If the wedding ceremony order is a bit overwhelming and you have some questions about which rites to include and when, that’s completely normal. The great news is that most ceremonies follow a similar format, so if you’ve been to (or been in) a few, you’ve probably got an idea of how the wedding order of service usually flows.

Of course, different cultures and religions incorporate different distinctive elements, and there’s so much to love about each.

Traditional and nondenominational wedding ceremonies are most flexible and similar to each other in terms of structure while religious ceremonies aren’t as adjustable. Catholic weddings, for instance, must always be held inside a church—no exceptions. Since there tends to be variations based on regional and ethnic differences, we’ve made wedding ceremony outlines for different types of weddings, creating the ultimate guide for creating a ceremony of your own.