Ways to Honor the Marriages Before Yours

Photos by Laudare Photography (left), Michelle Buscemi Photography (middle), and Four Loves Photo & Film

Your wedding day isn’t just the start of your vocation as husband and wife—it’s the merging of two families in love and service. This is the whole reason we have wedding receptions! While the ceremony is primarily about you and your future spouse—the vows you exchange in front of God and your witnesses—the reception is about the people you surround yourself with: the family, friends, and loved ones who will nurture your marriage through prayers and support. This includes the example of influential marriages in your lives from parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends, siblings, cousins, and even the saints. 

Here are five ways you can honor the marriages before yours at your Catholic wedding reception.

Showcase First Dance Songs

This is a new idea that’s catching some traction! 

When collecting your RSVPs, ask your married guests what their first dance song was, and feature it in your reception playlist for the DJ. These can be played during dinner, cocktail hour, or dance floor time if you want a lot of slow songs. Invite guests to get up and dance to their song when they hear it, and display the list of songs with the names of the couples somewhere near the DJ booth. If you have a married couple who didn’t have a first dance song, ask them to pick a song that is meaningful to their relationship. 

This is a beautiful way to have guests reflect on their own wedding days, and celebrate the marriage bond as you celebrate your new lives as man and wife. 

Photos by Four Loves Photo & Film

An Anniversary Dance… In Reverse

Everyone’s heard of the anniversary dance, but have you ever seen it done backwards? 

This is a fun twist on a classic reception game that honors the couples who have been married the longest and gets everyone on to the dance floor. Instead of calling all the married couples out, invite the couple who has been married the longest by name to come dance first, announcing how long they’ve been married, then going down from there. This requires a bit of investigative work on your part, but it’s extremely cute and well worth the research. 

For example, let’s say Grandpa Bill and Grandma Sue have been married the longest at 62 years. Have the DJ (or yourselves!) call them out on the microphone, share a few seconds of a dance, then proceed with couples married at least 55 years, then 45 years, and so on. 

Not only does this honor the marriages who have been together the longest, it also brings all the couples on to the dance floor, with you joining them at the end. Then, the dance floor opens with almost everyone on it! 

Photos by An Endless Pursuit (left and middle) and Laudare Photography (right)

Give Your Bouquet to a Married Couple

Instead of a bouquet toss, consider giving your bouquet to a married couple who has been inspirational for your relationship. This could be grandma and grandpa, mom and dad, or anyone else who has shown the love of Christ through their marriage. You can even have two bouquets reserved for this purpose if you want to save yours or still do the toss, with one going to the bride’s side and one to the groom’s side.

Paired with a little speech about what they mean to you, this has potential to become the most memorable moment of the reception!

Photos by Laudare Photography

Have a Marriage Table Instead of a Memorial Table

A memorial table is a beautiful way to honor the people we await reunion with in Heaven, but if that doesn’t fit your season of life, consider doing a marriage table instead. 

This marriage table could feature the marriages in your lives that have shaped you into the people you are today. Think parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, godparents, or any other mentors or special relationships in your lives. You can even put artwork or portraits of married saints who have been powerful intercessors for you!

Just another beautiful way to honor the marriages that helped you discern for your own vocation.

Photos by Laudare Photography

Feature Married Saints in Table Numbers and Decorations

And of course, we can’t forget about our heavenly community! 

A lot of Catholic couples feature the saints in their reception and wedding decor, but featuring specifically married saints could be a fun way to honor saints who had the same vocation as you. You can even offer prayer cards for the specific saint couple at each table for guests to reflect on afterwards. Here are a few to get your creativity flowing:

• St. Anne and St. Joachim
• St. Zélie and St. Louis
• St. Priscilla and St. Aquila
• St. Zechariah and St. Elizabeth
• Bl. Luigi and Bl. Maria Beltrame Quattrocchi
• Bl. Karl and S.D. Zita of Austria
• St. Gianna and Pietro Molla
• Bl. Franz and Franziska “Fanny” Jägerstätter
• S.D. Chiara and Enrico Petrillo

Photos by Laudare Photography (left and middle) and An Endless Pursuit (right)

Honoring the marriages before yours is a beautiful way to revere the Sacrament of Matrimony, and thank the sacrifices of those around you. And at the end of the day, consecrating your marriage to the Holy Family won’t hurt either!