- Unity ceremonies
Include a shared ritual because it belongs—not because weddings are supposed to have one.
A unity tradition can honor your culture, faith, family, children, or the joining of your lives. The best choice is meaningful, visible, simple to cue, and practical for your setting.
Ideas with a purpose.
Family promises
Invite children or close family members to make a brief promise of support before you complete the ritual.
Handfasting
“These cords do not bind you to one another. They represent the promises you freely choose to carry together.”
Shared vessel
“What is joined here cannot be separated into exactly what it was before—just as your lives move forward changed by this commitment.”
For an outdoor ceremony, consider wind, flame restrictions, cleanup, accessibility, and who will manage each item.
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Unity Ceremony
Unity Ceremonies are, in their most basic form, a way for the bride and groom to commemorate their ceremony. Most create physical things that can be displayed such as a tree, a vial of sand, or a knot that can be displayed in the home to remind the couple of their ceremony. We've included examples of some of the most frequently used unity ceremonies below.
Your Officiant will say: The expression “tying the knot” refers to the traditional early Celtic marriage ritual of Handfasting. Handfasting, the ancient word for wedding, was traditionally recognized as a binding contract of marriage between a man and a woman before weddings became a legal [...]
Your Officiant will say: This box contains a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a love letter from each to the other. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes[...]
Your Officiant will say: Today BRIDE & GROOM have chosen to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of the Sand Ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the joining of two separate individuals into one new inseparable union.Each will pour their own, separate containers of sand into one [...]
Your Officiant will say: BRIDE & GROOM, your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other.You now have what remains the most [...]
Your Officiant will say: You’ve chosen to celebrate your wedding by lighting the Unity Candle, signifying the union you are about to create. You have each chosen someone to light your individual candles - someone special to you who has helped shape you into the individuals you are today. [...]
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