pagan weddings religion and rituals wedding and ceremony planning

Wedding Ideas to Honor Hera Goddess of Marriage

Published Thursday, Jul. 25th, 2024

Plan a pagan wedding ceremony that honors Hera Goddess of Marriage and receive Hera’s blessing! 5 Pagan wedding ideas and traditions for the marriage rite.

Two brides laugh together and sip pomegranate cocktail on their wedding day after a Pagan wedding in the garden — Photo: Kosamtu / iStock

Hera’s Blessing: 5 Pagan Wedding Ideas to Honor Hera, Greek Goddess of Marriage, on Your Wedding Day

The most beautiful and sacred aspects of a Pagan wedding ceremony are often the ways in which couples honor the realm of the spiritual – welcoming ancestors, spirits, gods, and goddesses into the marriage rite.

These spiritual traditions are woven into Pagan marriage rites and handfastings from start to finish: from calling the corners, invoking lost loved ones, welcoming gods and spirits with herbs and incense, to making symbolic offerings on the altar for a marriage that’s blessed and happy.

Most Pagan denominations recognize a god or goddess of marriage and love, and these divine energies can be welcomed into a wedding ceremony by the couple in order to receive their blessings. Many couples will make offerings to a primary deity or many deities, while others simply honor the divine aspects of nature.

Some beloved deities include Cupid and Eros, gods of lust and sexual desire; Frigga (Frigg), Norse goddess of marriage and family; Aengus, a Celtic god of love; Hathor, Egyptian goddess of wives, women, and childbirth; Hymen, Hellenistic goddess of marriage; Xōchiquetzal, Aztec marriage goddess; Oshun, Yoruba goddess of love and marriage; Venus and Juno, Roman goddesses of love and marriage; Aphrodite, Greek goddess of pleasure and desire; and Parvati, Hindu goddess of love; among many others.

But the most famous of these goddesses, perhaps, is Hera the Greek Goddess of Marriage. Hera’s legacy has withstood the tests of time and she continues to be honored at many Pagan weddings today. Her name is nearly synonymous with marriage, and some scholars claim that other goddesses are based on her, including Juno and Uni.

Carved stone statues of King Zeus and Hera Goddess of Marriage

Photo: sivarock / iStock / Zeus and Hera at Austria Parliament Building, Vienna

Who is the goddess of marriage? Hera has long been the patronness of women, childbirth, and marriage in the Greek pantheon. That's her on the right, seated next to her husband and King of the Gods, Zeus.

Who is Hera the Goddess of Marriage?

Hera’s legacy can be traced back nearly 5,000 years, and she is still honored by many modern Pagans today. If you are a Pagan witch or practitioner who has worked with Hera, this comes as no surprise, but those new to Paganism may be excited to know that there is such a large following of this ancient goddess!

Hera is the divine Olympian Queen of the Gods on Mount Olympus, guardian of women in need and the patroness of women at every stage of life, and Greek goddess of fertility, family, and marriage.

The First Royal Wedding? The Epic Hera and Zeus Wedding Story

Hera’s marriage to Zeus is one for the ages, with a wedding day that rivals any modern celebrity wedding or royal nuptials – no matter how long, extravagant, or how expensive it might be.

Scholars say that every god and goddess was on the guest list for the epic garden wedding. The couple took their vows during the ‘golden hour’ of late evening, just before sunset, under the watchful eye of nymphs and spirits. After the ceremony was over, and the guests had all gone home, it’s said that the royal couple's wedding night lasted for an astonishing 300 years – just one of those unexplainable divine timelines. (via Theoi.com)

Although the marriage began under questionable circumstances (Zeus disguised himself as a wounded bird to win Hera’s affection), and it wasn’t always peaceful (Zeus stepped out a lot and Hera settled the score), isn’t that par for the course for a royal marriage?

For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, their story is a big part of why Hera continues to be honored as a powerful and resilient force.

Sacrifices to Hera on the wedding day help ensure that followers don’t endure the same trials in love that she did, and that their marriage will be happy, harmonious, faithful, and fun.

With that in mind, below you’ll find five Pagan wedding rituals and ideas to pay tribute to the Queen of the Gods on your big day.

