OR “HOW LONG IS A PIECE OF STRING?”
I’ve never really understood the question “How long is a piece of string?”
Is it supposed to be some metaphysical unanswerable question taken straight from the innermost thoughts of a cross-legged guru who exists on a higher mental level? Or is it just some rambling idiocy created by those genii that are post pubescent teenagers?
[FYI Said teenagers are brilliant at making mundane and ridiculous statements. During Year 12 the wildfire joke running through the halls was “Why couldn’t the cat drink it’s milk? Because it had no face”. If you laughed at this joke you are either in Year 12 or have the maturity of a Year 12]
So I’m always a little confused when I am asked the question “How long will the ceremony go for?”
An Australia wedding ceremony has certain legal requirements [Blogged about here wedbykez.com/honestly-wedding/] and these “must-do’s” take between 2 and 4 minutes. MAX.
So how long the ceremony goes for after that is dependant on what other inclusions you choose to have.
The rule I live by, when creating my ceremonies, is not to work to a stopwatch but to make sure every single word, every gesture and every moment is connected to the couple.
That way if the ceremony is only 8 minutes long – its 8 love-personality-individuality-filled minutes that will be memorable for both the Bride and Groom and those present. The same goes for a 45 minute ceremony.
As long as every word resonates with the couple, a wedding ceremony will always be remembered as being beautiful and heartfelt. Its when rituals and readings are added just to make the ceremony run longer that you run the risk of “cookie cutter ceremony” syndrome.
Maybe from now on, when I am asked “How long will the ceremony go for?” I should answer “a piece of string.”
