Nearly 30 years ago I got married - but 12 years later we split up. However it took us around eight years to finally fill in the divorce papers. We met up at a Thai restaurant halfway between our two homes and celebrated the form filling with delicious curries and a bottle of wine. I blame the wine on the fact we had to do this THREE times before we managed to tick all the boxes correctly! However they were certainly enjoyable evenings and the location turned out to be quite significant as my ex went on to marry a lovely Thai girl who is happy to share her culinary secrets with me - which saves on Thai restaurants! Another great way that helps a couple to move on after a divorce is with a Divorce Ceremony - a celebration of what was good during the marriage and a way to minimise animosity, helping ensure continued closeness between the couple, their children, family and friends. Anything that helps during the difficult divorce process is surely food for thought?   

Something different for a wedding can be the Lover's Cup. That's when two glasses of wine are poured and the bride and groom pour them into a special glass with two handles...it can be a mix of red and white wine symbolising the blending of the two families. The glass can be kept as a memento of the wedding ceremony and their commitment to one another. If the bride and groom don't drink wine, a soft drink can of course be substituted.

Planning a small, intimate wedding and want all your guests to be involved? Then consider a wedding ring blessing. 

Before the exchange of rings, guests can be asked to bless the wedding bands or to fill them with love and positive vibes. They can be handed to someone in the front row, and ask for them to be passed around all the guests, until they come back to the front. 

Try to schedule this in during a musical interlude. 

If you like this idea but are having a lot of guests,  you could consider asking just a select few people to hold and bless the rings. The last thing you want is for the rings to be lost amongst the crowd! 

If you're planning an outdoor naming ceremony, candles won't work, but helium balloons definitely will. And the children there will love them! I think it's a great idea to let every balloon symbolise a special wish for the little one's future. You can even write the wish on the balloon. At this naming ceremony the balloons were released at the very end while I said, "As the balloons rise freely into the sky, our hopes and dreams for the baby also take flight. May he enjoy the freedom to pursue his goals, meet his challenges and have a life full of true happiness." The baby however was most upset that 'his' balloon had disappeared so it had to be quickly replaced  before the service ended in tears!

A naming ceremony offers a sense of tradition, of occasion and is a formal way of offering love and reassurances towards a new baby. It's also the perfect way to introduce a child into your circle of family and friends and to celebrate one of life's continuing miracles. Nowadays many people choose to wait until their baby's first birthday to hold a naming ceremony -  a double celebration! 

Do you know why you wear your engagement and wedding rings on the 4th finger of your left hand? According to tradition in some countries and dating back to the Romans, the vein in this finger called the vena amoris was believed to be directly connected to the heart, a symbol of love!