Unity Candle

aggielaura09 · June 2010

I'm not really a fan of the whole unity candle thing. My mom is thinking we should do something. Does anyone know of any alternatives?

BrideToBeBecauseHeLovesMe · June 2010

I have heard of 2 different colors of sand, pouring water in, or water and dye, bath salts that they dyed one bowl blue and one green and then later mixed them. We're actually doing white and blue rose petals. I know it's suppose to be "inseparable" but to us it is.

I hope that helps! What's your theme? Or do you have one?

SaraAndrew2010 · June 2010

If you don't like the idea of a unity candle, keep in mind that there is no requirement to have some type of unity ceremony. The whole wedding ceremony is about unity, so you shouldn't feel like you have to have a candle/sand/knot just because it's a trend in the wedding industry.

jedaniel · June 2010

We are not doing any kind of unity symbol. My friends this weekend did the sand thing. They had small vases of white and one red sand. And they then pured it into one large vase. Looked pretty neat, I think they will probably put in on their fire place mantle or something.

trix1223 · June 2010

IMO, a wedding IS a unity ceremony and nothing more is actually needed. My DD was married a year ago. And check it out: they're still married. And they didn't do a "unity anything": no candles, pouring sand, mixing water, combining wine, planting trees, mixing dirt, pouring golf balls, nothing.

Again, IMO, many of those are pretty hokey and just seem like the couple is trying too hard. After all, if you vow to love and cherish each other for as long as you both shall live, I don't think mixing dirt in a bucket seals the deal anymore, do you?

tldh · June 2010

FI wanted a unity symbol. Candles were out of the question because it is an outdoor ceremony and to me the whole sand thing always looked like an arts and crafts project.

We're kind of doing a hybrid. Red water and yellow water (fall wedding) in large vases with a floating candle lit in each. Beside one vase will be a picture of my parents on their wedding day and next to the other will be a picture of FIs parents on their wedding day. Behind the vases are smaller vases with the red and yellow water that will be poured into the empty center vase and then a floating candle will be lit in it. (hopefully the high vase walls will protect the flame)

After the ceremony (at a historic house) we are putting all three large vases and the two pictures on the mantle in the dining room near the cake.

fpaemp2011 · June 2010

We're doing a Cord of Three Strands that we got from www.godsknot.com

fpaemp2011 · June 2010

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_customs-traditions_unity-candle-1?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:36Discussion:51de1234-9a18-4c0f-b713-d5047476202ePost:d58513d5-b764-4008-9a29-8fd3738a47e1">Re: Unity Candle</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: Unity Candle : Otherwise known as a handfasting.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

Actually, it's not. It's 3 strands, gold in the center, purple, and white.<font color="#000000"><span style="font-weight:bold;color:#660099;"> </span></font>Gold represents that Christ has been invited to the position of authority in the marriage relationship. Purple represents the the majesty of God as head over the husband, and the husband as the head over the home. The white represents the purity of the bride of Christ, the Church, and the purity of the bride. FI will hold the ring while I braid the cords, and our friends will sing "Love Never Fails" by Brandon Heath. It's based on Ecclesiastes 4:12, "...a cord of three strands is not quickly broken."

tracy_k · June 2010

If you're not a fan, why do one at all?

aggielaura09 · June 2010

Thanks everyone! Everything was helpful.. It's been crazy. Our wedding was planned for 10/8/2010 BUT thanks to the Army, we've moved it up to April 30. It's been stressful trying to do what I would like, but still keeping other family members happy!

irshis20 · June 2010

We think unity candles/sand ceremonies/etc. are hokey, so we're not doing anything like that. Our church wedding coordinator confirmed that unity candles only became trendy in the 60s/70s. As for sand ceremonies, they remind me of those bottles you could fill up at the fair with sand and beads, then stick googly eyes and felt pieces to.

amybear21 · June 2010

I think we are doing a unity cross.

Unity Candle

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