Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with ceremony

2004 Olympics Opening Ceremony in HD?

thewalrus — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 12:23:22 -0800

I'm looking for a copy of the 2004 Summer Olympics opening ceremony video in a high quality HD format (like x264 720p about 3GB/hour). One of my relatives was a participant in the games and would like to keep a copy of the video for posterity. I know the ceremony was recorded and archived in some possibly proprietary (Sony MPEG-4 on Digital Beta?) HD formats, but was broadcast mostly in SD/480p as HD direct-to-home satellite and cable services were uncommon in 2004. We can pay any reasonable cost for media duplication and shipping, but because this is for personal use, not for rebroadcast or any commercial purposes if it costs many hundreds of dollars to obtain that would be prohibitive.

Is there an egg timer on the registry?

kittyprecious — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 08:53:26 -0800

I'm going to marry my friends! In record time! How do I make it meaningful with a five-minute limit? A very close friend of many years and his longtime girlfriend whom I adore have just bought a house and decided to have a combination wedding/reception-housewarming-NYE* party. They asked me to officiate the wedding--and I'm honored--but they want the ceremony to be very quick, so I'm left wondering what I can actually do. They're nonreligious and aren't saying vows and have said it's basically up to me. I've read this (and I loved asavage's suggestions, especially the crowd affirmation) and this and this, but paring it down seems really tough.

*Yes, it's a short lead time, I know.

Wedding commitment symbol that is not a ring?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:22:13 -0800

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.

Any Gothic Churches in Berkeley California?

Ekidnagrrl17 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:57:22 -0800

I am getting married in Berkeley California. Are there any beautiful Gothic churches there for the ceremony? I love buttresses and stained glass :)

What to bring to a Bris?

cahlers — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:52:47 -0800

What type of gift, if any, should i bring to a bris? Is a suit and tie appropriate for a man? My wife and I and our two children, 3 and 1, have been invited to a bris this Tuesday. We've never attended one before, and are not jewish. What should we bring, and what is appropriate dress? I checked with the father, a close friend of mine, and our entire family, including the children, are invited, because we are considered close friends.

Any advice and experiences you might have had at a bris recently are greatly appreciated!

proper protocol for flower leis

SLC Mom — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 11:04:29 -0800

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)? I've got 20 minutes to decide, sorry for the rush.

What's Love Got to Do with It?

jasbet07 — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:12:03 -0800

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. I'm getting married in NH in October. If NH doesn't pass their same sex legislation (fingers crossed that they will), we will do a short&sweet civil, legal ceremony in MA the day before our ceremony/reception. Either way, the NH ceremony will be the main event.

I'm writing the ceremony and am on the hunt for amazing writing about love. I'm not really looking for "readings" per se - rather chunks of novels/memoirs, interesting articles, blog entries, etc. that talk about love in a profound/meaningful way that leads to that sigh at the end of it where you think..."yeah, that's why I'm with her" or "that's why I want to make every effort to spend the rest of my time on this planet with her." It doesn't have to be "fluffy" (in fact, I'd prefer more philisophical, political, spiritual, passionate pieces - humor also always welcome). I want things that will help me frame what I'm going to put into the ceremony more than direct quotes or readings.

While I don't want all things related to same sex issues, I would definitely love it if you've read particularly poignant things on this topic - recent articles, court decision language, blog entries. Having been in the midst of what is an amazing shift - I sometimes undervalue the broader relevance of the decision we are making - I'd love to highlight that in some way. This is particularly apropos since NH hangs in the balance right now and the state's (or rather Gov Lynch's) decision could completely change the tenor of our big day.

Mostly, though, I want writings that help explain why so many of us are willing to (seemingly) forego "rational" thought to pursue the hope of having a marriage that will be one of the ones that ends up just as we've intended - full of love, passion, humor, communication, balance, support, and the ability to work through everything that isn't any of those things.

I've started my own collection but find that the responses on this site always provide new insight. As always - thank you for your help!

How much do you pay a Buddhist officiant?

bobbyno — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:15:41 -0800

How much should of a donation should we give to the Buddhist temple for our wedding service? My fiance and I are being married by a Buddhist monk in June. He will be officiating the ceremony and is officially marrying us (in the legal sense).

The ceremony is not in the temple and we are not members of the temple that the monks are associated with.

Concerning payment, they said that we should make a donation. When pressed a little bit for an amount, they told us, "however much you are comfortable with."

The crux of my question is: How much do you give a Buddhist monk for doing your wedding?

We live in the Chicago area and for reference, the rates I've seen for professional officiants range from $300-600, with some churches asking as much as $700. We are nowhere near affluent, but I absolutely want to give them what is appropriate and useful.

Thank you.

