The Unity Candle Ceremony: A Unique Way To Showcase Your Love

The Unity Candle ceremony is a symbolic ritual that is centered around the unity of individuals. This ceremony can be performed by only the couple set to be married, and the ceremony can also include the mothers of both, or it can be a family ceremony which includes children family members. I’ve listed some helpful recommendations for Unity Candle Ceremonies, which I have taken from Unity Candle Ceremonies that I have been in:

1. The Bride and Groom: Marrying couples who would like to have a Unity Candle Ceremony need to ask themselves one question: how do you envision the meaning of this ceremony? Their answers normally fit in one of three categories. In the first category, couples want a Unity Candle Ceremony to symbolize how they are united by God’s love. They accomplish this by lighting the individual candles first and then lighting the large candle together.

In the second category, there are engaged couples who would prefer to light the large pillar candle first and then light their individual candles from it. They then let their three candles stay lit, which symbolizes God’s light and the individuality and unity that can be found within a good marriage.

In the third category, there are some couples who think of the central pillar not as a symbol of God, but as something else that is meaningful to them. As an example, a couple I know chose to see the central pillar as universal truth, and their individual candles as each person’s individual truths magnified throughout marriage.

2. The Bride, the groom, and their mothers: What most people often forget that marriage is not only about uniting two people in love, it is also about uniting two families. For this reason, some couples include their mothers in the ceremony.

I have witnessed this being accomplished in two different ways. The first way, before the processional and after the guests are seated, the mothers walk down the aisle towards the stand where the unlit candles are placed. There should be four small candles and one pillar candle. Each mother lights her own candle, and then together they light the central pillar candle. This symbolizes their approval of their children’s union, and their willingness to be united as one family. They then walk back to their seats, and the processional starts. The ritual that includes only the bride and groom start later in the wedding.

The second way that I have personally witnessed this ceremony performed is, the Officiant call the mothers up to the stand during the wedding. Then they start the ceremony. They go back to their seats just before the ceremony for the bride and groom starts.

3. Unity Candle Ceremony Performed With Children: Since the couple is uniting two families together, including children from both families is a great way to symbolize the bringing together of these families. In this way of performing the ceremony, each child has his or her own candle, and all of the people involved in the ceremony light their tapers first.

When that is done, the bride and groom talk to each child and recognize how their families are becoming one. The children can also talk about how this means for them. Finally, all of the participants in this ceremony light the central pillar, beautifully illustrating the formation of a new family.

The unity sand ceremony is very similar in meaning to the candle ceremony is growing in popularity.