We love seeing the many ways that Catholic couples honor Mary in the details of their wedding planning. She holds a special role in many of our lives. Through Mary’s intercession, we pray that her perfect example guides each of us to build holy families of our own and to be faithful in always doing what Christ tells us. Below are a handful of our favorite ideas that we’ve seen at real weddings:

Rosary Wrapped on Your Bouquet

Wrapping a rosary around the bride’s bouquet is one of our favorite traditions. Whether it is a rosary that has been passed down as an heirloom throughout your family, your current favorite, a gift from your fiance, or a special one you purchase for married life, this ensures you have the spiritual protection of Our Lady with you throughout the whole day.

Sewing a Scapular into your Dress

If you have a strong scapular devotion, but don’t want to wear your current scapular which may be well-loved from longtime wear, consider sewing a scapular into the inside of the wedding dress. It’s a hidden way to continue the devotion!

Flowers to Mary

During the nuptial mass, bring a bouquet of flowers to Mary’s altar. The bride and groom pray beside Mary asking her to present these petitions to her Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Don’t forget Joseph — bringing a flower to St. Joseph is a great way to honor the holy family as a whole.

The Lazo Tradition

Many Catholic cultures incorporate additional traditions such as the Lazo, which is especially common at Hispanic and Filipino weddings. This large ceremonial rosary placed over the couple, symbolically binding the two.

Flower Bouquets with Marian Symbols

Incorporate florals associated with Mary into the bouquets and boutonnières — such as roses or lilies – which are a more subtle way to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary within the wedding day.

A Palette of Marian Blue

Your something blue could be choosing a blue as a wedding color. Weave it throughout the attire and decor. Bridesmaids dresses, ribbons wrapped around the bouquets, groomsmen suits or ties, reception venue napkins, centerpieces, and more. Have fun being creative!

Deck out your “Mary” Men

Attach a miraculous medal to the boutonnières or have the groomsmen wear Marian blue socks from Sock Religious. They’re great conversation starters and make a great gift to thank the groomsmen for being in your wedding party.

Invitation Imagery

Set a reverent tone with your save the dates, invitations, or mass program by integrating Marian symbols, such as the Auspice Maria or the Immaculate Heart. Especially if your wedding is on a specific Marian feast day or within a month under her patronage (May, August, October). The invitation suite is often used as the background to detail photos of your wedding rings, so this gives you an additional place where it can live on into your wedding album.

Sealed with Faith

Send your a wedding invitation sealed with a wax stamp for an elegant touch. You can find Marian-themed ones that catholic shops like Pieta Paperie provide.

Prayer Cards as Favors

Creating holy family prayer cards as wedding favors offers guests a memento that encourages reflection and prayer for your marriage long after the wedding festivities have ended.

Veil Embroidery

Add details to your veil that symbolically represent Mary. One of our past bride’s embroidered the Auspice Maria symbol into her veil. Another idea we’ve seen is a different bride who created her own veil by adding 59 lace scallops to the trim, representing the beads of a rosary, which looks particularly wonderful on a chapel or cathedral length veil.

Pray with your wedding party

Invite your bridesmaids and groomsmen to join you in prayer throughout the whole process. Whether that is doing a rosary novena leading up to the big day or gathering together the wedding morning for a decade. You’ll find a deep peace being surrounded by prayer.

Create a Keepsake Rosary

After the wedding, preserve the flowers from your wedding into craft a keepsake rosary like those offered from Mary’s Bouquet. We love how this gives you a tangible reminder of your wedding day that you can bring use to pray with in your every day life.

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As you can see – there are lots of creative ways to include Our Lady in the wedding details. Let us know your favorite in the comments or share other ideas you’ve seen at weddings!