Ummm, of course!!!
Ceremonies are beautiful, steeped in traditions, meaningful and full of love. And for this reason, some people think that they need to be serious states of affairs. Well what a load of crap.
Fun (noun) Light-hearted pleasure, enjoyment, or amusement; boisterous joviality or merrymaking; entertainment – Oxford dictionary
As Marriage Celebrant and lover of weddings my idea of a great wedding is fun, vibrant and full of personality from beginning to end. Deep, intense love and beauty are not polar opposites to a sense of vibrancy, happy, and fun. Gone are the days of boring traditions for tradition’s sake.
Walk down the aisle with your dad because you love him, not because he’s allowing you to fly the nest into the arms of another man.
Walk down the aisle to ‘Man, I Feel Like a Woman” in a pair of cowboy boots if you want. Have fun and do you!
Fun is "an absolutely primary category of life, familiar to everybody at a glance right down to the animal level."- John Huizinga
Your wedding ceremony is a big, life changing event. You sign legal documents. There’s a few things that you and I have to say in order for your marriage to be legalised. But your wedding ceremony is also a moment when your life is enriched with the beginning of a new chapter. When your family and friends reflect on the immense amounts fun & joy you bring to each others lives. It’s also nice that they leave feeling that they’ve been a part of something special.
The job of a Marriage Celebrant from the perspective of your guests is to prompt their curiosity so that they want to listen your story. When I’m writing your love story I think about the ups and downs I want to take you and your guests on. I embed in an element of surprise, I’m acutely aware that your wedding ceremony must be entertaining, amusing and interesting, even for those guests who lived right there by your side as your love has evolved. Fun is a social buffer against stress & helps people to relax and drink in the moment. If we are successful we will have your guests eating out of the palms of our hands, drinking in your love story and seeing you as if from your lovers perspective. In other words the age old ‘love is in the air’ is the underlying theme for any wedding ceremony.
Don’t leave all the good stuff for your reception
If you’re up for it – choose your witnesses out of a hat, let your celebrant get your guests involved by having them all pronounce you as a married couple or perhaps a cheeky envelop under the guests chairs with the all-important wedding rings in there for them to come up and present. The options are limitless. If you’re wondering ‘What if my friend doesn’t want to be involved?’ Well… We can take a leaf from the very talented Susan Messing who said ‘If you’re not having fun, you’re the arsehole!’
In a world where everyone seems constantly stressed, weddings are a day that although all-about-you, is a nice little moment to create an oasis of time and space where everyone feels involved and can let their hair down. A moment that the save-the-date on their fridge has had them excited for, for months.
The crux of a great ceremony is finding the balance. Recognising the importance of marriage, enjoying the experience and you guessed it… FUN is the key!
Any love story I’ve ever heard – and I’ve heard a few - all have a huge sense of fun to them! Fun is memorable. The study of positive psychology suggests that the emotion of fun allows us to appreciate the present. Live in the present and remember from fun comes love and BAM! A lifetime worth of experiences and laughs shared.
Your ceremony is your love story, masterfully strung together in a way you see fit. It may be whimsical, it may be light hearted or it may be deep and intense. Underlying everything, is the fun you have with one another and the love that has produced.
I take having fun very seriously. And so should you!
Carina is a Perth based Marriage Celebrant living in the beautiful Swan Valley. She focusses on fun relaxed, charismatic wedding ceremonies staying true to her naturally bubbly and vibrant personality. Get in touch with her via her blog or email.
0417 923 760
Perth, Western Australia
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