Bride and groom pose in the spring outdoor wedding, behind them are trees with white blossoms

Photo: Andreua / iStock

Ask for Hera's blessing on your wedding day with these sweet rituals and ceremony ideas!

5 Pagan Wedding Traditions to Honor Hera Goddess of Marriage

1. Unity Tree Planting Ceremony

Add an apple tree unity ceremony to your big day to honor Hera and channel the divine energy of this Olympian wedding!

Hera’s grandmother Gaia, primordial goddess of the Earth, gave Hera a very special wedding gift on her wedding day: an apple tree filled with golden apples. These golden apples symbolized the couple’s love and fertility, and are rumored to grant immortality when eaten. Talk about the power of eternal love!

Hera planted the apple tree in her garden as part of her marriage ceremony with Zeus, making it one of the first examples of a unity tree ceremony in recorded history – the story is from at least the late 6th century BC (and maybe even as long ago as 3000 to 1100 BCE during the Minoan civilization of Crete… a long time ago!).

Add a unity tree planting ceremony to your big day to honor Goddess Hera and to ask for Hera’s blessing in your marriage. You can even include your grandmother or a matriarch in the ceremony, just like Hera did!

Groom and bride sit in the shade on a sunny day, planting their unity tree during the wedding ceremony

Photo: joshuaraineyphotography / iStock

Wondering what tree / plant for unity ceremony? An apple tree would stick to tradition, but any tree will capture the symbolism of the ceremony! Some couples don't plant a tree at all, and plant a rose bush, trailing ivy, succulents, and other meaningful plants.

Your wedding tree doesn’t have to be heavy with golden apples when you plant it (it doesn’t even have to be an apple tree!), because the symbolism will still be there.

Plant your wedding tree in a small patio planter or in a family garden during your ceremony. In the story of Hera and Zeus’s wedding day, Hera plants the tree in her personal garden under the watchful eye of The Hesperides, the nymphs who govern the evening and the golden light of sunsets. These nymphs guard the tree to protect the magical fruit.

Need help with the wording of your unity tree ceremony? Click the link below for a sample wedding ceremony script and more tree planting and unity flower planting ideas and inspiration:

2. Place Offerings for Hera on Your Wedding Altar

Pagan wedding altars are an important part of the ceremony and can be decorated with symbolic objects like flowers, crystals, candles, jewelry, and photos.

Common Hera offerings include lily flowers, pomegranate fruit, and feathers (from a peacock or cuckoo bird especially), all of which are ancient symbols of the goddess. (via Patheos)

Other acceptable gifts to place on a Hera altar during your ceremony include wine, love poems or love letters, honey, a crown or crown-shaped candle holder (Hera is represented by the diadem, a type of ornate crown), a handfasting cord, and your wedding rings.

Looking for wedding altar ideas and inspiration? Click the links below:

Red pomegranate with wedding rings

Photo: :Vardan Harutyunyan / iStock

Pomegranates symbolized fertility and eternal life in ancient Greece, themes still deeply connected with Hera.

3. Plan an Orchard Wedding or Garden Wedding at Sunset

Hold your wedding in a garden or orchard just before sunset, surrounded by friends and family members to honor the original wedding ceremony!

Hera and Zeus’ wedding is said to have occurred at golden hour in the Garden of The Hesperides, a magical garden located in the ‘far west.’ The Garden of The Hesperides is sometimes called Hera’s Orchard or Hera’s Garden, and was a place of refuge and peace for the Queen.

A simple online search for ‘garden wedding venues’ is likely to turn up several options to choose from. Apple trees bloom in the spring (April or May), making this a beautiful time for an apple orchard wedding – or book your ceremony anytime between late summer to October to enjoy the bounty and beauty of peak apple harvest season!

Bride and bridesmaids pose happily in an apple orchard. It is spring and the trees are full of white apple blossoms. The bridesmaids wear bright red taffeta skirts and the bride is in a white wedding dress.

Photo: ASphotowed / iStock

Book your apple orchard wedding venue in spring to see beautiful apple blossoms like these, or in late summer and fall to marry at the peak of apple harvest season!

