Ceremony Options
By law, the only requirement for you to be legally married in New York state is for you to exchange vows and for me to pronounce you Husband and Wife! But that is the bare basic civil ceremony. I believe that your ceremony should reflect your love, your beliefs and your relationship. The following options can be added to your ceremony to create a personal and beautiful ceremony:
Unity Candle
The Unity Candle is a timeless tradition and popular in Catholic / Christian and interfaith ceremonies. We can also include the couples parents and children.
Sand Ceremony
The Sand Ceremony is very popular at beach weddings, water view weddings and also any outdoor ceremony where a Unity Candle wouldn’t be conducive. We can also include the couple’s parents and also children as part of the ceremony.
Wine Box and Love Letter Ceremony
This is a beautiful and new ceremony option that can be customized by couples to represent their relationship.
Hand Fasting
In the Celtic tradition there is also a ritual called a hand fasting which is a symbolic binding of the hands that inspired the terms “Bonds of Holy Matrimony” and to “Tie the knot” In the middle ages the hands of the bride and groom were bound as a sign of their commitment to one another.
Fisherman’s knot
The fisherman’s knot – “true lovers knot” is the strongest there is; it will not break, and will only become stronger when under pressure. These two cords represent your past, your own individual and separate lives before today. As you intertwine your pieces, you are joining your two lives into one, representing the present. The finished knot symbolizes your future, and how your love and marriage will continue to be strong despite any trials life may throw your way.
Ketubah
A ketubah is a special type of agreement. It is considered an integral part of a traditional Jewish marriage, and outlines the rights and responsibilities of the groom, in relation to the bride.In most modern Jewish/interfaith weddings, the couple signs the Ketubah about a half hour before the wedding ceremony in the presence of two witnesses of their choosing, their immediate family and the wedding party.Ketubbot are considered prized wedding mementoes and are typically framed and hung in a prominent place in the couple’s home after the wedding.