Traditionally, the Best Man is given the responsibility of keeping the rings safe and then the honour of presenting them to the bride and groom at the Altar. When brothers or best friends share this moment there is usually emotion and mateship, if this is who the Groom chooses it will certainly be a special moment for them both.
Over recent years we’ve seen a shift in thinking on traditions and as a Celebrant I’m constantly reminding couples to ‘think outside the box’ and consider each element of their ceremony as moments they can design to be completely personal. Some couples have chosen the ring presentation as one of these moments. A perfect time to include the father of the groom, a child, a grandparent… anyone who the couple would like to honour or validate as a special and precious person in their life.
Including the Father of the Groom for a precious moment of validation and love can be truly special, especially if the father of the Bride has been given the honour of walking his daughter down the aisle and ‘given her away’. Traditionally much is made of the Brides father’s role, so creating this considered moment for the father of the Groom, to share with the couple, brings an element of balance to the involvement of each family; gives the Grooms father a truly proud and special moment to cherish and of course then the bride and groom will have enjoyed special moments with both of their fathers before they exchange rings.
Photo by Alan Hughes Photography at AnnaBella the Wedding Chapel Ilkley
Children presenting the rings will always bring moments of heart melt, tiny ones usually steal the show by doing something totally unexpected and cute and are usually delighted, more so, for the child it is usually a moment they feel very special, validated and creates a very precious memory for the whole family.
It’s a good idea to have the rings safely attached to a pillow, inside a box or small pouch so not to be easily dropped.
Photo by Ivory and Rose Photography at AnnaBella the Wedding Chapel Ilkley
Photo by Nak Photography what a wonderful moment captured.
Older children usually take their role very seriously and feel honoured and special to have this responsibility. If they are children of the couple, this can be a bonding experience, especially if there is a blending of families…. wishes and blessings can be made on the rings by the children before they are passed to the parents, the rings then hold these wishes and blessings for all time. These can be private wishes or the children can share their wishes. Master 5, Hunter closed his eyes at a wedding and made his wish before handing the rings to his parents, when asked what his wish was … he announced into the microphone that he wanted his family to have a ‘monster truck’, yes laughter roared.
Photo by Matt Rowe Photography at hidden Grove Noosa Main Beach
Animals presenting the rings can be fabulous! Many couples include their ‘fur babies’ in the wedding and I’ve seen dozens of furry flower girls and four legged page boys walking down the aisle. The fluffy four legged beloveds will most definitely steal the limelight for a few minutes when delivering the rings and can create some of the most memorable moments of the day.
Photo by Matt Rowe Photography
If choosing to invite the fur children, make sure you have a nominated person who is familiar with them to be in charge of their arrival and departure and able to look after their needs at the ceremony.. a bowl of water, a snack for good behaviour bribery. 🙂
The wedding planning team at Novotel Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast always accommodate the fur children, here the brides beautiful pony attended the wedding on the immaculate Pandanus Lawn, presented the rings and nibbled on the brides bouquet. They all enjoyed a photo shoot on Mudjimba beach, just across the road from the Resort after the ceremony before saying goodbye to each other before the ceremony.
Note: If including animals in your ceremony, always check beforehand for regulations allowing animals at the ceremony location, some beaches and parks are dog free and some venues will not allow animals, most will, as long as the fur children have vacated the premises before food is served.
Flying rings! Oh yes, Soren the Eagle from Raptor Vision graced us with his powerful elegant presence as he flew one couple’s rings through the AnnaBella Chapel doors… delivering the rings safely to the grooms waiting arm. The guests were in awe and so was I… amazing sight.
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Photo by Ben Connolly
If you are enamoured by owls or just want something spectacularly different, we are lucky enough to have have Luna and China from Raptor Vison Birds of Prey, (Qld) both wide eyed owls who are trained to fly your wedding rings right to your best man or the groom. Each time I’ve encountered these graceful birds, the result has been spectacular, guests fizz and buzz, ooh and aah… a truly magical sight, they usually stay for a while for a meet and greet of the guests after the ceremony.
Photography by Marion Jonkers Photography at AnnaBella the Wedding Chapel
Owls by Raptor Vision
We once had a mini helicopter organised to deliver a bride and grooms rings however the wind on the day ended that surprise for the bride… with so many remote control devices around today this could be a different option to consider too!
Whoever presents the rings, allocate one person to be the ‘checker’ 🙂 it can be your celebrant or a responsible guest to check with the ring presenter that, pre-ceremony start that they actually do have the rings with them and they’re not back at the hotel, in the car or anywhere other than right there! 🙂
Hope you enjoyed my thoughts of the ring presentation.
Love Suzanne 🙂
