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Native American traditional wedding ceremonies are filled with symbolic ritual. They are deeply spiritual. The traditional Cherokee wedding ceremony, whether it is the old or the modern one of today, is beautiful.
The Cherokee people are a matrilineal society. One cannot marry within their own clan. The woman is head of each family clan, so the bride's mother represents her at the ceremony. The bride's eldest brother also stands with her and takes the vow of responsibility for teaching his sister's children in spiritual and religious matters. That is the traditional role of the uncle. The groom's mother stands with him during the ceremony.
The bride wears a white Cherokee tear dress and the groom wears a ribbon shirt, traditional Cherokee turban, and pants of deer or elk hide. Both the bride and groom wear moccasins of deer or elk hide.In the tradition of the Ancestors, the sacred place where the ceremony takes place is blessed for seven consecutive days prior to the ceremony. The bride and groom are each wrapped in a blue blanket, which represents their old life (before marriage).
The bride and groom approach the sacred fire and a Holy Man blesses them, the entire wedding party, and all who are present, including the priest or priestess. Songs are sung in the Cherokee language.
At some ceremonies the Rite of Seven Steps may be performed. This is done by the bride and groom standing side by side and taking steps in a sunwise direction around the sacred fire. Family members and friends join hands in a circle around the couple and sacred fire. The groom takes a step forward, makes a vow to his bride, then the bride steps forward and makes a vow to her groom. This is repeated till seven steps have been taken by each.
Rather than exchanging wedding rings as is done in today's ceremony, the old tradition performed a basket exchange ceremony. The mothers of the couple hold the baskets until it is time for the exchange. In the bride's basket she had bread and corn to symbolize the promise that she will be a good wife and provide care and nourishment. In the groom's basket he had meat, usually a venison ham, to symbolize his promise to provide for the household.
After the basket exchange ceremony, the couple performed the wedding vase ceremony. A wedding vase has two spouts. They each drink from their own spout at the same time to toast their union and to show their intent to cooperate and work together to make their marriage a good one.
When the vows are said and prayers are spoken the blue blankets are removed from the couple by the priest or priestess to represent the shedding of their old life and the couple is wrapped in a single white blanket by their relatives to represent their new union.
To signify the end of the ceremony, stomp dancers perform for the newly married couple then a prayer is said to bless the marriage.
The members of the community provided the wedding feast. The feast and dancing usually continued throughout the night.
God in heaven above
please protect the ones we love.
We honor all you created as we pledge
our hearts and lives together.
We honor Mother Earth
and ask for our marriage to be abundant
and grow stronger through the seasons;
We honor fire
and ask that our union be warm
and glowing with love in our hearts.
We honor wind
and ask we sail though life
safe and calm as in our father's arms.
We honor water
to clean and soothe our relationship
that it may never thirst for love.
With all the forces of the universe you created,
we pray for harmony and true happiness as we forever grow young together.
Amen.
Cherokee Wedding Prayer
Manataka American Indian Council
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