Unity Candle Question

lesliejenna

Hello ladies!  Our wedding ceremony will be somewhat outdoors, under a tent with 3 sides exposed.  I really would like to have a unity candle on our special day and was told I could purchase one with wind guard.  I'm guessing that would be the same as placing the candles in a hurricane glass or votive?  I also could consider a wine or sand-pouring ceremony instead, but really had my heart set on the candle.  Any advice on this would be much appreciated!  Would it be weird to light a unity candle inside a larger votive?  We also need to plan for potential wind extinguising our taper candles!  At this point, I'm just praying for no rain/wind of any kind )

Ms.BriarRose

I know you want one, but I will tell you- it's going to be difficult to maneuver everything and light the big one and such if they are all in hurricane glasses.

We did one in our ceremony (which was inside), and I was so nervous- I was shaking (you will be too, trust me!), I was afraid the tapers would get stuck and would not come out, I was afraid I was going to drop the taper and set something on fire, etc etc.  Add in a hurricane lamp, and it makes it that much more cumbersome and worrisome. 

Have you researched online different unity candles?  The only thing I could think of is either a) having some sort of 3 sided box to protect the candles that can be moved during the lighting part, b) hanging up some basic plastic sheeting to the other two sides of the tent, or c) going with something completely different than a unity candle.

You could also try LED candles, if you are that afraid of the wind blowing them out?  I am trying to think outside the box here.  There are a couple of other ideas besides wine and sand, too.

Where is your ceremony taking place?

You might also post this on the Philly board, and maybe the DIY board or Ceremony board or one of the national boards; I am really at a loss for what to suggest, and the Philly girls usually have decent ideas.

Good Luck!

lesliejenna

You know, I never thought about the shaking part of it all!  Thank you for bringing that real life, real wedding day perspective!!

Most of the candles I see online are the standard ones.  Having a 3 sided clear box would be brilliant, just might take some craftiness!  I will definitely post this on the DIY board too.

Another option I would consider is to just go with sand vs. the candle, but given that we're getting married in a "non-traditional" setting (outside, under the tent at Hartefeld), I want to hold on to as many of the "traditional" elements that I can!

What other ideas besides wine and sand have you heard of?

uderin02

We actually just ordered the Unity Cross...getmarried.com has one.  Its where you both have a piece of a cross that you hook together, making one during your ceremony.  It can then be displayed in your house forever...its on my bio too under wedding elements.  I fell in love with this because I too was nervous about a candle outside...I didn't want to do sand because I'm getting married in the fall and that reminded me of the beach...and I definitely would spill the wine on myself

Hope this idea helps!  Good luck!

briemoo

My first thought was "They need to make trick unity candles." You could bore out the wick on the unity candles and replace it with the wicks of trick birthday candles. 

Apparently someone else already thought of this. 

http://www.zimbio.com/DIY+Wedding+Projects/articles/11/Unity+Candles+That+Stay+Lit

RecoveringActor

My friends did a great wine tradition that I had never seen before.  I don't know if this is the same wine as you have, but I think this one is awesome.

You get a chest to fit a bottle of wine.  The night before your wedding, you each write a letter to the other about why you love each other.  You seal the letter and place it in the box with the wine.  In time of crisis, you are to open the bottle of wine if you need it, go into another room, and read the other's letter.  If you never have to open the letters... you are to open the wine on your 10th wedding anniversary, share the wine together, and read the letters out loud.

paprika28

aww! I love this. I'm such a sappy, sentimental person... I'd break in to the bottle of wine and the letter within the first week though....