Tree Planting Ceremony

Many bridal couples utilize special ceremonies to symbolize the joining of their two lives into one. Popular ceremonies include sand or other pourable materials such as water, rice, beans, etc. Ceremonies where materials are transferred from two containers into one, rope ceremonies where couples are literally bound together, and unity candle ceremonies where the light from two separate candles are taken and used to light one larger center candle.

Today there is a new symbolic ceremony making the wedding rounds, this time with an environmental benefit, a tree planting ceremony.

A ceremony loosely based on the Scandinavian tradition of planting an evergreen near the front door of the bridal couple's home as an investment in life and where the longevity of the evergreen was thought to give strength to the marriage and symbolize its own longevity.

Today that tradition has evolved to a ceremony where the couple themselves plant a tree, usually during or directly after an outdoor ceremony, to symbolize the putting down of roots, and the care and attention a sapling requires, just like a marriage, before it can grow and flourish.

To integrate this special symbolism into the rest of the day's festivities, a tree can be the graphic of choice on all wedding stationery, and favor boxes, and bonsai trees instead of flowers can be used as interesting centerpieces.

Other interesting ideas that incorporate the tree planting ceremony into the theme and decor of your wedding include, using a gobo light graphic of a tree as a dance floor centerpiece or wall art. Use a tree inspired color scheme that includes plenty of different shades of green and brown (or autumn colors for a fall wedding), and the use of seeds or saplings themselves as favors to guests so that they too might plant a tree to symbolize longevity in their own lives.

Joining ceremonies are meant to symbolize the creation of one life from two separate entities, planting a tree, symbolizes that through it's visual joining of the earth and the tree, but more than that, a tree planting ceremony also symbolizes the support the tree needs in order to grow from water and the sun, which symbolize your friends and family in attendance.

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