Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your lives. Your wedding ceremony is the keystone event of your wedding day. It sets the tone for your entire celebration. Our goal is to create for you a wedding ceremony that is a reflection of your love and your relationship.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Family Unity Rituals

Weddings bring families together. The ceremony is a perfect venue in which to acknowledge the family members of the bride and of the groom. As ceremony celebrants Andy and I are well versed in creating and placing rituals within the wedding ceremony that make it meaningful and memorable. Here are a few examples:

A presentation of flowers to the mothers, such as the red rose, a symbol of Love, is a lovely honoring gesture.

A single flower on an empty chair or a bouquet set on a table can be referred to in the ceremony during a “Remembrance” of those family members who have passed away or are unable to attend the wedding. This acknowledgement brings the person to the wedding.

Another family unity idea is the groom can walk down the aisle accompanied by his parents, before the bride’s entrance with her parents. When every one is front and center, it is the perfect opportunity for all of the parents to welcome the new spouses into their families with hugs, handshakes and welcoming words.

Lighting a Unity Candle is a popular ceremony ritual. In a recent ceremony, my couple, Amanda and Andrew, chose to have their mothers and fathers each light candles, next, the bride and groom lit their individual candles from their parents’ joined candles, then the couple joined their flames together to light the Unity Candle. The passing of light from one generation to the next is beautiful symbolism.

Family unity…..it’s a good thing. Toni Torquato