The Ceremony Rug

*Photo credit Jonathan Frey - our wedding

I find great comfort and beauty in tangible symbols. And I have a feeling I'm not the only one. Many couples look for something to incorporate into their wedding ceremony that they can keep with them after the ceremony is over. Maybe its a thumbprint tree guestbook. Maybe it's a unity candle or unity sand vase. Or maybe you're like me and framed your wedding invitations. (Our wedding invites were one of my favorite components of our entire wedding!) Well, today I'd like to suggest a new symbol to take with you, and for lack of a better name, we'll just call it The Ceremony Rug. The Ceremony Rug is simply a beautiful rug you and your betrothed stand on during the ceremony. This is NOT a rug that says "bride and groom" or "i do." No. It is simply a rug you can place in your home after the wedding is over. Maybe this rug is the first thing your cold toes touch as you slip out of bed in the morning. Or maybe you'll wash your dishes on this rug, or even have your first big fight pacing back and forth and wearing this rug thin. And hopefully in those moments you will stop every once in a while and remember the day you were married. The day you stood on this rug, it's pattern in the background as you glanced down at your love's hands. The day you kissed your spouse on this rug as your friends and family cheered all around you. This rug will be a quiet rug. It doesn't scream wedding. It simply says, your wedding was the only the start of something much bigger.

What rug should I buy, you ask? Well, I'm glad you asked. Find something washable and relatively inexpensive. A 5'x7' rug will be perfect for you and your spouse to stand on, or you could buy a really large rug to help anchor a ceremony spot outdoors and add some texture. You could even layer some thin rugs down the aisle. Trust me. It will be awesome.

We own this rug from Urban Outfitters and love it.

This blog post from greenweddingshoes.com provides some more visual inspiration. You have to scroll through several photos before the ceremony shots - but it's worth it!