There's something special and important about gathering your community (as large or small as it may be) to bear witness to a significant event or transition.

A ceremony or rite of passage, when done well, carries you with grace from one stage of life to another.

Times change; the basic human need for honoring a transition remains.

Some thoughts on creating a ceremony:

• I believe that ceremonies and rites of passage serve deep personal, communal, and spiritual purposes. They can be full of laughter and fun, but they should be undertaken with respect, intention, and care.
• Pre-written or traditional rituals are fantastic -IF- they work for you. But they don't work lots of people for lots of valid reasons. It's perfectly okay to create something meaningful to you.
• In planning your ceremony, it's important to acknowledge what came before you: your roots and ancestry, if you know them. This includes appreciating the good parts of your ancestral past while acknowledging oppressive or problematic history. It's all part of one big whole, and none of us can really move forward unless we're honest about what came before. This doesn't have to be made into a big fuss during a ceremony, but it's important to bear in mind. 
• It's essential to link the ceremony to its location upon the earth. Think about where you want to convene, bearing in mind cost and logistical constraints. It's also good to acknowledge the traditional, indigenous owners of the land your ceremony will take place on. 
• In endeavoring to create newer, more true-to-you ceremonies, take care not to appropriate traditions from other cultures. There are common components to most ceremonies across religions and cultures. It's okay - actually, it's wise - to implement these components as guidelines for good ceremonies, as long as we're mindful not to co-opt specifics from other cultures. 
• Start with your core values and what it is you want to honor, and work from there. If you get caught up in details and logistics, take a breath and return to your core values. Let those guide your decisions.