During the last years, it seems that marriage ceremonies in the open air - in the forest, in the meadow, in the yard, by the sea - had become the biggest trend. No matter how beautiful this wedding concept is, recently the desire of couples to say their vows in church is reviving. LĪGAVĀM compiled suggestions to consider for your wedding ceremony location when choosing a church.

Where will snacks and champagne be served after the wedding ceremony?

Wedding organizer Inga Bērziņa / bannté points out that there are several things to remember if a couple has decided to get married in a church. Having a wedding ceremony in a church has several advantages.

1. First of all, the church as a place of ceremony will definitely need to be decorated less, as it should be done in some place in the open air or elsewhere.
2. Secondly, you won't need to think of plan "B" for the place of the ceremony, because neither the rain nor the sun will interfere with the ceremony.

The wedding decorator Iluta Piternika / MintDeco also admits that the desire of couples to get married in the church has recently revived. "If the wedding ceremony takes place in a church, you should think about where the first champagne toast will be organized afterwards.

If space allows, then in summer it often takes place outside near the church, but in case of bad weather, you should find an indoor space in advance - maybe there is a room in the church or a place nearby where it could be organized," advises Iluta.

Inga also agrees with her, saying that if the wedding takes place in a church, then the place for the first champagne toast tends to be a challenge.

"I often advise couples to think about churches outside the city center, where a garden or courtyard is available, so that guests can enjoy snacks and refreshments after the ceremony.

If the wedding takes place in the center of Riga, then you should think about alternative solutions, for example, we have prepared snack packs in advance and handed them out to the guests, so that they could settle in on the way to the celebration place. Of course, this option will be more suitable in those cases when all wedding guests who participate in the ceremony will also attend the wedding celebration. If, however, there are people among the guests who have been invited only to the ceremony, then you should definitely think about a special place for snacks - it can be a nearby restaurant or some other suitable room," advises Inga Bērziņa.

The cost of decorations can be shared

Although the church will definitely need to be decorated less, it is worth clarifying several important things before the wedding.

1. First, whether there are any other weddings or baptisms scheduled in the church on the given day;
2. Secondly, at what time can the decorator come to the church and at what time must the premises be left;
3. Also, the wedding organizer Inga Bērziņa points out that you cannot forget to ask for the contacts of all the people involved - the pastor, the organist, so that there is an opportunity to get in touch if necessary.

"Representatives of churches are often not very interested in secular matters, so it is not so important for them to coordinate the decoration times. That is why it is good to ask several times whether there are really any changes planned. If the church is planning three weddings on the same day, then all the couples can agree on the same decorations, for example white flowers and ribbons, thus dividing the expenses into three parts, which means that the decoration budget can be larger and can afford more props," admits Inga.

The choice of clothing should be taken into account

When getting married in a church, there are several other things to consider:

1. First of all, the prerequisites for choosing clothing. For example, when saying yes in an Orthodox church, the woman's head must be covered, so this rule must be announced to the wedding guests in advance.
2. Wedding ceremonies are also different in churches of different denominations, so it is necessary to find out in advance both the duration of the ceremony and the conditions under which it will take place.

When all the preparations are done, all that remains is to enjoy the special event, because the atmosphere of the church will certainly add a romantic atmosphere to any wedding.

PHOTO: AGNETA JONEL, GIRTS RÄGELIS , LINDA LAUVA , MIKS SCHELS