Wedding Planning 101 - Part 12 Ceremonies and Traditions (Cont)

SYMBOLIC CEREMONIES, HERITAGE, CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS

In further researching the information for wedding ceremonies and traditions, I uncovered so much good stuff that it would be an injustice to just lump it all together.  So in the tradition of the Spanish  I will serve you up a sampling of the ceremonies and traditions in smaller, bite-sized tidbits like tapas.  Enjoy!

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UNITY CEREMONIES
(So Much More Than The Unity Candle)

When we think of Unity Ceremonies, the first thing most people think of is the lighting of a Unity Candle.  Because it is so familiar to most people, it seems that this tradition has been a part of weddings for many years.  In reality it has only been in the last decade and a half that the lighting of the Unity Candle was widely included in wedding ceremonies.  


The lighting of the Unity Candle in a wedding symbolically joins through marriage, the bride and groom, or  joins the families of the bride and groom together.  The bride and groom or a representative of each of their families light a small candle and together they light a larger candle with the flame of the two smaller candles.  In some cases the smaller candles stay lit and are displayed along with the larger candle to symbolize each person keeping their individuality in the marriage; in others the smaller candles are blown out to symbolize the two becoming one.  

Unity ceremonies are not just for the bride and groom.  These ceremonies are also a good way to incorporate other family members as the two families join together.  In more recent years some couples even include the entire congregation in their unification ceremonies.   They are also not limited to just lighting Unity Candles.  Today's post will explore ways to incorporate other types of Unity Ceremonies in your wedding.

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MIXING CEREMONIES

A Mixing Ceremony is the act of combining two elements to produce a whole element.  This joining can take place as a blending or as layering, depending on the element.  Water, wine and sand are the most common elements used in Mixing Ceremonies.  

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Water 

The bride holds one glass of water and the groom another.  The water is poured into a third larger vessel as a symbol showing the couple is now one.     

To add to the affect of this ceremony, you can use a different color for the bride and groom and when they combine their individual glasses the joining creates a third color.

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Wine Sharing/Loving Cup 

The bride and the groom are each presented with a glass of wine.  They in turn pour their individual glasses into one glass and each drink from that glass as a symbol of unity.  

One way to more visibly show the wine mixing and tie this Mixing Ceremony into the reception is to use a white wine for one and a red wine for the other.  As the couple join their wines together, they now have a rose' wine.  Use a rose' as your signature drink at the reception or to toast the bride and groom.

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Sand  

The origins of the sand ceremony were probably inspired by the salt covenant (discussed in a later post).  The bride uses one color of sand and the groom uses another.  Each pours a layer of their sand from separate vials into a clear vessel or vase until all the sand is layered.  This creates a lasting work of art that the couple is able to keep and symbolizes joining their individual lives (layers) into one work.

  

A variation to this ceremony is to add the officiant to represent God in the union.  The officiant first pours in a neutral color symbolizing God as the foundation of the marriage and then the bride and groom add their layers.  The three continue to pour layers of their sand in equal layers.