Reverend Robert Kroll
Weddings ~ Baptisms ~ Memorials
Four Suggestions How to Include Children in your Wedding ceremony.
(These suggestions can also be used when you want to incorporate additional family members into your ceremony.)
1. Include your children by mentioning their names.
A simple way to include children in your wedding ceremony is to mention their names. At a certain part of the ceremony, usually at the end, the minister would say something like this, "At this time the bride and groom would like to acknowledge their three children, _______________, _____________ and ___________. Bride and groom want you to know that you are very special to them and that they love you very very much. They also appreciate your love and support throughout this special time of celebration". Feel free to modify the acknowledgement as much as you like.
2. Include your children with the Gift of a Rose.
The way this works is that after the exchange of wedding rings you give a gift of a rose to each of your children. It would go something like this:
"Not only are Bride and Groom creating a marriage today, but they also are forming a family with their four children: (I then name each child) . Just as Bride and Groom have given each other a gift they also wish to show their children how much they love them with the gift of a rose."
You then take one rose at a time (each individually wrapped) and give it to each child one by one. Make sure that you both are holding the rose together as you give it to your children. You give each child a rose, a hug, a kiss and a soft "I love you". Make sure the roses are nearby.
This also works well when using a hawaiian lei. Instead of giving your children a rose you would place a lei around their neck.
3. Include your children with the Gift of a Bracelet.
I would say something like: "Not only are Bride and Groom creating a marriage today, but they also are forming a family with their four children: (I then name each child) . Bride and Groom have gifts for their children - as their wedding rings symbolize a reminder of how their love encircles them - these bracelets are a reminder to (I name each one) that they are also encircled in a communion of divine love as a member of this family." You them give them each their bracelet, hug, a kiss and a soft "I love you".
4. Include your Children in Sand Ceremony.
A sand ceremony symbolizes the union of two people. In a sand ceremony the bride and groom each pour colored sand from two clear containers into a center clear container. Usually the bride and groom pour a different colored sand. The sand ceremony is becoming more and more popular and it also makes a great keepsake.
If you have children, consider including them in a sand ceremony which would symbolize the union of your entire family by having each child pour a different colored sand into the center clear container. You would need to obtain one large vessel, two smaller vessels for the bride and groom plus one additional vessel for each child and a different colored sand for each person. The sand ceremony would take place after the exchange of wedding rings. It would go something like this:
"Bride and Groom, today you are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. Your relationship will now be symbolized through the pouring of these individual containers of sand; one representing you (Bride), and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, one representing you (Groom), and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.
There are also 4 children who will also share in this marriage. They are; (I then name each one). Each one of them will also pour an individual container of sand. The gathering of this new family is very emotional and important. The separate containers of sand represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique. As you now combine your sand together, your lives also join together as one family.
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage and your family be. You may now blend the sand together symbolizing the unity of this family".
At that point each of your children grab a container and pour their sand together into the center clear container. After they are done, the Bride and Groom pour their sand. Make sure to have a cover or a lid for the center container of sand and to assign someone to take care of it for you after the ceremony.