When a couple who come from different religions and backgrounds get engaged and start looking for an officiant for their big day, the task can be daunting and confusing. Many feel that if you are of two different faiths the path of least resistance would be to have a civil or non spiritual ceremony. Many interfaith couples may find that there is parental pressure to have a ceremony that reflects each family’s beliefs and comfort zone. Those couples can feel that they are caught in a game of wedding ceremony tug of war and what should be a happy time starts becoming stressful and problematic. Or many interfaith couples have their family’s support but do not know how to go about having a ceremony that reflects each of their spiritual beliefs.
For those interfaith couples who want to bring their individual backgrounds, religions and traditions into a beautiful and cohesive ceremony finding the right Ordained Interfaith Minister can in fact be “an answer to your prayers”.
You may be confused to what exactly is an Interfaith Minister. Many couples don’t know or understand the background and the education an Interfaith Minister has. An Ordained Interfaith Minister, like myself, who graduated from seminary were taught by respected leaders and teachers of all religions. I spent years working with and taking classes from Rabbis and Priests, Pastors, Ministers, Buddhist Priests and even Monks. We delved deeply in each religion’s rich history and beliefs. We spent many months with religious leaders studying each religion’s bible and Holy Scriptures.
We are taught that to understand and enjoy full spiritual fellowship with all religions of the world. "Never Instead of, Always In Addition To” is the foundation of our beliefs. It would be ludicrous to suggest we have the ability to wholly change the attitudes of the world. It is our desire to transcend the religious and cultural difficulties that those in need have experienced. We wish to extend our compassion, concern, love and caring, which has been the tradition of the Interfaith Minister.
Many people who are not of a Christian background may be put off by the title of “Minister”. They may feel that the title of Minister is always connected to one particular Christian-based belief. This is not necessarily true, the dictionary describes the meaning of a minister:
1. To attend to the wants and needs of others
2. To perform the functions of a cleric
So in actuality an Interfaith Minister performs the functions of a cleric and attends to the needs and wants of people that come from diverse religious and traditional backgrounds.
An Ordained Interfaith Minister will be able to take important pieces from each religions and background and blend them together to create a beautiful and cohesive ceremony. Asking parents and family members to participate in different symbolic facets of the ceremony can also generate a feeling of togetherness as two families become one.
As with any wedding officiant, an engaged couple should find an Interfaith Minister who brings warmth, humor and a willingness to listen, understanding and creatively put into action the individual needs of the couple.
Submitted by Rev Alison Caiola, www.nyweddingclergy.com
Wedding Blog, Ideas, News for the Bride & Groom
Showing posts with label Ethnic Blog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ethnic Blog. Show all posts
Friday, February 4, 2011
Saturday, December 11, 2010
What To Expect From An Interfaith Wedding
By Cantor Debbi Ballard
Attending an Interfaith wedding can be a major source of anxiety for many wedding guests these days.
Many of us have attended weddings in our own house of worship. But when your family friend or relative tells you they are marrying a partner of a different faith that you don’t know anything about, that can cause a major case of wedding-guest jitters!
What to do when you don’t know what to expect?
First and foremost – the fact that you are there, supporting your friend or family member is all that is really important to them. Today’s Interfaith couple knows that everyone is going to feel somewhat uncomfortable as a result of the unknown, but rest assured – the people feeling the most pressure are probably the bride and groom themselves. They worked hard to incorporate rituals and traditions of both of their faiths, and most likely, their main goal was to please each of their families, and not offend anyone.
Interfaith can mean a lot of things, and quite often, Interfaith also means Inter-racial, and Multi-cultural. Many religions such as the Jewish faith, Persian, Hispanic, Hindu, Muslim, and even Wiccan have rituals tied to the ceremony that provide strong symbolism in the lives of the married couple. Today’s couples are more likely to cross cultural and religious boundaries, which brings many opportunities for very interesting wedding ceremonies!
An Interfaith ceremony will most likely include language you have never heard, or rituals you don’t understand. You might be asked to sit and stand several times, or to read responsively. Most Interfaith couples will take their audience into consideration and refrain from making the ceremony “interactive”, so you can relax, and observe, and hopefully, even learn a few things from the experience.
Today’s Interfaith couples wish to incorporate the rituals of their faiths as symbols for their lives, rather than strong religious connotations. A good Officiant will often take the time to explain the symbolism that the couple has chosen to include, and to relate that ritual or symbol to the couple’s lives. A blending of traditions can be a beautiful experience, especially if one is relaxed and open minded. After all, the wedding ceremony is about the bride and groom, their love, and bringing both backgrounds together. Today, there is so much material on the Internet about various religious and cultural wedding traditions, so it might be helpful if you are very uneasy to do a bit of research before attending the Interfaith wedding, so you can understand and even recognize the cultural symbols when you see them.
Every bride and groom wants their guests to feel comfortable, so relax! Just being there for your friend or family member is the most important thing you could possibly do. Enjoy!
