A wonderful way to illustrate the joining of two loving individuals into one married couple is by incorporating a wedding unity ceremony into your special day. There are many different ways this can be done and our online wedding store can help you find the wedding accessories needed to make them happen.
Below we have highlighted five different types of wedding unity ceremonies that each beautifully represent the loving union the two of you are entering. One of them is bound to be perfect for the type of wedding you have in mind.
Candle Unity Ceremony
A large candle and two taper candles are used for this particular ceremony. A member from each of the couple's families, usually the mothers of the bride and groom, each light a separate taper candle before taking their seats for the wedding. The bride and groom then use the tapers to light the center candle together, symbolizing the joining of their two families.
Sand Unity Ceremony
The bride and groom each have a small vase filled with their own personal color of sand. This could be the wedding colors or just two colors you each love and want to have displayed in your home. A single container is chosen to combine the two different sands into.
The couple begins by taking turns pouring their sand, in layers, into the single container. At the end, they pour sand at the same time. This commingling of sand illustrates the two becoming one. If the bride or groom already has children, the kids may also add a sand color to the mix symbolizing the new blended family. At WhereBridesGo.com, we have containers for your unity sand ceremony as well as a nice variety of sand colors to choose from.
Rose Unity Ceremony
For this one, three vases are placed at the front of the ceremony venue. The bride's and groom's families are each assigned a flower color. The mothers place one flower in their vase for every immediate family member on their side, including the one getting married. You might choose to add a personalized ribbon to the flowers representing the bride and groom. Another option would be to have each immediate family member place their own flower in the vase.
When it is time during the wedding ceremony, the couple each take their family's bunch of flowers and place them together in the center vase. This symbolizes the blossoming of their new family.
Wine Unity Ceremony
This is similar to the sand ceremony, but with wine. It's perfect for a wedding at a vineyard or winery. The bride and groom each have a small carafe of their own wine. They combine the wines into a single glass, which they both take a drink from.
A nice addition to this is to then seal a bottle of wine in a box along with love notes you have written to each other. Choose a future anniversary to open the box and share in the wine and memories together. You could even make this an anniversary tradition by resealing the box with a new bottle and new letters every year.
Ring Warming Ceremony
All of your guests can be included in this one. The wedding rings are placed in a small pretty bag or box and passed from guest to guest while the officiant is speaking. Each guest holds the rings for a few seconds while saying a blessing or prayer for the couple.
When timed correctly, the rings should be back to the bride and groom as the vows are finished. For a large wedding with lots of guests, you might plan to have a song performed to allow a bit more time. If letting that many people pass around your rings makes you nervous, you can limit it to the immediate family and your wedding party.
A unity ceremony is a sentimental gesture that can have deep meaning for you both as a couple. At WhereBridesGo.com, you will find many wedding decorations and accessories online that will help you add romance, beauty, tradition, humor, and more to your special day. That variety is what makes us the place "Where Brides Go, For What Brides Love!"
~The WhereBridesGo.com Team
Post by Deanna Powell, Certified Bridal Consultant