Wedding Dreams — What Do They Mean?

Dreams are wild, chaotic, and utterly surprising at times. You enter your waking life and wonder, “Was it only a dream, or was it telling me something greater about my life and subconscious mind?” And what about wedding dreams? Makes sense if you’re planning a wedding, but they are also intriguing for those who are single and have no clue at all why they are dreaming about getting married.

With the help of astrologist Nishi Ahlawat, we are going to find out what different kinds of wedding dreams mean. But before that, we asked her: What do dreams mean in general? Nishi answers, “A dream is a glimpse of our subconscious mind. It provides you with hints to find your deepest truths. Let’s say you are afraid of snakes. You won’t think about them during the daytime. But when you sleep, they will appear in your dreams, hissing and scaring you.”

She adds, “That’s because we often tend to take our anxieties, fears, and traumas to bed where we spend our time overthinking and deliberating before falling asleep.” But a wedding dream isn’t necessarily a reflection of your anxieties. So what is the spiritual meaning of getting married in a dream? Nishi assures us that we’ll get to that soon. Read on.

Reasons You’re Dreaming About A Wedding

According to research, an average person dreams 4 to 6 times per night. You might spend 2 hours dreaming over the course of one night’s sleep. A wedding dream could be a sliver or a huge chunk of that 2-hour duration. And getting married in dreams can look different for everyone.

A few might see themselves walking down the aisle with happy tears running down their cheeks. Some might dream about their ex-boyfriend with his new girlfriend in their wedding outfits. Others might see it as a sad day of not getting married to the one they love; they see themselves saying “I do” to someone else instead. The thing is that your dream suggests all kinds of things that are going on in your subconscious mind that may not be accessible to you at all times.

This is why all kinds of eerie fears, hopes, or thoughts about a current partner can pop up in the form of wedding dreams. Here are a few reasons you may be dreaming about a wedding:

Related Reading: Pre-Wedding Blues: 8 Ways To Fight The Pre-Wedding Depression For Brides

1. Your current relationship is moving to the next level

Having a sweet, beautiful dream about your own wedding means that you are perhaps getting ready to tie the knot. You don’t need a professional dream analyst to tell you that if you dreamt about marrying your partner and entered your waking life feeling blissful and happy, then it means that you are one step closer to choosing a life partner forever.

If you wake up feeling happy and renewed after dreaming that you are getting married, then consider it a positive sign! It means that you feel that you and your partner have made real progress in your relationship. You want to take things to the next level, and feel ready to spend the rest of your life with them.

2. Your friend is getting married!

Perhaps all this bridesmaid talk of wedding dresses, the right wedding veil, canapes, and flowers has seeped deep into your brain. Is it possible that a close friend of yours is getting married soon which may be causing you to feel stressed in your life? Well, then you don’t need to think too hard about your dream meaning. You just have a lot running through your head about your friend’s big day. Feel those feels, and don’t be hard on yourself.

3. Fostering a big commitment or new beginning

Wedding dreams with an elaborate wedding ceremony do not always have to represent the solidifying of a new relationship or that you feel ready to take things into the long term with your partner. A lot of times, these wedding bells could mean something completely different. Getting married in dreams has multiple things to say about your life.

Maybe you are committing to something completely else in your life. Are you starting a new job? Are you moving to a new city? These are two things that can be considered massive life changes in terms of your daily routine and career path. It is possible that your dream of getting married has nothing to do with being married at all and is actually representing a different life decision.

4. Missing your ex-partner

If you recently broke off a wedding, then it is no surprise you are seeing yourself getting ready for marriage in dream. It was a day you were looking forward to very much when you were hoping to marry your ex. If you end up feeling anxious in your waking life right after the dream, it is because your heart is heavy. You are reminiscing about a wedding that could and should have been, but did not happen.

Maybe you had a dream where you could see your partner marry someone else. This is also an indication that you miss them very much and are afraid of them finding someone new in their life, or having good times without you.

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Common Wedding Dreams And What They Mean

If you are getting married soon and are spending every waking minute thinking about the wedding, planning the wedding, and inviting your friends to the wedding, then there’s nothing to worry about. In this case, getting married in dreams is probably a good omen. The wedding madness is simply getting to you and it is normal to dream about the thing you think about all day.

But if you are having wedding-related dreams even though you are not engaged, then there could be multiple reasons behind that. One Reddit user shares their insight and leaves us with a good question: “Marriage signifies commitment, harmony or transitions. What’s going on in your waking life that may seem a bit frightening, but exciting, too?”

On that note, we will find out what your dream means. Listed below are some common wedding dreams and their different aspects and interpretations:

Related Reading: When You Dream About Someone Are They Thinking Of You

Dreaming Of Getting Married When You Are Single

Nishi says, “If you dream of getting married when you have no romantic partner in your life, then the dreams are expressing your deep desires. Despite not having someone in your life, you still want to get married. You may act all cool and say you don’t ever want to get married, but that’s not the case. Deep down, even you wish to wear a black suit or a wedding veil.”

