Q&A's: Ceremonies
Bouquets after the ceremony
Q: What are my bridesmaids and I supposed to do with our bouquets after the ceremony?
A: Resist the urge to put your flowers down immediately after the wedding-party photos are taken. Instead, let your photographer snap a few candids while you and your party are holding your bouquets and mingling the flowers will make the pictures look bright and bridal. Then, when it's time for dinner, they can either be placed along the head table as decoration, or put somewhere out of the way.
Any old church
Q: I've seen the most gorgeous church ever. Am I entitled to get married in any church I like the look of?
A: The law concerning which churches you can and can't get married in is rather complex, but basically it boils down to the fact that you must get married in your parish church, unless you have a very good reason for getting married elsewhere. In this instance, you could apply for a 'special license', which will only be granted in exceptional circumstances.
The other way of approaching this is to attend the church of your choice regularly for 6 months prior to your wedding. If you let the vicar know this is your intention and you attend services 'regularly' (i.e. two or three times a month) then you'll be entered on the electoral roll and will be entitled to wed there.
Friday nuptials
Q: Every venue we want is booked up for the two months we're considering tying the knot and we don't want to go anywhere else! Is it OK to consider a Friday wedding?
A: Why not? Weekday weddings are a great way to get the venue you want and can work out cheaper too. However, you should bear in mind that although you may not have any problems getting the caterers, photographer, cars etc on the Friday, getting your guests to attend may be more difficult. Assuming that most of your friends/relatives have 'normal' jobs, sneaking away for a Friday wedding could be tricky, and people are often loath to part with precious holiday days. However, if you give guests enough advance warming, these problems can be ironed out. You could even make it an evening wedding, so that your guests only need take the afternoon off if they have far to travel.
Wedding abroad
Q: We have decided to 'opt out' of the traditional white wedding for various reasons, including family pressure to have a ceremony that we're not sure we want. How should we approach the question of who to invite to Mauritius?
A: You could go, just the two of you, and invite no one. This is the easiest way of proceeding: you're not deliberately excluding anyone in particular; you've just decided to go it alone.
Order of service sheets
Q: Who's job is it to put out the order of service?
A: It is traditional for the best man to collect the order of service from the bride's mother the night before the wedding. It is then his duty to make sure they are taken to the church and given to the ushers to distribute to the congregation
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