By Jennifer Cox

My parents were married in Montreal at Loyola Chapel, which now sits on the campus of Concordia University, in 1979. Decades later, when I started studying Journalism at Concordia, I loved walking by the chapel and looking at the front steps where all of my family, including grandparents who were no longer with us, had walked, stopping to pose for pictures in front of the big wooden doors. I was never the little girl who dreamed about her wedding, but when I saw the chapel in person, I knew that that was the one thing I wanted for my own special day: to get married at the same chapel as my parents.

And we did. Just two weeks after they celebrated their thirty-year anniversary, my husband and I got married in front of the same altar, with our guests lined in the same pews, surrounded by many of the people who had witnessed my own parents tie the knot.

To really remember the significance of getting married at the chapel, I met with our photographers (the incredible davina + daniel) months before and gave them some of the pictures from my parent’s wedding. They were clever enough to photograph them so, on our wedding day, they were able to refer to the pics and then “recreate” the same photos. It worked beautifully – we had about a dozen shots that looked like mirror images from my own parent’s wedding. I later put them in side-by-side frames for my mom and dad.

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

Photos of Jennifer’s wedding: Davina + Daniel

Looking for some wedding send-off ideas? Something other than confetti and rose petals?

It was the against the rules of the church that Darin and I got married in to have confetti or rose petals thrown as a wedding send-off because of the mess. Your church or ceremony venue might have similar rules. If this is the case, here are some charming alternatives:

Wedding sparklers are fun and make for great photos. (I love this photo by kabloomstudios!) It would make a great painting!

Ribbon wands are another charming (and colorful) wedding send-off! 

Photo: Elizabeth Anne Designs

Photo: Style Me Pretty

Photo: pink posh

Bubbles are magical, and once again make for fabulous photos.

Photo: Red Lotus Photography

Photo: Caroline Ghetes

Check out this fancy bubble wand.

If you go to church, there’s a good chance you’ve already figured out the officiant part.

If you’re not a church-goer, choosing an officiant can be a tad challenging – even nerve wracking.

The officiant is a big deal. S/he sets the tone for the ceremony – and can really add (or detract) a great deal from the ceremony.

Many of the couples I featured in the real weddings section cited something the officiant said or did as the highlight of the ceremony.

Kaitlin and Chris said the highlight of their ceremony was the officiant telling the story of their life together.

“My husband and I have been together for fourteen years {before getting married} and it so beautiful and amazing to hear someone tell that story,” says Kaitlin.

Elizabeth and Hedi’s officiant also made the ceremony extra special for the couple.

“Our officiant has known me since birth. He has been like a father/mentor figure ever since I can remember and to have him officiate our ceremony and give us his unwavering blessing and joyous part in our ceremony was incredible,” says Elizabeth.

So, how do you choose the right officiant if you are not a church-goer?

Some couples choose to get married where their parents or grandparents were married, which, needless to say, makes it much easier. Other couples might choose a church merely for it’s aesthetic appeal, and take whichever officiant comes along with the church. For these couples, the physical structure of the building is more important than the man or woman behind the pulpit.

Although aesthetics definitely played a role for Darin and I, we also wanted an officiant that made us feel comfortable. We visited several churches before deciding on a local Presbyterian church. (Ironically, neither Darin or are Presbyterians.) Not only was the officiant friendly, the church’s size was perfect for an intimate ceremony – and it was beautiful.

If you’re looking for an officiant, start visiting local churches, or simply go through the Yellow Pages or search the net. It’s best to start your search as soon as possible to ensure availability.

Another option that will make your wedding even more personalized is to have a friend or loved one act as your wedding officiant, like several of the couples featured in the real weddings section of Intimate Weddings.

Sherry and Jon had a relative perform their ceremony.

“[The ceremony] was performed by John’s cousin and good friend who got certified just for us,” says Sherry, who adds that this made it more personal.

Becoming certified as an officiant is quite simple. The Universal Life Church, a non-denominational church, offers free ordination to anyone that requests it. Ordination can be done online are via snail mail.

It’s important to check out the laws in your state to see if this type of ordination is recognized; in some states it is not.

Photo: McKenzie and Jeremy’s Real Wedding photographed by Embrace Life Photography

By Jennifer Cox

A recent trend in wedding ceremonies is the ringwarming ceremony. The idea is simple enough: have someone make an announcement prior to the start of the wedding to explain that the wedding bands will be passed around to each guest during the ceremony. Just prior to the ring exchange, guests are invited to hold the ring and to silently offer a blessing or wish for the newlyweds, then pass them on to next guest. Once everyone has had a turn, the rings are returned to the officiant for the ring exchange.

This modern tradition is much easier to pull off at smaller weddings; larger affairs increase the risk of having the ring dropped, lost or making the ceremony drag out too long.

