Ceremony Traditions
Plant a Tree
What a cool way to watch your Marriage grow…Literally! Getting married at your parent’s house or your own, at County or City Park? Of course you will have to contact the County or City first, but a lot of times they welcome the idea. Have your Best man do 95 % work before hand by digging the hole and planting the tree, (not wearing tux or suit of course) all you need to do is both take shovel of soil and put it on top to represent! How about sending everyone one home with a little cute starter tree as a gift?
Unity Candle
A Unity candle is a very common ritual these days where the Mr. and Mrs. to be, use a candle to light more or one large candle that represents their union and coming together. Involve your guests by having them light a candle as they walk into the Church or wedding location, that way the whole wedding area will have a wonderful romantic glow about it. Hold on now…you can reuse the candles at the reception or have them taken home as gifts.
Blending of the Sands or Water
A lot like the Unity candle but here you can use colored sand or water from small vial or containers poured into a larger one to make a design or specific color. What if he proposed at the beach…how romantic it would be to use some sand from that location? Ideas for this are endless; in the end you have a nice reminder from your Wedding Day!
Circle of Love
I’ve been enjoying this one a lot, always makes me Joyous for the Bride and Groom. This can be done with everyone at a small wedding or for larger weddings can be done with Parents, Family members or the bridal party. People stand around the bride and groom and share something good, loving, or give advice or good wishes to them. I found out this is said to be an old Quaker Tradition but as my research dug deeper I found out certain African Tribes do something similar, either way what a great way to share the love.
Handfasting
“Joining of One’s Hands” or “Tying the Knot” as some may call it is non religion specific I found out in researching. It goes back to Romans and Greeks where they would use a garland of flowers around the hands and wrists. It was commonly used by Celts in Ireland and Scotland where they would use Ribbon or Tartan (Clans colors) to bind one hands to become “one.” Once again it has become a popular new tradition for today’s Brides and Grooms.
Something Old, Something New
The often unquoted last line of the traditional bridal saying gives a hint at its origin. The complete phrase is: “Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in her shoe.” A sixpence is a coin made of silver and worth six pennies that was minted in Britain from 1551 to 1967, indicating that the wedding tradition of the bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue is English. Many sources say that it began in the Victorian era. Each item in this poem represents a good-luck token for the bride. If she carries all of them on her wedding day, her marriage will be happy. “Something old” symbolizes continuity with the bride’s family and the past. “Something new” means optimism and hope for the bride’s new life ahead. “Something borrowed” is usually an item from a happily married friend or family member, whose good fortune in marriage is supposed to carry over to the new bride. The borrowed item also reminds the bride that she can depend on her friends and family. Blue has been connected to weddings for centuries. In ancient Rome, brides wore blue to symbolize love, modesty, and fidelity. Christianity has long dressed the Virgin Mary in blue, so purity was associated with the color. Before the late 19th century, blue was a popular color for wedding gowns, as evidenced in proverbs like, “Marry in blue, lover be true.” And finally, a silver sixpence in the bride’s shoe represents wealth and financial security. It may date back to a Scottish custom of a groom putting a silver coin under his foot for good luck. For optimum fortune, the sixpence should be in the left shoe. These days, a dime or a copper penny is sometimes substituted, and many companies sell keepsake sixpences for weddings. Thanks go to Martha Stewart and Real Simple
Wondering where the saying came from?
Looking for ideas for something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.
Try these.
Something Old
Something New
Something Borrowed
Something Blue
