Personal/Family Traditions

My great great grandmother got married in a set of garnet jewelry in pre-WW2 Germany. My grandmother had the bracelet from that set of jewelry, and it was worn by my great grandmother, my grandmother, and my mother when they got married and now it's my turn!

I will be carrying my grandmother's cross from when she was 18. All the grandkids wanted it but she gave it to 27 yrs ago

My bouquet will have pictures of the past 4 generations of brides in the family. Also wearing my great grandmothers jewelry.

I've had a lot of couples wear heirloom jewelry, carry family bibles and even use family glassware/cake sets. One of my couples used two of their grandmas' gravy boats to pour their sand ceremony, which I though was incredibly sweet.

If you decide to include something like that, ask your officiant to mention it in the ceremony. A wedding is never an isolated point in time,but a point on a continuum of two families and I like to mention that.

The funniest one (I'm not sure I'm on board with it, but it was hilarious) was a group of grandmas, aunts and moms doing a singing skit, in costume that they apparently do (to great acclaim) at every family gathering, lol!

I, too, will use the same cake serving knife that my parents. My mom asked if I would and of course I said yes.

My mom's side of the family is Italian and they have a tradition of thanking each table by bringing around a plate of Italian cookies. My mother did it along with all of her sisters, my grandmother did it and so did all of her sisters, so now it's my turn. It's actually a really nice way to go around and greet/thank everyone.

I will be getting married on the half hour, as my mom's side of the family follows the tradition that that will bring good luck since the clock hands will be on the upswing.

We have an extended family tradition that at weddings where either the bride or groom is marrying a non-New Zealander (I'm a Kiwi), the women of my family will sing a traditional New Zealand waiata (song) called Pokarekare Ana. It's a song about a woman who swam over a lake to reach her lover - their families had forbidden them to meet, so she swam to him in the darkness and of course when they were discovered together in the morning, they were permitted to marry. it's a beautiful song.

My immediate family has another song tradition (can you pick that we're musicians?!) where a setting of the Irish Blessing ("May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your face, may the rains fall soft upon your fields, and until we meet again may God hold you in the palm of his hand") is sung at the ceremony by an unaccompanied vocal quartet - my brother, sister and I have all included it, although funnily enough there has been a different makeup to the quartet for each of us! My Dad has been a part of all three of them though, and it was very important to me to include it.

We don't have any set family traditions, but my parents eloped and my mother was married in a blue cocktail dress- I'm wearing blue shoes to honor that. Also, my grandmother gave me string of "pearls" before she died, and I just recently found out they are actually beads that have been painted to look like pearls- don't care, still wearing them!

A friend of mine just got married last October (he's the officiant for my wedding) and did a ring warming- their rings were tied together with some ribbon and passed through the guests; every guest got to bless, pray, or impart good vibes over their rings before the bride and groom exchanged them. It was so sweet, and I'm planning on doing that as well. I know this requires a lot of trust in your guests, but I love the idea that FH and I will wear our nearest and dearest's love, prayers, blessings, and good will every day of our lives!

This isn't a family tradition as much as a regional / cultural one (Youngstown, Ohio and Pittsburgh, PA being the main areas that do this). The couple's family and sometimes friends bake dozons and dozons of cookies for the reception. They are displayed on a cookie table and though guests are encouraged to enjoy them during the cocktail hour and reception, the cookies also act as a take home favors for the guests. I remember LIVING for the wedding cookie table when I was a kid. I live in central Ohio now, and most of my friends have never heard of the idea but of course, you mention cookies and everyone jumps to participate! I'm the most excited for the cookie table at our wedding and I couldn't imagine having a wedding without it! Even FH wasn't familiar with the idea but is now as big of a proponent as I am!

ETA: There will be cake, too.

I'm wearing the family necklace first worn by my great great great grandma, that has been worn by all the women on my moms side for their weddings.

We really don't have any wedding traditions in my family, but I will be wearing a headband made out of strips of fabric from my mom's dress and my grandma's dress. We are also doing some photos in a family backyard that has hosted multiple weddings for FH's side of the family (our ceremony is in a church down the road).

My family doesn't really have any traditions (mom is on husband 4 and eloped) and dad and stepmom got married in a rush. My MIL is loaning me a pair of opal Kendra Scott earrings (my engagement ring is opal) to use as my something borrowed, but that's probably the only tradition. I would love to start a new tradition but have no idea what lol

I was going to wear my grandmother's jewellery but ... as a kid our house was broken into and everything was taken.

As for the Hindu side of my family, I am too fidgety to handle four days of wedding celebration lol. I may do a dance for my husband but, the day timeline might be too hectic and I don't want to get more sweaty than I have to lol. Given that my mother is half Indian, half British, I will be doing the British traditions labelled above by another user. My dad is Mezclan and their wedding rituals are kinda out there for me. So, that leaves my fiance, we will be having a tea ceremony since he's Chinese and Vietnamese. I think it would make the in laws happy and I actually am excited to do it, as well!

I had the same song sung during the unity candles that my parents had sung!

I'm trying to incorporate some Ukrainian traditions into the ceremony/reception, including binding our hands, walking out to "mnohaya lita", and having our parents "welcome" us to the reception with bread, salt, and wine. For the British side I also have a sixpence for my shoe.

I'll be wearing his grandmother's ring as my something blue, my grandma's handkerchief for a something old and my wedding band is also FH's grandmother's. I also am using my parents silver serving utensils for the cake.

I'll be using the same cake topper my grandparents and parents used. We'll have pictures on the cake table and maybe have the DJ mention it during the cutting. I can't fit into the dress my grandma and mom wore, but I'll be incorporating some lace in my bouquet.