Introducing New Traditions For Modern Families

More and more couples are meeting later in life, and not walking down the aisle until they are well into their thirties or forties.  Some of these are first time brides and grooms.  However, in other cases, these are individuals who are looking for love a second time, which means that ceremonies often involve children – his, hers, or theirs.  For some that might mean that there has been divorce, for others tragedy.  Regardless, it becomes necessary to make the children feel involved in the special joining of two people, and multiple hearts.

In the news recently, there was a story that was extremely touching, and it was an excellent reminder of how important it is for the children to be welcomed into the family, just as bride and groom.

The story was that of a little girl whose mother was preparing to wed.  Dressed in her best, the child looked on as the bride and groom said their I Dos, but she wasn’t aware that the ceremony wasn’t over just because they had shared their first kiss as a married couple.  Her new step father broke the kiss, smiled at his new wife and walked toward the little girl.  It was time for him to propose all over again, and that he did.  Except, this time, he was asking the gorgeous little lady to be his daughter.  With tears in her eyes and a smile on her face, she agreed and the two shared a hug.  This was the perfect example of how children can be included in the special day in a way that will never be forgotten.

This wasn’t the only story of this kind.  In another, a four year old child had lost her mom some time before, but, as most of us realize, the loss of those we love never truly heals.  When her father decided to take a new bride, the little girl was happy to be present for the celebration, but her dad knew that he had to do something special to make her feel even better about the ceremony, so he had her mother’s wedding gown reconfigured to fit her small frame.  The dress, and the pictures that followed will undoubtedly have great meaning for her for many, many years to come.