Dream symbols: Weddings – and what they mean

The biblical symbolism of weddings, marriage (and related things) in night dreams, plus real dream examples.

We’ve all had those dreams: Dreams about getting married or attending a wedding; dreams of wearing wedding clothes, or being a bridesmaid.

I bet you have had some dreams like that! But have you ever wondered what they mean?

This article explores some common meanings of weddings, brides and grooms – and other things relating to weddings, with tips on how to apply the meaning to our lives.

I approach dream interpretation from a biblical perspective. My belief is that our dreams can come from God, and understanding them is best understood within the context of an ongoing relationship with Him.

Firstly, if you have just come across this post and are new to dream interpretation, it is worth mentioning that dreams are symbolic in nature. You might find it helpful to read the following article: Understand your dreams: A bible-based introduction to dream language. Plus, see my FREE ultimate guide to Interpreting Dreams from God.

Secondly, remember that dreams are personal, so the meanings that I suggest may not apply to your specific dream. But please feel free to use my ideas as a springboard to thinking and praying about dreams yourself. Don’t take my ideas as gospel, but rather let them help you start to think metaphorically.

Introducing weddings in dreams

Everyone loves a wedding.  There is something very precious about it; whether it is the radiant beauty of a bride, the expressions of love and commitment made, the family and friends there to support the couple, or the happy feasting and celebrating that follows.

Marriage – and all things relating to weddings – are a common theme in dreams. In this article we will unpack this theme from a biblical perspective, and explore what it could mean.

Weddings as Divine love and romance

The bible tells us that we were created for intimacy with God, but that our relationship with Him was damaged. So we are all now on a journey to regain that close relationship. This psalm expresses the desire within us to know God on a deep level:

• Psalm 42:1, NASB As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, God.

God also longs to be in relationship with us – so much that He came to earth as a man, Jesus Christ, to die for our sin, so our lost relationship with Him could be restored. Intimacy with God is now available to every human being; all we need do is believe it – and thus begin the journey of getting to know Him.

• 1 John 4:9, NASB By this the love of God was revealed in us, that God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him.
• John 17:3, NASB And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.

We are all invited to this Divine romance!

I have friends who regularly interpret dreams at events and festivals, and they tell me that many dreams people have are about God’s loving pursuit of us – calling us back into relationship with Him. Weddings (and all things related) are an ideal dream setting for God to speak to us about these things.

Weddings (and all things related) are an ideal setting for God to speak to us about our relationship with Him, how much He loves us, and how He sees us within that relationship.

Marriage symbolising our relationship with God

The bible depicts God as our husband, and we as His bride. For example, the entire book of Hosea uses Hosea’s marriage as an allegory of God’s relationship with the people of Israel – and provides much insight into how much God loves us too.

• Isaiah 54:5, NASB For your husband is your Maker…

This theme continues in the New Testament. Jesus Christ is depicted as the groom, and the church as His bride:

• Ephesians 5:25, NASB Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church…
• Revelation 21:2, NASB And I saw the… new Jerusalem [church]… prepared as a bride adorned for her husband [Jesus].

What could this look like in a dream?

God can appear in a dream as our husband, and we as His bride.

Additionally, one of my readers told me recently that his wife often represents God in his dreams (dreams are versatile like that!) – so all of us can enjoy this symbolism in our dreams, whether we are marrying a potential husband or wife!

Marriage is about commitment. So for some, a wedding could symbolise coming to know God, or making a decision to follow Jesus. For those who already have a relationship with God, it could be about a re-commitment, or deeper level of commitment and oneness with Him.

The context and atmosphere of the dream (positive or negative), and the dream story will determine what message the dream is trying to convey.

Real dream example: Getting ready to meet my husband
I dreamed I was getting ready for my wedding (although I partly felt I was already married). I needed to put on my wedding dress and then I could go and look into my husband’s eyes. My original dress didn’t have a hope of fitting, but I had seen a new one which looked lovely. I would wear it with my red heart necklace and earrings (that my husband gave me in real life).

I have followed Jesus for more than 40 years. So, although this was about a wedding, it carried the sense of already being married. The point was finding a deeper connection with God, i.e. looking into my husband’s eyes. I had been planning to put aside time with Jesus, so this dream was encouraging me to do it, with promise of deeper love and personal transformation (new dress) if I did so.

Marriage as covenant or agreement

A wedding is essentially a covenant; it is two people making an agreement to commit their lives to one another. We have already seen how this symbolism can apply to our relationship with God.

• Jeremiah 32:40, NASB I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, so that they will not turn away from Me.

But this symbolism can also represent other areas of our life where we come into some kind of agreement, partnership or mutual arangement:

• Agreeing with certain ideas or ways of thinking
• Joining a group with a shared vision
• Agreeing to do a job or role (we may sign a contract)
• Partnering with someone for a purpose

For example, our church has recently had a leadership handover. For some months I dreamt of this event in the setting of a wedding: some people would leave (get divorced), and others would join (come to the wedding or get married). This proved to be what happened.

Making mental agreements

Whether we are aware of it or not, we all make agreements with certain ways of thinking. This can be inherited from our family or culture, or be mindsets that develop through life experience.

