Say “I do” to tying the knot. “Officiant Lisa Francesca has literally written the book on how to plan the perfect ceremony.” —Martha Stewart Weddings According to a 2019 WeddingWire report based on data from more than 18,000 newlyweds, only twenty-five percent of weddings are taking place in religious institutions. More than one in three American weddings are being officiated by a friend or family member. With the officiating trend on the rise, novice officiants need a resource to guide them. In The Wedding Officiant’s Guide, interfaith minister Lisa Francesca breaks down the entire officiating process, from becoming an ordained officiant and interviewing the couple to drafting and performing a moving ceremony. Written in an engaging and friendly tone, and featuring empowering advice, suggested readings, stories and lessons learned from new officiants, and practical tips from wedding planners, this inviting handbook will help new officiants write and deliver a wedding ceremony that fulfills marriage laws, delights guests, and honors the marrying couple.

A companion to the popular website APracticalWedding.com and A Practical Wedding Planner, A Practical Wedding helps you sort through the basics to create the wedding you want -- without going broke or crazy in the process. After all, what really matters on your wedding day is not so much how it looked as how it felt. In this refreshing guide, expert Meg Keene shares her secrets to planning a beautiful celebration that reflects your taste and your relationship. You'll discover: The real purpose of engagement (hint: it's not just about the planning) How to pinpoint what matters most to you and your partner DIY-ing your wedding: brilliant or crazy? How to communicate decisions to your family Why that color-coded spreadsheet is actually worth it Wedding Zen can be yours. Meg walks you through everything from choosing a venue to writing vows, complete with stories and advice from women who have been in the trenches: the Team Practical brides. So here's to the joyful wedding, the sensible wedding, the unbelievably fun wedding! A Practical Wedding is your complete guide to getting married with grace.

Are you getting married? Do you plan on having a civil ceremony? Are you at a loss about where to begin? Well, help is at hand. Planning a Civil Ceremony Wedding will guide you through everything you need to know from the engagement to organising the big day itself. Weddings are happy events but arranging the day can be stressful and there is so much to think about that it can seem overwhelming, not to mention dealing with family and friends, all with their own opinions on how things should be done. This book tells you how to have the wedding that you want and the steps to take to get there with the least amount of fuss – all it takes is a little planning. Written by a wedding enthusiast who has recently organised her own special day, this book covers all aspects of planning a civil ceremony wedding from announcing the day to the marriage ceremony itself. Packed with helpful hints and suggestions, this book is all you need to help you plan your own perfect day.

This rich collection of writings on the nature of love and commitment has long delighted brides and grooms of every denomination. Culled from both sacred and secular texts, and suitable for either traditional or informal wedding ceremonies, these selections might be included in Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, interfaith, and non-denominational exchanges of vows. Among the passages appropriate for readings by parents, friends, or the bride and groom are selections from Plato and Sappho, Rilke and Auden, Ecclesiastes and Euripedes, Shakespeare and Donne, pascal and Montaigne, Emily Dickinson and Anne Morrow Lindbergh. There are love songs from the Aztecs and Eskimos, Hindu and African wedding prayers, a Buddhist marriage homily, a Shaker hymn, and Irish blessing, excerpts from Coptic Orthodox and Greek Orthodox marriage services, and passages from the Old and New Testaments, some familiar, some surprising. With myriad choices, Wedding Readings will help you add a special, personal touch to your marriage ceremony.

