After deciding to get married, the second most important decision is: who will be the officiant (in our humble opinion). But once that’s out of the way, there are other important decisions to make - like where to host your wedding website. 

After you announce your wedding date, your guests will probably have a million questions. 

But, you’ve got said wedding to plan. 

You don’t want to spend hours answering questions about what to wear, when to show up, how to RSV, etc. from a hundred different guests - potentially coming from different places, near and far. Plus, it’s 2019. We’re getting all our other information from our phones and computers, so why not wedding details?...(continued)

Below is a press release that that we are very excited about, and that will make American Weddings an even more valuable resource for our readers! We are huge fans of Laura Cannon and the other wedding officiants at the International Association of Professional Wedding Officiants, and this is the beginning of what we know will be a long and important partnership. Stay tuned!

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...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. 

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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)