Wedding Blessings // Old School Traditions From the Past Used in Modern Day Weddings. [Part One] - The Inspiration

The Story //

It all started when Dina wanted to trace some roots and visit her father's homeland, Greece.  We meet second cousins and were treated like royalty with newfound family from around the world.  We then explored the Greek islands, one of those being Naxos.  On Naxos, driving around the coast and near towering windmills, we stumbled upon the Temple of Demeter.  This temple had fragrant bushes lining the walk and inspired Dina to create the Wedding Blessings Collection.  

The Inspiration // 

Dina Sanchez, owner of Creative Flowers Inc.| Petal and Bean (and my wife) tells the story of her inspiration for wanting to create a collection of products that will complement and enhance your wedding day.  We call that collection the Wedding Blessings.  Here's what Dina says about her desire to collect these products for couples to enjoy on their wedding day.

Dina says, "I cherish the customs  and traditions from my family's Greek culture.  These rituals are a part of a family and its history.  For many, this is what binds families together. Over the years as a professional wedding florist we have provided decor for hundreds of weddings, and at these weddings I noticed a trend of weddings getting sort of generic.  With today's melting pot  of culture, style and fashion, I encourage you to look at both your family's roots and find a tradition from the past to use for your wedding."

The Pillow //

We started this collection with one of the most important traditions in the ceremony.  The ring pillow.  But, a little backstory first.   The history of the Ring Pillow goes back to ancient Egyptian weddings, with some blogs saying "they hark from ancient Egypt, where precious gems were presented on pillows. Some say it comes from the presentation of a coronation crown upon a pillow, leading others to present their most precious gifts, their wedding rings, upon a pillow also."

So, basically, it's the sparklies, the jewels, the bling that were displayed on elaborate ornamental pillows during the wedding.   We think a modern, clean and simple solution is to have your wedding rings placed upon our handmade ring pillows.  We use an eco-friendly dupioni silk filled with dried herbs that were traditionally used in weddings by the Romans, Greeks and pagans.

The Herbs // 

Lavender was used in ceremonies as a sign of purity, devotion and happiness.  Rosemary was used for remembrance, and Thyme  for courage and strength, rose beauty and grace.  Each pillow comes with a list of the herbs, their meanings and a complimentary "blessing of the ring" reading.

Check back for more blogs on different rituals, history and wedding culture from across the globe. I hope to inspire you and help create some fun memories, while honoring our families and their backgrounds.  We all come from somewhere, right?  What's your family's favorite wedding tradition?  If you plan to include an ethnic tradition at your wedding, please share your story with us.  And if you already had your wedding and did something fun like this, please send us some photos and we'll put them up on the blog!  

>> Click here to purchase this pillow on our online store  and see it on Pinterest here