The Wedding: An Enduring Rite of Passage

When I hear people say that ritual plays no role in our modern lives, I gently remind them of the weddings they have attended. They recall tender words, unspoken moments, moving rituals. In fact, the wedding is one of our most enduring rites of passage, reinterpreted by each era, generation, each couple. The wedding ceremony continues to hold a vital place in our lives.

A powerful wedding, Celebrants understand, is one that is uniquely tuned to the couple’s own love story. Poignant weddings can include carefully selected stories and meaningful rituals that come from the couple’s own beloved traditions.  Your wedding may point to new traditions, too, and can include your favorite music or poetry, respectful and loving tributes to elders who have passed on, and maybe even the active participation of family or friends. Just imagine the ceremony you and I can craft together! One that genuinely expresses who you are as a couple.

In whatever venue you choose, I  endeavor to create and confirm a special place within which your ceremony takes place, one that exists not only in space, but in time. This is the space in which your transformation will begin. The beauty of your ceremony will be felt immediately by all present; its memory will live on in all the hearts of those you invite to witness your special moment. Your wedding, ultimately, will endure as a solid example of your devotion to each other and to your vision of love.

Celebrant-inspired, handcrafted weddings feel most authentic to couples and their loved ones, and set the tone for positive, healthy relationships. Surely, the wedding ceremony is more relevant to our lives today than at any time in our history!

Kate is an ordained minister of the First Nation Ministry and the Universal Life Church.

She performs civil, secular, spiritual, religious, and interfaith weddings in all traditions.