It is becoming more and more popular for couples to elect to have some form of unity ceremony during their wedding service. Unity ceremonies can symbolize the joining of two families into one and or the joining of the bride and groom into one flesh.The unity ceremony can be performed with candles or sand.
The candle unity ceremony consists of two long tapered candles and one larger unity candle. The tapered candles can either represent the bride and groom each or their respective families. It’s common for a representative from each family to light the tapered candles. This is usually done by the mothers of the bride and groom. During the ceremony the bridge and groom light the larger unity candle together with their tapered candles. This large candle represents the new couple and or the joining of the families into one unit that love the happy couple. The unity candle is often decorated with the wedding invitation, monogram, some inscription or a picture of the couple. These candles are more than often white in color. Depending on the representation and symbolism the couples elect to follow the individual tapered candles may be blown out or left lit.
A similar unity ceremony can be performed using sand. Instead of lighting a candle together, the couple uses colored sand from individual vessels and pours them together into a larger container. The sand can match the color scheme of the bridal party or be your classic black and white. Some couples elect to use a different color for each family member and have everyone participate, especially if there are children involved in the new marriage.
Whether you choose to have a sand or candle unity ceremony is up to you. There are many options to choose from style wise to have the perfect additions to your wedding ceremony.