Planning a wedding is no easy task. Having to consider your own style and the opinions of your parents and family often lead to stressful situations. Maybe you and your fiancé are more contemporary, but your family is heart set on a traditional Christian wedding. Don’t fret, there are ways you can have your cake and eat it, too. Read on for our tips on how to add modern touches to traditional Christian customs.
LOCATION
So, you’ve dreamed your whole life of getting married on a beach at sunset, but your mother won’t hear of anything outside a ceremony in a Church. No problem—just bring the beach to you.
Wedding Colors
Choose a palette of soft hues—like peach, blue or lavender—and use them in decorations around the Church. Marking the aisles with organza ribbon or choosing a pastel aisle runner will help bring that breezy feeling inside.
Ceremony Flowers
Carry a nontraditional bouquet of elegant peonies with a few starfish sprinkled in and include a small seashell in your groomsmen’s boutonnieres.
Ring Bearer & Flower Girl
Who says your ring bearer has to carry a silk pillow? Cradle your rings in a blush pink seashell for a beachy twist. And the Flower Girl? Have her stroll down the aisle carrying a chalkboard sign with an excerpt from your favorite Bible verse.
UNITY CANDLE
The Unity Candle is a longstanding Christian tradition in which the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom light two small candles. During the ceremony, the bride and groom each use one of those candles to light a bigger candle, symbolizing the coming together of two families and signifying that love burns like an eternal flame. While this is a beautiful tradition, there are a number of ways to modify the ceremony without sacrificing the sentiment.
Plant A Tree
Gather soil from each of your hometowns and the spot where you met (each in a different bowl). If you’re from the same city, take soil from your parents’ houses. Just before the bridal party walks down the aisle, have your mothers add the respective soil to a potted sapling. Then, during the unity ceremony, add soil from the place where you first met. In addition to maintaining the sentiment of the traditional Unity Candle, this signifies that your marriage, like the tree, requires love and attention to grow.
Make Your Own Wine Blend
This will be your first toast as husband and wife. Have the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom each carry a small carafe of red and white wine to the unity table. The red symbolizes passion, while the white represents strength, longevity and purity. During the ceremony, pour them together to make a rose colored wine, a new blend all your own. When the Officiant presents you as husband and wife, take a sip of the wine and drink to your future!
Create A First Fight Box
Called the first fight box, this acts like a time capsule of sorts. In the months leading up to your wedding, write each other secret love letters. Then, place these letters in a box with a bottle of wine during the unity ceremony and nail it shut (or use a lock and key if that’s more your speed). Whenever you experience rough times in your relationship, open the bottle of wine and read the letters together to remind each other of your unconditional love.
Tip: Want to include your parents? Ask them to write a letter of encouragement and wisdom to be included in the box.
THE PROGRAM
Traditionally, your wedding program includes the names of your parents, grandparents and bridal party, scripture passages to be read, the music guests will hear and the order of your ceremony. Most people will understand the ceremony without this step-by-step guide. So instead, why not use this space to show your creativity and personal style?
Tell A Story
Include anecdotes about how you met, how he proposed, quotes from your bridal party and what you hope the future holds for your marriage. Also, take this time to thank your parents for their love and support.
Hand Out Confetti Bags
Print a condensed version of your program on a paper bag. Fill it with confetti or glitter for guests to throw at the bride and groom after the ceremony and seal it with a clothespin.
Share Prayers
Instead of just listing the bridal party, ask each member to provide a special prayer for the bride and groom. I pray that Kate and John will have the strength to choose understanding over pride. I pray the happy couple will always remember the closeness they felt on their wedding day.
With just a little creativity, you can have the wedding you’ve always dreamed of and still include your faithful traditions. Have any ideas of your own? Share them on our Facebook page!
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