...the Officiant? The Bride? The Groom? Siri?

Short answer: it depends. There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to who should write the wedding ceremony. Every couple, and every situation, every ceremony, is different.  Since we’re particularly close to the officiating side of the wedding world, we used to assume that the ceremony was almost always written by the friend or family member who was being asked to perform the ceremony -- the officiant! However, what we have found over the years is that the couple often wants to write their own ceremony. 

That said, it’s still worth pointing out a few things to help you decide who picks up the pen and who delivers the ceremony. Even if the officiant is going to write the wedding ceremony, it will make their life easier (and the ceremony better) if the the couple is involved in the ceremony creation process. ...(continued)

When it comes time to plan the wedding ceremony, couples often want to include their family, friends, and in some cases, their guests in the ceremony. Weddings are a communal event, and we want the shared experience to remain in the memories of our guests, long after the wedding is over and our loved ones have parted ways. 

Here’s some ideas to help you include as many friends and family as possible in your big day! 

The Family and Friends Blessing: The family and friends blessing is a small piece (reading) in which the officiant explains the importance of family and friends. After the reading, the officiant asks the guests whether they will support the couple as they begin this new chapter of their lives. It’s similar to the end of aisle question, but it’s answered in unison, allowing all guests to feel like they’re a significant part of the ceremony. 

 ...(continued)

Of all the big decisions a couple must make when planning their wedding, one of the most difficult is whether or not to have an alcohol free, or “dry” wedding. There are many reason that  couples might choose to have an alcohol free wedding, from religious prohibitions to a history of alcoholism in the family, to medical reasons. 
 
Sometimes the couple just doesn’t drink and they don’t feel like paying for that open bar. 
 
Remember, it’s your wedding, so celebrate it your way. And just because the booze isn’t flowing doesn’t mean that your wedding has to be boring. In fact, dry weddings can be downright exciting!  
 
We reached out to some couples who’ve had positive experiences with planning their dry weddings, to see how they did it, and what their experiences were like.
 
Emily and Aaron O'Neill's decided to have a dry recept...(continued)

Attention AMM Officiants: Do you want a chance to WIN a blank commemorative Specialty Certificate of your choice to gift to a couple as a wedding keepsake?!

We're giving away certificates just LIKE this one in the photo above (especially if you think an AMM Specialty Certificate would look beautiful displayed in your couple's home!) and we will choose the winners at random on Sunday evening!

Click on this link to visit our facebook page and get in on the action, or if you can't wait till sunday night, here's a link to our store page where we have a huge selection of certificates for you to choose from.

Couples planning weddings in Washington, D.C. have one less thing to worry about. The government shutdown, now the longest in our nation’s history, has been bad news for many Americans. One group affected has been couples in D.C. who have been unable to get their marriages licenses, throwing their wedding plans into chaos. 

Those couples got good news when D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed a bill that will allow her to grant marriage licenses and authorize officiants for 90 days. 

"We are stepping in where federal courts have discontinued issuing marriage licenses," Bowser said as she signed the The Let Our Vows Endure Emergency Act of 2019, or LOVE Act. ...(continued)