How to Include Family Members in the Wedding Ring Exchange

The ring exchange is a meaningful part of the wedding ceremony. It's symbolic of your promise to love one another until death. Given the importance, you may want to include family members in this part of the ceremony. If your fiancé already has children, the ring exchange is the perfect time to promise to be there for them, too.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Have a special family member act as the best man. This could be your father, grandfather or uncle. Have him hold the rings until it's time. If you already have your best friend acting as best man, have your special family member step in just for the ring exchange part of the ceremony.
2. Give the bride's or groom's children rings, too. If you're blending families, it's touching to include the children by giving them their own bands. It shows that you're taking their feelings into account and you're not only marrying their parent.
3. Get the children's rings engraved. Call them family rings instead of wedding rings.
4. Include the names of your soon-to-be step children in the ring exchange. You'll be asked to recite something like "with this ring, I thee wed" and you can add something special with all their names.
5. Tie the rings to your baby's wrist, if you already have a child together. When it's time for the ring exchange, have someone carry the baby up the aisle and remove the rings from her wrist.
6. Call up your family members by name following the ring exchange. In Hawaii, this is when the couple bestows leis on their loved ones. You can also give them each a rose. It's nice if the bride gives the flowers to the groom's family and he gives them to the bride's. It shows that you're blending families.

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