Still
The Most Popular Wedding Tradition
The 'Unity Candle'
is actually a group of four or more candles used in a set.
This set includes: A pillar candle, which
is the Unity Candle itself and is typically 3 inches or more
in diameter. Flanking this candle are two taper candles (they're
the tall slender candles you see on a dining room table). Hiding
behind these three candles is a votive candle which
is a small candle (like a tea light), is lit before the ceremony,
hides behind the unity candle, and acts like a pilot light.
At the very beginning of the ceremony
I will ask the mothers of the bride and groom or other such
VIPs to come up and light the taper candles. They light the
taper candles from the hiding votive.
In mid-ceremony, after the exchanges
of vows and rings, I will take the bridal party off-stage and
invite the bride and groom to light their Unity Candle. Beautiful
music and/or a vocalist may accompany this. Following this
lighting, the couple will typically present a long stem rose
to their mothers or other VIPs/family members. At the conclusion
of this, the bride and groom return to center position, and
the bridal party returns to their places.
Please consider the following:
The primary purpose of a candle is to provide light, therefore
using it outdoors against the billion candle power of the sun
doesn't make great sense. Jeffrey and Tiffany above are in
a setting which is almost medieval. This is a superb example
of a Unity Candle being used in an ideal setting.
The Unity Candle has been on the
western wedding scene for four decades now. It's use is extremely
well known. If you have your heart set on using a Unity Candle
by all means do so. Buy a beautiful and unique arrangement
of candles for this; try to avoid the commercial stuff. I will
extensively rehearse you on how to give a glorious performance
for when you show us that- Love is Light.
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