Enactments: Unique, poignant, fun!
Wedding ceremonies go hand in hand with rituals and enactments. Rituals you would be very familiar with are walking down the aisle, the vows, the ring exchange and potentially walking out under a guard of honour. Enactments can happen before the wedding, during the processing, at the beginning, in the middle or end of the wedding and / or when processing out. There is a purpose behind each enactment. And the purpose of the enactment will dictate when and how it is used within the wedding ceremony. Purposes like the acknowledgement of love, the parents / grandparents, family, and togetherness. Some enactments cleanse or are used to heal or symbolically celebrate the uniting of the couple. Other enactments wish the couple love, prosperity, and good health. They have been born out of the human need to celebrate “transitions” that happen in our lives – like getting married. Enactments giving a wedding the punctuations marks through there structure. Which leave the bride, groom and guest laughing, crying, and poignantly engaged. Creating amazing memories and fabulous photos.
Humans have always had the desire to celebrate. We have always incorporated into our celebration’s art, music, poetry, and rituals. So, it isn’t surprising that there are over 80 enactments that can be used before, during and at the closing of a wedding ceremony. Some may be very familiar to you like the following unity enactments: Handfasting [tie the knot], the sand ceremony, unity candles.
Enactments are many and varied. If used correctly they add depth and poignant meaning while supporting the purpose of the wedding ceremony.
At the beginning of the ceremony …
Rather than an arch, have an Chuppah [Jewish] which has four wooden corners and a roof that is swathed in material. The frame symbolises the “home and family the B&G will build together”. It also implies a union with your community. Typically, four family members stand by each peg of the chuppah, to express their lifelong support of, and participation in the marriage.
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The gather around is perfect for small weddings. This takes on a Quaker tradition that involves inviting guests to sit in a circle together with the B&G. They may also be asked to share their thoughts on the couple. If this is the intention give guests advanced warning so they can prepare their thoughts ahead of time.
There are two other enactments that involve all the guests: pass the rope and warm the rings. Both are suitable for either large or small ceremonies but how they are done depends on the number of guests.
During the ceremony the purpose of an enactment can vary. The purpose reflecting something significant to the couple like the need to cleanse or heal.
The German enactment of log sawing is used to symbolise working together to overcome obstacles during married life. The photos make this look like a lot of fun and can include your bridal party. The logs aren’t big, and the saw needs to have two handles or be a bow saw.
Question: How well would you do this as a couple?
The Scottish have an enactment called “stone oathing”. The B&G place hands upon a stone while saying their wedding vows. Alternatively …
The vows are etched into the stone. This is a way to express a solemn promise in physical form with the vows written in stone.
The couples wedding details can be engraved on a stone. OR they could use other objects, e.g. shells.
OR guests write a loving message on each stone or make a wish on a stone and the B&G keep the collection.
The Greek Orthodox use the “crowning” [stefana] enactment during the exchange of rings. An appointed person places the wedding crowns on the couple’s heads and the rings on their fingers. The crowns are connected by ribbon and therefore serve as a symbol of the B&G’s union, as well as their status as queen and king of their family.
Unity enactments can occur in the lead up to the vows, or as part of the vow / ring exchange or as the closing of the ceremony. There are a number of unity enactments, e.g.: Tie the knot, handfasting, sand ceremony, paint or sketch a picture, puzzle making, Lasso [El Lazo], lighting candles, plant a tree, pot a plant or exchange a rose, or light a fire.
Such enactments have also been symbolised with the use of wine or Quaich [the love cup], salt or bread.
The salt-pouring enactment is like the sand ceremony. The salt is poured from two individual vessels into one to symbolise the couple’s union. The couple can then use the salt to cook at home – great for foody couples. Some couples source salt that’s produced where they grew up or a region of significance to them.
Then there is the bread enactment. Bread is popular in many cultures, often symbolising the couple’s prosperity. Parents and / or guests can offer the couple a special loaf of bread in the hope that they’ll never go hungry. Combined with the salt or wine ritual, a bread ritual can also create a food theme at the ceremony.
The American Indians [Cherokee] close their ceremonies with a blanket wrapping ritual. [There are two parts to this and I’m referencing the second]. The couple is shrouded in a single white blanket. White symbolises the couple’s dedication to filling their new lives with peace. The blanket or quilt was traditionally made by a parent or family members which made them poignantly meaningful.
The end of a ceremony reflects the couple doing something together for the first time. E.g. crossing the threshold or jumping the broom.
Or as the married couple process out further enactments options include: toasting the B&G, releasing butterflies, etc., toasting with champagne or shots, guard of honour, confetti, forming an arch or clapping. OR …
There is an old Irish ritual of bell ringing as the couple walk up the aisle together. There are a few ways to do this from handheld bells to large bells, to tinkling bells attached to ribboned sticks. However, you choose to do this it does require a bit of planning AND!! Enthusiastic audience participation.
Brides [2023] website has 42 fascinating wedding traditions from around the world if you are interested in more rituals and enactment ideas.
Colour, flowers, and dances are also used within ceremony because of what they symbolise.
