The Christian gospels talk about hosts of angels during this season, who sang, "Peace on Earth! And goodwill toward all." If you've chosen a holiday wedding, you might want to take this as your wedding theme. (trust me, the Pirates of the Caribbean is so over!) The world truly doesn't need anything more than Peace.
If Peace is a passion of yours, one lovely thing you could do with your community is to create a Peace Tree as part of your wedding rehearsal dinner. It would have to be a more casual dinner, because the diners would need to be dressed to go outside in the cold. High heels and hose are out! But sometimes a relaxed and casual dinner is an amazing antidote to the stress of the wedding planning. And it can also give you a great opportunity to really talk to friends. So have your venue serve up a big pot of stew or fondue and hang out with the people you haven't seen for too long and meet the ones you've never met.
Preparation: You can do this at the rehearsal dinner, but it might have greater impact if before the dinner, you asked the people coming to the rehearsal dinner to make 5 wishes for peace in their world. (You could send them 5 blank cards with their invitation.) Explain that in your lives as individuals and in your marriage that you are committed to peacemaking. Because your marriage and their presence at your wedding ceremony and reception are changing your life so dramatically, you wanted to change the world in a small but purposeful way.
Props:
- An outdoor tree in a somewhat public place (find out if you need a permit!)
- Biodegradable twine precut to tie wishes to trees
- A punch (to be used inside with warm fingers) to create holes for ties
- Wishes written on paper
- Candles for each person so you can pass the light when tree is tied & holders
- Matches!
- Step stool? (It might be a good idea if the bride and groom were not the ones climbing on the step stool. This is not the time for broken legs!)
Options:
- Thermoses of hot drinks
- Bonfire
- Song Leader?
Bundle up, go outside together and tie on the peace wishes. Dedicate the tree to Peace. Light the candles. People may want to talk or sing or share a wish for Peace.
Then pour back inside and eat something fabulous and warm up. Wander off to bed to get ready to make your wedding vows tomorrow, in which you might just want to dedicate yourselves and your marriage toward Peace. Then in your marriage, find ways to be a peacemaker in your lives and in the world at large. The dedication to something larger will give your marriage meaning and keep it growing. The dedication toward peace in your home and your hearts will keep you finding new ways to be in healthy relationship together. That's gotta help in your quest for a lifelong marriage!
Bottom Line?: Give your relationship the chance it deserves to succeed wildly, against all odds! After all, you deserve it. Your relationship deserves it! And now I'd like to invite you to sign up to receive 2 free templates for creating the wedding ceremony of your dreams, the wedding vows of your heart and the marriage of a lifetime: http://annkeelerevans.org/weddings/free
The Rev. Ann Keeler Evans - helping you move from "I do" to happily and healthily ever after!
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