Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/430877
Cascades Casino.indd 1 14-03-26 4:40 PM realweddings.ca 21 friends and family. "We do an in-depth look at who they are individually and as a couple, and what they're known for," he says. "And we have to do some serious digging to get to know them, sometimes in a very short space of time." e agenda for the weddings he officiates always comes from the couple, says Miller. "Often religious officiants have an agenda for the wedding and insist the couple fall under their agenda. We believe the ceremony is not a platform for me to talk about my religious beliefs. It's about what our couples believe, and most of them want something soulful and spiritual, but something that doesn't necessarily adhere to any religious doctrine." Guests at the weddings Davidson officiates have told her they really get to know the couple through the ceremony, learning things about them they never knew. at could be a result of the amount of time and thought she invests in each ceremony. "It takes me at least 10 hours to write a ceremony and after that I work through a few drafts with the couple, giving them options about the rituals I've created for them. It's an evolution," she says. ose rituals are totally unique. For one upcoming wedding Davidson created a wine box ritual. "e couple has chosen a box of wine that will age well, and they've written letters to each other that will be sealed and placed in the box with the wine. e box is intended for a fifth anniversary, or for opening if they run into troubled waters in their marriage before that time. If they do, they can open the box, read the letters they wrote each other and reflect on what's drawn them together and if they have the glue to keep going." Whatever rituals or vows you choose for your own ceremony, be sure to give them plenty of thought. Your wedding cake and your flowers may disappear in one day — but your heartfelt ceremony will stay with you both for a lifetime. rw