You have a big transition coming up. As exciting as it is to get married and begin a new stage of life, it’s also scary. Your kids from your previous marriage have to get used to you marrying someone else. And you can use some blended family wedding ceremony ideas.
So, to make that transition as smooth as possible, explore our list and find the ones that are perfect for your wedding. We’ve curated a list of 14 ideas to decrease your stress and give you the tools to plan a beautiful day you will remember for the rest of your life.
Here are 14 ways that you can involve your family in your big day. From a unity ritual to making time for your kids, we have provided you with lots of different ideas to create the perfect day. Many of these ideas can be used together, but that doesn’t mean you have to use them all.
Instead, identify your boundaries and what feels right to you. As long as connect with your kids as much as you connect with your future spouse, you’re going to create a long-lasting beautiful blended family.
This post is all about blended family wedding ceremony ideas.
BLENDED FAMILY WEDDING CEREMONY IDEAS:
1. Purchase a unity candle for a special unity ceremony
Unity candles give you a chance to symbolically bring your family members together through a symbolic, special moment.
While it’s more intimate because it typically only involves the couple that is bringing together both families, it’s still a beautiful representation of your families coming together. Plus, you can keep that candle for years to come.
When dealing with big life transitions, especially related to a blended family wedding, it can be important to use a ritual to make the transition feel real.
In other words, something symbolic yet meaningful like a unity candle can not only initiate a new stage of your lives together but also serve as a reminder of unity going forward.
2. Involve your children on the day of the wedding
When you think of blended family wedding ceremony ideas, you probably assume you have to go big or go home. Maybe you’re making lists of rituals that you can do to make the special day feel hopeful and loving to everyone involved.
However, you can achieve this without making special plans throughout the ceremony to involve your family. Sometimes, it’s as simple as asking for your kids to help on your big day. Get them to plan out specific details and provide them with small responsibilities.
While this wedding day serves as a reminder that you’re moving on from your previous relationship, you can remind your children that you’re not moving on from them by involving the entire family throughout the day.
3. Make sure you have enough time to spend with your children
Your day is for you and your new spouse. But, when you are bringing two families together, you also have to include them in your special day. That means setting aside time to really be with your kids on the day of the wedding and the days surrounding the wedding.
Let them know that you’re listening and present, since they may worry about their role in your new family and life.
Be sure to prioritize time with your spouse as a married couple. But, you can also use this time to let your kids know that they’re still part of your life by giving them space and time to process the next stage of life with you.
4. Ask your kids to help you cut the wedding cake
Admittedly, cutting the cake is a major moment that you may not want to share. That’s okay, and it’s important to identify if that’s where you are right now. However, if you’re comfortable with sharing that moment, then make it a family affair.
For some families, this may be way more complicated than it’s worth, especially if there are lots of people who are a part of the new blended family.
And, yet, if you can pull it off and it feels right, then all of those hands on the cake cutter can bring together your families in a picture-perfect moment.
5. Make your kids part of the vows
Just like with all blended families, the hardest part about coming together for family weddings is that you have to negotiate how much you involve your young children and older children. It’s difficult to balance your partner with your kids.
Involving your kids in your vows is no different. When you’re looking for blended family wedding ceremony ideas, it can be hard to know what feels right and what feels like your boundaries are being tested. Just know that whatever feels good to you is okay.
You’re allowed to want your sacred vows to be between just you and your spouse and about your love. However, if you want to reference your kids and speak to their roles in this new family, that can be a beautiful way to symbolically bring your families together.
6. Start new family traditions during the wedding ceremony
There’s no better time to start new traditions than during a wedding. Some of the best traditions originate from complete accidents. But, they can also come from intense meaning.
In other words, you can plan new traditions that you will do for the first time during your wedding that bring together traditions you already do.
Blending traditions to make new, meaningful traditions can be a great way to make kids excited about the future when they’re struggling with what that will look like. So much of the stress that kids go through when their parents remarry is the stress of the unfamiliar.
We all like what we know. So, that’s why it’s a great idea to bring something families, like a piece of a tradition, with you into the next stage of your life as a family.
