Many couples want a spiritual but not a religious ceremony that truly celebrates their unique set of beliefs, values and life circumstances. They want their ceremony, their way but don't know where to begin or what questions they need to ask. The Wedding Ceremony Planner is a comprehensive and user-friendly guide. It covers everything you need to know to create a beautiful ceremony text and to anticipate and address all the profound and mundane logistics with ease, grace and fun. It includes hundreds of text excerpts reflecting the many voices with which our hearts speak. There are also ten sample ceremony texts for the inclusion of children, the telling of the couple's story, the renewal of vows and a commitment ceremony. Checklists and worksheets are included to manage all the details. The Wedding Ceremony Planner is also an invaluable resource for clergy of all faiths, wedding planners and location coordinators. Sprinkled with anecdotes about lessons learned by couples creating their weddings, this book is filled with the wisdom of experience Praise for The Wedding Ceremony Planner "Weddings are sacred acts surrounded by material hoopla. The Wedding Ceremony Planner clarifies the worldly issues but keeps the spirit central. It's the balance that every couple needs." -Marianne Williamson, author, The Gift of Change "With countless samples of ceremony segments and worksheets toput them all together, The Wedding Ceremony Planner affirms what we all hope for: to communicate our love in a clear, heartfelt manner that truly reflects who we are." -Jack Canfield, co-author, Chicken Soup for the Bride's Soul? "In this time of increasing exchange and friendship between people of many cultures ... what the world needs is an intelligent and compassionate 'how to' book on performing interfaith ceremonies. This book is an excellent example." -The Very Reverend James Parks Morton Founder and President of the Interfaith Center of New York "[This book] was [wonderful] in helping us create our wedding ceremony. Not only was it easy to follow, but it made us think of things we never would have thought of on our own ... Going through the book also brought us closer ... it is the one thing we have sat down and done 100% together." -Jennifer Buehler and Frank Yanoti Jr., Bride and Groom "Planning the wedding ceremony in itself can be a process of discovery for a couple entering marriage ... this marvelous book ... help[s] couples design a ceremony that truly and personally characterizes the meaning and uniqueness of each union." -Pril Smiley, Mohonk Mountain House "This book will aid and guide the couple in the creation of their unique wedding ceremony that appropriately states their personal beliefs. How refreshing, how important, how appropriate to help make the wedding yours." -Alexandra Stoddard, author of Choosing Happiness
Erased any jitters I had and replaced them with the perfect plan
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 17 years ago
I was a first time officiant about to perform the wedding of two dear friends. I was nervous. Who did I think I was to perform a wedding? I knew I had the credentials, but did I have what it takes? Under the tutelage of this phenomenal guidebook, I found that I did. Part One didn't have anything to do with my part of the wedding, but the information is invaluable. It sets the context for the ceremony. Who is involved, where the wedding is, what intention do the bride and groom have for there special day, what is the tone they want to create... that sort of thing. Part Two was all about the ceremony, in other words - my stuff. In these pages, Judith Johnson laid it all out succinctly while at the same time gave me many ideas. I got a blueprint and a variety of ways to bring that blueprint to life. Reading this section really boosted my confidence. Part Three included the nitty gritty of weaving all of this together. It gave samples and suggestions, fleshing out some of Part Two and offering the expertise of Johnson's many years of experience. I know this is a reference book I will refer to over and over and over again. I will recommend it to both officiants and couples alike.
The most helpful book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I just performed my first wedding ceremony and found this to be the most helpful book of all I consulted. In addition to all that the other reviewers have noted, I found the section on doing the rehearsal invaluable. It had many tips that I never would have thought of (and I'm a very organized person who has put together all kinds of events); as a result the rehearsal went very smoothly, which in turn led to a ceremony in which all the participants were clear and able to be emotionally present. Thank you Judith!
Perfect Guide for Planning Your Ceremony
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 18 years ago
I used this book to customize every aspect of my recent wedding (one month ago today), from the opening prayer & gathering words to the final blessing & pronouncement. There are several passages of each "section" of the ceremony for you to choose from, as well as suggestions on personalizing each section. The sample ceremonies will give you a great place to start if you know you want to personalize your ceremony but aren't sure where to start. The book isn't just geared towards those looking for religious ceremonies: there's a perfect balance of ceremony passages for those looking for religious words as well as passages for non-traditional unions (ex: same-sex ceremonies, second marriages, marriages with children from previous relationships, etc). The helpful hints, practical advice, and checklists throughout the book made this an indispensable resource. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Our wedding ceremony was so beautiful and personal that every guest told me afterwards how much they'd enjoyed it & that our wedding was the best they'd attended; even our ecumenical minister was impressed and teared up while performing the ceremony. In summary, this is a wonderful book.
Got our non-religious ceremony off the ground!
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
Rev. Johnson's Wedding Ceremony Planner was a lifesaver for my husband and I when planning our wedding. Neither of us are religious, but we still wanted to have a meaningful ceremony to initiate our marriage. When we sat down to write the ceremony, however, we were lost at sea! Rev. Johnson's guide navigated us to the creation of a beautiful, personal ceremony. We even incororated many parts of the sample ceremonies into our own. My brother and his fiance are now in the process of planning their own wedding, and I just bought them a copy of The Wedding Ceremony Planner to help them along.
The Wedding Ceremony Planner: An Essential Resource
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 19 years ago
This book is surely a "must have" for anyone planning a wedding, including those who believe they know exactly what they are doing. Rev. Johnson's book clearly elucidates all of the subtleties of planning a successful wedding. She provides excellent anecdotal support to deeply insightful direction which evidences years of experience in conducting wedding ceremonies of all kinds. She offers guidance for both traditional and original style weddings, and excellent comparisons of the merits of each. She also offers many excellent examples of the exact language used for each part of the ceremony, and many example prayers, which makes planning a non-traditional service a less daunting exercise. Most importantly, this book provides an excellent center of focus from which a couple can improvise and customize their own perfect wedding.
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