Smudging (blessing to the seven directions)

This seems like it would be up @Elphaba's alley.

@elphaba thank you! That's incredibly helpful. We aren't religious people and I think we are hoping that are ceremony will be more spiritual and earth centered than religious. I do understand the meanings of the four directions and I love the idea of being able to introduce a sacred and spiritual blessing into our ceremony order. We may not have done it before, but I'd love to learn more.

@elphaba -- holy moly! So unique. You look stunning in all of your photos!

While I love ritual and ritual elements, I'm not a fan of putting thing into ceremony with deep cultural significance to other groups of people but none for the couple. It seems kind of touristy, if you know what I mean.

We have done Irish blessings, broom jumps, glass breakings; all kind of things but if the ritual itself as attachment to a particular cultural or ethnic group, I think honestly it borders on insulting to put it in because it's interesting but disconnected.

I'm not trying to be mean, I just personally feel that there is a thin line between hospitality and cultural appropriation for the sake of pagentry.