Unity Symbols & Unity Rituals

A way to add a special touch to ceremony

Leanne Smith - Civil Celebrant

At this special time of the year when we are all preparing for families to gather together, I thought it might be appropriate to take a moment to think about unity and how we symbolise the union of two people and the uniting of family members particularly at weddings. Here are some examples of unity rituals which are often included in a marriage ceremony.

Light a Unity Candle- creating a new flame (a new light) together. At the beginning of the ceremony a flame is lit for each partner (often by a parent or close relative who has known them all their lives) then after the marriage vows have been exchanged each partner takes a taper flame from their individual candle and together they light a new flame…. nothing is lost and new light is created.

Sand Blending- there are so many variations of this ritual which can be adapted to suit any situation. In its most simple form, two colours of sand are used. The couple each choose a vial of coloured sand which represents them and their life up to this moment. They pour their individual vials of coloured sand into a new vessel (often creating pretty layers and patterns) symbolising the union of two individual lives and noting that nothing had been lost from their individual lives, but never can these grains of sands be separated and placed back into the individual containers.

While the symbolism of this ritual will remain unchanged, there are often more than two colours of sand used. Parents can be included (perhaps pouring layers of sand representing stability, wisdom, long life) and children can choose their own colour to add to the blend which is a beautiful way to acknowledge the creation of a new blended family.

An alternative to the traditional symbolism of the sand ritual is to choose a combination of colours (I’ve used up to 12 different colours for this one) Allocate a meaning or a quality to each colour (eg. blue for peace, yellow for happiness, red for passion, black for stability etc) and then invite ALL the wedding guests to come forward in turn and add a layer of their chosen quality to the marriage vessel. It’s a great way to make everyone feel included and resulting blend looks spectacular as a wedding keepsake.

There are so many ways to personalise these rituals to suit your relationship, your family situation and to make them meaningful and relevant to your marriage.

If you have questions or would like moreinformation, please get in touch any time or visit mywebsite www.leannesmith.com.au

Happy and Safe holidays to all,Leanne