+ Unity Candle: Contemporary Ceremony

Lighting the Unity Candle is a symbol of the union created by a man and a woman who enter into marriage. They are no longer two, but one.

The Bible says, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Today, we see two people uniting themselves as one.

As one in the flesh and as one in the spirit.

These candles symbolize that union.

The two outer candles represent the individual lives of (Groom) ___and (Bride)__ and the families from which they came. The lighting of this Unity Candle not only symbolizes the coming together of these two individuals, but the joining together of their families, as well. May you all recognize your continuing importance in each other’s lives by sharing with each other the light of your love.

+ Unity Candle: Civil Ceremony

When the flames of two individual candles join together, a single brighter light is created from that union. May the brightness of this light shine throughout your lives, giving you courage and reassurance in the darkness. May its warmth give you shelter from the cold, and may its energy fill your spirits with strength and joy. Now as you light this candle, may it symbolize that today you become as one...hand in hand, heart to heart, flesh to flesh, and soul to soul.

+ Unity Candle: Traditional Ceremony

The Unity Candle is a symbol of the union that exists between a man and a woman who enter the holy estate of matrimony. They are no longer two, but one. The Holy Bible says, “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” In a marriage relationship, a man and a woman leave one home to establish another.
These two candles represent the individual homes in which (Groom) and (Bride) __ grew up. The center candle represents the new home they are establishing today with Christ as the heart of that home.
As (Groom) and (Bride) __ join together in lighting this Unity Candle, may we all reflect on the union made here this day between God, this woman, and this man.

+ SAND CEREMONY (BLENDING OF THE SANDS)

(Hawaiian Tradition)

The Blending of the Sands is a beautiful and meaningful unifying ceremony from Hawaii that symbolizes the joining together of the Bride and Groom or the blending together of their families. There are two versions offered----one for the couple and one for the family.

Glass containers are needed for the Bride, Groom, and each child represented (when children are included). Each container is filled with a different colored sand, representing each individual’s uniqueness. (Optional: Celebrant also may hold a vase filled with sand. He may begin the sand ceremony by pouring a layer of neutral colored sand into the Unity Sand Vase, which symbolizes the foundation of the marriage.) After the Celebrant reads the sand ceremony text, the Bride and Groom (and each child) pour their individual containers of sand into the Unity Sand Vase. They may wish to leave a small amount of sand in each container to symbolize that, although they now are joined as one, they still retain their own individuality.

Version 1----The Couple (The Celebrant says): Groom __ and Bride __, today you are making a commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. Your relationship is symbolized through the pouring together of these two individual containers of sand. (Groom) __, through the sands of time you have grown into the person you are today. This container of sand represents all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. (Bride) __, through the sands of time you have grown into the person you are today. This container of sand represents all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As you each hold your separate container of sand, it symbolizes your lives prior to this moment; individual and unique. Now as you blend the sands together, it symbolizes the blending together of your two hands, two hearts, and two lives into one. (The Bride and Groom combine their sands into the Unity Sand Vase.) Just as these grains of sand can never be separated again, so may your lives be blended together for all eternity.

Version 2----The Family (The Celebrant says): (Groom) __, (Bride) __, and (Children) __, today you are making a commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. Your new family relationship is symbolized through the pouring together of these individual containers of sand. One represents you (Groom) __, and all that you are as husband and father. One represents you (Bride) __, and all that you are as wife and mother. The other container(s) represent(s) (Children) __, who make(s) this family complete. As you each hold your separate container of sand, it symbolizes your lives before today. Now as you blend the sands together, it symbolizes the blending together of your hands, your hearts, and your lives into one family. (The Groom, Bride, and Children combine their sands into the Unity Sand Vase.) Just as these grains of sand can never be separated again, so may your lives be blended together for all eternity.

Creative ideas: The Unity Sand container, as well as the individual containers, may be a vase, vial, bottle, jar, heart-shaped, or any other shape glass container.

Choose a color of sand that reflects your unique personality. Melt some wax to seal the Unity Sand Vase, which also will hold the sand in place, and then seal it with a cork or a lid.

