5 Things That Will Make Your Ceremony AMAZING!
Marry Me Megan mid ceremony for Antoinette and Chloe.
Photo By: Jeremy Blode Photography
Melbourne based wedding celebrant Megan Watson of Marry Me Megan shares with us her top five things that will definitely make your wedding ceremony amazing.
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Honesty and realness
Your guests know you and love you, and that includes the real and not-so-perfect bits, so when we mention a couple of things that might be not rainbows and butterflies – your guests relate, and that’s what gets people’s attention and helps everyone connect with the words.
Be you, unashamedly.
Humour
To be fair, this is my MO because it suits my personality, but I honestly believe that guests appreciate the lighter side of life. I’m all about delivering the words with a bit of romance and sentimentality – but who doesn’t want to chuckle at a wedding? Formal can still be light! Life is serious enough, without adding a sombre tone to one of the biggest reasons for celebrating there is… Let’s take your guests on a ride – which will definitely include some heartfelt, sincere moments, and also some light-heartedness and some humour! Your photos will thank you for it!
Length - Not too long, not too short – The Goldilocks effect
This is crucial. Talk for too long, and all the good bits are forgotten. Talk for too little, and you may not even get much good stuff in there! It should be long enough to break through the nerves, take in the moment, then actually enjoy the whole ceremony. Your vows, and any guest engagement bits will add to the length, but I factor that in, and I think a good ceremony from beginning to end should be about 25 mins. Venues generally allow a 30 min slot for a ceremony, and I love to come in just under that, allowing you ample time to soak in all the just-married vibes straight afterwards.
Something unexpected
Let’s face it; we’ve all been to a few weddings in our time. We know how they work. The Celebrant says some things that make the couple married. They might tell some stories, reference some life moments and wish them well in the future. So, I like to pop something in that they weren’t expecting, something to make sure they remember the occasion.
It might be something completely random and funny about the couple, mentioning the parent’s impressive length of marriage, paper/scissors/rock with the vows, drawing the witnesses name out of a hat, the couple’s child pronouncing them married, reading out surprise words of wisdom from their closest friends, introducing each member of the wedding party with a cheeky line that the couple have provided me with. Obviously, it has to suit the occasion, but there is scope for mixing things up and being more bespoke with the content.
Engaging your guests
I will make sure that I capture your guests’ hearts as much as I capture yours! They will be smiling, nodding, laughing, crying, or leaning in at some point during the ceremony. You haven’t invited them just to drink the wine, you want them to participate! And by that, I don’t mean yell out, heckle or disrupt things, but to hear the words, acknowledge them and respond.
This begins before we start, and I love to chat with guests, and generally make them feel included and excited before we begin, so they are given permission to vocalise their happiness and enjoyment! These are some of my favourite photos from weddings – the guests’ reactions! The head back laughing shot, the wiping away of tears, the best man looking shocked, these are GOLD!
And one last thing - relax. Your guests can tell straight away if you are freaking out and really nervous. Your body language is a dead give-away. Shoulders are up, lips are tight together, and you aren’t making eye contact with anyone. I will do my utmost to relax you and help you surrender to the moment, so your guests read your expression and follow your lead. Most people hate the thought of public speaking. Let me help guide you through.
Marry Me Megan is part of the Mr Theodore family and can be viewed on the directory by clicking HERE.
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