Our Favorite Options for a Unity Ceremony!

One of the most special and individual parts of a ceremony, outside of your vows, is incorporating a Unity Ceremony. This ceremony is a symbolic ritual woven into the wedding symbolizing togetherness and unity! There are many different types of unity ceremonies giving you many options to help make it personal. Below is a list of some of our favorites to inspire you.

Lighting a Unity Candle

This is one of the most common types of unity ceremonies. This ceremony typically involves each partner lighting a larger candle from two individual family candles. This is also a great option if you are hoping to include additional family members such as older children or parents.

Capsule Ceremony

There are tons of options for the capsule ceremony, so it is very easy to customize it as something deeply personal and unique to you. With this ceremony, you will enclose particular items into a box to be opened on a milestone anniversary of your choice. This can include handwritten letters to each other, wine, mementos from your relationship, photos, or newspapers from your wedding day.

Jumping the Broom

The tradition of jumping the broom is meant to symbolize a new beginning, sweeping away the old and welcoming the new. The broom itself represents different things in different cultures. This ceremony traditionally takes place after the vow exchange and declaration of intent; a broom is placed on the ground for the couple to jump over while holding hands.

Sand or Crystal Ceremony

With this ceremony, each individual will have a unique color of sand or small crystals to pour into a larger container. This can be done with blended families or just with the couple. As the colors blend visually, this is symbolic of the individuals being blended and intertwined together.

Blessing to the Four Directions

Rooted in Native American Culture, the Blessing to the Four Directions symbolizes that human beings are tied to all things in nature and these virtues are connected to each of the four cardinal directions; North, South, East, and West. This ceremony features a blessing of each direction and its symbolic meaning.

Whiskey Barrel Ceremony

Pouring your two favorite unaged whiskeys into a personalized mini barrel and sealing it shut to make a unique and aged whisky for future enjoyment. This symbolizes combining two into one as well as a promised future.

Unity Canvas Ceremony

Similar to the sand and crystal ceremony option, with the unity canvas ceremony each individual will have a different color of paint to pour and mix onto the canvas bringing the blank canvas to life as an artistic representation of the relationship and commitment.

Unity nature Ceremony

Perfect for natural and garden-themed weddings, the couple plants a small tree, plant, or bush of any kind which will later be placed in their backyard to grow with them. You can also incorporate dirt from your family home into the soil.

Peanut-butter & Jelly Ceremony

One of the sweetest and most playful options, in this ceremony each partner will have a slice of bread on which they will spread the Jelly or the Peanut butter (the perfect combination). Once completed they will build the two slices into a sandwich and each take a bite. This gesture represents that just as you can’t now separate the peanut butter and the jelly the two slices of bread are joined together as one, just as the couple.

Handfasting Ceremony

Based on an ancient Celtic tradition, this ceremony consists of the binding of both partners' right hands with various cords or ribbons. Multiple colors can be used and each represents a different thing. This form of ceremony puts the phrase “tie the knot” into literal terms and symbolizes your commitment to one another.

This is just a small list of all of the different unity ceremonies that you can incorporate into your special day. Don’t be afraid to use something that is personalized and unique to you and your relationship and have fun with it!