Destination weddings that take place abroad often last several days.

You lead away, for this wonderful opportunity, your family and your friends to a country that is dear to your heart and you want them to discover or rediscover what you love about the country.

During these three days of celebration surrounded by the most loved ones, you must expect to often feel the tears come to your eyes!

This weekend will be full of emotions!

The climax of emotion will be for sure  during the ceremony of your wedding!

Sweet words, caresses, looks, songs, prepare yourself, you will receive a love shoot!

This moment will remain engraved forever in your love story and even if spontaneity is important, it is essential to take the time to organize things serenely.

First of all, close your eyes and imagine your ceremony! what do you really want? what do you like?

The first and most important step will be to choose the person who will officiate during the ceremony, in other words the bandmaster of your ceremony!

 

Choice of the ceremonial officiant, two possibilities are available to you:

 

Either you choose an outside officiant who will help you to prepare the ceremony.

This officiant will propose you to select a ceremony among several and will also offer you a choice of texts on the theme of marriage and love.
You will choose together the frame of your ceremony and you will incorporate readings and interventions of your friends and family here and there which will constitute finally YOUR ceremony.

 

Either you choose a close, very close friend who knows you very well and who will bring a very personal touch to your ceremony.

Someone who shares your sensitivity and who will bring out the emotion and love of the moment; not old bad files … it’s not yet the moment of alcoholic speeches!

In my opinion nothing is worth this option so “personalized” but it is important for a good progress to respect several points:

You can not “impose” your choice to your best friend. Indeed, even if you feel like he is the perfect person, it is not given to everyone to express themselves serenely and therefore in a pleasant way in front of an assembly!

The chosen person must be reliable because he must be there on D-Day, (even if he drank too much the day before the wedding during the cocktail reception…)

This person must take his role very seriously and work upstream of the marriage. For having lived it and even if it can work after all, it is not easy to write a ceremony 2 hours before the wedding. It’s especially stressful for the bride and groom!

The ideal is to be able to trust this person and let him manage the thread of the ceremony.

If he does not feel able, go hand in hand in the preparation and enjoy it together over the months.

 

The unfolding of the secular ceremony

– The officiant welcomes guests and may ask guests to turn off their phones during the ceremony

– Arrival of the Bride & Groom

Even if I confess to have a weakness for solemn entries that give the  thrill, your entry must look like you: have fun, it’s YOUR DAY!

– The officiant welcomes the newlyweds and thanks the guests for being with them on this very special day.

– The officiant begins the ceremony by tracing the story of the newlyweds

– To really reflect your story your ceremony must contain interventions from your family & friends. The most classic way remains by reading a text (choice on which you will be or not concerted) but it can also be a song, a poem or a symbolic gesture (like distributing a small bracelet symbolizing the love and asking each of your guests to tie it to his neighbor)

– You can incorporate symbolic rituals into your ceremony. If one of the bridegrooms is religious and not the other, this is the perfect time to introduce a little wink without making a totally religious wedding.

– The exchange of vows and alliances

This is the highlight of your ceremony! You will exchange your promises of vows!

Start writing them well in advance. You will be able to refine your declaration of love until the wedding day!

Your emotions will play tricks, remember to keep your sweet words somewhere and a Kleenex nearby!

My advice: you put a lot of energy to set up a beautiful decoration, take the time to copy your text on a nice paper or a nice notebook

If it is not the groom who keeps the rings, remember to give them to a trusted person before the ceremony. This person will be responsible for example to give them to a child who will bring them.

– The officiant concludes the ceremony by offering his wishes of happiness to the newlyweds

– The newlyweds make their way under the throws of rose petals, confetti ..

– Your outing sounds the beginning of your party! choose your song!

 

Our advices :

 

– We strongly advise not to exceed an hour because it quickly becomes long for your guests. Here in Morocco, it is often hot, children are quickly deconcentrated and adults are also distracted whan it’s too long.

I really recommend a beautiful ceremony not too long which everyone will keep a good memory rather than too long and tiresome.

For this it’s necessary to ask your guests who will speak in not to speak too long

At the opposite, do not be too short, you must have time to enjoy it and the photographer has time to make some pretty pictures

– if you decide to make a rehearsal of the ceremony with the different actors DO NOT READ YOUR TEXTS OR SPEECHES! It is so sad to lose the surprise of this unique moment!

– If you are many, consider technical equipment wireless microphones for the ceremony. You will be sure that everyone will hear well.

– Think carefully about the songs you have always loved and that you would be so happy to hear during your ceremony (there are so many beautiful songs!)

– Remember to have a meeting with the DJ who will take care of the important songs of your ceremony (entry (s) and exit). He must know the exact sequence of your ceremony to be able to put  the music at the right time.

– Do not install your guests too long before the ceremony begins, they will lose patience, especially if it’s hot …

– It’s nice to give to your guests a small program of the ceremony.

– If it is very hot, consider offering bottles of water and fans

 

and finally whatever your choices, never forget: ENJOY THIS MAGIC MOMENT!

 

Photo credit: The Quirky