Types of Ceremonies
When considering your wedding, there are a range of elements, that can make your ceremony, truly unique.
Wine box & Love letters.
The couple will write love letters to each other before the wedding, which they will seal in an envelope. You will choose your favourite bottle of wine or drink of your choice and place these and any other memorabilia in the wine box.
Should you choose this ceremony option, during the wedding you will seal the box and vow not to open it until an agreed anniversary of your choice.
This can be a wonderful reminder you of why they fell in love and choose to be together in the first place.
Handfasting/Tying the knot.
Handfasting or tying the is a symbolic act, where the hands of the happy couple are bound together with ribbon or cord. This represent their commitment to each other. Their hands are wrapped together in an expression of their love, the bringing together two hearts in a union of strength and unity forever.
What are the meanings of the colours used in a handfasting ribbon/cords?
· Red – for passion, strength, lust and fertility
· Orange – for encouragement, attraction, kindness, plenty
· Green – finances, fertility, charity, prosperity, health
· Yellow – charm, confidence, joy, balance
· Blue – tranquillity, patience, devotion, sincerity
· Purple – power, piety, sanctity, sentimentality, healing, health
· Black – strength, wisdom, vision, success
· White – purity, concentration, meditation, peace
· Grey – neutrality, cancelling, balance
· Pink – unity, honour, truth, romance, happiness
· Brown – earth, grounding, talent, telepathy, home
· Silver – treasure, values, creativity, inspiration
· Gold – energy, wealth, intelligence, longevity
Unity Sand Ceremony.
The unity sand ceremony, is a tradition full of symbolism. Two people take sand from their individual vessels and combine the grains into one. The act represents the joining of two individuals and the creation of a new union and family. Children can also participate, by adding their own coloured sand.
Wine Blending Ceremony.
In the wine ceremony the couple can either choose to pour one red glass and one white glass of wine into a glass to create a blush that they will both drink from. A symbol of sharing and unity. Alternatively you might like to use dark and white rum, gin and tonic or other drinks.
Broom/Besom Jumping Ceremony.
The broom jumping ceremony is based upon ancient traditions which symbolises the clearing away of negativity with a sweep if the broom and creating a threshold for the couple to cross over into their new life together.
The broom(besom) is usually decorated with your chosen colours and silver charms and can be purchased and kept.
Sharing a Loving Cup.
This element is all about love, trust, partnership, sharing and generosity of spirit. A goblet of wine or Quaich is symbolic of the cup of life. As the couple shares the wine (or other drink) they promise to share all that the future will bring.
You can either each take a drink, feeding each other or passing it from one to the other, or you can both hold a handle of the bowl each, whilst each of you in turn takes a sip.
The Quaich cup can also be purchased and kept.
Unity Candle/lantern.
This ritual has long been used in Catholic weddings. It symbolises the joining of the couple in marriage as well as the joining of their two original families.
The couple’s mothers can light their individual candles for them as a symbol to show that they are moving on their family to create a new family together.
Wishing Jar / tree.
A lovely ritual, where each guest writes well wishes/thoughts or a message to the couple on a label/tag. This is then hung on a stylised tree or placed on a jar as a memento of the day.
First Kiss Last Kiss
This is a ceremony option that involves the mothers of both the bride and the groom. They are called upon to join the bride and groom near the end of the ceremony. The mothers gave their children their first kiss when they came into the world and they will give their last kiss as single individuals before sending them on their new journey as husband, wife, or life partner.
Bells.
Bells were said to ward off ‘bad spirits’, bringing good luck to the couple.
Welcome the wedding party into the room/ceremony space with little bells/instruments left on the seats of all the guests (or a couple of rows if it’s a big wedding!). You can use a range of other instruments to create the same lovely effect – jam jars filled with dry rice, bike bells, castanets etc.
Rose Ceremony.
In the rose ceremony the couple can choose to present roses to the mothers or grandmothers, as a way of showing appreciation for their support.
The roses can also be presented as the first gift that the couple will give to each other.
