We are honored to share this day with you!

If you are interested to know more about American wedding customs and traditions, we hope this helps.

Specific customs can vary around the United States, but these are some of the most common traditions or some special ones that we will have at our wedding.

Ceremony:

~ Seating is open early and we start right on time. If you come after 1:00pm it is considered rude and you will miss this part of the celebration

~ While the guests are seated, some of the family members will walk down the aisle way to show the two families being honored and united

~ Next, the bridal party will walk down the aisle to show the close community that is supporting the newly weds

~ Then, when the bride comes down the aisle everyone stands up

~ A pastor will talk to the couple about their responsibilities as they begin their holy union before the Lord and others. There will be scriptures from the Bible read to remind and instruct the husband and the wife how to show sacrificial love and care for one another only through the grace of Jesus.

~ After vows (or promises) are exchanged from the couple, the pastor will then congratulate their union and everyone goes to celebrate!

Reception:

~ This is the time of the day where everyone congratulates the newly weds and enjoys food and drinks

~ It’s common to either host desserts or dinner for the guests to celebrate the new union

~ Then when the reception is over, everyone will say goodbye to the couple and send them off

Bouquet Toss:

~ This is a fun tradition at weddings where the bride throws her bouquet of flowers into a group of single women. The idea is that the woman who catches the bouquet will be the next to get married. It's a playful moment and adds excitement to the celebration!

Cutting the cake:

~ This tradition involves the newly married couple taking a knife together and cutting into their wedding cake. This symbolizes the first task accomplished together in harmony

Prayer:

~This is a personal custom to Gabrielle and Nathan as well many other Christians. During the wedding and ceremony, we will take moments to pray together, expressing our gratitude and hopes for our future. It is a special way for us to honor our beliefs and start our marriage together.

Gifts:

~ This is a customary tradition at weddings. Often times guests will either bring a gift of money or an item off of the registry to help the newlyweds start their new lives together

~ If you feel that you want to give a gift of money in a card bringing it to the reception is appropriate

~ People can also purchase a specific item from their registry before the wedding. You can give it to the bride or groom at a party like a wedding shower or on the day of the wedding

~ It is not expected that you give cash and a gift. Just one is fine

*We understand that in some of your cultures you have a custom of bringing money to the wedding and bringing another gift to their home at a later date. We are more than happy to welcome that if you so choose*