The Ceremony Debate Pt. 2

I've talked before about our journey to a self-scripted ceremony and how Reverend Judith Johnson's book has been a tremendous help throughout the process, but it's still proving to be quite the pickle. In spite of all the amazing examples provided in the book, it's difficult to create a non-denominational ceremony script which reflects both of us individually as well as us as a couple. Thankfully, there's lots of information out there for those seeking it and I've found some amazing resources from the blog-o-sphere. The inspirational Sara Cotner from 2000 Dollar Wedding has compiled a list from a wide variety of blogs which provides a great cross section of what modern couples are including in their ceremonies.

While we're still wracking our brains to figure out whether or not to write our own vows which we'd surprise each other with on the day of (and by we, I mean me, because Mr. FP is persistent in his desire to have us write our own vows ... despite my desire to avoid being a sobbing mess in front of our 80 guests), if we do decide on writing our own vows, I think we'll stick to a form similar to that of Sara and her husband Matt. In their ceremony, of them began with a list of examples which explained the reasons they loved one another which was following by a list of commitments they both made to one another.

I love this format because it allows for creative expression, but it doesn't give room for the possibility of the groom showing up the bride, or vice versa. Honestly, this is my secret fear when it comes to writing our own vows ... I'm convinced Mr. FP will do a much better job and I desperately don't want to disappoint, haha. That's always been my favorite part of pre-written vows that are repeated by both parties during the ceremony because it allows for creativity but it doesn't cause any of the stress attached with writing individual vows. So, I think Sara and Matt's format fits both of our needs ... Mr. FP will get his surprise vows and I'll get the structure I need.

But for other brides who are looking for something even more unique, Sara's list definitely has something for everybody, so I highly recommend it. Moreover, on my last post on this subject, Born to be Mrs. Beever recommended checking out wedding videos found on the websites and blogs of videographers for even more ceremony inspiration. (Kudos to her for that great idea, by the way!)

Jeez, with all this inspiration and my tendency to fall in love with every ceremony script I read, our ceremony might end up being three hours long just so we can fit in everything I read between now and June 26th. Oh well.