Happy Wedding Day! (read with a British accent)

The Holmes family, from my father's mother's side, came from England. At first I wasn't even going to check out English wedding customs because I thought, seriously, how much more different can they be from American? However, interestingly enough, there are some unique differences.

For example, the reading the banns. This is a legal requirement in England. It's where the intention to marry is announced in your church at least three times in the weeks prior to the wedding. The word "banns" means "so summon." It was originally done for the purpose of discovering if there was any legal reason why the couple shouldn't wed, but it's also a time of announcing the wedding to everyone so they can attend. The reading of the banns needs to take place in both the bride's and groom's church (if they attend different churches).

Interestingly, RSVP cards are not included with invitations. Guests buy and send their own. Prior to the wedding the bride and groom have stag and hen parties verses bachelor and bachelorette events.

For the wedding to be legal, the time is also important. You must marry between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. The most common time is a noon. Bells ring as the couple enters the church, but a different bell tune plays as they leave for good luck.

The bride wears a horseshoe hanging from her wrist for good luck. In the processional, the bridesmaids follow the bride in to carry her train. By the way, the bride pays for all the bridesmaid dresses in the wedding, which may lead to smaller wedding parties ... and younger wedding parties, which is why you often seen children as bridesmaids in British weddings. The groom usually wears a business suit. He most often does not watch his bride walk down the aisle, but rather faces forward.

Female guests typically wear hats at a British wedding ... like being at the Kentucky Derby.

After the wedding a "care cloth" or bridal canopy is held over the newly married couple, like a huppah. It keeps away evil spirits but also conceals the bride's blushing (kind of like the blusher veil). In some areas of England, as couples leave the church they walk over something that symbolizes their husband's occupation. For example, we would have walked over newspapers. I guess Rob and Ayla would walk over food crumbs and Tone and Kayla over NFL ticket stubs.

Tin cans are often tied to the bumper of the couple's car as a prank.

The post-wedding dinner is sometimes only for close family and close friends. A reception is held later for everyone else to include the dancing.

The tiered wedding cake is usually fruit cake. While that means it could probably last without being frozen for that first anniversary, Brits save that top tier for their first baby's christening instead.

So there you go. Happy Wedding Day!

Discussion: Are any of these wedding traditions of interest to you? Are their any that are particularly odd to you?

Prayer: Father, we are always amazed at the different traditions for weddings around the world. Thank you for all the different things we've learned and the unique stories behind them. In Jesus, Amen.

Shelter of the Almighty

In the Jewish faith, wedding couples get married under a chuppah (pronounced hoo-pah), a canopy made with a tapestry atop four poles. The word itself means "cover." Tradition said, when a boy was born to plant a cedar tree and when a girl was born to plant a pine tree. When the two married, the trees where cut down and a chuppah made from the two. It symbolizes the bride coming into the groom's home. It was essential in the Jewish ceremony because marrying under it sealed the union that began with a betrothal. It's referred to in Joel 2:16, which says, "Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her canopy" (chuppah) and in Psalm 19:5, "which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy." In ancient times, it was the room where the marriage was consummated, but later just became the arch under which they were married.


This chuppah tradition has evolved into a wedding arch for Christian weddings. They can be made of wrought iron, wood, bamboo or plastic. Typically used in outdoor weddings, they are usually decorated with items found in the marital setting, like vines at a vineyard, seashells at the beach, flowers in a garden and branches in the woods and sometimes have flowing fabrics interwoven. The arch can be a focal point and set the mood of the ceremony. It doesn't overshadow the bride and groom, but rather romantically frames them. It can also provide them with a little shade at a sunny ceremony.

Rob and Ayla have chosen to get married under a wedding arch. Just recently Ayla texted a picture of the arch your friend Lindy is making as a gift to you both for the wedding. It will be a lovely setting and backdrop for the two of you to exchange your vows and will certainly add to the ambiance of your deck top wedding on the Manatee River. I personally look forward to seeing you both along with Daddy, standing beneath it.

While the Jewish chuppah is about a husband providing shelter for his new wife, you both will eternally reside in the shelter of our Father. I like to think of the arch as a shelter of the Almighty as described in Psalm 91:1 "You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.'" In Revelation 7:15, Christ talks about God spreading His tent over us. And Christ himself "covered" our sins. God is our Strong Tower, our Refuge and our Fortress. Psalm 27:5 says, "For He will hide me in his shelter, in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of his tent; He will set me high on a rock.'" It's a place of protection and trust.

Next fall, you will stand beneath an arch to recite vows and you will also be searching for an actual shelter that you will share together as husband and wife after the wedding. We pray both will provide you with a sense of protection and trust in our Father ... one symbolically and one actually. 


Discussion: What do you think of the tradition of the chuppah? Have you talked about what kind of home you will have together? How does a home give you a sense of protection and trust? Do you feel that from the Lord?

Prayer: Lord, may our homes be a place where we feel safe and loved. We thank you for being our Shelter, especially in times of trial. We praise Your name always. In Jesus, Amen.