Great wedding ceremonies join the bride and groom visually, not just verbally, and imagery will always be more effective than wording in a wedding ceremony. For these reasons the use of a unity candle, or wine sharing, or the symbolic use of crystals (sand) followed by the presentation of roses to female VIPs, are indispensable to a great ceremony. They also make for exceptional photo op's to develop your wedding photo album.

As a unity candle is to traditional wedding ceremonies, so wine sharing is to the modern. In mid-ceremony, after the exchanges of vows and rings, I will ask your bridal party to step away. It is essential that you both are the only ones 'on stage' at this time. Standing before your pedestal which holds two flutes and a decanter, the groom will pour for his lady and himself. They talk,.. and then they talk some more.

They don't drink- not yet. It is very important that a bride and groom put 15 to 20 seconds on the clock before taking a sip. That's because a poised bride and groom takes their time, whereas a nervous couple will quickly perform their actions and thereby ruin the effect. This is one of the many reasons I rehearse my couples to the extent that I do.

My average rehearsal session is two and half times as long as the ceremony itself. You're going to become a lead actor and actress, and your performance, glasses in hand, cool, calm and collected, is going to rival anything on the soaps. That's what I teach, this is why I teach it, and you can see the evidence of it- in the photo above (and the photo below), as well as throughout this website.

Wine sharing is cutting edge; neither your grandparents or parents used this option. If it is not a perfect fit, feel free to modify it, just like you can modify any wedding ceremony option I offer. Click here and see how John and Barb modified their "Wine Sharing."