For many brides and grooms, their wedding is more than just the day they will get married, it is also a chance to express their religious faith. There are many ways to honor your religion on your wedding day. From the ceremony to the bridesmaid gifts and much more, these are some ways to include expressions of faith in your wedding.



Some of the ways to honor your religious traditions in your wedding actually comes well before the day of your marriage. Certain religions will have mandatory pre-wedding classes, such as the Catholic pre-cana, which are designed to help a couple prepare to make a lifelong commitment to a marriage. Even if they are not required, many churches will offer classes and retreats for engaged couples to help them learn how to build a marriage that honors their religious customs. In addition, a bride and groom-to-be may also wish to schedule private sessions with their officiant to help them select the Biblical verses or blessings from other religious traditions that they would like to include in their wedding ceremony.

For the wedding ceremony itself, the vows and readings that you choose are the perfect opportunity to express your faith and show your respect for your religious customs. A favorite of many Christians is this verse from Corinthians: "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." This, or your personal favorite piece of Scripture, would be a very meaningful message to incorporate into your ceremony. It would also be a very fitting passage to feature on the cover of your wedding programs.

Unity candles are a popular feature of many weddings. During the nuptials, the bride and groom each take one small candle and together light a large candle to represent the union of two into one. The unity candles generally come as a set, and many are available decorated with crosses and religious verses. After the wedding, the candle can be displayed in a special place in your new home.

Jewelry has always been a favorite way to show your faith. Religious jewelry makes a wonderful addition to a wedding. For your bridesmaid gifts, there are some beautiful crosses, Crucifixes, and Star of David pieces available. There is a set of faith based jewelry available to suit any style of wedding. A simple Swarovski crystal cross would make thoughtful bridesmaid gifts that would be lovely with any color bridesmaid dress. There are also pieces created from pearls, silver, and multi-colored crystals, so there is a perfect expression of faith available no matter what your taste.

There are numerous other special expressions of faith that you can include in your wedding. You will find entire websites devoted to items such as ring pillows, toasting flutes, wedding favors, and even place card holders with religious symbols and messages on them. Angels are another very popular expression of faith to include in a wedding. And remember that the best and most important way to show your faith as part of your wedding is to spend the rest of your life honoring the marriage vows that you made that day.