Wedding Planning

Today, many people are having unity ceremonies of all kinds and including these ceremonies right along with their wedding proceedings. Unity ceremonies can bring extra special meaning to your wedding no matter the location. Some unity ceremonies are a part of tradition that has been passed down through the generations, while others are new innovative ways of unity ceremonies.

Let’s start with the most popular or at least the one you hear about the most, The Unity Candle ceremony. During this ceremony, the bride and groom both have a taper or small candle lit. At the same exact time, with their smaller candle they light a large candle, which is called the unity candle. Some couples blow out their candles while others leave them lit; showing even though they are joined they are still individuals.

Second unity ceremony is the Rose ceremony where the bride and groom exchange roses. In some ceremonies, the bride and groom give each other a rose and then give the roses to their respective mothers.

Indian wedding many times include a unity ceremony known as the salt ceremony. During this ceremony, the bride gives the groom a handful of salt without spilling the salt, the groom then passes the salt pack to the bride. This is repeated three times. After this, the bride then passes the salt back and forth with the members of the groom’s family. This is symbolic of her becoming a member of their family.

The wine ceremony is becoming more popular today. During this ceremony, the bride and groom pour wine from a carafe together into one glass in which they both take a drink.

A very unique unity ceremony is the water ceremony in which the bride and groom have a different colored glass of water and pour it into one glass creating a new color. The sand ceremony is exactly the same only using different colored sand.

In some European countries, a unity ceremony is performed known as circling. The bride and groom circle the altar three times. These are the first steps the couple has together as husband and wife.

In Hawaiian weddings, the bride and groom exchange leis. Leis are symbolic of the love and admiration you have for the person accepting the lei, and the harmony of the new family.

In Hindu ceremonies, the bride and groom circle a fire seven times, which is an unbroken circle representing their unbroken commitment to one another.

During the slavery days, slaves were not allowed to marry. From this came the unity ceremony where the family would place a broom on the ground, both bride and groom would jump over the broom together.