Creative Wedding Cermony

 Unity Candle Ritual

One way that couples can be creative in their wedding ceremony is around the Unity Candle ritual.

Normally an individual candle is lit by the bride and groom at the start of the ceremony. Then when they have become husband and wife, they return to the altar to light the centre candle. At this point couples can decide to keep all three candles lighting or blow out the individual candles.

However, many couples are choosing a different approach to this ceremony.

Rather than lighting their own candles, couples can also invite their parents to do so on their behalf.

When David and Joanne, the Directors of Avalon, got married, they asked both sets of parents to do this for them.

On their wedding booklet it said; David’s parents Michael and Anne, and Joanne’s parents, Barbara and Gerry will now light their individual candles as a symbol of the gift of life that they gave their children.

Hand-fasting

Another very nice and symbolic ritual that couples can use is called hand-fasting. It goes something like this.....

David and Joanne will now hold each other’s opposite hands and in so doing create the eternity symbol while martin (our priest) wraps their hands with his stole. The hand-fasting ritual has Celtic roots and indicated the couple’s commitment to each other but here symbolises God’s eternal love for David and Joanne.

The Bringing of the Gifts

If you would like to include your godparents in your ceremony, then the ‘bringing of the gifts’ is a perfect opportunity to do so. Why not have one of your godparents bring the wine and the opposite sex godparent bring the bread.

Alternatively you could take a gift that is symbolic of your personality, e.g. a rugby ball or a pair of shoes and have one of your best friends present this to you as a token gift to your beloved.

You might say for example, David’s best friend Ian, will present David with his favourite rugby ball. Joanne will thus be given this ball by David as a symbol of the sacrifices he might have to make in due course. Joanne will present David with a pair of expensive shoes, which he will be seeing many more of once they are married!