There are some alternative, traditional and unique optional ceremony elements you can consider including in your secular wedding. Thanks to many of the couples I have worked with in the past, the suggestions here have successfully been incorporated into weddings, and could work for you, too. The exact wording can be changed, as with all of my sample text. Click the headings to read more.

Unplugged Statement – Before we begin, please be sure to turn off or silence your devices. The couple has requested me to ask that you put away your phones and cameras for the duration of the ceremony. Thank you for your understanding.

Breaking Glass – In a minute, you will see NAME break a glass. This tradition comes at the end of a wedding ceremony and reminds us that love, like glass, is fragile and must be protected. After the glass is broken we’ll all cheer “Mazel tov!”, which means “good fortune” and is the equivalent of “Congratulations!” May your marriage last as long as it would take to repair the glass!

Commitment as Parents & Blended Family – “You are committing yourselves to being parents, together, to both of your children.”

Family Support – “The union of … brings together two separate people, but it also brings together their families, friends and loved ones.”

Hand Fasting & Hand Blessing – “Today you are holding the hands of your best friend.”

Love Letter Time Capsule – “The letters tell of the qualities you have found and appreciate in each other, and your reasons for choosing to marry.”

Sand Ceremony – “As you pour your layers of sand together, never again can they truly be separated.”

Tree Planting Ceremony – “Let your marriage be like this tree. Nurture it with love, and let it grow.”

Unity Candle – “There is a Navajo Wedding reading that says: “Now you have lit a fire and that fire should not go out.”

Wine Ceremonies & Time Capsule – “Wine has been a part of civilized life for some seven thousand years,” said famed winemaker Robert Mondavi.”