If you’re worried about passing out your wedding bands and losing sight of them, you could ask someone if they would “administer” the process and supervise things so that nothing gets lost. Another great idea is to attach the rings to something, like a ringbearer bowl or even your ringbearer pillow, so something larger is being passed around.

The ringwarming tradition is a unique way to make your guests to feel close to you and also to feel like they are part of your ceremony. However, since this trend is fairly new and somewhat non-traditional, there’s a good chance not all of your guests will understand it. You might want to consider adding a blurb in your wedding program about how the ringwarming ceremony works and why it is important to you.

Read about this real wedding which had a ringwarming ceremony.

Photo One: Hazelnut Photography; Photo Two: Palomasnest

Jennifer Cox is a Montreal based freelance journalist who loves everything from weddings to foodie news, photography & candy!

This is one of the poems we chose for our wedding.

By Kathleen Raine

Yours is the face that the earth turns to me,
Continuous beyond its human features lie
The mountain forms that rest against the sky.
With your eyes, the reflecting rainbow, the sun’s light
Sees me; forest and flower, bird and beast
Know and hold me forever in the world’s thought,
Creation’s deep untroubled retrospect.

When your hand touches mine it is the earth
That takes me–the green grass,
And rocks and rivers; the green graves,
And children still unborn, and ancestors,
In love passed down from hand to hand from God.
Your love comes from the creation of the world,
From those paternal fingers, streaming through the clouds
That break with light the surface of the sea.

Here, where I trace your body with my hand,
Love’s presence has no end;
For these, your arms that hold me, are the world’s.
In us, the continents, clouds and oceans meet
Our arbitrary selves, extensive with the night,
Lost, in the heart’s worship, and the body’s sleep.

You’ve fallen hard for the vintage look and you envision yourself wearing a vintage wedding dress. You’ve seen some vintage wedding dresses online that make your heart sing, but you still haven’t pressed the “Buy” button.

Before you click that button, make sure you read this excellent Q & A with one of our sponsors, Paula Cooperman from the The Mill Crest Vintage Boutique, Lambertville, NJ.

What You Need to Know Before Buying a Vintage Wedding Dress

How is the sizing different from regular street clothes? (If I’m a size 10, for instance, what size wedding gown would I need?)

Vintage sizing does not correspond to today’s sizing and with each era, you can expect a different interpretation of size and cut.  This is why we give the measurements of our garments to all of our clientele who shop with us online. What we typically recommend to all of our brides is to get an accurate measurement of their own bodies (bust, waist, hip and length) and use these numbers as a guide when choosing a wedding gown.  Another thing to consider, is that any good seamstress can make alterations to achieve a custom fit.

Continue reading Vintage Wedding Dresses: What You Need to Know

You want an outdoor summer wedding. It might be hot. Really hot. How will you guests keep their cool?

There are several ways to keep your guests from melting in the heat.

Wedding fans are  practical and pretty for an outdoor ceremony. I love the idea of DIY program fans, but there are other alternatives.

Wanderluster over at Rambling Renovators headed out to her local Chinatown and purchased sandalwood fans for her August wedding. She wrapped the ends with wrapping paper from Paper Source and attached coordinating ribbons.

After the ceremony, the guests headed over to the cocktail area and were greeted by servers with cold “oshibori”, which are wet towels you often see in Japanese restaurants. Wanderluster bought the oshibori from The Oshibori Company in what she describes as a “a yummy peach mango scent.”

“It was a great way to help our guests freshen up after sitting in the sun!” she writes.

Another way to keep your guests cool is to offer cold water or other beverages like lemonade at the entrance area where the ceremony will be taking place.

If you have elderly guests and your region is prone to extreme heat, make sure that there is seating in a shaded area during the ceremony. The last thing you want is a bad case of heat stroke at your wedding!

Photo One: Natalie Moser; Photo Two, Three, Four: Rambling Renovators; Photo Five: Getmarried.com

A glass chapel in the woods? Can you believe how beautiful it is? Breathtaking. That’s what it is. Imagine getting married here? Where is it, you ask?

This gorgeous glass chapel is at Garvan Woodland Gardens near Hot Springs, Arkansas. The wedding was shot by Becker.

Wheat isn’t just for eatin’. It makes for lovely wedding decorations. Here are some wheat wedding ideas that are perfect for an autumn wedding:

Photo: Project Wedding

Photo: Project Wedding

Photo: The Knot

Photo: Project Wedding

Photo: In Style Weddings

Photo: Holly Ann Ricker

Photo: Wish Special Events

Photo: The Knot

Photo: Designer PI

What’s the latest craze in wedding ceremony seating? Hay! Cheap, rustic – and biodegradable! What more could one ask? Here are some photos of hay bales used as wedding seating:

Photo: Daria Bishop

Photo: Givefunla.com

Photo: Peacockfeatherevents.com

Photo: W. Scott Chester Photography via The Green Bride Guide

Photo: Celebrity Bride Guide

Photo: c is for charmed

Photo: Martha Stewart Weddings