7. Let your kids put in the final puzzle piece of your special puzzle
Another ritual that can also serve as a reminder is a puzzle. You can order one that is personalized to you and your family. During the ceremony, you can take time to put the pieces in and ask for help from your kids.
This symbolic act can unify just through the act of involving your kids in the ceremony. Your kids working with your spouse’s children will already start to unite.
Then, once the puzzle is complete, you can display it in your home as a reminder of the unity you all share as members of this blended family.
8. Invite your kids to make speeches at the wedding reception
While speeches can often be the most time-consuming part of a wedding, they can also be the most memorable. If your children are old enough and feel comfortable, then give them the chance to make a speech.
Not only does this involve them with the day, but it also gives them the chance to get emotionally involved in the formation of your new family together.
You never realize how sweet and loving the people in your life are until you let them take the time to give you a speech as a meaningful part of the ceremony on your special day.
9. Involve your children in the first dance
The first dance is traditionally for the couple getting married. However, it doesn’t need to start or end this way. Instead, you can change it to fit your growing family.
So, rather than starting and ending the dance with just you and your partner, you can invite your children to come up with you. Give you and your partner a few minutes together. Then, ask the children to join you.
This can be the most moving experience of your wedding since you are sharing an intimate, touching moment with the people who matter most. Plus, it’s a fun way to customize the traditional wedding and personalize it to the needs of you and your partner.
10. Ask your kids to help you with the planning process
Planning a wedding can be stressful. It can be more stressful if you have too many people involved with opinions on everything. However, if you get your kids involved, it gives them a sense of responsibility.
Oftentimes, children will rise to that level and love the idea of helping you plan the beautiful day you and your future spouse deserve. So, give your children tasks and ask their opinions.
It’s always important to check in and make sure they feel comfortable while communicating that you want their input. Whether you ask your kids to pick out color schemes, flowers, or the perfect venue, they are sure to love every second simply because you trust them with it.
11. Consider making space for family wedding vows
Wedding vows can mean different things to different couples. For some, it’s the most sacred part of a ceremony. For others, it’s just words. So, decide with your partner how deeply your vows matter to one another and how much you want to involve your family in them.
Bringing your family into your own vows can be incredibly meaningful but only if everyone feels comfortable with that. It will be hard to balance involving your children and blending your families effectively with valuing your relationship as a newly married couple.
However, with the tools we’ve discussed and careful discussion with your partner, you can figure out those boundaries with ease and comfort.
12. Ask for your kids’ help during the exchange of rings
The most common position for children, especially younger kids, in wedding ceremonies is likely during the exchange of rings. Whether you have adult children or young children, you can involve them in the process of completing the ceremony and sliding the rings on your fingers.
It can be a wonderful way to remind your children that they will forever be part of your life and become a part of a new blended family between you and your new partner.
When your kids participate in your exchange of rings, it can serve as a beautiful bonding moment between you, your children, your spouse’s children, and your spouse.
Something about involving your children in this special occasion shows the unconditional love that you have for them and always will.
13. Plan a sand ceremony with different colored sand
Add an activity to your ceremony to involve your family without compromising on the smaller, more intimate moments between you and your spouse.
An activity, like pouring different colored sands into a vase, can involve everyone who will be a part of the new family without interfering with other parts of the ceremony you may want to keep between you and your spouse.
Sand is particularly fun because you can have a little fun and get creative with it.
Give your kids small vials or containers of the same color of sand and let them pour it in when it feels right. This not only symbolizes the unity between your families but also the love between you and your spouse coming together.
14. Introduce your children into the wedding party
Bring your children into the wedding party. Maybe they’re bridesmaids, groomsmen, ringer-bearers, or flower girls. You may have a few junior bridesmaids, which can enrich your wedding all the more.
However, it’s always a good idea to consider what type of ceremony you want to have and how the age of your children affects that.
Regardless, if you want a fun, easy way to involve your children in your ceremony, the best way may be for them to be ring bearers or a flower girl. Maybe you have them get more involved, depending on their age and how excited they are to plan details like your bridal shower.
