By Jenni Harrison of Legal Celebrant Ireland
Since I began my journey as a celebrant in 2018, I’ve seen ceremonies blossom into something far freer and more soulful than ever before – less bound by tradition, and more guided by the heart.
As non-traditional weddings continue to rise however, many couples feel a growing pressure to keep things fresh by adding something unique. This often leads to elaborate gestures which can feel gimmicky. Sometimes, simplicity leaves a more lasting impression.
Recently, I’ve introduced a couple of new rituals:
1. The Circle Ceremony, a fresh take on entering the ceremony space.
2. The Stone Wishes Ritual, a meaningful alternative to the unity candle.
3. The Seven Wishes, a way to introduce short readings and include lots of people in the ceremony.
The Circle Ceremony offers a modern twist to the traditional walk down the aisle. Instead of the bride walking alone or with her Dad to meet her groom, many couples are choosing to enter together. Once at the top of the aisle, they circle each other three times before completing a final circle together, symbolizing mutual protection and unity. The seven circles symbolize the journey of new beginnings, marking the start of a shared life together. This ritual, performed at the ceremony’s start, creates space for the couple to take each other in, to breathe, to calm the nerves and to feel the moment as the musicians finish up the
entrance songs.
With the Stone Wishes Ceremony, a parent or chosen representative of the bride and groom holds a stone in their hand throughout the ceremony. They then share brief heartfelt words about their wishes for the couple. This is all prewritten and planned of course and is very different to the speeches later on in the day! For example the bride’s mum may recall key moments in her daughter’s life—birth, first day of school, exam results, college, first job, and meeting her partner—expressing her hope that he would now share in the love, pride, and even the fears she had felt. The groom’s mum would echo similar sentiments, speaking about the couple being a rock for each other. They then pass the stones to their children, who place them in a special container which is then locked, symbolically protecting the wishes inside. It is deeply moving and a tangible symbol of love, hope and unity.
For the Seven Wishes, the couple remain seated as seven friends or family members take turns reading short wishes, prayers, or even a funny one-liner. It’s a beautiful way to honour different traditions – perhaps a family member reads something with a spiritual touch, while the next might lighten the mood with a humorous quip like, ‘May your love be as endless as the laundry pile you’ll soon share!’; I love the gentle inclusivity that flourishes in the special moments that the couple and I come up with. By simply chatting with a couple, an idea will often spring to mind and together we then make something different from it. After all, each couple is different and your ceremony should reflect that. Whether you want to weave in a thread of faith or choose to have none at all, the ceremony should still holds space for you, your family your friends. This is what makes it unique and memorable for all.
