedding invitations should be reflective of the celebration of love and commitment between two believers of Jesus Christ. You may opt to write a portion of your wedding vows in the invitation, just so that guests will feel the tone of the wedding ceremony.

A solemn way to start your Christian wedding is to play a special secular or from a selection of Christian wedding songs as the bride walks down the aisle (or carpet, wherever the venue may be). Choose a song that’s special to both the bride and groom, to make it more meaningful. Then, a wedding prayer honoring the Lord and inviting Him to be the center of your marriage, is also a very important way to start the ceremony.

Ask the permission of your pastor or minister if the wedding vows may be customized. Most would allow it, but they have to check the contents first. Personalized wedding vows are always more heartfelt and touching, compared to the traditional wedding vows provided by the minister.

Lighting of unity candles is also a symbolic gesture that’s nice to add in your wedding ceremony. Or, if you have an outdoor wedding and winds will just blow out the candles, you might prefer to have the unity sand ceremony, in lieu of the lighting of the unity candles. Soft music may be played on the background, or a friend may sing a favorite song of the couple, or a Bible verses reading may be incorporated at this time.

15 Christian Wedding Favorites	I Promise (Wedding Song)	Songs for a Christian Wedding: The Christian Musician
15 Christian Wedding Favorites (Accompaniment Disc)	God’s Precious Love (Wedding Song)

A wedding in any religion is the most special and most important day in the life of any person, especially that of a woman’s. It is the day when two strangers become united in love and promise to be faithful and loyal to each other as long as their life permits. An important part of the wedding that sets up the ambiance of the wedding is the music the couple chooses to be part of their wedding.  As you working feverishly to work your church wedding decorations, pause to spend time thinking about the music you will have as part of your wedding.

Christian wedding songs varies from slow, traditional, romantic songs to modern, upbeat tracks for the bride and groom who wishes to have a more lively approach. Christian rock wedding music has gained more and more fans over the years – even the oldies have appreciated this kind of music, enjoying and loving it. Christian rock wedding songs are are not your typical rock songs; they are not offensive at all, they are just actually Christian songs with a more lively melody.

Becoming a common choice also is the incorporation of a wedding hymn or two into the wedding ceremony. The hymn can be as simple as having an organist play the hymn in the prelude or having a soloist sing it before the processional or during the ceremony.

A congregation can likewise sing the hymn just like in a church service. A group  singing is actually a very nice touch in the ceremony as the guests are more inclined to actively participate in the wedding; this also imparts a stronger sense of unity. The bride and groom can also take this opportunity as a chance for a bit of refreshment such as asking a question to the clergy or taking a moment to wipe something (tears of joy perhaps) with a tissue. What better time to do this than the time during the whole congregation is busy.

Quick tip: it is best to keep your hymn short. Remember: you and your whole bridal party will have to stand to it while it is being sung. If the hymn has up to 6 verses, choose at least 2 – 3 verses which have the most meaning for you or the most appropriate for the wedding. You can also have those verses printed in your wedding program. Do also choose a hymn that is familiar so that you will have a better congregational response.

Check out Amazon.com for compilation wedding cds, priced from $2.00 to $9.95. There are also a lot of websites nowadays that offers free listening to the songs for earlier evaluation or better, free song downloads (saves the couple money for more important matters).

Weddings are full of love, life, and promises. The music plays a very special part in it and brides take this matter very seriously. The songs should reflect the sacredness of marriage as well as the bond between the bride and groom.

Christian weddings are either administered by a priest or a pastor and typical are held in a church building with limited church wedding decorations. Although the Christian wedding ceremony outline may be altered to your liking, there are basic parts that you have to include. Keep in mind that since it is a religious celebration, the Christian wedding ceremony highlight would be the rite of marriage, and it is expected that a Christian wedding would have a holy mass incorporated into the ceremony or as they call it, the nuptial mass especially if it is a catholic wedding.

For other sects of Christianity, the general wedding script is as follows: the entourage or procession, call to worship, opening prayer, the readings, the pledge, the vows, exchanging of rings, the pronouncement, the communion, closing prayer, the kiss, introduction of the couple and recession.

The nuptial mass is just like any other holy mass except that it includes added parts like the rite of marriage, the consent and the blessing and exchanging of rings, the bringing of the bread and wine to the altar by the couple, Hanc Igitur, the nuptial blessing. Of course the bridal entourage is also considered as well as the readings and music. Here is the general flow of the nuptial mass.

