We are joining two families with the bride and groom joining in marriage. Instead of seating the bride’s family and friends on one side and the groom’s on the other of the church, why not seat guests as they arrive starting at the front seating from side to side?
All guests want to sit by the aisle, why not seat guests from the side aisles?
Other unique ideas for less formal wedding:
- How about, instead of having two “sides,” arrange seats in a circle and recite your vows surrounded by friends and family.
- Why not replace chairs with couches or benches?
- For outdoor ceremonies, seat guests on cloth-covered hay bales, picnic blankets or even on heaps of large Moroccan-style cushions?
The saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” is a popular rhyme that has been used since Victorian times. The “something old” represents the bond to the bride’s family and her old life; “something new” represents the couple’s new life together and their future hope for happiness, prosperity and success; “something borrowed” from a happily married woman is meant to impart similar happiness to the bride; and “something blue” represents fidelity and constancy.
Whether you marry in a church or a town hall, on a mountaintop or on a beach, you need a marriage license. License requirements vary from state to state and even from county to county (go to findlaw.com for state-by-state information). Some require couples to apply in person and pay a cash fee (anywhere from $25 to $100); you’ll also be asked to bring along identification, like a passport or Social Security card. Once you have the license, it must be signed by the two of you, your officiant and possibly witnesses. Your officiant must mail the license to the proper state authorities (you’ll receive a certified marriage certificate in the mail within weeks), but in the eyes of the government you are husband and wife from the moment everyone signs the license.
