Say “I Do” to These Fun and Easy Tips for the Perfect Arizona Wedding Ceremony

You have been dreaming about your wedding ceremony forever and now it’s quickly approaching! Here are some wedding ceremony ideas that we came up with after witnessing tons of weddings that we hope you’ll find helpful in making sure that your ceremony is awesome, not only for the two of you, but also for your guests and your photographer/videographer as well.

Unplugged Ceremony

After you have hired a competent photography/videography team it’s okay to ask your guests to put away their phones and cameras and just be in the moment for your wedding. After all this is what your ceremony is all about. Being unplugged will also help the wedding photographer that you hired get great shots without having to compete with guests for the best angles. We’ve all seen those videos with guests jumping in front of photographers and blocking the first kiss – let us tell you this is real thing! We’ve had to scramble on more than one occasion to get an important shot because Uncle Bob just blocked us.

Choose a reliable sound system

Everyone will be able to fully enjoy your ceremony when they can hear every word of your vows. With this in mind, the sound system is definitely something to put some planning into. If you think about it the sound quality affects not only your vows, but all of the music that you have chosen for the processional, ceremony, and recessional. Definitely test out the sound system beforehand and make sure that it sounds good and that you are getting no feedback screeches. Most venues (and churches) will have a sound system in place and your DJ is a good resource for working the sound for ceremonies and receptions at wedding venues.

Show your hands

After you come up the aisle and your ceremony begins, don’t forget to hand off your bouquet (if you have one) to your maid of honor or whoever you have assigned for this duty. You will need for your hands to be free for the ring exchange. And speaking of hands, be sure to face each other and have your hands in the middle where everyone can see the rings – rather than your backs. When you face each other it’s also easier to say you vows to each other, rather than to the officiant!

Personalize your vows

Your officiant can help you craft a personalized ceremony when you meet for your wedding ceremony planning. With that in mind, you definitely should consider writing personal vows to each other. Everyone loves a good story! As for having your vows ready for the ceremony, you could read them from your phone or, even better, you can choose to handwrite your vows into a personalized vow book. These books then become wedding keepsakes that your kids and grandkids will love read someday. To get you started here is a step by step guide on how to write your wedding vows from Shutterfly

Take your time

Be in the moment and don't rush through the ceremony. Put your rings on slowly and the same with any special touches such as unity sand or candle ceremonies. By taking your time, you'll be able to enjoy the moment more and ensure that your photographer has time to capture the action as it unfolds. Make your first kiss a good long one and not a quick peck! Then why not go in for another, maybe even add a dip? And speaking of the first kiss, you will definitely want to speak to your officiant ahead of time and ask them to move away from the two of you as they pronounce you married! Or else there will be three people in your kiss photo. These photos can look pretty awkward at times with the minister’s face melding in with the two of you.

Add some fun

Add some fun: After you share the first kiss and you walk back down the aisle, raise your arms up and cheer, smile at each other, smile at your guests, heck go ahead and kiss again. If you want to even more fun to your recessional, consider having guests blow bubbles, toss rose petals, or throw biodegradable confetti like this from The Confetti Bar. Be sure to check with your venue first for their rules on using these and also give your wedding photographer a heads up just to give them a chance to plan ahead for the best angle.

We hope that these suggestions help to make your wedding ceremony joyful for both of you, your guests, and your photographer/videographer team. The most important thing though is that you are marrying the person that you love. Everything else is just icing on the wedding cake!