The Unity Candle _ To Have, Or To Have Not ?

Happy 15th and thanks for stopping by! Today`s focus is on *THE UNiTY CANDLE* -- one of the most traditional ceremonial elements with a beautiful meaning, but also an element that I see rapidly becoming a way of the past. So let`s explore a little, shall we?

UNiTY

u ni ty |ˈyoōnətē|
noun ( pl. -ties)
1. the state of being united or joined as a whole.
^^
Well, according to the dictionary that came installed on my MacBookPro :)


Other than "love", the word "unity" is the one word I would use to adequately describe the meaning of the entire wedding experience. Regardless of the location, budget, number of guests, or the size of the wedding gown, the wedding itself is the social proclamation of two independent lives *uniting* as one.

The UNiTY CANDLE CEREMONY is a piece of the wedding ceremony that further solidifies this idea. While it`s a relatively young tradition that has only been around arguably since the mid to late 1900s, it is one that took off quickly and became widely synonymous with "something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue."

Traditionally, there is a tri-candle configuration on or near the altar:
→ 1 large pillar candle (the UNiTY CANDLE) flanked by 2 narrow taper candles.
The mother of the Groom (or a representative of the Groom`s family) lights the taper on whichever side of the venue the Groom`s family is seated (typically the RiGHT), and the mother of the Bride (or a representative of the Bride`s family) lights the candle closest to the side on which the Bride`s family is seated (the LEFT). At some point during the wedding ceremony (commonly after the exchanging of the vows/rings but before the kiss), the Bride and Groom will light the large central pillar candle in unison. They use the flames of the flanking taper candles to light the central candle, signifying the act of two lives now joining together as one.

Many couples are doing away with this piece of the ceremony altogether. While it`s 100% your prerogative, I`d love to show you some new ideas for this old classic.

1. | Unity with a Floating Candle

→ The floating center candle can replace the central pillar candle, and you can still have the traditional taper candles flanking it. For another pretty twist, add some colored rocks to the bottom of the glass that accent the colors you chose for your wedding!

2. & 5. | Unity with a Decorated Pillar Candle

→ The monogram is a nice, subtle touch, and would go fabulously with a monogrammed aisle runner from my September 1st blogpost ;-) Or, if the monogram is too over-the-top for your theme, do something more cheeky by decorating it according to your wedding theme!

3. | Unity with a Unique Shape!

→ Of course, since I`m obsessed with everything Disney, y`all already know I LOVE this one!

4. | Decorative Unity Candle Holders

→ This unity candle ceremony still has the traditional tri-candle setup, but with a cute twist. Look at the sweet candle holders!

6. | Sand Ceremony

→ THE MOST POPULAR RENDITION I`VE SEEN! It works the same as the traditional unity candle ceremony, except instead of fire, you have sand. You can choose an array of colors, but I would stick with 3: 1 to represent the Groom, 1 to represent the Bride, and 1 to represent the couple uniting as one.

NOT PiCTURED. | Water Ceremony

→ Works in the same manner as the Sand Ceremony above, but with water instead. While you could incorporate food coloring into the water, I would test it before the big day! You don`t want the colors mixing and making an eyesore in the background of all your pretty wedding photos at the altar!

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I`ll see you again on October 1st!
Until then, feel free to comment or shoot me some questions on my formspring:

http://www.formspring.me/SequinSoirees

♥