Okay so you know who you want to stand by your side for your ceremony and have locked down the celebrant of your choice but the question still remains… Where should they stand?
You would be excused for thinking that this sounds like a straight forward question with a straight forward answer but alas things in life are never quite that simple are they.
So, I am going to break it down for you, there are two main options available to you. They are... The celebrant standing in the center with the couple getting married or the celebrant standing to the side (and then to complicate things further there are then a few variations of this as well, but I will talk you through those another time).
I let all my couples know that my preferred position is to stand to the side, just past the last groomsmen or bridesmaid (so that you are not squinting into the sun). The reasons being that it gives you two entirely different looks in your wedding photos. What I mean by this is that for the introduction and the story component I will not be a head hovering between you, killing the vibes and clashing with your colour scheme (but I never do…). This position also allows you to look outwards towards your family and friends so that you can see your mum tear up or your friends in the back cracking up at the funny bits. You truly get to share the experience with everyone you love and adore. Your photographer is also able to get some drop dead gorgeous photos with just the two of you or the two of you plus your dreamy wedding party… And they will be absolutely stunning!
The secondly reason I like to stand to the side is because it provides a strong visual representation that your wedding is not about me. Yes I am there to do the best job possible. Don’t be mistaken I will absolutely deliver a killer ceremony that is engaging, that has your guests feeling the feels, laughing the laughs and hopefully learning something new but make no mistake about it, we are all there to celebrate your love and your marriage. Not stroke my ego.
Having said all of that it is not like I stay up the end the whole time. When we are a little over halfway through the ceremony and have arrived at that time to indeed do what we have come together to do... Get you married... I come and join you; you turn in and face each other, we forget that everybody else is there and the two of you share some truly incredible moments in time. I call it the ‘bubble of love’, for a reason! But I then get the heck out of there, announce you as married and you get to kiss for the very first time all over again!
But I should also let you know while standing to the side might be my personal (and professional) preference it is not the only option. The other is that we form the ‘bubble of love’ for the whole ceremony. Meaning that your celebrant stands in the middle, with the two of you lovingly looking at one another for the entire ceremony. This is a great option for super anxious couples, I even had one bride turn to her guests after doing her vows and say “Oh you are all still here”, it works that well! This position allows everyone and everything else to fade away and to just focus on one another. There is no doubt in my mind that there is a time and a place for the ‘bubble of love’ and if this is your vision, I will happily contribute to creating that sacred space alongside you.
Like with all things in life, there are about a billion ways to do things. There is definitely no right or wrong, it all comes down to personal preference. But my final piece of advice is that before you book a celebrant, you might like to have a chat with them about their preferred standing position as well as let them know what is going to work best for you. My couples can expect me to raise the topic from the very first meeting, because I care about your wedding photos as much as you do.
But I think the proof is in the photos…
Your celebrant,
Mel x
Photo Credit: Stories With Mel