First, we have the gathering and entrance rite. This is when the priests come in with their deacons and altar boys, then the liturgy of the word, where readings from the bible are inserted as well as the homily. After the liturgy, comes the marriage rite where the couples exchange rings and vows. Then we have the communion or the holy Eucharist then the conclusion rites.

Aside from the elaborate wedding ceremony, Christian weddings are also rich of symbolisms. Here are some examples; the wearing of a white dress and veil of the bride symbolizes purity, the rings symbolizes eternity, the cloth or ribbon that ties the rings together during the rite of matrimony means unity of the couple. Some weddings even include cords to tie the couple together, the unity candles, rice, coins and a lot more.

If you are a non Christian attending a Christian wedding it is wise to know how Christian weddings are administered so that you won’t be left out at nuptial masses. There are points during the mass that everybody stands to say a prayer or something so better know them. If you can’t participate, it’s better to stay at the back instead of distracting worshippers by not standing or just sitting there. The key is respect.

Weddings have been a part and parcel of each and every civilization and society. The elaborate details of each aspect related to wedding have however been the same as before. The unique and distinct feel, which you can give to your wedding is also exclusive. The places for wedding are churches, beaches and roller coasters but if you have arranged a simple gazebo under an open sky for your wedding, then perhaps there is nothing better than that.

Gazebos present one of the most superb wedding themes to any wedding whether timeless, modern or a conventional one. As far as manual decorations are concerned, there are several options with a gazebo like simple strands of lights around its posts with vines showing wild roses give simply a wonderful romantic touch to the whole ceremony.

The versatility of the gazebos is another reason for which they may be chosen. It is obvious that a church would remain there where it is actually but you can install your gazebo anywhere you like to for the purpose of your wedding ceremony. There are quite a few ideas associated with decoration, which can go perfectly suited to your chosen location outdoors. Whether you opt for a sunset lakeside or mid morning by the ocean, gazebos can be turned quickly into something which expresses what you probably need to say with words. Consider wonderful mountainside backdrops, or the coolness of free flowing streams or a natural environment where leaves have just begun falling on the onset of autumn season.

If you have chosen evening time for your wedding ceremony, light up dim candles or lanterns which would make a perfect romantic wedding theme. You may also additionally use silk ribbon or soft lace to your decoration accessories.

For any occasion,wedding flowers may be the best choice based on the theme for the particular event. Fresh flowers can certainly turn anyone on and make a remarkable display. If you want to add a warmer touch to your theme, go for lilacs and lavender. If your theme is a tropical paradise, then birds for paradise, lotus blooms and freesia are what you would go for.

The extra use of decorative wedding tents for the purpose of reception may be handy based on your setting of choice. If you want to save yourself from the apprehensions about suddenly changing weathers, always opt for a place which can present a gazebo setting with easy access to indoor arrangements. If you go like this, you have the freedom of easily drawing out two different style themes for each of the events. During the ceremony, you may set up the feeling of romance by making use of smaller space inside a gazebo.

Then for the reception area, create dynamic and more charming environment like a party in order to cheer up your guests. If you make right decisions regarding the decoration of your gazebo pertaining to your wedding ceremony, then it may be remembered by the people for a very long time.

A wedding ceremony gazebo is a black canvas for you and you can paint all the colors of the world there. Simple and sweet additions of elaborated centerpieces and well spaced colors through flowers and lights can give your arrangements a superb look. In the end you may end up achieving the ideal look you that you had dreamed for.

Once you have decided to exchange vows inside the church, it may be safely presumed that the ceremonies would revolve around traditional themes – but being traditional does not mean boring and drab. Weddings are supposed to be a lovely moment to be remembered and cherished by both the couple and guests. Church wedding decorations would help make both the ambiance of being festive while keeping the solemn nature of the occasion. A good way to get ideas for decorations to find pictures of church wedding decorations. And then consider these things:

Restrictions

Before even considering church wedding decoration ideas, first consult with your wedding minister or church elders on the possible restrictions your church might have. Some churches do not allow certain things inside the church so it’s better to know what the church would allow and not allow. And while you are checking with the church’s restrictions, you could also ask to look at some pictures of church wedding decorations at that location to give you some ideas.

Themes

After knowing the restrictions you may now decide on a general wedding theme or color motif. Your motif will serve as the palette for the whole wedding. It has been proven that color coordination makes for great photographs and brings a sense of order into a certain occasion. Having a general motif lends class and style.  Themes vary from fairy tale, beach, Asian or as far as you imagination may take you.

Some couples opt to have an all white wedding motif. This registers well in photographs and especially looks adorable on a sunny weather.