House Purchase Ceremony?

u2604ab — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:36:30 -0800

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. We're closing on our first ever house this Friday. The house is a 1906 Edwardian, in substantially original condition. (i.e., original kitchen cabinets, original bathroom sink and tub, original windows, trim, etc). The house has been exceptionally well cared for; The previous owners lived there for over 50 years.

I'm looking for some ceremony -- perhaps even ceremonial words -- to execute before entering the house the first time as its owner/caretaker, with 4-year-old son and pregnant wife in tow. I'd like something that reflects upon the unknowable history of a 100-year-old structure, and the promise of our future lives there.

This purchase *feels* like such a milestone, on par with a marriage, birth, or death. Certainly the cliche rings true that it's the biggest purchase I will ever make. And Google-fu is failing me for finding any mention of a ceremony or ceremonial words that might be said, just before entering your first house for the first time.

How can I put this?

2or3whiskeysodas — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 04:47:11 -0800

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. Neither of us are particularly religious, although I was raised as a Unitarian Universalist and am presently enamored with Buddhism. A UU minister will be performing the ceremony.

I'm looking for something that will take the place of the standard "Let us pray," portion of the ceremony after the vows have been taken. The sentiment I'd like to express is that love and compassion are humankind's highest capabilities, and the wish that we the love that continues to grow between us might be used as a foundation for a more universal compassion, and might serve to foster the same in others.

I typed that really quickly, in part because it's not fixed in my mind yet and in part because I have to get dressed for work now! But this can be anything--a poem, a prayer, a couple of paragraphs from an essay, whatever. Thanks in advance!

I guess I do.

glibhamdreck — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 01:22:25 -0800

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? I'm a bit of a curmudgeonly introvert who doesn't much care for being the center of attention, having my picture taken, wearing a suit, dancing, or really doing anything typically wedding, but for the sake of norms I can do a bit that's against my nature. She also isn't bound to any wedding traditions and doesn't have much interest in the ceremonial but is committed to developing the rest of the event's aesthetic. We both are atheists, utterly hate schmaltz, and have been living in sin for almost a decade now. Still, we like to throw a good party, and a wedding will make our families happy. So, what's the right way to show the guests that, ok, now we're married and you all can go eat?

Essentially in the woods, we plan to get married at dusk in front of a small audience of immediate family and close friends only. The staging will be sort of gypsy hippie--psychedelic anarchoprimitivism, if you must--a bit eccentric maybe but not at all campy. Also, my annual tradition of hosting a derivative pyrotechnics show (Burning Manchild) will immediate follow the wedding (Burning Man and Wife). I don't know what this year's build will be, but if it helps I'm leaning towards a large Rube Goldburgian chapel contraption of some sort.

We'll have a "reception" or some such nonsense a month or so after for extended family and other relative strangers, so we won't have to appease the expectations of anyone we're not close with the day of the wedding. We're also throwing ourselves a We're Getting Bloody Married bachelor/bachelorette burlesque party a month or so prior, so we shouldn't feel a need to out-debauchify that.

So what can we do for a wedding ceremony? Poetry? We might be able to find some Ferlinghetti or maybe Bukowski that we both like and won't offend the grandparents, but that's unlikely. Music? I don't know. Fischerspooner probably best captures the sentiment I'm feeling about this all today. Otherwise, I'm really hoping Jonathan Richman does weddings. She digs accordions. The presider? We really have no idea. I have an old antisemitism and christianity professor whose company I enjoy. What's a good balance between fun and not giving our folks heart attacks?

What are your alternative wedding ceremony ideas?

JuiceBoxHero — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 06:33:07 -0800

Help marry us. We need ideas for an alternative wedding ceremony! My fiance and I are getting married in July and have most of the plans taken care of except for the ceremony itself. We don't have any ideas for the ceremony and haven't a clue who our officiant should be.

Neither of us are religious at all and would prefer to leave spirituality out of the ceremony. Also, we have no problem with going down to the courthouse and getting legally married prior the actual ceremony, so don't worry about making something legally official. Other than the ceremony itself, the rest of our wedding is pretty typical. (i.e. rings, big reception, dj, man and woman, etc)

What types of alternative ceremonies have you seen, or can you imagine? Who would officiate? What would they say?

The perfect (somewhat) Buddhist gift for a non-Buddhist baby

AnyGuelmann — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:36:17 -0800

My friends are not religious but are having a Buddhist blessing ceremony for their baby's first birthday. Help me pick a gift. They are not Buddhists and as far as I know don't plan to raise a Buddhist child, so I'm not looking for a heavily symbolic religious gift. I want something cute, thoughtful, possibly cool and somewhat (even if vaguely) related to the theme. The theme being, I guess, Chinese/Buddhist tradition and folklore.

