Christian weddings; Finding inspiration for your wedding ceremony as a Christian couple.
Oh, happy day! You are engaged! Perhaps you have been praying that the right person has come along. And now, that time has come. The adventure of planning for your wedding day. Wedding inspiration comes in many ways and many styles. For couples raised in or following a faith-based lifestyle, it is essential to begin your lives together as man and wife, celebrating that common thread. A Christian wedding ceremony can be very traditional and classic, with wedding vows selected by the bride and groom according to the tenants of your faith. Christian marriage is more than a contract; it’s a covenant relationship. For this reason, we see symbols of the covenant God made with Abraham in many of today’s Christian wedding traditions. The still-practiced Jewish custom of commencing the wedding with the writing of a marriage contract can be traced back to the first century BC. https://www.learnreligions.com/christian-wedding-traditions-701948
As with most weddings, the preliminary decision will probably be centered around the wedding date and location.
As a Christian ceremony, do you plan on getting married in a church or other wedding venue? There are advantages to both. I was raised in a tiny family and community church. It was pretty small and limited as to space for a reception. The advantage of getting married in our church was, of course, my upbringing in that structure; two, it was free for us to use. But I digress. That was a long time ago, and times and trends have changed significantly. Let’s focus more on what a couple might choose to add to their Christian wedding to make it their own. The pros and cons of having a church wedding will be a good place to continue another blog.
What should a Christian wedding ceremony include?
Wedding Decor and Theme for the Event.
- Signage with verses from Scripture. Corinthians 13 is considered by many to be the Love chapter in the Bible. The trend to use signs, wooden or another material, is still used in the wedding landscape. Even if it weren’t trending, it’s okay to do what you want to do and use it for your wedding as the bride and groom.
- The Strand of Three Cords. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” The Cord of Three Strands represents God, the groom, and the bride – braiding these three strands symbolizes the joining of one man, one woman, and God in marriage. It’s a perfect outside representation of the inside commitment you are making to one another.
- Foot-washing. The foot-washing wedding ceremony is a Christian tradition wherein a couple washes each other’s feet. The act is based on a story with Jesus and His disciples, symbolizing humility, loyalty, and love. This can be done, with the assistance of the minister, or parents, within the ceremony itself.
- Anointed with OIl and prayer. This may be more specific to certain faiths than others, but having prayer at the end of a Christian wedding ceremony is very traditional. Incorporating an anointment of oil with “hands” being laid on the couple during the prayer by family is very unique and spiritual.
- The Unity Cross. This signifies the wedding covenant. It is a lasting reminder of the Bride and Groom coming together with their faith in Christ, beginning their Life long Journey as One. The bold outer cross represents the Groom. He is the Strength and cover for his family and home, yet without his Bride, incomplete. The intricate inner cross represents the Bride. Beautiful and multi-faceted, she brings her creative abilities and wisdom. The couple brings their hearts and faith in Christ together, joining their pieces of the Unity Cross and demonstrating their commitment to each other. Thus completing the sculpture… And The Two Shall Become One. https://lifefamilyjoy.com/unity-cross
- A Tree. As oddly as it may seem, using a tree with which to create a wedding ceremony altar or location, is very symbolic of faith and strength. A tree symbolizes strength, flexibility, resilience, and a strong foundation. It has also been noted that the leaves and flowing branches of a tree represent femininity and the trunk represents masculinity. There are so many scriptural references to trees in the Bible. One of my favorites is; “He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does no fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8
- The Holy Bible. A sweet trend that I have noticed is the use of a Bible, either instead of a guest book or placed where the guest book is located. Those who choose to participate are provided with highlighters and asked to highlight their favorite scripture in the Bible. If used as a guest book, the names of those who highlighted verses should be directed to print their name by their favorite verse. The Bible can be used as the Family Bible by the couple as they begin their lives together.
Of course, as with any wedding, there should be a great deal of personalization based on what is meaningful and symbolic of the couple’s journey together. Family traditions, should, of course, be taken into consideration. Each bride and groom will have unique tenants of their respective faith. They will want to incorporate some of those into planning their wedding ceremony. As with any wedding theme, make it your own, and enjoy the adventure of planning!
Inspiration for Christian Weddings
