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Wedding Unity Sand Ceremony

Unity Sand Ceremony

Traditionally, weddings in the past have been a pretty standardized affair. Because of movies and television most people could summarize the ceremony from memory. In recent times however, weddings have become more personalized, with couples adding or subtracting components to the ceremony to suit their personal preferences.

One example of a modern wedding innovation is the Unity Sand Ceremony. Like the unity candle which many people are familiar with, the sand ceremony ads a personal, non-traditional touch to a wedding ceremony. It is a symbolic, poignant moment during the ceremony where a couple visually demonstrate their joining as a couple.

The sand ceremony has quickly gained in popularity for several good reasons. It’s rather simple. It is visually appealing. And it is an easily modified ritual that contributes a bit of worldliness and also leaves the newlyweds with a meaningful souvenir of their big day.

One big added benefit is that, unlike the unity candle, this wedding ceremony isn’t complicated by a light breeze. I can’t tell you how many times I have had unity candles blown out by the wind during outside wedding ceremonies. Unity sand ceremonies can be used outdoors with no problem at all.

Following below is one example of a sand ceremony.

Example Sand Ceremony

GROOM and BRIDE you have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings and this is a pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives.

Today, this relationship is also symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand. One, representing you, GROOM and One Representing you BRIDE and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.

As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one.

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated, our prayer for you today is that your lives together would be blended like the seven seas and may your love swirl around each other like the changing tides.

Changing Your Name in SC After Getting Married

Steps to Change Your Name in SC After Marriage

Many people ask me about how to go about changing their name after they are married. Important: When you get married in South Carolina your name is not automatically changed to that of the person you married. To change your name is actually a simple process in theory, but can seem complicated if one is unprepared.

To change your name after getting married, you need to;

Step 1. Change the name on your Social Security number.

After your marriage ceremony you will receive an original of your license that is in fact your new Certificate of Marriage. If you wish to change your name to that of your new spouse or partner, the first step is to change your name with the Social Security administration.

You can apply for a name change at the SS office in person or via mail. All SS offices require an appointment now. You cannot just walk in.

To call SS for information, or to make an appointment, this is the number;

866-964-7594

For more information on a SS name change go here.

Note: I strongly suggest you do not mail in your original certificate of marriage if applying by mail for a new SS card. Get a certified copy from the court where you obtained your marriage license. It usually cost between $5.00 to $10.00 depending on the court.

Here are some links to the various courts to download the form you need to fill out to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

Richland County SC

Lexington County SC

Charleston County SC

2. Change the name on your government ID (s);

In SC you must wait at least 48 hours after visiting the SS office before going to the DMV to get your license or ID card with your new name. The waiting time is due to the fact that the SS administration needs to update their computer database. (If you made the change via mail and received a new SS card there is no waiting period required).

Afterwards changing your name with SS and waiting 48 hours (wait until you get your new card if you applied by mail) you can then apply at the DMV. Bring your original marriage certificate or a certified copy with you. For more information visit the SCDMV site here.

Step 3. You can then change your name on other accounts;

Once you have your new ID, you can change your name on your credit cards, bank accounts, voter registration, etc. .

Having a Big Wedding? 6 Wedding Bills You Should Always Use a Credit Card to Pay

6 Wedding Bills You Should Always Charge on a Credit Card

If you are having a large wedding you are certainly going to incur some big charges. A good way to pay those bills is by using a credit card. Not so much to defer the costs, but to protect yourself if the items are defective or deficient in any way. A good article concerning what wedding costs you should charge can be found here.

The article discusses 6 items you should always charge. They are;

Deposits
Wedding Planner Fees
Day of services
Wedding Dress
Anything bought online
Travel Expenses

For a more in depth discussion take a look at the article.

What is a Certified Copy of a Marriage License

What is a certified copy of your marriage license and do you need one?

A certified copy of your marriage license is a copy of the Court’s license on record. It may be necessary to show a certified copy to the appropriate entities for a legal name change, for other legitimate purposes, or for genealogical research. A certified copy does not expire. Certified copies of your marriage license cannot be obtained until your license has been filed and accepted by the County Probate Court where you obtained your license. If you would like to request a certified copy of your marriage license from the County Probate Court, you have to complete a form and pay a fee, usually $5.

In South Carolina, when you get married you are given 3 originals of your marriage license. All have the court seal imprinted on them so they are originals. You are given one copy to keep and this original is usually sufficient for all your needs. However, if you have to send your marriage license off somewhere out of your possession, you should get a certified copy. You do not want your original to get lost.

