As a wedding planner and wedding officiant, I have seen my fair share of wedding ceremonies.  One thing I have come to learn is that a lot of couples like to have a unity ceremony, but tend to stick to the traditional sand pouring or candle lighting.  And while both are great options, there’s so many more out there that can be more personalized for your wedding ceremony.

It’s a great way to show the blending of your families so you might as well make a big deal about it.  My couples are all about making the day personalized and a reflection of them.  A unity ceremony is a perfect way to do that.  Take a look at this list on different ways to incorporate a unity ceremony into your wedding ceremony.

Unity Ceremonies for your Wedding Day from a Wedding Officiant

 

Wine or Beer Mixing

Who doesn’t love a good drink, especially when you’re celebrating and especially when you are standing in front of a bunch of people.  Now you can have your unity ceremony and drink it too.  You could mix your favorite white and red wine, mix up a cocktail using your favorite liquors, or even make a Black & Tan.  It’s a fun way to show you are coming together and get a little refreshment too.

 

 

 

Love Letters in a Box

Going along with the wine, perhaps you would like to each write your own love letter to each other to be opened on your first wedding anniversary.  It is something beautiful to display in your home and a wonderful thing to look forward to.  Then on your anniversary, you can relive the magic you were feeling on your wedding day.  Keep it going by rewriting a new love note to each other and open them again year after year.  And don’t forget the wine!

 

 

 

 

Glass Pour

As I mentioned before there is the traditional sand ceremony, where you have different colored sand and you mix them together into one container.  It’s really popular and simple to do, but as a wedding officiant, I don’t prefer them.  If the container is not sealed or moved properly then the original design gets mixed and it doesn’t look as nice as the first pour.  Instead, look into glass pouring.  It is where you take small colorful pieces of glass and mix them like the sand, but afterward, you get the colorful mix turned into something for you to display.

 

 

Canvas Art or Paint Pour

So before you freak out about the mess this could make, there are ways to do it where your attire will still stay safe.  Small squeeze bottles instead of cups.  Putting a catch under the canvas to collect the paint.  Using a brush to paint the canvas in an eclectic way, instead of pouring it on.  Doing something like this can be very colorful, easy to include multiple people like children, and creates artwork to hang in your home.

Take it up a notch and allow your guests to add their own flair to smaller canvas that you can hang with your joint one.  Now you have a conversational piece.

 

 

 

Braid

This unity ceremony is more traditionally used for those couples who wish to include their faith in their wedding.  It’s used to show the joining of two people and god into their marriage by intertwining the ropes together.  Having your wedding officiant give a blessing on the ropes or pass it between family members before braiding can add an even deeper element of love.  Another way to use this is to include your children in the ceremony.  You would each represent a rope, and by the end, you have blended your family into one.

 

 

 

 

Handfasting/Tie the Knot

This is a traditional Celtic ceremony in which your hands are joined and wrapped with rope, ribbon, or even an heirloom fabric.  With blessings given over your hands by your wedding officiant, it can create beautiful imagery.  Candace and Josh did this in their wedding ceremony and used a special hand-tying formation that when released and pulled it actually tied the wrap into an infinity knot for them to display in their home.

 

 

 

Remember, this is just a small list of ideas for your unity ceremony.  You are only limited by your imagination as to what you can do for yours.  Take a look at your relationship, your favorites, your interests….how can you take those and turn them into a unity ceremony.  Something so personal like that can really make your wedding day a unique reflection of you as a couple.