Let's say you want to marry someone, but they don't want a ring. This would be because the person doesn't ever wear rings, not wanting to draw attention to their hands (long story, just know that hand-oriented things are out). What other options are there for a wedding token? Are there cool options from cultures that do not have the wedding ring as part of their history? Any non-hand-based suggestions are welcome.
posted by anonymous on Oct 13, 2009 - 37 answers

I am getting married in Berkeley California. Are there any beautiful Gothic churches there for the ceremony? [more inside]
posted by Ekidnagrrl17 on Sep 22, 2009 - 6 answers

What type of gift, if any, should i bring to a bris? Is a suit and tie appropriate for a man? [more inside]
posted by cahlers on Jul 6, 2009 - 4 answers

Quick: for High School graduation: Do I give my daughter a lei before the ceremony so she can wear it all through (is that tacky?), or only after, as a gift (but then no one will see it)? [more inside]
posted by SLC Mom on Jun 18, 2009 - 16 answers

Point me in the direction of your favorite writing(s) about love - you know, the stuff that talks about it in a way that you always wished you'd thought to. [more inside]
posted by jasbet07 on May 1, 2009 - 43 answers

How much should of a donation should we give to the Buddhist temple for our wedding service? [more inside]
posted by bobbyno on Apr 17, 2009 - 5 answers

Do house purchase ceremonies exist? I'm searching for a ceremony to perform just before entering a house for the first time after signing the closing papers. This would be analogous to breaking a bottle of wine on a newly commissioned ship, or jumping over the broom at a wedding. [more inside]
posted by u2604ab on Mar 23, 2009 - 17 answers

Help me pick out an appropriate reading for my upcoming wedding, something expressing the wish that the love we feel for each other might also serve as a a foundation for a more universal compassion. [more inside]
posted by 2or3whiskeysodas on Mar 18, 2009 - 10 answers

The future Mrs. and I don't have a clue as to what we should "preform" for our quite possibly surrealist wedding ceremony. Any suggestions for cynics like us? [more inside]
posted by glibhamdreck on Feb 16, 2009 - 13 answers

Help marry us. We need ideas for an alternative wedding ceremony! [more inside]
posted by JuiceBoxHero on Feb 7, 2009 - 24 answers

My friends are not religious but are having a Buddhist blessing ceremony for their baby's first birthday. Help me pick a gift. [more inside]
posted by AnyGuelmann on Nov 8, 2008 - 5 answers

Please help me make our upcoming 8-months-overdue wedding reception memorable and meaningful to those who weren't at our actual wedding. [more inside]
posted by otherwordlyglow on Sep 15, 2008 - 7 answers

I'm about to be the officiate my best friend's wedding (first gig) and I was hoping to find some inspiration for the wedding ceremony. I've known the bride since 5th grade and her husband-to-be since he moved across the country to be with her over 6 years ago. Neither of them is religious, one of them is atheist, but some of family has a strong sense in God. Does anyone have some links to fitting wedding ceremony scripts or a great story from personal experience? They're both fairly silly people, so unconventional is okay.
posted by miasma on Sep 14, 2008 - 7 answers

What's involved in my performing a wedding in Los Angeles? [more inside]
posted by rileyray3000 on Aug 1, 2008 - 3 answers

We want to incorporate some sort of sand design into our wedding as an alternative to a unity candle. This would be sort of like a Tibetan sand mandala but nowhere near as complex. How the heck do we go about this? [more inside]
posted by desjardins on Jul 30, 2008 - 9 answers

What rituals do you have in your profession or job? A friend's son - who works in the construction industry - told me about "topping-out parties" once a building's top floor and roof structure have been completed. Now I'm curious about what other professions do. Not so interested in religious rituals though. [more inside]
posted by flutable on Jun 14, 2008 - 38 answers

It's customary for each graduating class to present a class stone which is ceremonially imbedded in this path-way at my high school; somehow I got roped into getting the one for '08, and since I have less than a month to figure this out, I could really use some ideas! [more inside]
posted by howgenerica on May 4, 2008 - 6 answers

I live in Austin Texas and just got engaged. I am trying to find a venue that offers an outdoor ceremony site and an indoor or covered reception area. My budget is no more than 2,000 dollars. [more inside]
posted by madmamasmith on Jan 13, 2008 - 11 answers

