I am a Baha’i by religion, and Mr. Tulip is from a non-practicing, vaguely Christian background. This complicates our ceremony planning because Baha’is have only a one-sentence marriage vow, and without the long set of (Christian) traditional vows, there’s a whole lot more time to fill….
So have I been working on the ceremony? Nope. But I’ve been shopping!
While doing research into items for our lantern theme, I was terribly excited to discover that there are now paper lanterns in the shape of 9-pointed stars. There were a handful of options out there, but here’s the one I purchased:
($9.95 without cord, from Paper Lantern Store. I’m hoping the red isn’t too busy in the grand scheme of things, but it looked so cute on the website…!)
Why was this exciting, you may ask? Nine-pointed stars are often used as a Baha’i symbol. The number 9 represents the numerical value of “Baha” in Arabic numerology, and is considered a symbol of perfection or completeness because it is the highest single-digit number. (And stars? Are just pretty.)
Last night I also discovered that 9 is considered lucky in Chinese culture because it sounds similar to the word “longlasting.” Considering that our engagement date was based on Chinese number superstitions, this extra meaning is extra special — a good luck token for a longlasting marriage. By hanging the star lantern in a prominent place, we can honor both my religious beliefs and Mr. T’s Taiwanese heritage on this important day. And in a darn stylish way to boot!
Will you use any special wedding decorations to honor your religious or cultural heritage?
9.9.09 will be a big day for chinese weddings as well! 
Yes, I’m Welsh so we’ve used celtic knots on all our stationary, and we’re having a harpist playing Welsh folk tunes at the reception. I also bought my H2B a Welsh gold wedding ring, engraved inside with “cariad” which is Welsh for beloved or love
Hi Miss Tulip! I’m a Baha’i too and got married last year to my Catholic husband. We had a beautiful ceremony in a non-denominational chapel. We had Baha’i and Christian readings, and said the Baha’i vows. Let me know if you want more info. Congrats, and happy wedding planning!
My husband is also Baha’i, but I’m not religious. We just got married last May and we had a mostly Baha’i wedding. We had a Baha’i officiant and we chose a bunch of Baha’i prayers (in english, persian and chinese) to read and I chose a really nice vow to read to each other along with the mandatory vow. Everyone really liked the ceremony.
For decorations, we didn’t have much decorations. Just some flowers and candles.
9 best wishes to you, Miss Tulip. The most beautiful decoration for the wedding is a joyful heart. May yours outshine everything else!
Shu Shu Costa, the author of Wild Geese and Tea is a Baha’i and she married one of those not-so-committed Christians (me). I’m sure she would be happy to speak to you. I was at Abbey’s wedding. It was spectacular.
[...] mentioned before, I am a Baha’i. Mr. T leans Unitarian but doesn’t actively practice. And our ceremony was [...]
I’m a Baha’i and I’m will be marrying my Christian fiance in November. Your posts really helped me and gave me lots of ideas. Thanks!!!
Mrs. Tulip, DC
Age and Occupation: 36, Retired
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Counsel/DOO for Small Gov't Contractor
Engagement Date: August 8, 2007
Wedding Date: March, 2008
Venue: Still Looking!
About Me: In all my dreams of the man I'd someday marry, I never pictured anyone as perfect for me as Mr. Tulip. So now we just have to make it through the craziness of the wedding and the moving in together! I love crafts, sewing, jewelry making, and photography, so am looking forward to this chance for DIY fun. When not wedding planning, I'm playing with our dog and 4 cats, Ebay shopping, or watching too much TV (often simultaneously!).
The number 9 is also considered to be the perfect number in Buddhism too!