You will usually need to wait one to two weeks to get a certified copy after your wedding, but it might take longer. Your wedding officiant has 15 days to send the other two completed copies of your marriage license back to the court for filing. It then takes the court a few days to actually file the license.

Remember, you are not married until you exchange vows (oaths) and the marriage licensed is signed by all parties and returned to the court.

Here are some links to the various courts to download the form you need to fill out to get a certified copy of your marriage certificate.

Richland County SC

Lexington County SC

Simple and Inexpensive Honeymoons

If you’re looking for some affordable honeymoon trips to begin your marriage on the right financial foot, check out the amazing destinations below. Each is romantic in its own way and, best of all, you can enjoy most of them while spending only half as much as the average American newlyweds, depending on where you live and how far you have to travel.

Here are some tips from the Simple Dollar to help you get started with planning your honeymoon from a financial perspective:

Set a budget: This is the most important step when planning your honeymoon. It’s amazing to dream about an amazing Mediterranean cruise through Italy and Greece, but if you want to keep your spending under $2,500, that type of honeymoon would definitely break your budget.

Itemize your budget: A budget shouldn’t just be a number. You should really sit down and itemize it. For example, calculate how much you want to spend on flights, the hotel, food, activities and excursions, and even souvenirs. All of this will give you a clearer idea of what kind of destination you can afford.

Even better, choose a place that is all-inclusive. That’s what I did for my honeymoon: Since I write about budgeting for a living, I didn’t want to be stressed with small purchasing decisions — like if I wanted an extra glass of wine at dinner. (Spoiler alert: I always got the extra glass!)

Go non-traditional: It sounds great to lay on a Caribbean beach with a little umbrella drink in your hand, but there are many places to see right here in the U.S. that might offer more adventure, culture, or sightseeing that’s off the beaten path. You can go hiking, camping, see the national parks, or couch-surf your way across the country. I know that doesn’t sound romantic — but for the right couple, it would be downright memorable and fun. This is your time as a newly married couple, and no one else’s — so don’t be afraid to spend it the way you want to.

It’s for relaxing: One thing to remember about honeymoons is that they are for relaxing! I find that many people try to cram as much as possible into their honeymoons, setting up tours and wine tastings and excursions all day long. This type of trip is absolutely awesome when you’re a couple or a family and you want to see the world — but trust me, after months of planning a wedding, it really is best to relax. Find a place where you and your new spouse can sleep in without feeling guilty that you’re missing out. You can always go on another vacation in the future, so use this one as a chance to enjoy the quiet after the wedding.

Read along further in the article and you will find that the number one destination they recommend is Charleston, SC! More on Charleston as a honeymoon destination in a later article. If you need a wedding officiant, we are happy to meet you in Charleston and perform the ceremony as well!

Dressing Your Wedding Guests

When Jennifer began to plan her wedding, she ran into one novel problem: how to dress her wedding guests.

Normally, this isn’t a problem. By tradition, a wedding is a formal event where guests are expected to show up either in tuxedos and gowns if part of the wedding party, or in suits and formal dresses if an invited guest.

The details of proper attire for the guests is left entirely to the guests themselves. Most people already know what they should wear to a wedding, or if not, they at least have enough sense to ask a mother or sister who will be delighted to explain exactly what they should and
should not wear.

Now and then you find a poor schmuck with a sister who has a vindictive streak and you get a wedding guest who arrives wearing a plaid jacket, red and green striped tie and a yellow beanie with a propeller on top. Mostly your guests are well behaved and arrive appropriately dressed, sober and with the suitable amount of discomfort required of all wedding guests everywhere.

Jennifer’s wedding was going to be a little different. She (and her fiance of course) had decided to have a casual dress wedding at a country club overlooking the beach. The bride’s dress was still planned as a formal gown, but the bridesmaids would wear sun dresses and the best man and groom would wear khaki slacks and summer jackets.

Jennifer wanted her guests to know that they were encouraged to wear casual clothes. She wanted the ladies to come in summer dresses or skirts with nice blouses and the men to come wearing sport shirts and slacks with a jacket. The total effect was going to be a casual, country club style atmosphere.

Jennifer wanted to say this in a nice way, without having to include a lengthy and offensive dress code decree in her invitation package. There is nothing quite so objectionable as having someone tell you in specific and didactic detail how you are supposed to dress. Jennifer was very much aware of this potential etiquette land mine and wanted wholeheartedly to avoid it.

On the other hand, she couldn’t just leave it to chance and simply say “casual attire” because sure as tank tops, someone would construe casual to mean T shirts, shorts and sneakers.