Knowing the weather you have chosen to get married in is important. This will tell you what materials to use to complete the look of your wedding. Autumn is a lovely time to get married with all the shades of gold and with everything in bloom, more variety of flowers are available. But of course, any weather is a good weather for love.

Next, consider the space that needs decorating. Generally the church has four visible parts. The entrance, the aisle, the church pews and the altar.

Entrance

If the wedding is held in the evening, consider working with some candles and outlining the church door with fairy lights. If it’s in day light, some tulle the color of the wedding motif and flower tied on the stairs hand rails would be lovely.

Aisle

Traditionally, a carpet is laid out for the entourage to walk on. However, scattered flower petals in the color of the wedding motif would also be nice.

Some weddings have scattered petals on the aisle for the entourage to walk on but once the bride enters, a carpet is rolled out for her and the flower girl scatters some flowers two or three steps ahead of her.

Some weddings just have candles on both sides of the aisles.

Church pew wedding decorations

If you are on a tight budget, connect every other pew with tulle and hold the tulle together with a large satin bow. But if a large budget available, you can a fresh bouquet of flowers resting on some pillar at each pew.

Altar

Identify the spaces the minister would need to move around during times like the exchange of rings and signing of the marriage license. Also provide some space for your wedding photographer to be able to capture those tender moments. By knowing where the minister would stand and the space he would be moving around in, you would be able to strategically place you décor and center pieces without having to worry about the minister knocking over candles or a flower stand.

Since all your guests would be facing the altar the whole time, let it be the focal point of your church wedding decorations. Place the biggest arrangement of flowers, probably in an arch, in front. Just make sure it does not over shadow you. After all, the wedding is still all about you.

Then again, you can do very little decorating of a church altar like in the wedding altar photo below. With stained glass and the usual religious symbols, this was enough for this couple. The only extras are the small candles sitting there in the foreground.

Wedding Party Processional

Guests are seated and it’s time for the wedding to begin. The first thing that happens is that the grandparents and parents of the couple are escorted to their seats on the front rows. The groom’s family sits on the right side and the bride’s on the left.  The bride’s mother is the last to be seated and after that, usually there is a change in music and then the minister, groom, best man and groomsmen enter and take their place.  Then the bridesmaid’s enter one at time until finally the maid or matron of honor enters. If there is a ring bearer he comes in followed by a flower girl. The mother of the bride stands to signal everyone to stand for the bride. The bride enters to the bridal march escorted by her father.

Wedding Ceremony

With father and daughter in front of the minister, the officiant may offer a few words and a prayer before asking the father of the bride something like, “Who gives this woman in marriage?” The father answers, “Her mother and I,” perhaps kisses his daughter on the cheek and shakes the groom’s hand – and then takes his seat. The minister asks the guests to sit and the ceremony proper begins.

Ceremonies can differ from church to church, or even minister to minister. Hopefully, the minister will offer some wedding ceremony ideas to choose from. Generally, a Christian minister will deliver a marriage homily to present some ideas about the significance of marriage.

After that comes the vows ceremony. There are traditional vows of the “til death do us part” variety than is used in most cases. More and more, couples are choosing to write their vows to recite at this time in addition to or instead of the traditional wedding vows. Next comes the ring ceremony when the couple exchanges rings and ring vows.

At this point, in many weddings there is some kind of unity ceremony to signify the two becoming one. Most often it the Unity Candle Ceremony though some are opting for the Sand Ceremony instead.

At the conclusion of the unity ceremony, the minister may offer a marital admonition, reading of Scripture, and / or a prayer. Next is the pronouncement of marriage, the sealing of the covenant with a kiss, and finally presentation of the couple to friends and family.

Recessional

The bride and groom exit, followed by the best man and maid or matron of honor, and then other attendants. Often family is also escorted out but not always. There may be a receiving line where the couple, parents and wedding party greet all the guests – although this is much less frequent than it used to be. Most couples will now greet guests at the wedding reception.

There you have it. While not every detail that might be in a wedding was included in this presentation, you have here a basic outline for a Christian wedding ceremony, and you know more than 99% of the people about weddings.

1) Confirm with the bride and groom what color of tent they want.  While white is the most common color of wedding tent rentals, some people choose other colors for their wedding and may prefer a different color of tent.  You may want to note that it can be more difficult to find certain tent colors.

2) It is also important to know how many people are coming to the wedding and reception.  In many cases it is the same, but it is not uncommon for a bride and groom to have a lower-key wedding with fewer people and then a larger reception where they invite more people.  This is important to note as you may need to rent two tents – a smaller one for the wedding and a larger one for the reception.  This would be a factor in the cost of tent rental for wedding.

