The Unity Candle symbolizes the joining together of two separate families and has become increasingly popular over the years. Basically, its a tall candle that stands, unlit, between two smaller, lit candles during the ceremony. One of these smaller candles is placed in the bride’s side and the other is on the groom’s side. After you are pronounced husband and wife, you each take your respective candle, meet at the Unity Candle and light it with your joined flames. Some brides and grooms choose to light the Unity Candle on their own, while others have parents and other members of their families join them. For those couples marrying for the second time, it is an especially appropriate way to include children from their first marriages in the ceremony and to acknowledge the uniting of two families as one
Why a unity candle?
Something Old, Something New……..
The saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” is a popular rhyme that has been used since Victorian times. The “something old” represents the bond to the bride’s family and her old life; “something new” represents the couple’s new life together and their future hope for happiness, prosperity and success; “something borrowed” from a happily married woman is meant to impart similar happiness to the bride; and “something blue” represents fidelity and constancy.
Why do we wear bridal veils?
The bridal veil has long been a symbol of youth, modesty, and virginity and was used to ward off evil.
Eleanor Custis, Martha Washington’s granddaughter, wore the first white wedding veil in 1799. She was inspired by her fiance, who had told her how beautiful her face looked through a lace window curtain!
Releasing Wedding Doves
Doves mate for life and symbolize all the wishes we have for newlyweds, love, peace, harmony, fidelity and prosperity. In a trend, which is, growing across this country, more and more brides are choosing breathtaking dove releases for their ceremonies.
Releases are usually done immediately after the marriage ceremony, whether it is an intimate back-yard affair or a grand fairytale wedding and may involve from two to dozens of doves, which climb into the sky before flying home to their loft.
These doves are carefully trained to return home and are not released “into the wild”. Due to seasonal changes, dove release ceremonies are generally conducted from May to October in Michigan, but other services are offered year round, including doves shown in elegantly decorated cages fro the church entryway, the gift table, near the head table or any other location where they will contribute to the romance of the special day.
It is wise to book early, this is a specialty service with limited providers in any one area.
Grooms’ Cakes and Just Because Cakes
Groom’s Cakes
Just Because Cakes
What is a unity candle?
The Unity Candle symbolizes the joining together of two separate families and has become increasingly popular over the years. Basically, its a tall candle that stands, unlit, between two smaller, lit candles during the ceremony. One of these smaller candles is placed in the bride’s side and the other is on the groom’s side. After you are pronounced husband and wife, you each take your respective candle, meet at the Unity Candle and light it with your joined flames. Some brides and grooms choose to light the Unity Candle on their own, while others have parents and other members of their families join them. For those couples marrying for the second time, it is an especially appropriate way to include children from their first marriages in the ceremony and to acknowledge the uniting of two families as one.
Sharing the first piece of wedding cake
Wedding Cake of Many Flavors
is a wedding tradition with Roman roots. The Romans believed that by eating the wedding cake together a special bond was created between the couple. The wheat used to bake the cake was symbolic of fertility and a “fruitful union”, while the cake’s sweetness was thought to bring sweetness to all areas of the couple’s new life.
Old, New, Borrowed, Blue
The saying, “Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” is a popular rhyme that has been used since Victorian times. The “something old” represents the bond to the bride’s family and her old life; “something new” represents the couple’s new life together and their future hope for happiness, prosperity and success; “something borrowed” from a happily married woman is meant to impart similar happiness to the bride; and “something blue” represents fidelity and constancy.
Invite Equitte
Inviting partners and guests
If an invited guest is married, engaged or living with a significant other, that partner must be included in the invitation. A single invitation addressed to both individuals should be sent to spouses or couples who live together, while separate invitations should be sent to each member of an engaged or long term couple who don’t live together. Inviting single guests with a date is a thoughtful gesture, but one that is not required. If you are inviting a single guest with a date, try to find out the name of your friend’s intended date and include that person’s name on the invitation. Otherwise, inner envelopes may include “And Guest,” indicating that he or she may bring any chosen escort or friend.
Wedding Traditions, Why?
Today’s popular wedding traditions, like that of cutting the cake, have evolved over hundreds, even thousands of years of people joining together in some form of matrimony. Some wedding traditions that have endured are based on blessing the couple with good luck; others are a means for the couple to convey their feelings for one another. Regardless of the wedding tradition itself, all wedding traditions share the same essential symbols of unity, happiness and prosperity; messages that stand the test of time.
