One of the shakiest moments in many ceremonies is the slipping on of the rings after reciting the ring vows. Last Saturday evening I rehearsed a couple in exchanging their rings and they were prepared to make sure that neither would be shy about pushing the ring on.
When it came time during the actual ceremony, the groom was fine. The bride, however, who at the rehearsal seemed relaxed and focused, pushed the ring on her new husband's "right" hand. No wonder it took so long. This is not the first time I've seen this, so I've decided to instruct the opposite partner to OFFER the left hand so that there is no confusion.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Expect the Unexpected
Other than having a rain plan, expecting the unexpected is never a bad idea. What that means is going with the flow and allowing yourself to be OK, no matter what. Nothing can spoil a wedding, short of an absent bride or groom.
I recently performed a ceremony in one of the poshest hotel ballrooms in Boston. There were three hundred guests and this was a fairly long, concelebrated ceremony: first the couple took their "Western" vows and then their Hindu vows.
The Hindu ceremony was lavish and festive. The couple, the Pandit and both sets of parents sat in the Mandap ( a Hindu version of the Jewish huppah). They were sitting in a closed circle within the stunning Mandap for most of the rituals, but the Pandit (officiant) wore a lapel mic so we could hear the translation of both Sanskrit and English.
Halfway into the 40 minutes, we could hear some kind of rock music permeate the ballroom. It sounded muzak- like and one of the bridesmaids sitting in the front row sweetly tiptoed to the back of the ballrom to check this out and get it turned off. She returned within three minutes ( a long time actually) but the music didn't stop. All told, it took nearly ten minutes before the strange sounds subsided and disappeared. I found out later that it was some kind of odd frequency that was unexplainedly picked up and piped up from the hotel lobby.
The bride and groom were not happy with this, nor was the Pandit, but all kept their composure. The whole ceremony was a daring and beautiful gesture to honor both parties in this marriage. No one could have planned against this happening. So just remember, take a deep breath and it will all be fine. We all live moment to moment and fighting any moment, other than taking normal and appropriate precautions, just adds fuel to the fire.
I recently performed a ceremony in one of the poshest hotel ballrooms in Boston. There were three hundred guests and this was a fairly long, concelebrated ceremony: first the couple took their "Western" vows and then their Hindu vows.
The Hindu ceremony was lavish and festive. The couple, the Pandit and both sets of parents sat in the Mandap ( a Hindu version of the Jewish huppah). They were sitting in a closed circle within the stunning Mandap for most of the rituals, but the Pandit (officiant) wore a lapel mic so we could hear the translation of both Sanskrit and English.
Halfway into the 40 minutes, we could hear some kind of rock music permeate the ballroom. It sounded muzak- like and one of the bridesmaids sitting in the front row sweetly tiptoed to the back of the ballrom to check this out and get it turned off. She returned within three minutes ( a long time actually) but the music didn't stop. All told, it took nearly ten minutes before the strange sounds subsided and disappeared. I found out later that it was some kind of odd frequency that was unexplainedly picked up and piped up from the hotel lobby.
The bride and groom were not happy with this, nor was the Pandit, but all kept their composure. The whole ceremony was a daring and beautiful gesture to honor both parties in this marriage. No one could have planned against this happening. So just remember, take a deep breath and it will all be fine. We all live moment to moment and fighting any moment, other than taking normal and appropriate precautions, just adds fuel to the fire.
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