Ways to Honour Your Parents

It is a beautiful way to show appreciation for your parents by honouring them on your wedding day. They will already play a special role by being there and possibly by helping out financially. Whether your parents are still living or deceased they deserve something a little extra special for all that they have done for you. There is the obvious way of asking their blessing or including them in the recessional. But there are also some other lovely ideas.

1. Walk down the aisle with the same song as your Mother did.

2. Give a rose to your mother and groom’s mother as you walk down the aisle

3. Use the lace from your Mother’s Wedding Dress to tie a bouquet or place it in a locket.

 4. Instead of tossing the bouquet dedicate it to your Mother.

 5. Ask the Celebrant to give a special mention the Mothers’ or Fathers’ in the Ceremony. The parents could be asked to read a poem or a reading.

6. Dedicate the ceremony to the parents – ‘they have taught us our values and to appreciate what life has to offer, without them we would not be here’.

7.   If a parent is deceased light a candle in remembrance or mention them in a pray.

8.  Incorporate some family photos either on the cake table or as decoration on a tree A family tree.

9.  A special gift could be given to the parents at the reception.

10. The Mothers’ could be asked to be the official witnesses for the ceremony and sign the register.

Dad and Bride Entrance

Getting married on the beautiful Sunshine Coast is a dream for many couples. If you live overseas and are planning such a wedding it is important to find a Wedding Celebrant who carefully explains the process and has a good knowledge of the location.

I was fortunate to meet a lovely couple and their two boys last October who contacted me from the UK about having their ceremony here in Caloundra. The had been together for 22 years and had finally decided on a date to marry but were keen not to have the fuss and expectations that would face them if it were to take place in the UK. As they were not coming over until a few days before their ceremony I informed them that they would need to complete a Notice of Intended Marriage and to find a Notary Public to sign this document before sending it to me. I sent them ideas for their ceremony and a questionnaire. They carefully thought through what was meaningful to them which was so helpful. When I finally met the family I felt I knew so much about them already and few so comfortable in their company.

Many couples are worried about the paperwork. I carefully go through the documents that they will need to bring with them to apply for an official marriage certificate and help them complete all the forms.

Positive Marriage Quotes for Weddings

I really enjoy creating a couples ceremony . I have researched and found many wonderful quotes to include in the Wedding. Here are a few of my favourites:

‘The best thing to hold onto in life is each other’  Audrey Hepburn

‘You meet thousands of people and none of them really touch you, and then you meet one person and your life is changed forever’ from the Movie ‘Love and Other Drugs’

‘A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person’ Mignon Mclauglin

‘Love unlocks windows that weren’t even there before’ Mignon Mclauglin

‘A happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers’ Robert Quillen

‘Meeting you was fate, becoming friends was a choice but falling in love was out of my control’ Author Unknown

‘No relationship is all sunshine, but once you’ve learned how to play in the rain, you’ve discovered the secret to surviving the passing storm together’ Author unknown