Submitted by www.mypersonalcantor.com
Attending an Interfaith wedding can be a major source of anxiety for many wedding guests these days.
Many of us have attended weddings in our own house of worship. But when your family friend or relative tells you they are marrying a partner of a different faith that you don’t know anything about, that can cause a major case of wedding-guest jitters!
What to do when you don’t know what to expect?
First and foremost – the fact that you are there, supporting your friend or family member is all that is really important to them. Today’s Interfaith couple knows that everyone is going to feel somewhat uncomfortable as a result of the unknown, but rest assured – the people feeling the most pressure are probably the bride and groom themselves. They worked hard to incorporate rituals and traditions of both of their faiths, and most likely, their main goal was to please each of their families, and not offend anyone.
Interfaith can mean a lot of things, and quite often, Interfaith also means Inter-racial, and Multi-cultural. Many religions such as the Jewish faith, Persian, Hispanic, Hindu, Muslim, and even Wiccan have rituals tied to the ceremony that provide strong symbolism in the lives of the married couple. Today’s couples are more likely to cross cultural and religious boundaries, which brings many opportunities for very interesting wedding ceremonies!
An Interfaith ceremony will most likely include language you have never heard, or rituals you don’t understand. You might be asked to sit and stand several times, or to read responsively. Most Interfaith couples will take their audience into consideration and refrain from making the ceremony “interactive”, so you can relax, and observe, and hopefully, even learn a few things from the experience.
Today’s Interfaith couples wish to incorporate the rituals of their faiths as symbols for their lives, rather than strong religious connotations. A good Officiant will often take the time to explain the symbolism that the couple has chosen to include, and to relate that ritual or symbol to the couple’s lives. A blending of traditions can be a beautiful experience, especially if one is relaxed and open minded. After all, the wedding ceremony is about the bride and groom, their love, and bringing both backgrounds together. Today, there is so much material on the Internet about various religious and cultural wedding traditions, so it might be helpful if you are very uneasy to do a bit of research before attending the Interfaith wedding, so you can understand and even recognize the cultural symbols when you see them.
Every bride and groom wants their guests to feel comfortable, so relax! Just being there for your friend or family member is the most important thing you could possibly do. Enjoy!
Submitted by www.mypersonalcantor.com
Friday, December 10, 2010
Traveling With A Ketubah? Read This First!
By Daniel Sroka, www.modernketubah.com
When my wife and I got married, we were still living in San Francisco, but our wedding was closer to our family in New Jersey. Let me tell you, planning a long distance wedding has its challenges! One of which is how to safely bring your ketubah on the plane with you. I get asked this a lot, so I thought I’d share some advice. First, have me ship your ketubah to you, not to the wedding site. It is really important that you see your ketubah in person, well before the ceremony. This will let you look it over carefully, and make sure that it is exactly what you ordered. And if it got accidentally damaged in shipment, this will give me a chance to replace it for you. Traveling with your ketubah I ship your ketubah rolled between sheets of acid-free tissue paper, and placed in an extra-strong shipping tube. Experience has shown that this is the safest way to ship unframed fine art. (Shipping it flat is both more expensive, and results in more damage.) So the best way to travel with a ketubah is to reuse this shipping tube. Place your ketubah between the tissue paper I provided, and carefully reroll in and place it in the tube. You now have a safe and portable package to carry with you. Be sure to bring it with you in carry-on, or stash it safely deep in the middle of your suitcase, surrounded on all sides by clothes. When you arrive When you get to the location of your wedding, take your ketubah out of the tube, and let it unroll. The paper will keep its curl for a while, but don’t worry. The paper of your ketubah is 100% cotton-rag, so it will easily “forget” the curl over time. When you remove it, you could gently use the tube to roll it in the opposite direction to remove the curl more quickly. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, just lay it flat like I suggested for a day or so to get rid of the worst of the curl. For my own wedding, I used an inexpensive poster frame to flatten the ketubah, and then protect it throughout the wedding and reception. When you are ready to have it framed, your framer can make sure that any remaining curl is removed.
I’m happy to re-print an article written by Daniel Sroka, the amazing artist from Modern Ketubah. I work with so many Destination Brides, and I know that so many brides must encounter this challenge when they are getting ready to travel for their weddings. If you are in the ketubah market, I highly recommend Daniel’s work, as an original, inspirational artist and designer. Enjoy!
