Here are a few “Best Practices” for a successful wedding ceremony. General ideas that will make your ceremony look amazing. The small details are the difference between a good ceremony, and an incredible ceremony.

  • Announcements: If you can make announcements BEFORE the ceremony starts, it is nice so that people have time to put their phones away, and amateur photographers know what the wishes of the couple are.
  • Photographer/Videographer: Are they aware that the other is going to be there? Or will there be a jousting competition in the middle of the ceremony will they both try to get the best shot down the aisle for entrances?
  • Entrances: Leave good spacing for the people walking in, so that the photographer can get those nice pictures. This may mean a pause before people start walking down the aisle. If one of the couple is standing at front waiting for other, it looks really nice if they are standing at the front center (and the officiant is standing off to the side, out of the picture!)
  • Children: Is there a backup plan if someone is going to have a melt down at the start of the ceremony? Someone to bring them in? Is there someone at the front that will capture them when they overshoot their destination?
  • See the suggestions about music (link) in the rehearsal document. How the music is delivered makes the ceremony polished and refined (if that is what you are looking for).
  • Wedding Party: Did they receive instructions on how to hold their hands or flowers; suggestions about gum, chewing tobacco, and sunglasses? Do they have strange bulges in their pockets from phones or weapons?
  • Microphones: One of the biggest complaints people have about a ceremony is they couldn’t hear the couple and/or the marriage commissioner. If you have a microphone, is there a plan for everyone to be heard by it (i.e. black lapel microphones don’t work if someone is wearing a white dress, unless their partner facing them has one on). If the ceremony is outside, is the wind going to be an issue with the microphone?
  • Signing the Documents: Is there enough space for everyone to be around the table? Will some of the wedding party need to shuffle around so that the audience can see the document signing? Will people sit or stand? If people have low cut dresses, can they sit down so they are not making for awkward pictures? Is there something on the table to hold the documents from flying away? Is the marriage commissioner bringing a black ink pen, or are you?
  • The Big Kiss: Is the officiant (and others!) going to be out of the way, and out of the pictures? Will the couple stop mid-exit for another picture and/or kiss?
  • Exit: Where does the wedding party go after the recessional? If they stick around, the entire audience will want to congratulate them. If there is a tight schedule of pictures, they may not want this to happen.
  • Receiving Line: If you do plan a receiving line, it will go quicker if you don’t have the entire wedding party in the line—as this will a huge number of introductions (“Who are you? Why are you hear, how do you know the couple…”) that will take a lot of time.