These agreements can be healthy, but they can also be harmful. In Christian terms, when we agree with something that is not true (i.e. not from God), we call it a stronghold. God can use the scenario of a wedding to show us where we have made negative agreements and need to change our thinking – if we want the best for our lives.

• In a negative context or atmosphere, the wedding could represent a wrong idea we have believed. To be free, we need to repent and ask God to show us the truth.
• In a positve context or atmosphere, the wedding can be encouraging us that our thinking is coming into alignment with God’s, which is true, healthy and good for us.

Getting married could be agreeing with somethng; getting divorced or separated can be breaking a negative/false agreement. An ex-husband/wife or partner can be something we used to believe (or should have moved on from). 

Real dream example: Wedding in Athens
I dreamed I was in Athens for a wedding. We visited the acropolis, which was a huge old structure. Lots of people gathered for the wedding, but it was too early. It turned out that I had the bride’s dress on, and it looked good, but I was trying to get the dress off.

This dream was about an old traditional (Greek) way of thinking that I had inherited from my upbringing (represented by the acropolis). It was letting me know that God wanted to help me make a shift in thinking but I wasn’t quite ready yet. This proved to be the case, and God did shift my thinking the following year.

Wedding clothes in dreams

It is common to dream of looking for the right clothes for a wedding (for example a wedding dress or suit. I have writen a whole article on the meaning of clothes in dreams, and the principles in it apply to wedding clothes. The dream action and the state of the clothes usually provide insight into how ready we are for whatever the wedding represents!

In a Christian context, a bride can represent the church, or ourselves as a follower of Jesus Christ – chosen and loved by Him. So what we (or the bride) is wearing can give us insight into the condition of the church, or the condition of our own lives as we follow Him.

• Revelation 21:9, NASB Then one of the seven angels… spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb [Jesus].”

A white wedding dress is very symbolic of being right before God. Jesus died so we can be pure and holy, and God is constantly working in our lives to cleanse and renew us. A wedding dress is a beautiful illustration of this.

• Ephesians 5:27, NASB …that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.

Real dream example: Bride running along with a denim jacket
I dreamed there was a bride. I saw her running along in a cream wedding dress with jewellery that looked a bit bling. She had a denim jacket on in case it was cold.

This bride was reflecting me, and my calling as a follower of Jesus. It revealed that I had a wrong idea of who I was! The colour cream (see brown in dreams), the bling (false jewellery), and the denim (idea that was not from heaven – see blue in dreams) gave this away. Also, I was worrying about what people would think (cold atmosphere ). This enabled me to go back and talk to God about those things. When God gives us a dream like that He is offering hope that we can be changed.

Real dream example: Bridesmaid with a torn dress
I dreamed a bride was getting married at All Saints Church, and I was going to be a bridesmaid. My dress was torn, and I need to go to the ladies room to repair my dress.

This was a calling dream which I had many years ago. The bride represented the worldwide church (the name All Saints gave that away). I was a bridesmaid, which represented my calling to help the church in some way. However, the torn dress indicated that I would have a personal journey to go on first, before I could fulfil that role.

Summary of wedding-related symbols

Here is a summary of some common wedding-related dream symbols, and what they might mean from a biblical perspective.

Always consider the symbol within the context of the whole dream, and the atmosphere. If you need more help with interpreting your dream, check out my 3-step dream interpretation method – for Christians.

Bride: The church. You as a follower of Christ. Also could be God (if she is your wife in real life).

Bridesmaid: Someone helping the church, or serving God’s purposes.

Divorce: Separation, disagreement, or leaving. (Could be positive or negative).

Ex-husband or wife: Old ways that we should have left behind.

Groom: God as our husband; You, or something/someone you are coming into agreement/partnering with.

Kiss: Agreement or unity (could be positive or negative).

Sexual intimacy / wedding night: Intimacy with God. Oneness or unity. Coming into agreement or partnership with something (could be positive or negative).

Wedding: Intimacy with God. Coming into agreement or partnership with something.

Wedding clothes: Our state of readyness for whatever the wedding represents.

Wedding dress: Identity and calling as the bride of Christ, chosen and loved by God. White dress represents being pure and holy (the spotless bride).

Wedding reception, feast or banquet – Enjoying God’s goodness and abundant provision. Celebration and fulfilment of our hopes, or something coming together.

In additional to these meanings, remember that dream symbols could mean something personal or culturally significant to you, that isn’t mentioned here.

Conclusion and prayer

We have learnt that weddings are an ideal setting for God to speak to us about our relationship with Him, and about how He sees us within that relationship.

Weddings (or marriage) can also represent things we come into agreement or partnership with. These could be positive or negative, depending on the context.

If you don’t know Jesus and have been dreaming of weddings – particularly your own wedding – it could mean that He is calling you to get to know Him! Why not try talking to Him right now? Tell Him you are sorry for trying to live your life without Him, and that you want to know Him. Invite Him to come into your life. If that is you, please do get in contact, I’d love to hear from you.

And finally… remember that God is continually calling us deeper into His love, and dreams can help with that!

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