Select scripture, poetry, or inspirational reading
Read a scripture passage, a blessing, a hymn, or a poem from each faith. Select a common theme – like love – and find inspirational writing from, say, the Bible and the Qur’an to support it. Sharing these commonalities can help bond weddings guests from both sides of the aisle – and the faith.
Set expectations with your wedding planner, officiant, wedding band, etc.
Make sure your wedding planner, emcee, officiant – anyone responsible for elements of your wedding – knows exactly what you want (and don’t want) on your big day. That way, if well-intentioned guests request specific traditions – like the Horah for a Jewish wedding reception – your planner or DJ will know how to handle it. You might be down, or you might decide in advance you want to skip certain religious traditions. Communicate well ahead of time if you’ll have any specific dietary requests – like a kosher menu or a hard-to-find ingredient. Setting expectations will help avoid any potential conflict around interfaith celebrations.
Planning a wedding is no small feat. And adding multiple faiths to the ceremony can be a big challenge. As long as respect for each other’s faith is your foundation, you’re in a good place to start having conversations around how to incorporate both into your ceremony. No matter the religion – everyone can agree that love and family are worth celebrating!
Style Me Pretty Contributor – Madeline Littrell is a corporate PR strategist and freelance writer. Born and raised in the South, she loves big hair, country music, and chicken fingers. Madeline lives in Dallas with her Sheltie puppy, Tennessee.
