When planning your Wedding, you may wish to think about including a traditional, cultural element in your ceremony.  Remember, this is your ceremony!  Just because you have made the choice not to be limited to a church wedding does not mean you can’t include religious or other elements.

For example, I recently attended a wedding where the bride was of the Jewish faith.  She included in her ceremony the tradition of walking around her groom seven times before the start.  It was lovely.  At the end of the ceremony, the groom smashed the glass with his foot, and everyone shouted: Mazel Tov!  A fun moment!

I have conducted a ceremony which included a sofreh table, a Persian tradition, featuring all the traditional elements:

There was my Malaysian bride, who organised a bunga telur, a Malay tradition.  The eggs symbolise a fertile union between the couple and guests are asked to take one at the end of the ceremony:

Sometimes, the simple inclusion of a cross or rosary on the signing table can be enough for couples to include that element of religion.  Or the reading of a passage from the Bible.

For those drawn to Buddhism, the inclusion of a Buddha statue or the hypnotic, healing sound of a Tibetan singing bowl adds meaningful and interesting elements to the ceremony.

So don’t allow yourself to be limited.  You may include in your ceremony anything that you ever dreamed of having.  It is all up to you!  Your choice.