Give every single person a role

We didn’t have any “guests” — everybody had a job to do or a part to play. (Easiest if you have a small wedding, but potentially feasible at all sizes.) We scrapped the professionals and asked our loved ones to roll up their sleeves for love.

It turned out to be beautiful, personal, tender, and outrageously fun.

Many weddings include a “community vow” where the congregation pledges to love and support the couple as they grow together. Our wedding felt like a community vow in action — we were surrounded by the physical, experiential evidence of our community’s love and support. It was profoundly meaningful to us, and forged new bonds among our friends and family, too.

(This my best friend fitting me with the flower crown she made!)