4. Themed Attire: Dress Your Attendants or Bridesmaids as The Hesperides

Themed weddings can be subtle or extravagant! If your tastes lean toward the theatrical, and you like a little showmanship in your celebrations, consider asking your attendants to dress up for the role…

Their inspiration? Those sweet-voiced maidens of the evening – the three nymph-goddesses of Hera’s Garden known as The Hesperides.

The Hesperides are the guardians of the golden apples and Hera’s magical garden, located in the far west where the sun sinks toward the horizon. They rule the evening and its golden light, and are the daughters of Nyx, Goddess of Night.

In the Hera and Zeus wedding story, Hera plants her wedding tree in the garden while The Hesperides sing and dance in the golden light, watching her perform the unity tree ceremony.

Invite Hera’s blessing by asking your wedding attendants to ‘stand in’ for The Hesperides symbolically! The role calls for floral head wreaths woven with yellow roses, sunflowers, wildflowers or goldenrod; baskets of apples and apple blossoms carried down the aisle; flowing gowns or jumpsuits in vibrant earth tones; and gold jewelry.

Women with flower head wreaths are wearing bright colors and laughing and dancing on the wedding day. Behind them is a lake, and in the distance a forest

Photo: danilsnegmb / iStock

What to wear to a pagan wedding? Some Pagan denominations may have special dress code for the marriage rite, while others do not; if you aren't sure, it's always best to ask the couple what to wear. Colors can hold special meaning in witchcraft and Pagan rites, and flowers and herbs can bring unique energies into the ritual -- consider this symbolism well!

5. Plan Your Wedding Cocktail Hour with Hera in Mind

Create wedding specialty cocktails with Hera in mind! As mentioned above, Hera is associated with apples, pomegranate, and pears. These sweet and tart fruits are the perfect start for a variety of wedding cocktail ideas!

Consider these delicious drinks for your men wedding cocktail hour or reception menu:

Pomegranate Mojito

(Pomegranate syrup, mint, lime, rum, sugar, soda water)

Pomegranate Martini

(Pomegranate juice, orange liquor, vodka, lime)

Pomegranate Ginger Paloma Cocktail

(Pomegranate juice, grapefruit juice, ginger syrup, tequila, ginger beer)

Washington Apple

(Sour apple schnapps, whiskey, cranberry juice, apple slice)

Apple Brandy Honeymoon Cocktail

(Apple brandy, Bénédictine Liqueur, orange curaçao liqueur, lemon juice, lemon peel)

Apple Jolly Rancher

(Green apple vodka, peach schnapps, cranberry juice, orange slice)

Pear and Elderflower Spritz

(Pear liqueur, elderflower tonic, fruit slices)

Pear and Pomegranate Champagne Shrub

(Pear and ginger shrub, pomegranate juice, champagne)

Nonalcholic options are also a great idea for guests of all ages, and many of the cocktails listed above can be made using nonalcoholic substitutes. Or choose sparkling cider, pomegranate juice or iced tea, pear syrups and sparkling water, and other refreshing alcohol-free drinks to offer your nondrinking guests.

CLose up of a bride with a white dress holding a cocktail in her hands. It is pink and looks like a pomegranate mojito. Her nails are red with jewels attached

Photo: Vladimir Mironov / iStock

Get Ordained Online with AMM and Officiate a Wedding Ceremony!

Serve as a Pagan wedding officiant for friends and relatives with ordination through American Marriage Ministries.

Click the link below to learn why it’s so important for Pagans to have the option to get ordained online!

Online Ordination for Modern Pagans: Why it’s So Important, Especially Now

Why AMM? American Marriage Ministries is a nondenominational inclusive internet church that ordains and trains ministers to officiate marriage ceremonies. We are a recognized 501(c)(3) nonprofit church, and welcome people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

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Officiating weddings is an incredible honor, and a great way to show your love and support for the people getting married. As a wedding officiant, you will help to create memorable ceremonies and memories that last a lifetime. As a Pagan wedding officiant, you are in a unique position to honor the faith and traditions of the Pagan couples you marry!

Our ordinations are free, accessible, and never expire. Just click here to start the online ordination application, it only takes a minute to complete.

AMM Minister ordinations are legally recognized in every state* (it's much harder in Virginia, where we're looking into our options). After getting ordained with AMM, you might need to register your ordination with your local county clerk’s office. Click the links below to get started!