3) How long will you need the tent for?  The wedding tent rental cost depends not only on the length of the wedding but also how long it takes to set the tent up and take it down again.  In many cases, renting the tent or tents needed for a full day is a good option.  This allows plenty of time for the tent to be set up and taken down again.

4) Besides wedding tents rentals, many of these companies also offer other items needed for an outdoor wedding.  The cost of tent rental for wedding depends on whether you rent only a tent or the tent and other items (i.e. tent lighting, stage, dance floor, tent fabric liners, etc.)

If you need all these items, then renting them all from the same wedding reception tent rental company.  This is not only more convenient, it is usually also cheaper, as the company may offer special deals if you rent a lot of items from them.

5) Call a number of places that offer tent rentals for weddings and reception and compare the cost of tent rental for wedding.  While this may be a bit time consuming, shopping around a bit will ensure that you get the most affordable wedding tent rental prices.  Those paying for the wedding costs are sure to appreciate your efforts.

6) Try to reserve the tent as soon as possible.  Once you have found the company that offers the best prices for the wedding tent and/or additional items needed for the wedding and/or reception, then reserve the tent and other needed items with the company.

You may need to pay the rental costs, but it is a lot better to do so and know that you have what you need, when you need it, than to wait until the last minute and then find that the tent and other needed items are not available on the day or time you need them.  Booking well in advance saves you from this stressful situation; it also ensures you get the best prices. This is true of wedding dance floor rentals,  chocolate fountains, tablecloths, chair covers, a Margarita machine, and a wedding canopy.

You know that it is your wedding! You are getting a lot of advice no doubt about what you should do in your wedding. And you may even be prone to asking people about what you should do, or what most people do. Couples ask me that often and I tell what many others do, but then remind them that it is their wedding and they should do the way they want to.

This is one of the best ways to make your wedding unique. Do it the way you want to. Do it the way that it most sense for you and as a result your wedding will be special and memorable. Here are some suggestions to help you think through making your wedding uniquely yours.

• If you are a big outdoor enthusiast, then consider an outdoor wedding location. Maybe your sister’s wedding and everybody you know had theirs inside. But it doesn’t matter. Maybe you can be the first outside and others will follow your lead.

• Do you have pet that is like part of the family? You could include Fido somehow. He could be the ring bearer. I wouldn’t suggest actually having the rings on the dog since with one sighting of squirrel could say good-bye to your rings.

• Consider writing your own vows. Not too many people go to the trouble to do that, and that’s one good reason for you to think about doing it. It isn’t the easiest thing to do (and the reason many don’t) but you can do it. It doesn’t have to be Shakespeare, but your heart-felt expressions of why you love this person and why you want to spend your life with them. People love that!

• Let your interests show through in the choice of your wedding location. I have already mentioned outdoor weddings for those that like being outside. Are you interested in history? Then look around to see what historical homes or other historical sites are available in your area for weddings. Like the water? I’ve done weddings on house boats and even in a bass boat once.

• What is your favorite season of the year? Some people actually love wintertime! So have a winter themed wedding. They are actually quite beautiful. Fall is a favorite time for many, but you can still add uniqueness in your choices of wedding décor and location.

I’m not one for being different just to be different. You want to be unique because you aren’t just like everybody else. You do want people to remember your wedding and have a good experience. So start thinking about who you are, what marriage means to you, and what you would like your wedding day to be like. And then go for it!

Note: Doing your wedding your way shouldn’t mean that you entirely overlook the feelings and interest of those in your family. A wedding is a family event and you want everyone to feel good about it. So do give thought to the feelings of others as you make your wedding decisions.

There are, of course, many things to consider if you want to exchange vows on top of a mountain.  One of them would be if it’s practical to hold the wedding ceremony at that location.  That you will have to decide after taking into consideration your unique circumstances.

You might like to know that some state parks have shelters which you can rent for an affordable fee.  It’s a great idea for couples who are on a budget but want a special location that will never be forgotten.  The fee for the shelters will help save thousands compared to renting a normal wedding venue.  There’s a downside to these humble shelters.  You have to spend more in making sure that the venue is comfortable since the amenities will be more likely to be bare bones, most especially the rest rooms.

Mountains that have ski resorts, are more likely to have city equipped restaurants and lodging unlike the grassy mountain or state park counterparts.  You can either have your ceremony outside and come in for a restaurant reception or have everything done inside especially in the colder months.

