1. The Needs Of Your Audience Come First. Every one of your invited guests has a need and a right, to see you, to hear you, and to be entertained by what you have invited them to. If your wedding ceremony is not enjoyed by everyone present- you fail. Also, it is not enough to simply recreate for your guests every wedding ceremony they've already seen a dozen times. The typical wedding ceremony - which has the couple's backs turned to their guests, and which is virtually inaudible to all except those in the first row, uses predictable music etc.- is so numbing that 10% to 40% of those invited will skip it and attend the reception. we'll show you how to change all of this by using a ceremony format that's fun to watch and listen to, as well as emotionally evocative. The success of your wedding ceremony lies in engaging your guests; everything else is secondary to this.

2. Feelings Make Weddings. The ceremony must evoke feelings in your guests for feelings are what move us - not mere words. Intellectually based ceremonies, where love is explained or where the minister bases his ceremony on telling anecdotal stories about the couple make for marginal affairs indeed. One month after your wedding day, very few people will be able to tell you what was said during your ceremony- that's human nature. But ten years from now they will still be able to tell you how they felt at your wedding ceremony. The success of your wedding ceremony will therefore be measured in smiles and tears. Don't let it be measured in yawns.

3. Poise Makes A Bride And Groom. Even though we have 90% of the speaking role in your ceremony, you and your bridal party are going to do a lot more talking than we are. And you're going to do it by the way you conduct yourselves. Despite our beautiful presentation of your ceremony, your guests will be intently studying you, not us. And therein, lies an immense opportunity for the both of you. By conducting yourselves in a focused, calm, at times lightly affectionate manner, and by taking your time when interacting with loved ones during your ceremony, your poised performance will bring rave reviews. Don't worry, you may not know how to give such a performance right now but our thorough rehearsal session with you, typically between 45 -60 minutes in length, will have you well prepared and confident for a stellar performance.

4. Your Ceremony Must Use Effective Visuals. In every wedding ceremony - the eyes have it. In other words, what your your guests see will far outweigh what they hear. It follows then that 'story telling', as when an officiant attempts to explain the meaning of love, or give the history of your relationship, will fall far short as a means of conveying what the day truly means to you. Learning is work. Do you believe your guests would rather read the book or watch the movie? In wedding planning, we make extensive use of visuals. A visual might be the lighting of a unity candle; the use of readers; the giving of a long stem flower to your mothers and grandmothers; the lighting of a candle before the picture of a deceased loved one; wine sharing by the bride and groom; or a great finale involving your guests in a balloon release as you walk down the aisle between them. Your ceremony must be strong in it's visual appeal. You'll not only delight your guests, but your wedding video and photo album will be rich in imagery as well as exceptional.

5. Your Ceremony Must Use Effective Subliminal Messaging . A subliminal message is a communication that takes place without the use of words - and your wedding ceremony, regardless of who performs it, will be full of these silent, implied messages. In a common wedding ceremony, many of the subliminals are good and unfortunately just as many are bad - which means half are working against you. Understanding subliminal messaging is so important to the success of your wedding. We help you ensure that it works for you.