Unable to do a unity candle?

Question

Because our ceremony is being held outside, we wont be able to do a unity candle ceremony because of the wind. It was suggested that we could do a sand ceremony or knot ceremony instead. Does any one know how these work and where I can find information on them? Does anyone know of another unity ceremony we can do?
Also, has anyone come accross a good website for different wedding customs and traditions?
Thank you for your help!

Answer 1

I think the hand-fasting ceremony is great and I plan on getting married using this ceremony. The sand ceremony works the same way the unity candle works, but the bride and groom each poor a different colour of sand from their own glass into one glass at the same time. It looks really neat and basically it means that as you can no longer separate the mixed grains of coloured sand, you can no longer separate the two of you - you are tied together in the same way.

Here's a good website to check out:
http://www.worldweddingcustoms.com/
Lots of wedding customs and traditions that might be helpful.

Answer 2

Sand is very common. You just have two vials of sand instead of 2 candles. Then at the unity candle moment you pour the 2 vials of sand into a bigger one.

You could have unity candles if you really wanted to--just put them in hurricane glasses. Then the wind will not blow them out.

I have also seen people do beads of 2 colors. The wedding colors--one representing his family, one representing her family. When you pour them together the beads can mix together.

You could also do the same thing with colored water. Or regular water in colored glasses.

I've also seen a mexican wedding where they had a miniture of the may pole dance. They had a lil pole with ribbons and wrapped them intertwining.

Really you can use anything you can think of. A friend may be using candy as she is having a candy themed wedding. The guests favors are the candy self-serve bins, the tables are multicolored and gumball machines are the centerpieces.

A friend who did a medieval style wedding--I believe used wine. They had a white wine and a red wine and poured the 2 bottles together into one goblet.

The symbolism is the same regardless of what you chose to use. Anything that you could think of would be appropriate.

For wedding traditions just google world wedding traditions. Several good ones come up. Here are the top 3 that I've looked at before.
http://www.worldweddingtraditions.com/
http://www.worldweddingcustoms.com/wedding_customs/wedding_traditions.html
http://www.weddingguru.com/wedding_traditions.asp

Answer 3

I was just at an outdoor wedding where they did a sand ceremony. The bride and groom picked people from their sides who have been special and an important part of their lives. There was a bottle of sand with the guests name attached. When it was time for the traditional unity candle, they went down the aisles and stopped at each person they chose. Mom, dad, aunts, uncles, friends. After a hug we poured our sand into their vase. When everyone had poured the sand in the bride and groom went back to the altar and poured their sand into one vase. The sand was in 2 colors - blue and silver since it was the colors of the wedding. It was beautiful. It was brought back to the reception and the brides bouquet was placed in the sand. They are keeping the sand in a bottle as a keepsake now.
It symboized their unity and how everyone in their life was important in helping this unity to grow and continue. It was beautiful.

Answer 4

The unity candle is the 2 becoming one symbolism in it's fire form.

The sharing of wine where you each toast and drink in of the promise you have made then pour half of what you have in the center glass which was originally empty, the glass of your shared commitment, your future, one another's love and so on.... This is the same symbolism in its liquid form.

Solid would be the sand ceremony, where the 2 colors have a unique pattern, with white below if you wish to show how your love is supported upon the earth by the love of friends and family. White above if you wish for God's blessing.

And last but not least incense the smoke will intertwine as it rises

Samples of all these in the Sample ceremony section of my website.

http://www.churchofancientways.org

Answer 5

The sand ceremony is very simple. You need 1 tall/large vase and 2 smaller ones. Fill the 2 smaller ones with different colored sand - most couples will use their 2 prominent wedding colors. The minister will usually announce the ceremony - when he does you each will take one of the small vases and pour your sand together into the larger one. It symbolizes your two lives becoming one - just like the 2 flames becoming one with the candles.

Answer 6

There are many unity ceremonies.
Candle, sand, wine, rose & vessel, unity bouquet.
http://www.sandceremony.com/

Wine, the couple pour two wines into a glass & each take a sip.
Usually a white wine & a red wine which results in a rose colored wine.....Then at the reception, rose` wine is served.

As far as the candles being used out of doors, you can use hurricane lamp globes to protect the flame.

Or if you r-e-a-l-l-y want to go to the trouble, go buy some of those trick birthday candles that relight after being blown out. Make a hole in the top of your Unity Candles and insert the birthday candles. Your Unity Candles WILL stay lit!

Answer 7

I was told that I couldn't do a unity candle b/c my ceremony was outside. We did it anyway, the candles staid lit. We have a lighter near by, we figured the sentiment was there even if they blew out. But we didn't have to re-light or fake it. We got lucky.

If you don't want to risk it, I have seen the sand ceremony and it is very beautiful. Basically you have two clear glass beakers (vases..whatever you want) of different colored sand and then you each take your sand and pour it out together into a larger container. It creates a pretty design and something that signifies your unity yet still embraces your differences (ie the sand is together in the vase but maintains its individual color).

Answer 8

I just did a sand ceremony at my wedding!! We loved it!! The thought is that the sand once mixed together can never be seperated again just as the bride and grooms live's. Our wedding theme was stars and we found a great star bottle and i had white sand and he had black. It now sits on top of our piano and looks amazing!!! I googled the ceremony it self. The knot and the wedding channel.com has some simple good info.

Answer 9

Sand ceremony! Have two small containers with sand in them (you can buy special ones that look like a man and a woman if you want, or have different colored sand). The two of you pour your containers of sand into one larger container of sand (blending of lives type of thing). If you use colored sand, this can be a nice decorative piece. If you have kids, they can easily be incorporated into this ceremony by giving them their own small container of sand.

I don't recommend the knot ceremony. When properly done, it's rather long. And it's "pagan" so quite a few churches won't let you do it anyway.

Answer 10

There is a unity ceremony that calls for a gold chain or thread to be rapped around your joined hands. First around the grooms wrist then under and over and around the brides wrist you will need about 1 and half yards. Good luck.