To officiate a wedding ceremony for a couple you know and love is one of life's great honors and delights.When your couple invited you to conduct their ceremony, you felt flattered and excited. Then, a little later, chances are you began to wonder - what did I get myself into? How do I conduct a wedding ceremony? HOW TO OFFICIATE A NON-DENOMINATIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY guides you through every step of the process for writing and delivering a personalized ceremony that is traditional enough in structure to make guests comfortable, yet contemporary in word and substance. Topics include: -How to personalize the various moments in a ceremony -How to involve guests and the wedding party-How to incorporate cultural traditions-How to introduce and segue various segments-How to organize for flow and energy -How to speak with confidence Bonus Sections include information on: -Vows-Rings-Unity Rituals-Blessings-"Non-blessings" - Readings and inspiration-Essential prep and day-of checklistsThis Revised Edition includes: NEW Bonus Sections!New Bonus #1: Interviews with first-time officiants who share their perspectives on the experience. New Bonus #2: A "before and after" ceremony script from a first time officiant I coached. New Bonus #3: Tips on how to personalize a ceremony incorporating Family + FriendsNew Bonus #5: 20 Things you need to keep in mind as you prep for your ceremonyNew Bonus #6: How to answer "The" question couples most often askYour couple invited you to officiate their ceremony because they want something that is uniquely theirs and not clichéd drivel from some unknown officiant. The ceremony is your gift to the couple and in this book I going show you how to give them a gift that will be a touchstone for their life together!

Previous ed. entitled: Offbeat bride: taffeta-free alternatives for independent brides, 2007.

A helpful, inspiring planning guide for brides and grooms, officiants, and wedding consultants. This e-book edition of A Wedding Ceremony to Remember now offers even more choices to create a wedding ceremony that’s both memorable and meaningful. Choose from nine complete ceremonies, a variety of Vows, Readings, Prayers and Blessings, Wedding Traditions, and other Special Touches to design your ceremony and make it uniquely you. In addition, an Order of Service, Program Samples, Diagrams, and Rehearsal and Ceremony Worksheets assist you with all the details—and help make your decisions a piece of cake.

Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette is the classic indispensable, comprehensive guide to creating the wedding of your dream, now in its sixth edition. Today's weddings are more complicated than ever, with new traditions replacing old, and new relationships to consider as family life grows more complex. Emily Post's Wedding Etiquette has everything a bride will ever need to know to have the perfect wedding. Anna Post guides brides and their friends and family through weddings to maximize fun and reduce stress, including: How to handle awkward family situations How to address envelopes and word invitations How to choose an officiant How to blend family traditions The timeline of events throughout the engagement and during the wedding Who to include on your guest list How to use technology to your advantage

Fr. Paul Scalia reveals a scholar's mind and a pastor's heart in these inspiring reflections on a wide range of Catholic teachings and practices. Rooted in Scripture, these insights place the reader on a path to a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God. Among the topics explored are deepening one's knowledge of Jesus, partaking of the life of grace through the sacraments, and cultivating the art of prayer as a continuous conversation with God. Each section is introduced by a moving essay by a highly regarded Catholic. Fr. Paul Check, Jim Towey, Scott Hahn, Mary Ellen Bork, Gloria Purvis, Raymond Arroyo, Lizz Lovett, Helen Alvaré, and Dan Mattson offer their personal accounts of being Catholic, which are followed by Fr. Scalia's illuminations. Archbishop Charles Chaput contributes a thought- provoking foreword, which begins the reader's exploration of the many important aspects of the Catholic faith presented in this book.

From the #1 wedding brand, the bestselling wedding book, updated with all-new budget ideas, online tools, and event planning and personalizing trends. First comes love, then comes . . . planning! Before a fabulous celebration, there are vendors to hire, budgets to calculate, decisions galore to make. Packed with The Knot’s top tips and worksheets, checklists, and contact sheets for you to fill in, this book is the one-stop resource that keeps brides focused but stress-free. The Knot Ultimate Wedding Planner paperback takes you through the process step by easy-to-follow step, with: · Budget worksheets (and all the latest digital tools for keeping track of costs) as well as hundreds of invisible ways to cut costs when selecting everything from flowers to the venue and menu · Wedding planning timelines (including a brand-new express timeline for couples getting married in 3 months or fewer) · Guest list and invitation worksheets (with guidance on what you can now do online) · Vendor contract checklists (and tons of new online resources for finding the pros you need) · Fun ideas for personalizing your reception, from photo booths to signature cocktails in any color your heart desires · Web links and other useful resources for planning on the go (including recommended apps to download and up-to-the-minute advice on building your wedding website)