Picking the Church for Your Wedding
It might sound strange, but for some couples, selecting the right church for their marriage ceremony can be a challenge. They might come from different religious backgrounds and need to come to a compromise. It could be that neither is a regular church-goer, but they would like to tie the knot in a house of worship. Or it could be that both the bride and groom grew up in their particular church, and neither can imagine getting married anywhere else. These are some tips on how to come together as a couple to pick the church for your wedding.
In some ways the easiest scenario is when neither the bride or groom has ties to any specific church, but wish to get married in one. A good place to begin is by attending services at the churches in your area which are your denomination. If neither the bride or groom have a particular religious affiliation, they can look into community or non-denominational churches. Once you have found a church which feels comfortable, keep in mind that you may need to join to be able to get married there.
More challenging is when the bride and groom belong to different denominations. Although the differences are at times minor, if you always imagined yourself being married in the Methodist church wearing a long white gown with a flowing veil and pearl necklace, it might be hard to say your “I dos” at the Presbyterian church across the street. In some instances, a great solution to this problem can be to hold the ceremony at a more neutral church, such as your college chapel. Most campus ministers will be willing to work with the bride and groom to design a ceremony which respects both of their religious backgrounds. If the two of you were college sweethearts, it is also really meaningful to hold your ceremony on campus.
The biggest struggles can come when the bride and groom both have attended their respective churches for a long time, especially if the ties go back generations. The bride might have always imagined getting married in the same church where her mom and dad did, perhaps even wearing the same pearl necklace. Problems can occur when the groom’s family has also attended his church for generations, and maybe his mom and dad were married there. Even if the churches are the same denomination, the bride and groom will naturally have special feelings about their own church, pastor, congregation, and family ties. One good option could be to hold the wedding in the bride’s church with the groom’s minister co-officiating. In the end, preparing for marriage may entail compromises just like any good marriage does.
Filed under Wedding Planning, pearl bridal jewelry | Tags: church weddings, pearl necklace, wedding ceremony | Comment (0)Dos and Don’ts of Church Wedding Ceremonies
To get you started on planning the perfect wedding, take a look at the dos and don’ts of a church wedding ceremony.
Do: Dress appropriately. The exact definition of proper wedding attire will vary a bit from one house of worship to the next, so always consult with your officiant before purchasing a bridal gown. In general, a wedding gown for a church ceremony should err on the side of modesty. Stick with classic styles and timeless jewelry such as pearl earrings. If you want to indulge in a sexier wedding gown, change out of your ceremony dress and pearl earrings into a slinky sheath and dramatic drop earrings for the reception.
Don’t: Forget about the size of the aisle when wedding gown shopping. If your church is a tiny chapel with narrow aisles, that voluminous ballgown will be too full to move around in gracefully. On the other hand, a simple A-line bridal gown will be lost in the grandeur of a cathedral, which is why the cathedral length train exists.
Do: Plan to make some sort of donation to the house of worship in which your wedding is held. In some instances, the amount of the donation is entirely voluntary, with typical offerings ranging from a few hundred dollars and up. Large churches like St. Patrick’s Cathedral have set donation fees. Be sure to find out how your church prefers to receive the donation, whether it is in advance or on the day of the event.
Don’t: Worry too much about bringing in a lot of flowers and other decorations for the church. Many are so pretty anyway that a few floral displays on the altar and bows on the ends of the pews are all that is needed. Also keep in mind that there may be seasonal decor already in place for weddings which take place near holidays. Save the majority of your decorating budget for the reception where it will really be needed.
Filed under Bridal Jewelry, Wedding Planning, pearl bridal jewelry | Tags: church weddings, pearl earrings, wedding ceremony | Comment (0)