Have your names, initials or wedding date etched into the glass of he Unity Sand Vase for a special wedding keepsake and a reminder of your union.

+ Love Letter & Wine Box

(Groom) __ and (Bride) __ have chosen to perform a Love Letter & Wine Box ceremony. For those of you who have never seen this before, this box contains a bottle of wine & a love letter from each, to the other. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, & their hopes for their future together. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes & they have not seen what the other has written.

Should (Groom) __ and (Bride) __ ever find their marriage facing hardships, they will open this box, sit & drink the wine together, then read the letters they wrote to one another to be reminded of the reasons why they are together.

The hope is, however,(Groom) __ and (Bride) __ that will never have a reason to open this box. And if this is the case, they are to open this box to share & enjoy on their 5th wedding anniversary, replenish and open on their 10th anniversary, replenish, and so on.

+ HANDFASTING

(Celtic Tradition: The Celebrant explains the significance of the handfasting ritual by saying...)

Have you ever wondered where the words “tying the knot” come from? The expression “tying the knot” refers to the traditional Celtic marriage ritual of Handfasting. Handfasting is an ancient Celtic word for wedding, and was recognized as a binding contract of marriage between a man and a woman before weddings became a legal function of the government or a papal responsibility of the church. After the wedding vows and ring exchange, the couple’s hands were bound together with a cord that was tied in a “love knot,” signifying the joining of their lives in a sacred union. Today, handfasting is a symbolic ceremony to honor a couple’s desire for commitment to each other, and to acknowledge that their lives and their destinies are now bound together.

(The Celebrant holds up the cord and addresses the couple with these words…)
Please hold each other’s hands, palms up (her hands resting in his), so you may see the blessing they are to you. (Groom) __ and (Bride) __, this cord is a symbol of the life you have chosen to live together. Up until this moment you have been separate in thought, word, and deed. But as this cord is tied together, so shall your lives become intertwined. With this cord, I bind you to the vows that you have made to one another. With this knot, I tie you heart to heart, together as one.

(The Celebrant wraps the cord loosely around the Bride’s and Groom’s wrists to tie a “love knot” and says…)

(Groom) __ and (Bride) __, the knot of this binding is not bound by the cord, but rather, by your own vows of love. For, as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union. May this “love knot” always be a reminder of the binding together of your two hands, two hearts, and two souls into one. And so you are bound, each to the other, for all the days of your lives.

(Cord may then be removed and placed on the altar. Many couples choose to keep the “love knot” as a memento of their new union created that day.)

(The Handfasting tradition coordinates well with either or both of the readings below----”These Hands” and “Blessing of the Hands.)

These Hands

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love, that hold yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other all the days of your life. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as you build your future together. These are the hands that will passionately love you and care for you throughout the years. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind, and, with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will give you strength when you struggle, and support and encouragement to chase down your dreams. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, and help keep your family together as one. These are the hands that will, countless times, wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy. And lastly, these are the hands that, even when wrinkled with age, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch---- a touch from These Hands.

Blessing of the Hands

O God, bless these hands that are before You this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other their wondrous love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in Your grace, rich in caring for Your people, and devoted in reaching for Your perfection. And may you always hold (Groom) __ and (Bride) __ in the palm of your hand, protecting them and guiding them in the way they should go. Amen.

+ FAMILY MEDALLION

(For ceremonies involving children. This ceremony, created by Rev. Roger Coleman of Clergy Services, Inc., was designed to significantly include the children of those being married in the wedding celebration. The Family Medallion provides a symbol for recognizing family relationships by adding by adding a third circle to the two “marriage circles.” During this part of the ceremony, the children shall come forward and form a circle with the Bride and Groom who welcome the children into the family and verbally make a commitment to them.)

(The Celebrant says):

Just as (Groom) __ and (Bride) __ gave each other rings as symbols as their love and commitment to one another, they also would like to present [each of] you with a gift as a symbol of their love and commitment to you. The Family Medallion© is made up of three intertwining circles, two of which symbolize the union of this man and woman in marriage. The third circle represents the joining of children to this union, making it complete as we celebrate the new family created here today.

(The Bride and Groom present the children with the Family Medallion, and give each child a hug and a kiss.)