Helpful tips- ~If you get married when the weather is cold outside, please remember to have the church, venue or reception area opened early and that it is heated. Not good manners to keep your guests waiting outside in the cold or sitting inside in the cold. ~If you are planning an outside wedding, it is a good idea to have a plan B in case Mother Nature decides to throw bad weather your way. ~On your wedding day have a responsible person hand out boutonnieres and corsages to those who get them. Include names so the person handing them out know who they go to. ~At the wedding rehearsal have everyone included in the ceremony be present so they know the order of the ceremony and where they fit in. ~I do not recommend tying the actual wedding rings to the ring bearers pillow. Give the rings to the best man and Maid of honor or to the minister. ~Make sure those you ask to stand up with you are dependable and will show up on time. Also anyone else you have doing something for your ceremony. Blessings, Rev. Tami

Vendor Meeting tips- When you set up a time to meet a wedding vendor, please remember to keep it. Not good manners to not call and say you will be late or not be showing up at all. Make a list of where you need to be and what time, then stick to your list. Not a good idea to keep vendors waiting. If you decide not to use a vendor's service after you have talked to them, please let them know in a timely manner. You might be out a small fee but you will still be in good standing with the vendor. Read any contracts before you sign them so there aren't any surprises later. Keep all receipts that you receive from vendors in case a problem arises that needs taken care of later.

The Wedding Ceremony The words you say to each other during your ceremony should be heartfelt and something you will always want to remember. It's important that you have the ceremony you want. Take time to decide what you want included in your ceremony before you go to the minister. Then it can be discussed together at the consultation. There are different parts that can be added to the base ceremony. My base ceremony includes welcome, poem, vows, rings and closing. Here are a few- Giving away the bride The unity candle Honoring those not present Including children Community vow of support Presenting flowers to the family Reading Scripture Prayer Blessing There are several different types of weddings I will do and these are mentioned on my website. Christian Spiritual Civil Theme Double Wedding Military Elopement Holiday and Vow Renewals I have had couples who choose to et their ceremony off the internet. It was very beautiful and worked well for them. Just remember the minister my or may not be comfortable with this idea. If you decide to have a wedding rehearsal I recommend that you don't say the words then just do a run through of the different sections of the ceremony. Leave the reading of the ceremony to the actual wedding so it doesn't take away from your ceremony. Everyone at the rehearsal doesn't need to know what you are going to be saying until the actual ceremony. If you have something you don't want anyone to know about until the actual ceremony make sure to tell the minister so they can skip that part during the run through. Written by Rev. Tami Wenger

Contacting the Minister. It is best to do this after you know these things for sure. 1. Where your wedding will be held. Is is an unusual venue, such as underwater, in a boat or hot air balloon, etc. 2. What time you wish it to start. 3. Are you having a wedding rehearsal. If so, day and time. 4. Do you have a wedding theme. Such as Halloween, Historical, Hillbilly, etc. When you call or e-mail the minister find out first of all if they are available for your wedding date. If not, do they have someone they will recommend? Other things you may not know- ~ I know some ministers who will not marry someone who has been married before. ~ I know minister's who will not marry someone more than once. ~ They may not be comfortable with certain themes or even wedding venue's. ~ Some Ministers may insist on counseling before they perform your wedding. It is best to check out the minister's preferences before meeting with. The minister you choose should be helpful in other areas besides the ceremony. For instance I have area wedding vendors listed should any of my couples need the help in planning for their wedding. Thanks and God Bless! Written by Rev. Tami Wenger

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding and welcome to Rev. Tami's Wedding Tips Blog! You want your wedding ceremony and reception to be perfect and by planning ahead you will take the stress away and you will be able to enjoy your very special day. God Bless! Rev. Tami