Wedding Ring Vows

Following on from last week’s post about Wedding rings and where to get them made in Mallorca! (Diego Nebot) I wanted to return to my original idea which was to write about the words you use to say your wedding ring vows….

Wedding ceremonies whilst individual to each and every couple do tend to follow are similar format (I have written about this in a previous blog “Your perfect wedding ceremony“) But after the introduction and homily maybe a reading from a guest, the ceremony tends to move on to the actual saying of your vows to each other, Generally it is nice to say your “I do’s” first and this is followed by the giving and receiving of wedding rings.

Wedding rings are worn as an outward illustration to the world that you are married… but to me they are far more than that.

They are a symbol of the love you share, they are a constant reminder that your marriage is a partnership, because although you may only wear one ring, each of the rings essentially belongs to you both. No matter how far apart you may be from each during your marriage, the wedding ring on your finger is a constant reminder that you said vows and made promises to each other on your wedding day…. And that your husband or wife will always have your back! Over the years you will find that just a touch of your ring will give you strength or comfort when you need it and a smile when you remember the day you first said your vows and put the ring on your finger. It really is a continual reminder of the love you both share.

So, the vows you say to each other as you exchange your rings are equally as important as the “I do’s”.

Here are a few examples;

“John, I give you this ring, that you may wear it, as a reminder of my love for you”

“Claire, I give you this ring, as a symbol of my love, affection and respect, now and always”

But one of my preferred ways is for you to hold your rings in your hands as you say your vows to each other at the same time…. It may sound rather strange, but it really gives you both the opportunity to concentrate on the precious rings you are holding and fully concentrate on each other without fumbling with rings! There is another slightly less romantic reason that is purely logistical too…. that is; it gives me the opportunity to move out of the way when the time comes for you to actually put your rings on. So, you get some great photos without me smiling like a Cheshire cat in the back ground.

My Heart is in this ring,

My love is in this ring,

I promise you my unconditional love,

And give you my unwavering trust,

When you look at this ring,

Remember that I love you always,

Special thank you to Aimeekphotography for the beautiful photos

If you would like to talk to me about your wedding ceremony or your weding ring vows, Please do contact me Telephone/wassap/facetime +34676333065 , drop me an email [email protected] or you can even chat with me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/weddingsinmallorca/

September 11, 2017September 11, 2017

Rainy day weddings

Rainy Day Weddings

This weekend has been has seen lots of rain here in Mallorca and we have all been keeping our fingers crossed that none of our couples have rainy day weddings. As celebrants this can mean that our ceremonies gets moved to a plan B indoor option very quickly! although we do always try to wait until the very last moment before making the final decision.

The last two weekends has had me hooked to the weather report on my phone trying to establish exactly what time the predicted rain may hit… its always good to be prepared…. No good saying to the guests “welcome to sunny Mallorca” in the rain!

I have to say we have been extremely lucky! and on both occasions we have managed the ceremony just before the rain hit!

There have been years that we weren’t quite so lucky and I have a vivid memory of one particular couple a few years ago where the storm cloud crept up on us very suddenly and we all got absolutely drenched in a sudden downpour….As the groom said his vows there was an almighty clap of thunder and we were all soaked in seconds (When it rains in Mallorca it is torrential!.)… We decided to stop the ceremony at that point and continue inside…. Fortunately our hair and makeup artist hadn’t left so our bride had the chance to have her hair redone and makeup reapplied and everyone else managed to dry off and we did ceremony take two! As you read this you may think what a disaster… but actually we all have some fantastic memories and some amazing photos! As we started ceremony take two everyone was laughing and suggesting how lucky our couple were to have two for the price of one!!

