YOUR CEREMONY
Personalising Your Ceremony
Here ’ s How You Can Make Your Vows And Ceremony Personal To You
Photography by Petrina
A
civil marriage ceremony in an approved premises can be as traditional , grand , or as simple as you wish .
But , what many couples don ’ t realise is that you can personalise your Kentish ceremony to reflect who you are as a couple . You can include things that are special or sentimental to you , from funny poems to heartfelt readings , you can say ‘ I do ’ with a twist that ’ s unique to you .
When you book your civil ceremony with the Kent Registration Service , you will be issued with the ‘ A Kentish Ceremony Choices ’ booklet , allowing you to make selections for each part of the ceremony .
There are legal vows and declarations that must be included , but you can personalise the ceremony by writing your own promises to each other , as long as they are non-religious . The selected wording is then printed out in an order of ceremony and agreed before the big day .
Legally , you need two witnesses to sign the schedule with you , which can be a nice way of involving friends and family . You can also include other special people by asking them to read poetry or prose .
You can also have music for the ceremony and during the signing of the schedule . This may be recorded or performed by live musicians , but poetry , prose and music must not have religious content .
A Vow by Wendy Cope
I cannot promise never to be angry ; I cannot promise always to be kind . You know what you are taking on , my darling – It ’ s only at the start that love is blind . And yet I ’ m still the one you want to be with And you ’ re the one for me – of that I ’ m sure . You are my closest friend , my favourite person , The lover and the home I ’ ve waited for . I cannot promise that I will deserve you From this day on . I hope to pass that test . I love you and I want to make you happy . I promise I will do my very best .
22 | AKENTISHCEREMONY . COM | WINTER 2024