The Importance of the Wedding Ceremony: Why saying “I do” Matters More Than You’d Think!

Looking at the title of this article, you might be thinking, “of course the ceremony is important.” You can’t really have a wedding without a wedding ceremony. But you might be surprised, because while some couples understand that the wedding ceremony is a key part of the wedding day, others look at it as a formality that they need to rush through so they can get to the partying.

We wanted to write this post to speak to that second group. Don’t worry - there will still be champagne and cake! - but without an investment in your ceremony, something will be missing. Here’s how to avoid that:

At American Marriage Ministries, we have always insisted that the wedding ceremony sets the tone for the rest of the wedding festivities. After officiating/planning/attending more weddings than we can count, we have received plenty of feedback from both couples and other wedding vendors to back up this belief. 

What we have learned after more than a decade in this business is that a great wedding ceremony starts the wedding celebration off on a positive and memorable note.  

If you have ever attended a great ceremony, you will recall how the guests went into the reception with a profound sense of love and joy. And, although we are sure that your parents, brothers, sisters, and cousins love to eat, drink and dance, they are there because you are getting married and the ceremony is very much the 'you getting married' part they came to see. 

These days, the opportunities to eat well, drink heavily, and dance are everywhere. But doing so as a celebration of love and community is what sets weddings apart from a Friday night out on the town. Guests that have internalized those feelings of love are going to experience something much more powerful than just the excitement we feel when those bottles start popping.

Without the ceremony, weddings are just an expensive party.

The problem is that many people have, for the most part, attended weddings in which the ceremony was too short, too long, too boring, or just the same words they have heard over and over… or worse, a combination of these factors.  

That’s why we’re out here preaching the gospel of online ordination, because we want to make sure that every couple has a wedding officiant that really understands what they want, and is committed to delivering that! 

By using our Asked to Officiate workbook as your guide to mixing lovey and light-hearted words, keeping the ceremony to around 20 minutes, and making the ceremony personal and representative of the couple -- a ceremony can be written and delivered in a way that creates a mood of festivity and love that the guests will take from the ceremony right into the reception.

Not ready to spring for a book yet? No problem. Spend a few minutes checking out our wedding training section of the website, where we have lots of free inspiration and training to get you started. And if all else fails, shoot us an email or call us. We’d love to talk about what you’re looking for, and how we can help.