Pocono Wedding Talk is written by Lois Heckman (www.LoisHeckman.com) a certified Celebrant who officiates at weddings, funerals, and other ceremonies in the ... - Read more

Performing wedding ceremonies and vow renewals at Grace Chapel of the Poconos in Stroudsburg, as well as other locations. - Read more

More on stress and weddings….

Continuing on the topic from my last blog… there are many stressful issues that come up when planning a wedding. Sometimes couples want a simple or small wedding, but get swept along in the swell of enthusiasm or the desires of their parents. It can start to feel out of control. If this is the [...]

Stress free wedding planning

This is the time of year that I begin hearing from a lot of newly engaged couples. Many indicate that the process seems daunting.

Talk if over before taking the plunge.

Planning a wedding is one of the most emotional, and hence potentially stressful, events in life. The key to having a successful wedding is to be true to yourselves, and have clear boundaries. If you know who you are and what you want, and communicate clearly and kindly with others involved in the planning, it will help immensely.

Wedding planning takes organization.

INVESTMENT: Almost no one has unlimited resources, but even if money is not an issue, there is an emotional investment that is made as well. The budget is just an obvious example of knowing your limits; there need to be parameters when making all of the innumerable decisions that come with wedding planning.

CONFLICT: You will likely come into some conflict from time to time with your fiancé, family, friends, and vendors. The old sayings: ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ comes to mind right now. Remember that a wedding is not about impressing other people, but making a commitment to a lifetime together. You are planning a celebration, but you are also planning for your future. When you show the depth of your commitment and reveal your true selves, you are sure to make the right impression. Take some time before launching into the plans to discuss your ideas, values and goals for the wedding celebration and get on the same page before contacting vendors.

Conflict can happen.

There is much more I could add, but I’ll save it for another blog!

Engaged? What’s next?

Many people become engaged over the holiday season. It’s a festive time to ‘pop the question.’  Wedding plans can be made sooner or later. If you are anxious to get started planning your special day, but all means do so. But it’s also absolutely fine to wait and just enjoy being engaged without taking on [...]

12 Ideas for 2012

Planning a wedding this year? Here are 12 tips for 2012. I hope that even just one of these ideas will help you have a more wonderful wedding. 1. Have your ceremony and reception at the same location. 2. Have an outstanding backup plan for outdoor weddings, in case of rain. 3. Make your wedding [...]

2011 Wedding Highlights

It’s difficult to choose, because I think all of the weddings I officiate are wonderful, but I’m going to attempt to highlight some of my most interesting and memorable ceremonies from 2011. Early in the year I officiated at two lovely historic locations a bit out of my normal area – the French Manor and [...]

Wedding Trends for the Coming Year

I’m so happy to read, here or there, that wedding trends are shifting towards more socially responsible and understated weddings. In keeping with that, the concept of ‘green weddings’ continues to gain traction. This means choosing locally grown flowers, recycled paper, or going paperless for invitations, and repurposing old items to become centerpieces has become [...]

Saying Your Wedding Vows

  When I’m meeting with couples, the topic of vows invariably comes up. Sometimes I’m asked, ‘do I have to memorize my vows?’ My answer is an unequivocal ‘no!’ I think that is an unrealistic expectation. There are two ways I advocate taking your vows. You may do the ‘repeat after me’ method, or you [...]

11.11.11

There are many reasons to pick a wedding date. Convenience, of course, for the couple and their guests. Time of year – if you love spring, summer, winter or fall, you may want to celebrate one of the most important days of your life during your favorite season. Spring flowers with a garden wedding, or winter by the fire with skiing, whatever sparks your passion will influence your choice.

A great date for a wedding!

And most folks do not like to pick major holidays as it can interfere with many of your guests’ preferred plans.

Some couples pick a date that has meaning for them personally. The anniversary of their first date, a birthday, or other meaningful day.

And then there’s the date itself. And so it was that I was officiating on 11/11/11 this morning. The couple took it even further and we started the ceremony at 11:11 am.

They also chose the beautiful Salt Covenant ritual for help seal their marriage commitment. Salt is important in the Bible and important in ancient culture. In fact in biblical times men carried a pouch of salt on their belts, and when two men wanted to make a covenant of loyalty, each would take some salt from his pouch and sprinkle it in the other man’s pouch. Then they stated the terms of their agreement and shook their salt pouches, mingling the grains of salt. Shaking the salt pouches reminded them that the covenant could not be broken, because it was no longer possible separate the grains of salt. Fantastic symbolism!

Pouring the salt together.

The Salt Covenant is a beautiful marriage ritual.

So to exchange salt for the wedding they were symbolizing that their bond would be as the grains of salt once they are poured together – impossible to separate. The ritual was also done to symbolizing their personal covenant and their covenant with God. A beautiful and holy act. It was quite wonderful.

Creating a Unique Wedding Program

One of the most frequently requested subjects – I post this again for all of you planning your weddings! If you have the time and inclination, a wedding program, or booklet, is a nice addition to your ceremony. It can serve multiple functions. It does not have to take up a lot of your time [...]

Night Time Ceremony

As evening fell, so did the temperature. I was worried, I admit it –but in the end it was fantastic. Timing your wedding ceremony and celebration is important. This weekend I officiated for a couple that wanted their ceremony around sunset. Even though the temperature dropped quite a bit, the event was warm and welcoming. [...]