SAMPLE CEREMONIES

So what does a unique ceremony look like? I’ve included two samples in this section to give you an idea.

The first wedding (Kathryn and Iggy—fictional!) is the kind of wedding I do all the time. It takes place in a non-religious venue, an actual former monastery in Cincinnati that has been repurposed for all kinds of events, including weddings. The sample includes a couple that comes from different cultures and religious beliefs, although they are both American. It contains both serious tones and humorous tones, striking a balance to create a ceremony that is both delightful and meaningful. In each sample, you can get an idea of different stage directions to consider. You can see the order of events laid out, get a feeling for the stage mechanics of a ceremony, and get a sense for how a twenty-minute ceremony looks on the page. These samples should give you an idea of how to linger on aspects of a love story in some parts while moving it along in other parts; to include elements of surprise to hook your listeners. You can see how the Love Story anchors the entire ceremony by celebrating the couple’s story with honesty and passion. I’ve included some notes to show you what my intention is in certain sections, to show you how methods I’ve outlined in the book can be used in practice.

The purpose of the second sample wedding (Ben and Natalya—also fictional!) is to show what an outside-the-box, over-the-top wedding ceremony can look like. Just imagine how nutty the actual love story for this one could be! (I totally wrote a love story for these fictional people, but I withheld it because it might distract you from all the staging.) The second sample wedding is meant to unscrew the lid of the possibility jar.