Unity Ceremonies & Rituals ...
For The A-Typical & Awesome
The sand and the candle...every one has seen them done in a movie, tv show or at your cousin's wedding in Texas last year.
But Unity Ceremonies have their roots in Pagan and Indigenous rituals have deep, ancient meanings. From modern Whiskey Blending and First Light rituals to Blanket Ceremonies and Jump The Broom... clock windings, spell jars and more, ritual is how we connect to the experience of ceremony in a personal and meaningful way!
Here is a list of some rituals to consider including in your wedding ceremony.​
Unity Candle
A ritual rooted in Baltic, Slavic, and Gaelic rites, the Unity Candle ceremony is straightforward and elegant. You choose a large candle and two small pillars. At the beginning of your ceremony the pillar candles are lit to symbolize your individual commitment. Near the end of the ceremony, just before or after the vows, you and your new spouse each take one candle and use them simultaneously to light the larger candle.
Many couples keep the candle for the entirety of their marriage and light it on every anniversary. It is a beautiful ceremony that you can continue for years to come.
Hand Fasting "Love Knot"
The ancient Celtic/Druidic tradition of tying a knot (where the phrase comes from) was originally a ritual for engagement.
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Modern couples tie a knot as a symbol of their bond, their oath to hold fast to one another, and the lifelong love they will share.
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Include color magic, family members each with their own cord to offer, ritual blessing of the cord or personalized Celtic vows for that extra magick.
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Jump The Broom
An ancient Tradition that has also found its way into the modern ceremony, Jump The Broom holds a special place in my heart as I did it at my own wedding. A couple builds a broom together of sticks, reeds, ribbons and beads (etc.) the week before their wedding. This symbolizes all the parts of themselves they are bringing into the relationship.
Then, after the ceremony and the kiss, before they head back down the aisle, they jump it together to symbolize their willingness to overcome anything (past, present or future) as a pair.
The broom is kept in the home for their entire marriage, in a corner facing west, where all things set (like the sun). The broom should be shaken out regularly as it is believed to catch all of the bad luck that might have befallen the couple, but did not.
Elemental Altar
Great for including children, party members or parents and grandparents, the elemental altar consecrates the rings and can be made of just the four directional elements (water, air, fire and earth) or include the Eastern elements of stone, wood and metal as well. Each element has a reading and is presented to an altar which holds the rings until they are placed on your hands.
Beer/Wine/Whiskey Blending
You may have noticed a pattern by now. Most unity ceremonies involve taking two things and making them one, as a symbol of marriage doing the same for you. Beer, Wine and Whiskey Blendings are no different.
In this ceremony a couple blends two wines or beers into the same cask from two separate glasses. They then each take a drink from the blend and often the blend is then passed to children or other close family members.
First Nation Blanket Ceremony
Perhaps one of my favorite ceremonies, the Native American tradition involves a blanket, traditionally made by the mother of the groom, which is wrapped around the bride and groom as the final step of the ceremony.
Typically, the mothers of the couple or their children will wrap the blanket. It is meant to symbolize the love and acceptance of the families and the welcoming of the new family member into both of their bloodlines.
Lasso Ceremony
A Mexican and Native South American tradition that has found its way into many modern (especially Catholic) ceremonies is a "Lasso-ing" during which a bride and groom are loosely bound together by a lasso of ribbons, cloth or garlands of leaves and flowers. A blessing is said over the couple to imbue the lasso with it's significance.
The First Light (420):
Couples, especially in Colorado, have chosen to light and share a joint as a part of a unity ceremony.
Tarot Reading
A magical way to begin your life together, with a ceremonial tarot reading. 12 months of the year read on the table and each of your strengths read in conjunction with your journey or lesson card, what you each bring to the union and what ways you can expect to challenge one another to grow.
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Planting A Tree
Planting a tree together is a beautiful new ceremony that has recently gained popularity. A tree is chosen and brought to the altar in a pot. Two vases, cups or otherwise containers are given to the couple. Each couple adds soil from their vase to the pot and together they use a pitcher to water the tree. The couple nurtures the tree for the first month of their marriage and then choses a place to plant it together where they can visit it often. Some couples chose to visit the tree each year and, as in native american cultures, decorate it with ribbons or strings of popcorn on the anniversaries. Check out this link to find out some amazing symbolism regarding trees you can choose.
Saber Exchange
An Asatru, or Norse, ritual of trust and honor. Historically exchanged between the fathers of the households, many couples choose to exchange sabers between one another as a symbol of accepting each other into marriage with love and trust.
Wishing Stones
Inspired by the Celtic tradition, a wishing stone is given to every person present at your ceremony to hold love and well wishes. Some couples choose to bury the stones on the land they were wed, offer them to a body of water or keep them on their altar.
Spell Jar
This is a beautiful way to bring your elemental, witchy, pagan or earth centered beliefs into your ceremony.
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You can build a spell jar together as part of a unity rite by selecting ingrediants that symbolize energy you want in your marriage, lavender for calm, rose petals for joy, pink salt for safety etc. You then will them together in turn saying vows over the jar and sealing it finally with two candles.
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Sand Ceremony
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In this tradition, which originated from the Polyneasian islands, a couple takes two vases of sand, different colors, dyed traditionally to represent their tribes, and combines them in one vase.
The vase is kept for the entire marriage to symbolize their love.
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This is a great ceremony to symbolize two lives coming together especially if one or both of your has children or family that will join in the pouring.
The Eternal Cup
Pouring and sharing a sacred drink of mead, wine, whiskey, moon or spring water, or as this couple did, the absinthe and wine ritual.
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To share a drink is an ancient ritual of trust in many cultures.
Meditation/ Moment of Breath
Beginning your ceremony experience with a meditation, moment of breath, or moment to connect to your ancestors, divine guides, higher selves or archetypes creates a sacred space for ceremony to have greater depth and impact.
Crowning
A Slavic wedding tradition, the crowning was adapted from pagan origins and incorporated into Russian Orthodox rituals. The crowns symbolize becoming "rulers" of your new home, and lives and also represent the mutual sacrifice of marriage.
Signature Drink
Craft a drink together of nostalgic ingredients OR ingredients that represent you (this couple chose to include ingredients from their hometowns!). Bonus... signature drink to make and enjoy for every anniversary to come!
Offering
Offerings to ancestors, archetypes, guides, divine beings and the land are a wonderfully beautiful way to create sacred space and invite ceremony that reaches beyond the physical plane.