Wedding Blessing Ribbons

Photo by Chattman Photography

One of my favorite parts of our wedding ceremony cost almost nothing, and I wasn't even there to see it happen.  An idea that arose as we began crafting our ceremony, we invited our gathered friends and family to share their pearls of wisdom or words of blessing for our marriage on wedding blessing ribbons.

Using colored markers and white satin ribbons cut to about 18 inches long, we asked two dear friends to oversee the table where guests wrote their blessings before the ceremony began.  Then, using mini-clothespins, each person hung their ribbon from the line on either side of our wedding arch.

Photo by Chattman Photography

It was a great DIY wedding activity in practical terms, giving folks a way to connect and be engaged as they waited for the ceremony to begin.  Also, we didn't want our wedding to feel like we were "on stage" so we loved that the blessing ribbons brought our guests into the sacred ceremonial space and in fact, involved them in creating it. 

As we made our entrance and took our place at the front, the love from both the guests and the ribbons surrounding us was palpable.  And when the ceremony began, so did the wind.  As great refreshing gusts swept across the field, the ribbons fluttered like prayer flags scattering blessings amongst us all.  

Photos by Dara Magagnoli

After the ceremony the ribbons were gathered up and relocated to the reception tent where guests could read them.  We felt their beneficent energy presiding over the rest of the evening.  Now, as we prepare to move into our first house, I'm planning to hang our precious wedding ribbons there...someplace where the wind can blow their blessings into our home, and into the whole world.