Name a star as a wedding gift

Yes, you can name a star as a wedding gift – and on Sternschenker it’s free and takes just a few minutes. Pick a real star on the sky map, name it after the couple, add the wedding date and a dedication, and download a PDF certificate with a QR code. Name a star now.

Why a star suits a wedding

Stars and love have always gone together. People promise each other the moon and stars, gaze up at the night sky side by side and link special moments to the sky above them. A star for a wedding builds on exactly that: it turns the wedding day into a memory you can look up to on any clear night.

For guests, it’s a personal touch alongside a gift of money or a present from the list. The best man or maid of honour can work it into a speech. And many couples name a star for each other – a quiet symbol for the start of their marriage.

Finding the right star for the couple

Stars with a love story

The best-known love story in the sky comes from East Asia: Vega the weaver girl and Altair the cowherd are separated by the Milky Way and allowed to meet only once a year. Both belong to the Summer Triangle and are easy to see from Central Europe in summer and autumn. You’ll find Vega in the constellation Lyra. Alphecca in the Northern Crown has a wedding story too: in Greek myth, Dionysus gave the crown to Ariadne when they married.

The sky on your day

A lovely idea is a star that was high overhead on the evening of the wedding. On our sky map you can look at the sky and choose a bright star that was well placed at that time of year.

Two stars, one couple

You could also give two stars – one for each partner. Vega and Altair are an obvious pair, as are Castor and Pollux in Gemini or the close pair Mizar and Alcor in the Plough. Our guide on how to choose a star has more tips.

Ideas for presenting it

• Framed: print the PDF on heavy paper and frame it, in portrait or landscape.
• With a gift of money: slip the certificate into the card or include it in a gift hamper.
• In a speech: the best man or maid of honour can reveal the star and show the QR code.
• Under the open sky: if the party is outdoors, find the star with a planetarium app and point it out.

Coming soon, you’ll be able to order the certificate printed on premium paper or add a stainless-steel pendant with an engraving and QR code. For more ideas, see our star naming gift ideas.

Timing tips

Create the certificate a few days before the wedding so there’s time to print and frame it. It works just as well later on – after the honeymoon, say, or for the first anniversary.

An honest note

Only the International Astronomical Union (IAU) assigns official star names, so the name on the certificate is symbolic, as with any private star register – and the same star can be named by more than one person. Because a central register would have no astronomical meaning, we don’t store any data: everything lives in the link behind the QR code. That’s why it’s free. Keep the PDF safe, as we can’t restore a lost link.

What counts is the gesture: a real star, your names and a date you’ll never forget.