Family Medallion (TM)

Kwadland

Has anyone given or seen given a "Family Medallion" to the children in the newly blended family?

As I understand it, the concept is to present the Mediallion to the child of your future spouse during the ceremony accompanied by a pledge from you (not them).  The trademarked Family Medalians consist of three interlocking circles.  Competitors have three interlocked hearts or similar.  Prices range from $10 to $100.

I want our children to feel included in our ceremony somehow.  This seems like a nice gesture.  It's tough to please a teenage in the best of circumstances.  Seeing their parent get married has got to be stressful!

Any experience with these?  Do they go over well?  Are they appreciated?

jerzmom114

I like the idea of it ( kids didn't want to do it so we nixed it) , but I would just get your son/daughters input on it first. Do they want to be apart of the ceremony, or blend in the background? Re- marrige is a tough thing for any kid, no matter how mature. If they are ok with it and seem excited, I say go for it!

right1thistime

To me- they are a wedding industry gimmick.  Boys are unlikely to wear them, and girls aren't likely to wear them very long either.  Keepsakes are just not something kids enjoy receiving. 

Our kids were in the wedding party, and we bought them gifts they would enjoy, just as if it were their birthday. 

Have the conversation with the kids about how they would like to participate in the wedding.  If you have 46 days to go, I imagine you have most of the details already figured out.  I do not love family vows, even if they are just from the adults to the kids.  Frankly, step parenting teens is tough work, and I think the vows ring somewhat hollow potentially.  I prefer to keep the promises between the adults, who have made this choice.  The kids are along for the ride, like it or not.  ~Donna

Avion22

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_second-weddings_family-medallion-tm?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:35Discussion:824af47f-99ad-4386-9a1a-679e04761f10Post:21573a17-6aca-4e7d-adb7-9f3edb7e20bf">Re: Family Medallion (TM)</a>:
[QUOTE]<strong>To me- they are a wedding industry gimmick.  Boys are unlikely to wear them, and girls aren't likely to wear them very long either.  Keepsakes are just not something kids enjoy receiving.  Our kids were in the wedding party, and we bought them gifts they would enjoy, just as if it were their birthday. </strong> Have the conversation with the kids about how they would like to participate in the wedding.  If you have 46 days to go, I imagine you have most of the details already figured out.  I do not love family vows, even if they are just from the adults to the kids.  Frankly, step parenting teens is tough work, and I think the vows ring somewhat hollow potentially.  I prefer to keep the promises between the adults, who have made this choice.  The kids are along for the ride, like it or not.  ~Donna
Posted by right1thistime[/QUOTE]

<div>I agree with Donna.  The kids probably won't wear them for very long (if at all), and then they will get thrown into a drawer somewhere.   </div><div>
</div><div>I'm okay with the idea of having the parents make promises or say vows to the children (as long as the children themselves are okay with this), or at least refer to accepting one another's children in their normal vows.  But I would ditch the medalion and just get them a gift they will use and enjoy.</div>

MikesAngie

We asked my DSD what she wanted.  She choose a birthstone ring of mine that I had sized for her right hand and plated in Rhodium (It was yellow gold, and now it's white).  We had a private talk about becoming a family and what that meant to all of us.  We didn't make it public. We've been married almost a year and she wears that ring every day without fail. 

The only vows in our wedding were between my husband and myself. 

squarepeg72

I asked my three what they wanted to do/be with the wedding. My oldest said bridesmaid and cried (happy) when I asked her to be MOH. The boy asked if he could walk me down the aisle and stand with "Kev and the guys" during the ceremony and the little one asked to be the flower girl and for her own wedding planner. We are using an hourglass to fill with sand as a part of the ceremony and each of us has a different color of sand to pour in (each person's favorite color). We will be makind smaller jars of the sand as keepsakes for the kids the week before the wedding but we won;t be doing any kind of gifting to the kids during the ceremony.

a354663

I have seen "Sand Ceremonies" which look cute for younger kids.  I agree that most kids whatever the age will not wear the medallion.  The sand ceremony is more symbolic (a different color sand representing each person in the family is poured or layered in a container reprenenting the now blended or single family made up of all of the individual colors).  it woudl be more of a family keepsake.

I also agree about talking to the kids ahead of time to see if they would even want to be in the wedding.  Some kids don't like to be put on the spot like that whereas other kids would be upset if they weren't included. 

Kwadland

Thanks for the feedback. 

Curious that no one responded that they've given them.

I neglected to mention that we're eloping.  The entire ceremony is six people:  bride, groom, her son, his son, officiant and witness.  So, it's not a question of including them.  They are included and seem to like their assignments.  My son is Best Man.  Her son will escort her to the site.  (There is no aisle; we're getting married at a waterfall.)

I agree that they'll never wear them.  That's why we're considering the cheapest option ($10).  It's just symbolic.

We're widow and widower so our son's will certainly be thinking ot their other parent but there's no awkwardness about their other parent still being alive. 

I'll give your feedback to my bride to see what she thinks.

Thanks!