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Unity Candle
The true meaning of a marriage; the joining of two separate lives into one; can best be show by the lighting of the Unity Candle. The bride and groom each take their own candle then together walk to the Unity Candle and in unison both raise their individual flames to light the single Unity Candle, symbolizing the joining of their two lives. Each then extinguishes their individual flame, symbolizing the end of their lives and two separate people.
Most often this is done without any introduction by or narration from the officiant. The musician typically plays a special song selection.
You may choose to have the officiant explain the ceremony by saying:
"The two outside candles have been lighted to represent both your lives in this moment. They are two distinct lights, each capable of going their separate ways. As you join now in marriage, there is a merging of these two lights into one light. From now on your thoughts shall be for each other rather than your individual selves. Your plans shall be mutual, your joys and sorrows shall be shared alike. As you each take a candle and together light the center one, you will extinguish your own candles, thus letting the center candle represent the union of your lives into one. As this one light cannot be divided, neither shall your lives be divided but a united testimony.
Handfasting
The expression “tying the knot” refers to the traditional early Celtic marriage ritual of Handfasting. Handfasting, the ancient word for wedding, was traditionally recognized as a binding contract of marriage between a man and a woman before weddings became a legal function of the government or a papal responsibility of the church.
After the wedding vows and ring exchange, the couple’s hands are bound together with cords that are tied in a “love knot,” signifying the joining of their lives in a sacred union.
Handfasting is a symbolic ceremony to honor a couple’s desire for commitment to each other and to acknowledge that their lives and their destinies are now bound together.
{The Officiant addresses the couple}
Please hold each other’s hands, palms up with her hands resting in yours so you may see the blessing they are to you. This cord is a symbol of the life you have chosen to live together. Up until this moment you have been separate in thought, word and deed. But, as these cords are tied together, so shall your lives become intertwined. With this cord I bind you to the vows that you have made to one another. With this knot I tie you heart to heart, together as one.
{The Officiant wraps the cords loosely around the Bride’s and Groom’s hands and says}
The knots of this binding are not bound by the cords, but rather by your own vows of love. For, as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union. May this “love knot” always be a reminder of the binding together of two hands, two hearts and two souls into one. And so are you bound, each to the other, for all the days of your lives.
{Cords are then removed and placed on the altar or given to the Best Man or Maid of Honor}
Rose Ceremony
[BRIDE] and [GROOM], Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other.
You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.
In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose.
Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife. In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.
[BRIDE] and [GROOM], I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.
In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.
That rose says the words: "I still love you." The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today.
[BRIDE] and [GROOM], if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."