Such dreams are NOT an indication of the following:

• It’s not a prophetic dream
• It’s not a sign that you are going to get married
• It doesn’t mean that love is coming your way

It’s just your hidden desires coming up through the subconscious mind. You long to meet someone, fall in love, and get married to them. One Reddit user talks about their wedding dreams and how sad they can feel. They said, “Human contact with someone who genuinely loves you is probably the best feeling in the world (yes, I had it once!). To have it ripped from you is tough, but to find out it never existed, is awful. Worse, in fact. You just have loads of love to give and no one to give it to.”

If you dream about marrying a specific person in your dreams, then it could also signify your unrevealed love for them. You haven’t been able to confess to your crush yet. Here, it’s not just a dream of getting married while you’re single, it is also a dream of getting married to someone you actually know. So, whether you don’t know the bride/groom in your dream or it’s someone you secretly like, your dream points to your innermost wishes and desires. 

Dreaming About Having A Lavish Wedding 

Many people want a wedding that’s royal and screams luxury, though most of us really can’t afford to marry someone like that. But what does it mean when you dream about a royal wedding extravaganza that costs a small country’s GDP?

Nishi, a professional dream analyst, says, “If you are the main character of this dream, then it may signify death in the near future. Someone you know may die soon. You also have to notice the details when you dream of getting married like this. If the priest or any of your family members is wearing black, then a tragedy like death could happen to someone you know.”

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Dreaming Of Marrying A Stranger Or Someone You Barely Know

It’s quite daunting to see a dream where you are marrying someone you are totally not interested in. These kinds of wedding-related dreams aren’t exactly heartwarming; they are, in fact, very confusing. It puts awkward thoughts in your head. You barely know this person and don’t know why your brain is doing this to you. You may even dislike them, which again begs the question, what could this possibly mean?

Nishi says, “These kinds of dreams indicate that you are soon going to form a cordial relationship with them. You aren’t going to marry them, but you will join hands with them for some other commitment besides marriage. Don’t worry, these are not signs you are obsessed with them secretly or that you will fall in love with them. It just means that some kind of union is awaiting the two of you.”

But what about when you dream of getting married to a complete stranger you’ve never seen before? You are at your own wedding, but with someone you have never seen before. It might get you extremely confused and upset in your waking life. This dream might reveal your hidden loneliness, especially if you are single. It could mean you secretly wish for someone to commit to you.

Nishi gives another insight, “If you are single and you see a dream like that, it is one of the signs that love is coming your way.” One Reddit user shares their experience of marrying a stranger in their dream. They said, “The weird thing is that it focused more on the wedding itself than the person I was getting married to. I don’t even remember who the groom was, his face was a total blank when I woke up. I just remember the dream was more focused on picking out a dress, then the ceremony, the decorations, having fun during the reception, etc.”

In that case, here is what Nishi feels, “You will get a good proposal soon and it’s the universe’s way of letting you know that happiness and love are coming your way. It may not be time to start with the wedding preparations, but there might be romance aplenty. On the other hand, it could be your fear of getting married to someone you don’t know, like an arranged marriage or a forced marriage.” 

Dreams That You Don’t Want To Get Married 

Dreaming about getting married says one thing about your love life. But when you dream that you don’t want to get married and that’s the case in real life too, then it’s the obvious fear of getting burdened by a commitment you don’t wish to have in your life. What you think in your waking life is what your dreams are showing you as well. 

Nishi says, “If you are in a relationship with someone you love yet you dream that you don’t want to get married, it shows your fears. You are worried that you may not be able to fulfill your duties as a spouse or that you may not be a good partner. You are afraid that you will fail and that this person is not your true love. Maybe you are afraid that someone else is out there for you.”

Related Reading: 6 Facts That Sum Up The Purpose Of Marriage

Dreaming About Someone Else’s Marriage 

When you see a dream where you are attending someone’s wedding, then it’s one of the signs of big changes coming your way. You could get a promotion, you could move cities, or you may even fall in love with a total stranger if you are single. Yes, other people getting married in dreams says a lot about you!

Nishi shares, “When you dream of a friend or a family member’s wedding, prosperity awaits you. It has nothing to do with your fear of commitment or your desire to get married. Dreams like these bring good omens. You will witness happy and joyful days regardless of your relationship status.”

Dreaming That Guests Didn’t Attend Your Wedding 

It can be upsetting to see a dream where none of your friends, neighbors, or family members have attended your wedding. But what does it mean? When you see a wedding dream where none of the guests you invited have come, it means you have a feeling of rejection in your personal life. Your dream wedding falling apart is a sign that you feel like your own life is falling apart in some way or the other.

