Many couples come with a ready made family. When you want to include family in your ceremony, Northern Michigan Wedding Officiants have touching, fun and meaningful ways to include family in your wedding ceremony.

Wedding ceremonies can be very reverent events. Including children in the ceremony adds a sense of wonder and eagerness. Favorite pets as ring bearers can bring laughter and a connection with nature.

Parents can be included by presenting special flowers or jewelry. You can include family in wedding ceremony by speaking vows to them, or offering a meaningful gift. Following are excerpts from several ways to include family in your ceremony.

A number of options exist to include children, guardians, parents or animals in your ceremony.

Family Sand Ceremony

Bride and Groom, will you now step up to the altar and hold close to your heart the container of sand representing the essence of all that you are and all that you bring to this union.

As you do so, embody the grains with all your hopes and dreams for the future. Bring to mind the strength of your promises, the honesty and integrity with which you make them, and all the particles of personality that make you unique and wonderful in one another’s eyes.

(Bride and Groom come to behind the altar and each take their own container of sand in hand.)

Within a marriage each person is both their own and each others. Two individuals choosing to create a new life with endless possibilities and new dreams that are theirs together.

Will you now pour the sand that is to represent the foundation of your love which is to support and nurture, your marriage and your family?

(Couples Name intermingle half of their sand)

Child, will you join us please?

(The couple’s child joins them behind the altar)

More is available from the packet of wedding selections you will receive when you engage Northern Michigan Wedding Officiants to conduct your ceremony.

New Sibling Vows

“Siblings”, you have always been the most important part of your dad and mom‘s life, and they are so proud of you all/both. Today they are making a promise to one another. It is a promise that what ever may happen, good or bad, that they will always be there for one another.

This promise is also a promise to you. You are already a family. They love you with all their hearts, and no matter how big you get or where life takes you, they want you to know that that‘s forever.

Minister: I‘m going to ask you a very important question now…..

Child, do you take child to be your brother/sister?

Child: “Yes.” Child, do you take child to be your brother/sister?

Child: “Yes.” “From today on you are officially brothers/sisters.

Minister:  May you grow together, play together, share your mom and dad freely with one another, and know that God bless your family always.

The Family Hand Ceremony

This popular ceremony can be expanded to include children. This is one of the most touching family wedding ceremony ideas.

Here are a nice variety of vows you can share with your child or children during the ceremony. They are all non-religious.