Wedding Officiant
SECULAR CEREMONY
"All love stories are beautiful, but yours must be unique"
Why choose to have a wedding ceremony?
There are many reasons why a couple may decide to have a wedding ceremony.
These are mostly based on personal or religious choices, but there are other reasons.
The couple wish to have a creative or non-traditional ceremony in keeping with their image.
One member of the couple is not religious or feels uncomfortable with a religious wedding, so would prefer a civil ceremony.
The two partners are of different faiths and choose a civil ceremony to remain neutral rather than choosing an interfaith ceremony.
The two partners are of different faiths and choose to celebrate their love in an inter-faith ceremony (bringing together the two religions).
The couple chooses a non-traditional wedding venue rather than a place of worship. Some clergy only perform wedding ceremonies in a place of worship, so a civil ceremony allows the couple to choose where they wish to make their vows.
What is a wedding ceremony?
The secular wedding ceremony or ceremony of commitment is a concept that comes from the United States.
This idea of a more personal ceremony took off at the end of the 1990s but didn’t really arrive in France until the 2000s.
Often inspired by American weddings the ceremony gives the couple an opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to themselves and to their loved ones.
For couples who choose to celebrate their marriage this way, the idea is to add intensity to this unique moment.
Note that a secular or religious wedding ceremony cannot replace a civil marriage, which is the only union recognised legally in France.
The advantage of a secular ceremony is that it offers the couple more freedom of choice. There are no codes imposed or rules to be observed.
Your imagination can run free.
However, to make sure your ceremony achieves the desired effect and reflects your relationship, you have to think carefully about your expectations and the effect you wish to achieve.
The key elements that make up an unforgettable and personalized secular wedding ceremony are:
- The location The obvious choice is outdoors, but there are also some great opportunities indoors (a room or a furnished space, in an estate, a castle, a restaurant or a cellar).
- The decoration : the image conjured up by American outdoor ceremony consists of a decorated arch, an aisle lined with flowers with chairs or benches on each side.
But the choice of decoration as well as the organisation of the proceedings of a secular ceremony is entirely up to the couple.
– Highlights : the traditional rituals (exchanging vows or wedding rings) as well as more original rituals to mark the union symbolize the bonds between the couple or the bonds with family and friends (the sand ritual, wine or cocktail ritual, the lovers’ library ritual etc.).
– Speakers : the secular ceremony gives your loved ones the opportunity to open their hearts. Parents, witnesses or friends are invited to contribute in music, in song, through speeches etc.
– Texts : all those words of love written by authors or thinkers from various times and / or styles.
Music : all musical styles are possible.
As I’m sure you’ve understood, this is THE highly emotional moment: full of laughter and tears.
Gwendoline, your officiant
Gwendoline has been passionate about writing, romance and marriage since she was a little girl.
It is logical then that she has used her romantic pen to the benefit of love.
She believes in love and the purity of feelings. She believes that the love that two people can have for each other can be strong enough to unite their lives into one with the promise of a happy future.
For her, each new story is like a new novel.
Which part does she prefer? Meeting the new lovers, getting to know them, listening to their stories, their anecdotes, forging links with them but also with their loved ones in order to be able to tell a story to do perfect justice to them.
The lightness, the freshness, the poetry, but also the spontaneity of the moment are the elements that make her texts a perfect love potion for the celebration of your union.
You will go from laughter to tears in a ceremony full of emotion.
A final point about your officiant, Gwendoline is chic, refined, but also spontaneous and full of the joys of life.
She never forgets that if you have chosen her and entrusted her with the celebration of one of the most important moments of your life, her role is to help you and your guests enjoy it utterly and intensément intensely
Key of Love : Ceremonial officiant
The first meeting with the officiant:
During your first meeting with Gwendoline, your officiant, she will explain all you need to know about the ceremony and will answer any questions you have so that you can really start to imagine your celebration.
This first meeting is free.
This allows us all to begin to get to know each other. It is essential for you to have a positive relationship with your officiant.
Remember that the person you choose will be the one who will talk about your love, who will celebrate the most important moment of your life.
Once you have decided that a ceremony is what you want, a second meeting will be set up to get to know you as individuals but also as a couple.
From then on, your story will begin to be written in a perfect reflection of your image for this magnificent moment which will join you together forever.
The service or ceremonial officiant includes:
- unlimited meetings
- presence of the officiant
- help writing each of your vows
- creating the proceedings of your ceremony,
- writing your ceremony,
- choosing and implementing the rituals
- making contact with your loved ones,
- making contact with service providers,
- a ceremony rehearsal,
- coordinating with your music provider
- delivery of a marriage certificate
Tarif cérémonie de mariage : 1300€TTC (hors frais de déplacements)
Lecterns and arches for your ceremony can also be provided as an additional service.
Some extra information:
Few wedding planners are also ceremonial officiants.
Our agency has the advantage of being able to coordinate both these roles.
Often the couple combines the coordination of D-Day and the ceremonial officiant service.
Being responsible for both the coordination and the celebration of your wedding means we can provide a complete follow-up of your special day.
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