As we got married, and knew it wasn’t just us getting married, we dedicated a portion of the wedding to the joining of our families. We each held a flower, and put it together in a vase, which now sits in pride of place in our home.
The minister spoke these words:
Mr S and Mrs K, today you are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other and honour your children as well.
There are children who will also share in this marriage. Safron, Declan, Nancy, Kimi and Mae will now come forward to help us with the family bouquet.
The gathering of this new family will have a deep influence upon them. We realise that in order for the home to be a happy one, it is essential that there be love and understanding between the children and the adults being married.
The stones in the bottom of this vase represent the foundation of your love and friendship.
As you each hold your flowers, they represent your lives to this moment; each with their own individual beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own, and be whole, without the need for anything else. When they are blended together, they represent an entirely new, and exciting relationship. Each flower brings to the mix something that enriches the bouquet.
As you now combine your flowers together, your lives also join together as one family.
Please come forward and put your flower into the vase, symbolising the uniting of the children, bride and groom, into one family, one bouquet.
What a lovely idea, my partner and I have 5 children between us, (2 each from previous relationships and we share the youngest!) and are all too familiar with the discords and harmonies involved 😉 we are getting married this year but I am not sure the civil ceremony will allow for such a personalised section, but I will certainly ask and may shamelessly pinch your idea!!
Good luck! It really was a lovely part of our ceremony, and the kids love telling people about it, it was very special to them!