I've been to Pearl River in SoHo today, and here are some of the things I considered getting:
Chinese baby jacket (or dress or pajamas)
Tiger hat or shoes
Zodiac ornament (the ceremony will be in their garden so they could hang it in a tree)

Would any of these be a mistake? The perfect choice? What else do you suggest?

It must be light and unbreakable because it's going to South America by mail. And if I can get it in Manhattan, even better - I need to ship it next Tuesday.

How do you have a wedding when you're already married?

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:31:19 -0800

Please help me make our upcoming 8-months-overdue wedding reception memorable and meaningful to those who weren't at our actual wedding. We had been planning an October 2008 wedding but I got pregnant (Oops and Yay!) and so we got officially married back in February 2008 at City Hall with just our parents present. Extended family and friends knew this was going on and we told them all we were still going ahead with a wedding-ish event for this October. Basically what we're planning now is a wedding reception. However, since so many of our dear friends and family weren't at our actual wedding but are traveling great distances to attend our "reception", we'd like to include some sort of ceremony that not only allows our guests to feel included but also be witness to our union in marriage.

We feel strongly that we already *are* married and don't want a recreation of our actual wedding or feel the need to get married again. We'd be up for some sort of re-telling of our vows but are there other things we can do?

Similarly, we won't be re-exchanging rings since it feels like that's already done and doing it over again somehow makes the original time less significant. Are there other rituals or readings or anything else we can do for our guests? There will be a maid of honor and best man who will hopefully act as officiants even though there's really nothing to officiate over.

I should stress that we're doing this not just so that our guests feel like they got their money's worth but also because my husband and I really do want to have our family and friends be part of experience. So how do you have a wedding without getting married?

MatrimonyFilter: Sample wedding ceremony scripts for officiating my best friend's wedding?

miasma — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:46:35 -0800

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.

I've got the collar. I've got the bible. I memorized that "speak now" bit. What else is there?

rileyray3000 — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 14:16:19 -0800

What's involved in my performing a wedding in Los Angeles? I need to perform a wedding in Los Angeles in October. I got a card that says I'm a reverend from World Christianship Ministries way back in pre-internet 1993 and it says I'm clear to perform weddings in most states. So what else do I need and what do I need to know or do? Do I have to apply for the license for the couple? Do I need to fill out any forms? Or is it just a "show up in a collar and sign this document" sort of thing?

Making a sand mandala for our wedding

desjardins — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 18:27:51 -0800

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? We are not Tibetan Buddhists. This will not be a religious thing per se; we simply like the symbolism of intentionally and mindfully creating something together, mixing the colors of sand, and then sweeping it away to remind ourselves of the impermanence of life and that all we have is right now, this moment. There won't be any Buddhists at the wedding, Tibetan or otherwise, that might be offended at our co-opting of this ritual.

We are thinking of something that would be mostly completed ahead of time, since we're not going to spend hours doing it during the ceremony. We'd leave a part unfinished and complete it during the time you'd normally light a unity candle. We don't have a design in mind; I picked a butterfly theme for the wedding to symbolize transformation, so we might incorporate that. Other ideas are very welcome.

Where do we get colored sand? How are we going to transport the unfinished piece to the ceremony without destroying it? What should we sweep the finished piece into? Is this totally insane? This video is awesome but we're not that talented.

Workplace or professional rituals

flutable — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 01:27:08 -0800

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. As an example, I recall a BBC documentary on shipbuilding, and a ritual that takes place in the bowels of the ship once the lower hull has been completed. And of course there is the ship-naming ritual with the bottle of champagne.

I'm interested not only in graduation rituals (such as graduates from a military academy throwing their hats up into the air) but also things either celebrating something - like the topping-out party, with the company lifting entire trees (!) in pots, via crane, up onto the roof for the party - or rituals performed as part of a job, such as a massage or alternative therapies practitioner "centring" him/herself prior to working with a client.

So, what rituals are there at YOUR workplace?

Something cool and novel for a senior class stone?

howgenerica — Sun, 04 May 2008 05:08:58 -0800

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! In the past people have done pretty cool things - weird glass window cubes; intricate ceramic tiles; something reminiscent of a subway station sign. I go to an international school in Tokyo, so they try and incorporate elements of Japanese culture, but they don't necessarily have to. I could get anything engraved, or carved into stone and I'm sure I could figure out how to do it if I had a really good idea, but I can't think of anything feasible. And uh, people are expecting something epic.

Please, please help!
Thanks
Erica

looking for texas wedding venue

madmamasmith — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 07:35:37 -0800

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. Our ideal setting offers seating for 80 people, allows us to bring in our own vendors and use decorations. I would also like something that either offers camping, cabins or is close to lodgings. We really want a country or hill country setting and recently I thought how cool it would be to have it in an old train depot or church or even abandoned old building with great architecture. There are alot of places listed online, but I am looking for something more unique, less fancy, less run of the mill. Does anyone have any ideas about cool buildings or locations that might be open to hosting a small wedding???Or know of any state parks with cool event halls? Thanks!

