Unity Candle Ceremony Alternative
Lighting the unity candle during a wedding ceremony symbolizes that two lives are becoming one. This ceremony is used in many weddings, but some couples prefer to symbolize their union in a different way. Alternatives to the unity candle include symbolic gestures that use water, wine, cords or flowers. Some of these alternatives have roots in various religious traditions, but unless the couple's faith has strict guidelines, this should not prevent the bride and groom from choosing one for their wedding.
-
Water, Wine or Sand
-
Place a table near the ceremony area, and on the table place a pitcher of water and three empty goblets. When the mothers of the bride and groom enter, they are escorted to the table, where they each pour water into a separate glass. Later in the ceremony, before the officiant pronounces the couple husband and wife, the bride and groom walk to the table, each take a glass of water and pour the water into the empty glass. If the couple chooses, the officiant can explain to the guests that this gesture symbolizes that their separate lives are now becoming one. A variation on this is to use wine instead of water. One mother pours red wine into a glass and the other mother pours white wine into another glass. The couple then pours the wine into the third goblet and shares the pink wine.
Instead of water or wine, another option is for the bride and groom to each take a different color of sand and mix the colors into a clear bowl. This works well for outdoor weddings as a unity candle alternative, as wind might blow out the candles. If the bride or groom has children, the children can participate in the sand ceremony as well by pouring their own colored sand into the bowl to represent the blending of families.
Hands and Cords
-
The old phrase "tying the knot" is symbolized in the ancient Celtic handfasting ceremony and reflected in some Christian wedding traditions. Ceremonies with cords are perfomed in a variety of ways, depending upon the couple's choice and faith. The couple can weave colored cords into a braid or a series of knots or can have the officiant wrap cords around their clasped hands. HandfastingCeremonies.com explains the symbolism of the different colored cords as well as offers suggestions on things to say during a handfasting ceremony.
Certain Christian churches include a symbolic wedding ritual in which the priest removes his stole and wraps it around the couple's hands, quoting the Scripture from Matthew 19:6, "So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
Flowers and Wreaths
-
In a flower ceremony, the couple exchanges roses or other flower as a symbol of their first gift to each other as a married couple. USABride.com includes an explanation that either the officiant or someone in the wedding party can read aloud during the flower exchange.
A wreath ceremony involves not only the bride and groom but also many family and friends. HandfastingCeremonies.com explains that an ivy wreath is placed on a table near the bride and groom, and family and friends add flowers and sprigs, either real or silk, to the wreath during a certain part of the ceremony.
-
