Ceremonies Can Be Fun!
Who says a wedding ceremony has to be stuffy or boring? I’ve had the pleasure of performing some refreshing, creative, and really fun weddings. I recently officiated for Mike and Susan, one of those couples who are so obviously in love, it is a joy just to be in their presence. They behave as if they have each found their soulmates. When we met in my office for their consultation, they shared that they constantly finish one another’s sentences, and have so many things in common—including a love for oysters. When we were planning the elements of their ceremony, they asked could we somehow incorporate oysters?
I thought of modifying a ceremony segment I’ve used called the Sharing of Bread-and-Wine. The officiant pours a goblet of wine and hands it to the groom, saying, “May you drink from the cup of love.” The groom offers the bride a sip and she returns the favor. Then the officiant hands them a plate of bread, saying, “May you eat from the bread of life,” and they feed each other a bite of bread.
At Susan and Mike’s wedding, the couple had me introduce this segment by reading a quote by Ernest Hemingway from, A Moveable Feast:
“As I ate the oysters with their strong taste of the sea and their faint metallic taste that the cold white wine washed away, leaving only the sea taste and the succulent texture, and as I drank their cold liquid from each shell and washed it down with the crisp taste of the wine, I lost the empty feeling and began to be happy and to make plans.”
Then we did a wine-and-bread ceremony, only substituting oysters for bread. When I handed over the plate, I said, “May the world be your oyster!” The bride and groom then fed each other an oyster on the half-shell. Some sour faces among the guests showed that not everyone shared the couple’s culinary taste, though everyone laughed and clearly enjoyed the moment. After all, the joining of two soulmates is a thing of wonder to witness. I wish Mike and Susan a lifetime of happiness. May the world truly be their oyster!
Blessings,
Rev. Leah Light
www.weddedyourway.com
Tags:creative minister officiant wedding ceremony wine and bread
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