TLDR; I want to make a special blanket and need help figuring out logistics.
My fiancé and I are planning to incorporate a part of the traditional Cherokee blanket ceremony in our wedding. We are opting for just 1 blanket instead of 2-3 and we want it to be blessed and prayed over by our families. It’s also an outside January wedding so it’ll be perfect for a cold-weather wedding.
(For those unfamiliar, traditionally the bride and groom are each wrapped in a blue blanket, those blankets are removed and replaced with one big white blanket— symbolizing their new happy life together. The officiant blesses them and then the couple has their first kiss in the blanket.)
I have had several ideas:
- My initial plan was to ask guests to send back a scrap of fabric (any fabric) with their RSVP. I will make these into a quilt. Concerns: I will not get them back on time, people won’t participate, no color coordination on the quilt.
- Send a fabric piece with the invitations. Ask guests to write a blessing on it and send it back. Concerns: I won’t get them back in time, people won’t participate
2a. I could embroider these messages and have them on the part of the quilt facing our skin so the outside still looks cohesive.
2b. I could tuck these blessings inside the quilt so you can’t see them but we know they’re there. (We would scan them to reflect on later.)
- We could use a plain quilt in the ceremony and have people sign it after the fact. Concerns: won’t be blessed by our families before the ceremony, can’t cleanly embroider on a premade quilt, don’t like look of marker on fabric/will wash away over time
Any suggestions? What makes the most sense and still retains the right amount of “special?”