Submitted by www.mypersonalcantor.com
When my wife and I got married, we were still living in San Francisco, but our wedding was closer to our family in New Jersey. Let me tell you, planning a long distance wedding has its challenges! One of which is how to safely bring your ketubah on the plane with you. I get asked this a lot, so I thought I’d share some advice. First, have me ship your ketubah to you, not to the wedding site. It is really important that you see your ketubah in person, well before the ceremony. This will let you look it over carefully, and make sure that it is exactly what you ordered. And if it got accidentally damaged in shipment, this will give me a chance to replace it for you. Traveling with your ketubah I ship your ketubah rolled between sheets of acid-free tissue paper, and placed in an extra-strong shipping tube. Experience has shown that this is the safest way to ship unframed fine art. (Shipping it flat is both more expensive, and results in more damage.) So the best way to travel with a ketubah is to reuse this shipping tube. Place your ketubah between the tissue paper I provided, and carefully reroll in and place it in the tube. You now have a safe and portable package to carry with you. Be sure to bring it with you in carry-on, or stash it safely deep in the middle of your suitcase, surrounded on all sides by clothes. When you arrive When you get to the location of your wedding, take your ketubah out of the tube, and let it unroll. The paper will keep its curl for a while, but don’t worry. The paper of your ketubah is 100% cotton-rag, so it will easily “forget” the curl over time. When you remove it, you could gently use the tube to roll it in the opposite direction to remove the curl more quickly. If you feel uncomfortable doing this, just lay it flat like I suggested for a day or so to get rid of the worst of the curl. For my own wedding, I used an inexpensive poster frame to flatten the ketubah, and then protect it throughout the wedding and reception. When you are ready to have it framed, your framer can make sure that any remaining curl is removed.
I’m happy to re-print an article written by Daniel Sroka, the amazing artist from Modern Ketubah. I work with so many Destination Brides, and I know that so many brides must encounter this challenge when they are getting ready to travel for their weddings. If you are in the ketubah market, I highly recommend Daniel’s work, as an original, inspirational artist and designer. Enjoy!
Submitted by www.mypersonalcantor.com
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Choices For Filipino Grooms
Barong Tagalog or Suit?
This is the only choices that most Filipino grooms have for their attire, in fact its not just for weddings its the only choice most men get when going on a formal event. My personal opinion on the matter is, when the occasion calls for it, try to think about what the event is all about. If it is a Filipino function the Barong Tagalog is the most appropriate attire but if it is an international event, maybe a suit or a tux might be more appropriate, unless otherwise specified. For weddings however, there has been a recent surge of grooms wearing suits and tuxes. One of the main reasons to do this is that the groom can easily stand out, especially if the other male guests are asked to wear a Barong Tagalog. The tuxedo and suit look classy and sophisticated, but unfortunately unless all the venues have good air conditioning the Groom will also likely be sweating like a ... really sweaty person.
This indeed defeats the look the suit and tuxedo tries to bring about. This is why for me at least, the Barong Tagalog is still king in the Philippines, tuxedos and suits are part of western culture and fashion, that is why they were designed for far cooler
temperatures than our own. The Barong Tagalog on the other hand is part of our own culture, and is built specifically for our climate. It is one that is uniquely Filipino.
Chances are all grooms all around the world are wearing a tuxedo or a suit to their wedding but we are the only people who can say that we have our own custom and our own standards of clothing. In closing, I say that although a tuxedo or a suit would look really awesome, it is not part of a Filipino wedding because it is inherently foreign.
A Barong Tagalog on the other hand looks just as classy, perhaps ordinary to us, but it is still a massive source of pride and culture to the one that wears it. I am proud to be Filipino and I am proud of the Barong Tagalog and would like for it to keep its place in our hearts and minds and in the Filipino Wedding.
By FX_MEN
Submitted by philweddings.blogspot.com
This is the only choices that most Filipino grooms have for their attire, in fact its not just for weddings its the only choice most men get when going on a formal event. My personal opinion on the matter is, when the occasion calls for it, try to think about what the event is all about. If it is a Filipino function the Barong Tagalog is the most appropriate attire but if it is an international event, maybe a suit or a tux might be more appropriate, unless otherwise specified. For weddings however, there has been a recent surge of grooms wearing suits and tuxes. One of the main reasons to do this is that the groom can easily stand out, especially if the other male guests are asked to wear a Barong Tagalog. The tuxedo and suit look classy and sophisticated, but unfortunately unless all the venues have good air conditioning the Groom will also likely be sweating like a ... really sweaty person.
This indeed defeats the look the suit and tuxedo tries to bring about. This is why for me at least, the Barong Tagalog is still king in the Philippines, tuxedos and suits are part of western culture and fashion, that is why they were designed for far cooler
temperatures than our own. The Barong Tagalog on the other hand is part of our own culture, and is built specifically for our climate. It is one that is uniquely Filipino.
Chances are all grooms all around the world are wearing a tuxedo or a suit to their wedding but we are the only people who can say that we have our own custom and our own standards of clothing. In closing, I say that although a tuxedo or a suit would look really awesome, it is not part of a Filipino wedding because it is inherently foreign.
A Barong Tagalog on the other hand looks just as classy, perhaps ordinary to us, but it is still a massive source of pride and culture to the one that wears it. I am proud to be Filipino and I am proud of the Barong Tagalog and would like for it to keep its place in our hearts and minds and in the Filipino Wedding.
By FX_MEN
Submitted by philweddings.blogspot.com
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