One of the biggest factors to be considered is transportation.  A lot of the breathtaking views are accessible only by foot.  It might be an issue but can still be made possible if all the guests are young and can hike to the location.  And hopefully, they’ll just be in for a short hike.  A long hike is simply out of the question, because by then, you’ll all be too tired to go through the whole ceremony.  But if you have some elderly guests, going to inaccessible locations might not be a good idea.  Try for a more commercialized mountain peak which is accessible by road or ski resorts that have gondolas for transportation.

There will be a lot of planning involved in a mountain top wedding specifically on food and decorations.  Since you’ll be on top of a mountain where the wind is stronger than at the foot of the mountain, using tulle décor is not wise.  And since most mountain top locations don’t have electricity or a regular outlet, think through how you’ll be able to work on having some type of kitchen or refrigeration if needed.  To solve these problems, the couple might want to hold the ceremonies on the mountain top and find a close indoor wedding reception nearby which has all the amenities needed.

The good thing about these weddings is that guests and the couple themselves can have a more relaxed and fun outfit.  For the bride, a simple A-line gown in linen or embroidered organza will be perfect for the outdoors.  And to match the rawness of nature surrounding the event, natural features in the accessories, like keshi pearls and if they can be handmade, will be a perfect icing on the cake.  If the location is at a resort, then it would call for a dressier gown.  A strapless Mikado silk with subtle details or pearl and Swarovski crystal accents can make any bride smile with pride.

Just a little detail to note for those who want to release doves or butterflies as finale to the grand ceremony, you might want to do away with this or at least not do it on top of the mountain.  I know that it’s tradition and that it has a romantic symbolism for the ceremony and the couple, but there’s one couple I know of, who let a pair of doves fly off after the ceremony at a ski resort.  To the demise of the doves and the on looking guests, one dove was hit by a gust of wind and got smashed against the cliff, while the other one fell prey to a hawk.

The mountain peaks are undeniably one of the favorite settings for anything romantic.  Whether it be a proposal or the wedding ceremony itself, nature plays in enhancing the ties between people as it has been making the bonds of nature stronger for the past millions of years.  A wedding is most certainly possible and it really is an ideal location.  Once all the practical and technical aspects are covered and planned out, let nature witness a natural course of life.  Living and falling in love forever.

Choosing your wedding flower arrangements is just as important as choosing your wedding flowers. Even if you have expensive and exotic flowers, they wouldn’t be of any use if you had an unattractive flower arrangement. On the other hand, even inexpensive blooms can look spectacular when placed in a beautiful flower arrangement.

All of the flower arrangements that you will use in your wedding, such as your wedding bouquet, toss-away bouquet, corsages, flower girls’ baskets, maid of honor’s bouquet, wedding flower arrangements centerpieces and boutonnieres, are equally important, and all of them should have creative and attractive flower arrangements.

To assist you in selecting flowers and creating attractive wedding flower arrangements, you may hire a reputable and experienced florist. Alternatively, you can just choose wedding flower arrangements from his or her catalog. Looking at pictures of wedding flower arrangements will give you ideas you haven’t previously thought of. If you want to personally make sure that all the details of your wedding flower arrangements are perfect, then you can do it yourself. No matter what option you choose, there are some important details that you need to remember:

Firstly, it’s very important to choose flowers that are in season. If you’re planning a spring wedding, you can use daffodils, roses, baby’s breath or daisies. Winter weddings are best accented with white wedding flowers like white roses and elegant calla lilies. If the wedding is to take place in the fall, you can choose flowers such as hydrangeas, asters, and chrysanthemums. Add a pop of color to your summer wedding with protea, roses, tube roses, and exotic flowers like orchids.

You can accessorize your bouquet with a wide variety of accents, such as ribbons, laces, crystals and pearls. They can make any flower arrangement look spectacular.

A Few Popular Bouquet Arrangements

• Single Stem — A single flower accessorized with streamers and lace.
• Nosegay — A bouquet consisting of greenery such as ferns, and flowers arranged in a round shape
• Heart –  A heart shaped bouquet of red flowers such as roses
• Cascade — A bouquet of flowers with foliage cascading down the sides of the bouquet
• Round — Several blooms arranged in a round bunch
• Basket — Small baskets containing petals or small flowers which are carried by flower girls.

You can also choose to use artificial wedding flowers for wedding decorations. Silk wedding flower arrangements are common. They won’t wilt, and you can even use them to decorate your home after the wedding. Another great benefit is you can change the arrangement of the flowers if you want to. A tip for arranging flowers, artificial or natural, is to keep the large flowers in the center of the arrangement with the smaller flowers surrounding them. If you plan on making the flower arrangements yourself, make sure you have the necessary items needed, such as wires, silk cloth, and the base. You can also buy flowers from your local market and arrange them according to your own preferences.