How to Design a Marriage Coat of Arms

A family coat of arms adorns a shield.

Creating a family coat of arms is a way for a newly married couple to mark the beginning of their life together, and identify the shared values and aspirations that will scaffold their relationship. During medieval times, the family coat of arms accompanied a knight into battle in order to inspire courage. In today's world, a family coat of arms can be used in the same way, giving strength and courage during the metaphoric battles against the stressors of modern life.

Things You'll Need

• Markers
• 5 index cards
• 1 sheet of paper
• Glue

Instructions

1. Research your family using any primary sources you may have, or an online resource such as All Family Crests (allfamilycrests.com). See if there is an existing coat of arms for either you or your spouse. Locating an existing family crest does not mean you cannot create a new one with meaning specific to the shared aspirations of you and your spouse.

2. Sit down with your spouse and generate a list of all of the qualities that embody your relationship and hopes for the future. The list can include attributes such as loyalty and spontaneity, shared values such as faith, and specific goals such as children or travel. Select five of the items from the final list to include in your marriage coat of arms.

3. Sketch out a visual representation of each of the five values, one on each of the five index cards. Traditional imagery used in historic coats of arms includes animals, plants, symbols, and patterns.

4. Center one of the index cards in the middle of the sheet of paper. Glue it down. Use glue to secure the remaining four symbols, one in each corner of the sheet of paper. The finished marriage coat of arms should look like a sheet of paper with one symbol in the center and one on each corner.

5. Proudly display your new marriage coat of arms as a symbol of your shared life.

Tips & Warnings

• You can get clothing and gear printed with your coat of arms from online vendors such as Make Your Coat of Arms (makeyourcoatofarms.com).

References

• Coats of Arms from Ireland and around the World; Eddie Geoghegan
• Fleur-de-lis Designs: The Meanings Behind the Symbols