The Many Versions of the Unity Ceremony

The wedding ceremony is a rather short one. It has become a popular practice to add to the exchanging of vows by performing a unity ceremony that adds a more visual aspect to the entire wedding. The Unity ceremony also allows for the participation of the families of both the bride and groom or their children from previous marriages.

The most popular version is the unity candle ceremony where two small tapered candles are lit by the mothers of the bride and groom. These candles are used by the couple later to light a pillar candle to symbolize the union of their commitment as well as the union of the two families in loving the newlyweds.

The unity sand ceremony comes as a close second in terms of popularity. This requires the bride and groom to each pour in sand from the individual containers in their hands, into a larger container. This act signifies the fact that the individual grains of sand coming from their individual containers can no longer be separated and will forever be as one.

Other versions of the unity ceremony are done with wine; others with a hand ceremony. Also becoming popular is the blessing stones ceremony where guests are allowed to write their wishes for the couple on polished stones before the wedding ceremony begins. These stones are then placed around the couple before the actual wedding ceremony takes place to signify that the blessings and wishes of the community who have gathered together for their union encircle their home and marriage for the coming years.