With Thanksgiving only a few days behind us, I thought it might be nice to feature a Native American wedding tradition. Since there are so many tribes, and thereby many traditions that could be featured, I narrowed it down to a couple adapted by many tribes.

The Wedding Vase is an increasingly embraced tradition due to its culture’s spirituality and reverence for nature, the Earth, and the environment. The Native American vase is designed with two spouts, symbolizing the individuality of the couple. As told by Margaret Gutierrez (Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico), traditionally a week or two before the couple’s marriage, the future husband’s parents make the Wedding Vase. When the vase has been made, the husband, along with his parents and all his relatives go to the bride’s house. The bride brings out everything she will need to establish their new home together: clothing, utensils, mattress, moccasins, corn and any other homemaking essentials, including her white manta wedding dress.

For the ceremony, the vase is filled with pure water, herb tea or wine by the priest. He then turns the vase around and gives it to the bride. The bride then hands it to the groom, symbolizing the sharing of one life, one love. During the ceremony the priest will explain the significance of the ritual and may recite a reading, poem or blessing. The following Native American Wedding prayers are from My Spiritual Wedding and are popular choices.

Now you will feel no rain, for you will be shelter to each other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you.

Soon you will go to your resting place, to enter into the days of your togetherness.

May your days be good and long upon the earth.

Or

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth. Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.

Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship – as they threaten all relationships at one time or another – remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives – remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there.

And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Like the unity candle, the vase is considered a family heirloom. The couple will treasure the Vase throughout their married life, protected and never broken, discarded or destroyed. One unique twist occurs should one of the couple outlive the other; the remaining person will give the vase to a couple known to be living a happily married life.

Blankets also play a role in the marriage ceremony. Blue blankets brought to the bride and groom by their siblings are worn throughout the wedding and removed at the ceremony’s conclusion. The blue blankets symbolizing past tribal sorrows. These blankets are then knotted to represent the union of the couple. They are then folded and held by the bride’s mother until the marriage is consummated. The couple is wrapped in one white blanket which, again, symbolizes their union. The couple emerges from the circle in the white blanket demonstrating their rebirth as one into the tribal community.

If you’re looking for a unique unity tradition to replace the unity candle or sand ceremonies, these might be great options for you.