Weddings are full of traditions that families have held for generations. Brides may walk down the aisle to a particular song or wear the same gown their mother did. Everyone has traditions they look forward to including in their weddings, but what about traditions that may have been lost to time?
Older traditions are often forgotten about for modern ones, but a few are worth keeping around. Coins used to play a big role in weddings, depending on where you were from. Now they can be used to celebrate your heritage and take part in traditions that used to capture people’s hearts.
Check out these wedding coin traditions from around the world. They’re easy to include in your wedding without taking time away from your planning or money from your budget.
photo by Xsperience Photography
Wear a Sixpence
Almost every bride has heard the phrase, “Something borrowed, something blue.” It’s good luck to include each on your wedding day, but where did the phrase come from?
It was once used long ago by brides in Great Britain, although the phrase was a bit different. Brides know to include, “Something borrowed, something blue, and a silver sixpence in their shoe.” The sixpence was typically presented by the bride’s father and kept in the bride’s shoe for her walk down the aisle.
The sixpence symbolized good luck, prosperity and happiness throughout the future of the new marriage. Find a sixpence to keep in your shoe to walk down the aisle with an age-old blessing.
Exchange Commemorative Coins
Over in Ireland, there’s been a long-time tradition of symbolizing shared wealth before the wedding ceremony. Typically done after the first look moment, the bride and groom exchange coins as symbolism, promising to share their wealth and hoping to enjoy prosperity as a result.
Couples can use this tradition today for the same reasons, but make your moment extra special. Skip the pocket change from the bottom of your purse and give each other commemorative coins instead, since they’ll have more meaning than a typical coin. Have fun shopping around at coin shows in the weeks up to your wedding to find a few you love.
Receive a Coin Box
Sometimes parents like to pass down gifts before a wedding, but a Spanish tradition focuses on the godparents. Traditionally, the godparents to the groom present him with thirteen coins, which symbolize them passing on their knowledge regarding how to have a happy marriage and prosper financially.
The groom takes those coins to the wedding ceremony, which he pours into the bride’s hands to share his wealth. She then pours them into a designated box, where they wait until the end of the wedding when they’re brought home by the newly married couple.
photo by Xsperience Photography
Hunt for Coins
Lithuanians also have their wedding coin tradition. Guests bring silver coins to the wedding and hold onto them during the ceremony. At the reception, the bride and groom walk out onto the dance floor and after their first dance, guests shower them in their silver coins.
One of those coins is engraved with their initials, which is the special coin they look for. Everyone jumps onto the dance floor after the coins fall into place and searches for the engraved coin. Whoever finds it wins a dance with either the bride or the groom. The newly married couple keep all the silver coins as a final gift when they leave to go home or start their honeymoon.
Hide Two Coins
Sweden has its own twist on the British tradition of walking down the aisle with a sixpence in your shoe. Instead, the bride is presented with two coins before the ceremony. Her father gives her a silver coin and her mother gives her a gold one. She hides both in her shoes, which symbolizes the unity of her parent’s marriage blessing her own. It’s a sweet gesture for parents or parent figures to make before a wedding, leaving the bride with two mementos just for herself.
Talk With Your Fiance
There are many coin traditions to choose from if you want to incorporate one in your wedding. If you can’t decide, talk about it with your fiance. They may prefer you to have a quiet moment with your parents or give you thirteen coins during the ceremony. Either way, make those coins special and commemorative, so they stand out from the future coins you’ll both collect during your marriage.
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Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Kacey graduated with a degree in Communications while working for a lifestyle magazine. She has been able to fully embrace herself with the knowledge of nature, the power of exploring other locations and cultures, all while portraying her love for the world around her through her visually pleasing, culturally embracing and inspiring posts. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Ruffled, and more!
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