Help us Find a simple Wedding Ceremony and Reception Location in Southern California!

matthelm — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 12:44:29 -0800

Help us find the right place for small wedding ceremony / reception in Southern California We have a budget of about $2500 for a small wedding ceremony and reception. Just trying to find unique places for a ceremony of 10 and then a unique place for a reception of about 25 people were we can eat and dance...any ideas?

How do secularists deal without the comfort of religion?

giggleknickers — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 17:33:46 -0800

Religion fulfills certain psychological needs. How do non-believers manage without it? I'm an agnostic and I am constantly finding myself jealous of religious people. I think that religion fulfills many psychological needs and I'm definitely feeling the effect of not having those needs fulfilled.

I long for ceremony, ritual, rites of passage. I want a temple to pray at even though I have no one to pray to. I want to do that thing where the Christians all go down the aisle and take turns eating and drinking symbolic stuff. I have no idea why, but those things just seem to lift my spirits so much and I feel down without them. I was trying so hard not to fall asleep through the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha," but I perked right up when they started talking about making everything into a ritual as a means of making the mundane enjoyable.

They also help tremendously for the sake of focus. I'm tossing around the idea of getting a Wiccan book and doing a spell for any goal I have. I wouldn't actually believe in the magic, but doing a spell to improve my career would make such a difference in helping my focus on the goal and feel good about it.

I want something to cling to. I want some equivalent to "God has a plan" and "The lord will provide." I have heard religious folk saying "The lord gives me strength." Where am I supposed to find that kind of strength? Where does it come from? Where am I supposed to get it? I would love so much to be able to have some idea to concentrate on to help me struggle through hard times.

I want a guide for how to live. I wouldn't follow it blindly on faith. I would certainly do some picking, choosing, and editing of such a guide. But having to come up with it completely from scratch makes me feel so lost and confused.

I want some meaning handed to me. I get frustrated with people who say secularists can't possibly have any meaning in their lives, because I believe that a person should have their own meaning instead of the meaning some higher power handed to them. Still, they almost have a point. Coming up with your own meaning is hard. I want something external to help get me my meaning.

SO, after all that blather, I would like to ask my godless brethren how they fill these holes without religion.

DIY disposable goblet advice.

Squid Voltaire — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 09:03:13 -0800

Looking for ideas about how to make a sanitary, waterproof goblet for around ten bucks and an hour or so worth of labor. I'm playing around with ideas for a thank-you ritual, and it seems that it would be really useful to be able to make my own (one-use) drinking cup for it. Does anyone have ideas about an easy way to do so? I'm not incompetent at making things, but I don't have any special equipment. I'd be disposing of the cup afterwards, so I don't want to spends weeks and weeks on this project. However, I do want something nicer than a plastic cup, you know?

I'm looking for suggestions about some kind of food-safe clay that I could fire in my stove, a cheap kind of wood that I could easily carve, a DIY wax-molding instructional video, or a link to a website called "How to make Ceremonial Goblets for Dummies".

Any ideas?

scottishish reading for grumpy woman at baby's naming ceremony

taff — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 15:17:30 -0800

can you suggest a scottish-ish poem for my gorgie daughter's naming ceremony? my scottish and now ex friend (i'm joking... probably) has just pulled out .....at the last minute ....of reading a scottish poem for my part scottish daughter's very eclectic naming ceremony. she gave all sorts of ridiculous reasons, some being that robbie burns is unreadable. but jo-an is a brilliant public speaker with a mellifluous voice....grrr.

i had chosen "bonnie wee thing".

now i'm considering having a non-scottish born person read something scottish-ish.

do any of you have any suggestions? i'm starting to begrudgingly agree that some burns is difficult... it has to be shortish...... funny is cool too.

(bonus points for tips on graciously dealing with jo-an's 11th hour withdrawl... i thought it was an honour to be asked... and she's made out it was me imposing upon her....she's my daughter's kind of adopted grandmother.... or so she has called herself)

sorry to sound like a budgerigar with a galah up its bum... i'm a bit cross. and i know i have no right to be. i just wish she'd said no originally, or at the very least a LONG time ago....

any and all suggestions welcome.... i have to re-finalise the ceremony today...

thanks possums.

Calling on the four directions?

healthyliving — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 23:10:47 -0800

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! I've bookmarked a ton of different sites. They all seem to have somewhat different info, first the south is fire, then it's water, then it's earth. I'm not trying to follow a particular philosophy, I'd just like a clear answer to help me create a sacred space for the wedding. Is there a good book, site, something that's clear, wouldn't alienate the conservative bunch (as in, not overly wiccan)? Thanks.