Planning a Personal Wedding Ceremony with Galway Celebrant Maeve Bryan

Many couples are choosing to step away from traditional church weddings and exchange vows in a way that feels natural and authentic to them.

For those new to non-traditional weddings, planning a celebration that feels both modern and meaningful can be daunting. Here, Galway celebrant Maeve Bryan shares her top tips on planning a bespoke ceremony.

Planning a non-church wedding can be daunting. What are your top tips for crafting a bespoke ceremony?

Each ceremony is like a wave. It gathers momentum through rituals, music and readings and peaks at the moment of union. There is both a natural flow, as well as a structure that arises from the legal elements of the ceremony.

I usually suggest couples first decide what rituals speak to them; unity candles, handfasting, ring-warming, sand rituals, or something completely different. A ceremony can be built around these symbolic moments and made even more personal through music and reading choices. 

Any advice for bringing guests on board and letting them know what to expect? 

People are more used to attending non-traditional wedding ceremonies nowadays. It also helps guests to know that non church weddings are quite a bit shorter – usually about 30 minutes. Sometimes couples worry this will feel short, but in reality the ceremony is so filled with love and personal significance that it feels just right. 

How can wedding vows be reinterpreted when planning a custom ceremony? 

I usually present three options to couples:

There’s the ‘I do’, where the vow is presented as a question – ideal for couples nervous about speaking in front of a big crowd or who are feeling the emotion of the day. Two little words – “I do” – are all that’s needed.

Then there’s the “repeat after me” option, where I say the vow separated into short increments and the couple repeat it. This is a good option for a couple who want to say some very specific words but are a little nervous about remembering their lines!

Finally, we have the personal vows, where the couple read or say their own vows, created by themselves for their partner. This is a lovely option for including a lot more content into the vows, and taking the chance to say all the things you may not get to say in everyday life.

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