"Olive Ceremony: How to Organize a Guest-Interactive Performance for a Couple's Tree of Happiness"
2020.03.15 published
Guest Participation Wedding Ceremony
There is a wedding ceremony performance known as the "Olive Ceremony" or "Tree Planting Ceremony."
The Olive Ceremony is a guest participation type of performance that uses olive saplings, which are considered trees of longevity.
The flow of the ceremony involves the couple transferring the sapling into a pot and watering it in front of the guests.
The planted olive tree becomes an important tree that will accompany the couple as their "wedding commemorative tree."
It's wonderful to think that the tree planted together with guests during the wedding will grow alongside the family's journey together!
Why Olive?
Olive trees are popular choices for the plant used in tree planting ceremonies at weddings.
Olives symbolize "the tree of the couple" and "the tree that brings happiness," making them perfectly suitable for weddings.
The origin of this symbolism comes from the fact that an olive tree has a hard time producing fruit alone; it requires male and female trees to be grafted together in order to thrive and produce fruit.
The concept of two separate male and female olives becoming a single large tree that bears fruit is akin to two individuals raised in separate households coming together as a married couple, hence the term "tree of the couple" is used, which is reflected in wedding ceremonies.
➡ You can purchase olive saplings on Rakuten 🍃
What Varieties of Olive Are There?
It is said that there are over 1,000 varieties of olives, each with its own characteristics.
If you plan to purchase a home with a garden in the future and want to grow a large tree, choose a variety that grows big. If you expect to move often or want to live in an apartment, select a variety that can be grown in a planter or indoors.
<Large Growing Olive Varieties>
- Mission
- Frantoio
- Leccino
- Nevadillo Blanco
- Lucca
<Smaller Olive Varieties>
- Manzanillo
- Koroneiki
- Cipressino
How to Conduct an Olive Ceremony
① In the welcome space, prepare olive saplings and soil separately, and let the guests add soil to the pots.
(This is a moment where guests offer their blessings.)
② During the ceremony or reception, the couple pours water together. It is common practice to use water sourced from the couple's hometown or water collected from their family home.
Watering together symbolizes "the first joint task" and serves as an alternative performance to the cake cutting.
③ Keep the olive tree displayed until the end of the reception or send-off area. After returning home, swap out the pot for one that suits the olive tree and plant it in the garden for nurturing.
Description for the Olive Ceremony
The Olive Ceremony is a guest participation performance. To ensure that guests notice it at a glance, place a description in the welcome space.
---- Example Text ----
Thank you very much for coming to our wedding today.
During the ceremony (or reception), we will hold the "Olive Ceremony (Tree Planting Ceremony)."
We would be delighted if everyone could join us.
Olive trees have male and female varieties and are known as "the tree of the couple" and "the tree that brings happiness."
Here, we invite everyone to plant soil into the pot, and the bride and groom will finish it during the ceremony (or reception).
Please take a scoop of soil with the shovel provided.
The finished olive tree will be lovingly cared for together by the couple from now on.
Let's Try the Olive Ceremony!
A guest participation performance for the ceremony or reception: the "Olive Ceremony"!
It’s wonderful that the olive sapling filled with soil by guests will grow together with the family!
This inclusive performance is sure to leave a lasting impression on all guests, so consider incorporating it into your ceremony or reception.
➡ You can purchase olive saplings on Rakuten 🍃
➡ For a list of performance articles, click here *