Help us find the right place for small wedding ceremony / reception in Southern California [more inside]
posted by matthelm on Jan 5, 2008 - 14 answers

Religion fulfills certain psychological needs. How do non-believers manage without it? [more inside]
posted by giggleknickers on Dec 30, 2007 - 76 answers

Looking for ideas about how to make a sanitary, waterproof goblet for around ten bucks and an hour or so worth of labor. [more inside]
posted by Squid Voltaire on Oct 2, 2007 - 18 answers

can you suggest a scottish-ish poem for my gorgie daughter's naming ceremony? [more inside]
posted by taff on Sep 20, 2007 - 4 answers

Anybody got a good source for calling on the four and/or seven directions? It's for a wedding ceremony, and every internet source I've found gives different explanations of what the directions represent. Wedding is this Saturday, I'm officiating. Help! [more inside]
posted by healthyliving on Sep 3, 2007 - 6 answers

I'm officiating my younger sister's wedding, and want to find out what they want out of their ceremony. [more inside]
posted by scrump on Aug 30, 2007 - 5 answers

Recommendations and creative ideas for being the officiant at your friends wedding? [more inside]
posted by healthyliving on Jun 21, 2007 - 5 answers

What wedding songs (ceremony, not reception) would music lovers here suggest to be sung by a skilled, classically trained soprano accompanied by a not as skilled, works-for-a-small-church pianist? [more inside]
posted by ztdavis on May 26, 2007 - 7 answers

I've been asked to give a reading at a friend's wedding, so I'm looking for a poem that would be appropriate. Ideally, it should be modern (written after 1900) and sweet, but not sexual, religious, schmaltzy, or emetic. Most suggestions online are variations of Maya Angelou's "Touched By An Angel". I found the previous two AskMe questions on this topic helpful, and I have some ideas, but I'm hoping to generate a few more. [more inside]
posted by painquale on May 14, 2007 - 20 answers

My finance and I are planning on getting married in March 2008. She is from the West Indies and I am from the States. We would like to get her Visa application started sooner rather than later. Because of that, we thought we would get a marriage license / civil ceremony now so that we could get the Visa process going while we save money and plan for our proper wedding in 2008. So....where is a good place in the States to get a license / civil ceremony? Can we go to Vegas and get all this done in one day? Is there a typical waiting period between filing the application and actually getting the license? What's the easiest state to get married in? What about legislation regarding marriage? Help us get hitched!
posted by kaizen on Mar 22, 2007 - 15 answers

Question about birthday party scene in the movie Guinevere. [more inside]
posted by JigSawMan on Feb 20, 2007 - 1 answer

St Louis Wedding Locations: My fiancee and I are planning on getting married next spring (2008) in the St. Louis area. Neither of us is very religious, so we're looking for recommendations for ceremony locations that are not in a church. Of course, there's [more inside]
posted by chrisamiller on Jan 28, 2007 - 18 answers

My sister is having trouble finding someone to marry her and her fiance in the Gastonia/Charlotte, North Carolina area. Help! See extended explanation. [more inside]
posted by katyggls on Oct 17, 2006 - 15 answers

Minor riff on the mixed belief marriage question of earlier:

Has anyone ever participated in a marriage ceremony that had no legal basis? That is, a wedding without a marriage license, the public commitment without the contract law behind it. Your experience and opinions are appreciated.
posted by pieoverdone on Oct 1, 2004 - 12 answers

Does anyone have any experience with self-solemnizing a wedding? My fiance and I are getting married soon and, since Colorado allows it, we'd like to solemnize our own wedding. Please share experiences and/or opinions, poetry has already been taken care of. Simple, tasteful, non-religious but meaningful is our goal.
posted by m@ on Aug 27, 2004 - 2 answers

Marriagefilter - I (we) got engaged a few weeks ago, and the wedding planning has started. We're frantically searching (our minds, the intraweb) for pre-ceremony songs. Something along the lines of Sarah Mclachlan, something easy for a male and female vocalist. My fiance is even considering a song by Wynonna. Please lend any suggestions; we're brain dead.
posted by tr33hggr on Jul 24, 2004 - 22 answers