In Spanish culture it really is lucky to have rain on your wedding day and there are a few sayings one of which is “novia mojada, dicha asegurada”. which means “a wet bride will have a blissful marriage” There is also a tradition that to avoid a rainy wedding day either the bride or the bride’s mother has to take a dozen freshly laid eggs to the nuns of the Convent of Saint Clare. The nuns of the Order of Saint Claire (Clare. Chiara, Clara) are contemplatives who spend about eight hours a day in prayer. Many people feel that their prayer is particularly effective. Because the nuns were traditionally vegetarian and until the 1960’s they relied on gifts for their sustenance, people developed the habit of bringing a food gift when they asked a favour of the nuns. To make that special, they would bring eggs so the sisters could have an omelette and in return the nuns would pray for a dry wedding day!

So whilst we all hope for a beautiful sunny wedding day….especially during the months of May and September it can never be 100% guaranteed here in Mallorca…. just 99.9%! which is pretty good odds!

My last words of positive wet wedding day wisdom…. Have you ever tried to untie a wet knot? its almost impossible…

If you would like to know more about Getting Married in Mallorca or Ceremonies in Mallorca please feel free to drop me a line at hello@ceremoniesinmallorca or drop me a message on wassap +34676333065 or even call for a chat… you can also find me on facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/weddingsinmallorca/ happy to chat there too.

August 1, 2017August 1, 2017

Wedding Ceremonies for friends

celebrant mallorca — Wedding for My son in laws sister!

My very first wedding ceremony was for a friend… “Could you officiate at my wedding ceremony” she said. I have a history of public speaking so that part certainly didn’t phase me… but standing up in front of quite a few of my personal friends and being given the responsibility of presenting a script for the happiest day of their lives did feel a little daunting. However we worked on it and it was amazing! both for me and for them. Because of this experience I decided this was where my passion lay and it completely changed my world and I have since presented hundreds of ceremonies here in Mallorca.

Recently I have spoken to a few couples who are also thinking of having a friend present their wedding ceremony and asking me if I can give them some advice. I jumped at the chance … I am up for helping to make every wedding perfect whether it be in the foreground or in the back ground just offering little nuggets of my experience.

So if you are thinking of going this route here are a few essential things that need to be included in your ceremony:

An Introduction – Talk a little about love, Thank the guests for sharing the day. Talk about the couple, why are we all here? what brought them to this point, standing here today in front of all of the people they love?
A reading. – Try to include some other guests by inviting them to say a poem or a few words.
Wedding Vows
Ring vows
THE KISS – Very important moment!
Maybe another reading
Mr and Mrs – It is my great pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time… Mr and Mrs Smith
And remember that a wedding ceremony is a little like telling a story with a beginning, a middle and an end.

Although many of my clients actually feel like friends by the time they walk down the aisle as we will have spent sometimes up to a year planning the big day and it is always a huge responsibility, I am never nervous. Officiating at a friends wedding, if I am honest, always gives me the biggest butterflies!

Yesterday in my in-box I had a lovely testimonial from a wedding I presented last month for a good friend of mine… here is what she wrote:

presenting the ceremony at my friends wedding

I have a confession to make, I already knew Annie when I ‘chose’ her, so I cheated a little – but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Like many brides, I had (and have) the intention of only getting married once so wanted it to be just perfect. The venue, food, flowers, (groom!), all play a vital part, but the ceremony is really what everyone is there for – to see the dress for the first time, the exchanging of rings, the genuine outpouring of love, the laughter, the tears. It’s a tricky balancing act, but I knew Annie had the experience and the enthusiasm to get it just right. Together we drafted, edited, and edited again, until we had the perfect flow of words and emotion. With the Med shimmering in the background and all our friends and family around us it really was a special moment I know I will, and could, never forget Sarah, 15 July 2017, H10 Punta Negra

If you would like any help or advice regarding your ceremony then please feel free to contact me by phone/wassap +34676333065 by email hello@ceremoniesinmallorca or we can chat via facebook too https://www.facebook.com/weddingsinmallorca/

July 27, 2017July 27, 2017

Wedding Ceremony readings

Whilst wedding ceremonies are primarily about the couple pledging their vows, it is always good to make sure your guests are totally engaged with the ceremony too. I always say my job is to make people laugh a little, smile a lot and shed the odd tear of joy, wedding ceremony readings help the ceremony to flow with emotions.

