vows & ceremony talk

where does the music fit in?

anywhere you can fit it in.. a few nice tunes before you arrive are always nice & add to the sense of the occasion of the day. obviously you need to have some sort of music as you're walking up the aisle ... another key moment is to have a song play straight after you kiss,meaning you can have a minute or two to chat!the end of the ceremony allows for another piece of music which will move you forever.

do i need to make a wedding programme?

not necessarily but its nice as a keepsake for guest & allows them to follow the ceremonies proceedings, stopping them from losing interest

in what order should we walk up/down the aisle ?

its your day your way! speak to the priest/ registrar about the usual order. the traditional order is:

grandparents; mother of the groom; mother of the bride;groomsmen;bridesmaids;maid of honour; flower girl; bride & her escort.

how do i handle our families when comes to different cultural & religious differences?

as soon as you & hubby to be agree on your type of ceremony tell both sets parents what you're planning to do, listen to concerns & try to come to a compromise. if you're having an interfaith wedding try to bring elements from both beliefs.

when do i need to get a marriage licence?

in ireland you need to apply 12 weeks in advance, you must speak to your priest/registrars office beforehand.you must apply together as a couple.

how can we recognise absent loved ones in our ceeremony?

there are a number of different ways & its often lovely to do this is your ceremony. you could light candles, display a photo, recite a poem or say a prayer for them.

where should guests sit for the ceremony, does there have to be a bride & grooms side?

its not 100% necessary to separate the guests but often immediate family & close relatives will prefer to have reserved pews towards the front.

how long should the ceremony last?

theres no magic number, church ceremonies are generally an hour long & civil ceremonies may be shorter, talk to the priest or registrar about the length. its important not to have it too long as guests may get restless.

what should we cover in the rehearsals?

go over the order of your procession & who stands where. make sure the priest/ registrar know what parts to give you clues, nervous brideys & groomies can forget but more often than not dont!

is it possible to prepare for disasters?

chances are nothing will go wrong as long as you have chosen the right people. kids are almost always the most awkward thing to control however it is important to always have a contingency plan