It could be work rejection or rejection in a relationship, or it could also signify being rejected by your family members. This fear has not just taken over your thoughts, it has also taken over your dreams. If you recently experienced rejection or have a fear of rejection, this is one of the reasons for your heartbreaking wedding dream. 

Dreaming About Being Left At The Altar

Nothing gets scarier than this one. You getting dumped or coping with a breakup on your wedding day and being left at the altar has to be the most heartbreaking thing ever. You are abandoned in front of all your loved ones. So many people get to see your heart break into a million pieces. This dream symbolizes your fear of abandonment in your personal life and love life.

This dream of getting married means that you fear being left alone by the ones you love. This dream may also mean that your loved ones aren’t in favor of this wedding and there is a lack of support from either your side of the family or your partner’s. However, it’s best to work on your fear of abandonment by seeking help from friends or a professional. 

Dreaming About Losing Your Wedding Ring

Perhaps your dream started off with a royal wedding, surrounded by the most perfect wedding party gifts. It’s a luxurious affair with all your family and friends cheering you on. Your partner stands in front of you, waiting to accept you into their arms and their life. All is well and you feel happy. Suddenly, you are having a hard time because you are unable to find the wedding ring for your partner! You have looked under the tables and in random corners, but cannot find it anywhere.

This dream points to your fear of losing control of your life, and that does not necessarily have to do with your relationship. Maybe there is a new beginning, a new boss, or you have just changed homes and are living with a new flatmate. This new phase is perhaps making you feel stressed. It feels as if you are losing control and no longer have autonomy over the things you previously thought to be stable.

Dreaming Of Running Late To Wedding

Even if you are in a healthy relationship and dream that you are late to your wedding, it may not signal anything about your relationship at all. Perhaps it means something on a more personal level for you. It is similar to when you dream about missing a plane or a train.

You are just feeling anxious because you think you are running behind in life. Compared to your friends, family members, cousins, and even your partner, you are afraid you have not reached the stage in life where you wanted to by now.

Dreaming Of Not Finding Your Wedding Venue

If you locked in the wedding venue and dates long ago, and yet you’re seeing a dream where you are running through the fields looking for your wedding venue, then there are chances of you being commitment-phobic in real life. Your fear of commitment is subconsciously trying to grab your attention.

Nishi says, “This dream isn’t a good sign. You are heading toward new beginnings and you see a dream where you are desperately looking for your wedding venue. You need to do some introspection and find out if you are ready to commit to being someone’s spouse for the rest of your life. Marriage isn’t something one takes lightly. You promise to combine the rest of your days with another person’s life.”

Related Reading: Why Do Guys Pull Away Before They Commit?

Dreams About Your Wedding Getting Ruined

You are dreaming about your perfect dream wedding. You’re in love with the groom, your parents are present, and all your loved ones are cheering you on to celebrate your big day. However, something comes in the way of your perfect wedding. The bridesmaid is late, your wedding dress is ruined, or you forgot your wedding vows. Let’s see what this dream about getting married haphazardly means.

Nishi explains, “Something ruining your wedding in a dream is a hint for you to get your act together in life. It indicates a temporary sadness in your life. You could be coping with depression. Perhaps you are struggling to get over a breakup, or you are dealing with substance abuse or anything that’s stopping you from doing better in life. You need to focus on your own well-being if you have dreams about your wedding getting ruined.”

How To Manage Stressful Wedding Dreams 

Your wedding is one of the biggest, most wonderful days of your life. Even if you’re not getting married any time soon, these stress-inducing dreams can affect your day-to-day activities. Nishi adds, “If your waking hours are filled with dread, then you need to distract your mind. Think about positive things. Engage in activities that will help you keep your mind occupied.

“Weddings can make anyone anxious. That’s exactly what’s happening with you. It also reveals your subconscious desires. None of the scary dreams you see will take place as an actual event. Even someone’s death or losing your engagement ring won’t happen the way you see it in your dreams. They are all signaling the other problems you have — whether it’s related to work or your relationship problems.”

Bad dreams don’t mean bad omens in any way. You just have to find a better way to manage your stress and anxieties. Don’t worry about your wedding too much regardless of your relationship status. It will either happen just the way you imagined, or it’ll be beautifully flawed and memorable.

If your dreams are bothering you and you can’t stop thinking about them, then seek professional help. At Bonobology, our panel of licensed advisors and mental health experts can help you embark on a path toward recovery.  

Sometimes dreams are quite straightforward, sometimes they are funny, and other times, they are extremely difficult to crack and you wake up perplexed. If you still want to know the deeper meaning of your dreams, a professional or a dream expert like Layne Dalfen can help you because each person’s dreams are different based on their life experiences.

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