There are many ways to ensure that your guests feel they are an important part of your ceremony by involving them throughout with wedding ceremony readings.

wedding ceremony readings help the ceremony to flow

The readings can be anything for example; a piece of poetry, a few personal words from a friend or relative or can even take the form of a song! But do remember that the readings should reflect who you are as a couple and must be something you are both comfortable with.

In multicultural weddings it is a good thing to include both cultures and this can be through a reading done in a native language.

I have accrued over the years, a huge library of wedding ceremony readings that I send to all of my couples when sending out ceremony examples. From Funny to serious and some that will get you reaching for your hanky wither with tears of joy or laughter!

A few words of advice from a seasoned celebrant

Don’t make the readings to long up too 3 minutes is perfect for both the reader and your guests

Don’t get readings confused with evening speeches, readings are short, sweet and heartfelt. Evening speeches are the time to talk about the bride and grooms misdemeanour’s as youngsters

Always make sure that your celebrant knows exactly what is to be read.

Your celebrant will have the experience of knowing which readings are appropriate at which part of your ceremony so will incorporate them into the correct place when she is writing the wording.

A good celebrant will always speak to your readers prior to the ceremony starting to ensure they are comfortable with their words and are not feeling too nervous.

Your celebrant should always make sure they have a spare printed copy of each reading… just in case the reader forgets their precious piece of paper with the reading on it in the toilet!
Me doing a reading at my daughters wedding… I was really nervous!!!

If you have any questions or would like to see my library please do contact me at [email protected] or give me a call +34676333065 or find me on facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/weddingsinmallorca/notifications/ I am happy to chat there too.

June 9, 2017July 14, 2017

A Multicultural ceremony

I was really looking forward to Alex and Anna’s ceremony… Alex is English and Anna German, they both live in Germany… Since it was a multicultural ceremony I had suggested that maybe a part of the ceremony could be in German, and part in English but since I don’t speak any German apart from to ask someone to “wait a minute please”… This could prove a challenge… However I am the kind of person who never sees problems only solutions! And my immediate thought was since I cannot speak German there will be guests who can . So I asked Anna and Alex to find me a guest or two who would like to read a German poem. I also suggested that Anna said her vows in English and Alex his in German, as a sign of respect to the other’s culture.

The wedding day arrived and it was on a brilliant warm day in October at the hotel “El Marques de la pasada”. This beautiful hotel is high up in the Mountains in Esporlas. This hotel has the most beautiful chapel and since the day was very hot this is a perfect place for the ceremony as it is wonderfully cool inside.

Alex was slightly nervous as he waited with me at the alter (although he said compared to his job this is not stressful at all… he is an air traffic controller!) most grooms nerves disappear the minute they see there stunning wife to be and Alex was no exception, as soon as Anna appeared at the top of the aisle I saw Alex’s nerves dissolve in to a mammoth smile as I almost always do (although sometimes there are tears of happiness too)

The ceremony went by in a flash… the readers read beautifully (although I have no idea what they said) Alex and Anna read their vows without a hitch, the guests smiled and laughed and I even noticed a happy tear or two. And before long I was introducing them as Mr and Mrs and watching them almost skip back down the aisle together.

A few weeks later I received this in my email box:

Alex and Anna Burchall October 2015 La Posada del Marques
My wife and I had our wedding on Saturday, 1. October and Annie conducted a beautiful and memorable ceremony. Asking Annie to be our celebrant was an easy decision to make after we talked with her over Skype, sharing ideas about what sort of ceremony we would like. She put us completely at ease, and even took the time to meet up with us in Mallorca in April to talk about the ceremony, vows and other housekeeping subjects. Anna and I are both very happy we had Annie to start our married life. It had a great feel and everyone was at ease. Every guest thought it was perfect. We couldn’t have imagined a better ceremony and owe Annie a huge thanks!