Fire logistics/protocols

HisBelovedOne

We're including the fire as one of the Indian traditions we're keeping in our wedding. Trouble is that neither of us knows exactly what to DO with said fire. I have a few quesions on the logistics of having a decent-sized flame going through the cermony.

Is the fire lit before the guests arrive, or after guests but before the wedding processional?

We aren't going to have a very long ceremony - maybe an hour tops. Will it be necessary to keep feeding the fire throughout the ceremony? If so, how can I write that into the ceremony?

When is it put out?

What is used to light it?

trueleo818

i have no clue about this but i think that this is such a cooooooooool idea! haha

HisBelovedOne

Ok, so I managed to find an aswer to one question - the officiant is supposed to light the fire in the presence of the bride and groom. So after the processional but before the other ceremonies. No clue what's supposed to be used to light it, but for convenience's sake we'll probably use a lighter.

Given that FI and I are both agnostic, we're trying to downplay as much of the religious aspects of it as possble. Since the fire is completely a religious thing, that's not totally avoidable, but we don't intend to feed the fire any of the usual offerings. I think we'll just keep a small pile of dry kindling nearby and we can add bits and pieces of twig in as necessary.

As far as putting it out goes, there doesn't seem to be a specific ceremony for that, that I've found. We can't leave it burning (public park and all that), but I don't want to just unceremoniously douse it with water either.

Bhanu&Anuj

Hi HisBeloevedOne

A few years ago I read about a Hindu girl and Jewish man getting married and how they incorporated the fire/aag into their ceremony:

http://www.sawnet.org/weddings/sonia.htm

I thought it was nice idea:

They had their attendants light a candle (I guess like a unity candle) and then they did this....copied verbatim from the website:

"We then took seven steps around the 'fire' that our closest friends and family had lit for us. In a Hindu ceremony, the fire is a witness to the marriage and a purification of the wedding itself. With each step, Mercedes read the following commitments we were making to each other with each step (these were translated for us by my mother): "

So if you use a candle, you may not have to be too worried about the fire protocols

Gluck

kavita85

I am not much help, but my Hindu officiant says he will light a very small fire, no bigger than 4-5 inches in diameter, 5-6 inches with flames. If the venue doesn't allow fires, he uses 4-5 candles, about an inch diameter with holders (from his website).

Bhanu, I love that website describing the wedding of the Hindu woman with the Jewish man! I found it a few years ago also and bookmarked it because we are a Hindu/Jewish couple. We are actually doing separate Hindu and Jewish ceremonies, but I thought her combined ceremony was a great idea and they pulled it off well.