A common question our couples have is “what happens at the Bel Amour Ceremony Workshop?” Let’s talk about the specifics and why a ceremony workshop is so important.

Step One: Book the Ceremony Workshop

Approximately 6 to 8 weeks before your wedding date I will send you a booking link. We can do the workshop over the phone, video, or in person.  Both partners getting married will need to be available for the workshop meeting. These meetings are scheduled for an hour and most of the time we are finished before our hour is up.

Step Two: The Worksheet

Once the workshop is booked you will be sent a worksheet so you can see what we will be talking about during your workshop. This worksheet contains all the questions that need to be answered before your wedding ceremony can be finalized. It has over 50 questions, so it is not expected that every question will be answered during the session.

The worksheet is broken into the categories listed below. We want to be sure that every detail is covered and finalized for your ceremony.

Worksheet Categories

1. General Information – Things like the venue, date, time, location, ideas you have, etc.

2. Vendor Information – The name and contact information for all vendors that may have an impact on the ceremony.

3. Wedding Party – The names of all wedding party members and which partner they represent. This includes anyone that has an active role in the ceremony, including readers, parents, grandparents, pets, etc.

4. Technical Logistics – This includes all technical needs including microphone needs for all speakers and plans for outdoor vs indoor ceremonies.

5. Processional Logistics – The order of the processional, who is walking down the aisle when, the handoff, bouquets placements, etc.

6. Ceremony Logistics – This covers the legal aspect of signing the marriage license, who has it, when will it be signed, along with any music in the ceremony.

7. Ceremony Elements – These questions go into depth on what parts of the ceremony will be included along with wording choices, any rituals you may want to include, any custom elements like readings or speeches from the wedding party, how vows will happen, who will have the rings if they are in the ceremony, the wording of the pronouncement, kiss, and first introduction.

8. Recessional – How all parties exit the ceremony, what order they recess, what music will be playing, where everyone goes after the ceremony, etc.

9. Other – This is a space for you to include anything you would like to talk about during the workshop that wasn’t covered in other sections.

The worksheet can seem overwhelming when you first look at it so we don’t expect you to have all of the answers going into the workshop meeting.

Step Three: The Meeting

We will spend our time going over your worksheet answers and building out the structure of your ceremony. We will talk about every aspect of your ceremony, and you will make wording decisions and logistical decisions for your wedding ceremony. It is perfectly fine if not every single decision is made by the end of your workshop. There should be plenty of time to finalize any outstanding details before the wedding.

Step Four: The Relationship Questionnaires

Couples that opt for the Love Story ceremony will be sent an online questionnaire about the relationship. The questionnaire asks things like:

• How you met

• First impressions

• Your first date

• The proposal

• What you love about each other

Please be as descriptive and detailed as possible. I use this information in my writing process to personalize the ceremony to represent your unique relationship and your love story.

I will also ask you for the email address of two or three family members or friends that have lovely things to say about your relationship.

Step Five: The Ceremony Draft

Within two weeks of your Ceremony Workshop, you will receive a link to your ceremony draft. Any outstanding decisions left or additional questions I have will be highlighted. This is your time to make any changes to the ceremony. If needed, we will schedule a follow-up meeting to finalize any outstanding decisions.

Step Six: The Final Ceremony

Once the draft ceremony is approved and all final decisions have been made, I will take the ceremony and add all of the technical cues to it. This version of the ceremony will be shared with any vendors that may need it, like your photographer, DJ, wedding planner or coordinator, etc. We will also use this version of the ceremony during the rehearsal.

There you have it, the Bel Amour Ceremony Workshop. This process produces all of the information we need to have a great wedding ceremony! We will always be available to answer any questions you have while working through the process.