Jennifer fretted about this for days, trying several versions of her dress code message, none of which satisfied all the conflicting requirements of brevity, inoffensiveness and clarity.

Jennifer hit upon the solution: a short, humorous poem, printed on an index sized card along with the invitation.

This would immediately let people know exactly how to dress and would offend no one. Since the poem would also be humorous, it had the benefit of being entertaining and therefore easily remembered.

Jennifer overcame the last hurdle of being unable to write poetry by hiring a poet and working with him through four drafts until she had exactly what she wanted: eight lines of lighthearted verse which told the guests how they should dress and left them with a smile.

With a sigh of relief, Jennifer could now focus on the next problem which needed her attention: the weather …

Wedding Planner

Hiring a Wedding Event Manager or Planner

There are pros and cons to hiring a wedding planner. One thing, it costs money, and for something that can be as expensive as a wedding, extra costs matter. But will it really cost you? One thing a wedding planner can do is save you money. Usually more than their fee if you are having a very large event. They know who can do the best job, what the current rates are for various services, and can negotiate on your behalf. Plus, they can advise you on the little extra that you might like to have but that really in the end are not worth it.

For a good article on the pros and cons of hiring a wedding planner, I suggest you read this article.

Legal Issues When Getting Married

There are many legal issues that have to be agreed and decided upon when a couple gets married. For instance, will the bride take the grooms name or not? Is there a prenuptial agreement? Insurance where beneficiaries need to be changed? If currently in, or enlisting into the military, what about claiming dependent status?

Below is a video about one couples experience from getting married while in the Air Force.

Things You Should Know

Things to Know About Getting Married in SC

Getting married in South Carolina is very easy. No witnesses or blood tests are required. All you need is a marriage license and someone to perform (officiate) the ceremony. You obtain the license at the local clerk of courts office (or probate office) by visiting in person (both parties), paying the fee, and showing your identification. See this page for further information on where to get your wedding licenses, fees, etc.

Wedding songs to celebrate the day

Wedding songs play a vital role throughout the entire wedding day. Wedding songs help create the mood and ambience of the day from start to end. Choosing the right wedding songs can also help accentuate the emotional significance of the occasion for a more memorable celebration.

In earlier years many weddings showcased traditional wedding songs Nowadays there is no limit to the type of wedding songs that couples can choose to play on their wedding day. Selecting wedding songs is also one of the fun things that couples can do to prepare for their wedding day.

Most couples prefer choosing wedding songs that have a significant meaning to them in order to create a more personal and unique atmosphere for their wedding day. A song that was played on their first date or songs of the couple’s favorite artist are typical selections for wedding songs of many couples.

When selecting wedding songs, things to remember

When selecting wedding songs, it is important to take into consideration the venue for the ceremony. Most wedding ceremonies often take place in a church, couples should first check with the minister if there are any restrictions to the type of wedding songs that can be played. Some churches have concerns regarding the kind of wedding songs that should be played during the sacrament of matrimony.

Other venues may not have a strict policy regarding the variety of wedding songs to be played. It is still a good idea to choose wedding songs for the ceremony that would not turn the occasion into a comedy act. It is best to reserve the entertaining wedding songs for the reception where everyone can cut loose to the music.

Another important factor to consider is the selection of the band or DJ who will play the wedding songs during the reception. Couples with a more traditional wedding theme may opt for a classical ensemble to perform wedding songs at their reception. For an intimate gathering a solo pianist, flute trio or string quartet serve as an ideal choice to play classical wedding songs.

For a more contemporary wedding theme, there are a number of professional bands that cater specifically to wedding receptions. Couples can also choose to hire a DJ to play wedding songs at the reception.

Planning the wedding songs.

Couples need to select a number of wedding songs for different parts of the wedding. There are essentially six parts of the wedding ceremony that would require music. The type of wedding songs for the prelude music is used to welcome family and friends to the ceremony. Festive and happy wedding songs can help set the tone for the entire wedding day.

Wedding songs for the processional of the wedding party marks the start of the ceremony. The songs are meant to usher in the wedding party and to prepare the guests for the entrance of the bride. The bride’s processional is the critical moment of the ceremony. Many would opt for the traditional bridal march, it is also a good idea to select different wedding songs that can make it more memorable.

The interludes are the various moments during the ceremony wherein a number of wedding songs can help enhance the overwhelming emotion of the occasion. Wedding songs during the recessional should be festive to celebrate the official union of the couple. The postlude wedding songs are meant to create a pleasant atmosphere to thank guests for coming to the ceremony.