Unity Candles

For many Years Unity candle have been a long cherished tradition at weddings. The tradition usually includes a set of three candles - one pillar in the center and two separate taper candles. Toward the beginning of the ceremony, the mother of the groom and mother of the bride each light one of the tapers (usually just before they are seated). The center pillar candle is not lit at this time. During the wedding ceremony, there is a special time for the bride and groom to light the center candle. The bride uses the taper candle lit by her mother, and the groom uses the taper lit by his mother. Together, they join the flames of the taper candles and light the center unity candle representing the joining of the families into one. In recent years, variations have been used that include more taper candles for more family members such as stepmothers or children. Additional options include floating pillar candles as well as oil unity candles that can be imprinted or engraved for each couple.

To allow your unity candle set to become part of your decor, some sets are now available with personalization including initials, monograms, names, and date that can be imprinted on the unity candle. To display your candle set for your guests to see, unity candle stands are very popular. Often made of metal, glass, or ceramic and available in silver and gold, unity candle stands secure your pillar candle and hold each taper to the side to make a beautiful arrangement. Quite often, you will see one-piece stands as well as three-piece stands that allow you to arrange the tapers how you prefer.

With couples always seeking to personalize their wedding by having a unique twist on things, a new type of "unity candle" has emerged. It is called the "Unity Sand Ceremony Set". It originated from the popularity of beach weddings. As you know, beaches are usually breezy and breezes make lighting candles nearly impossible, so a new type of unity symbol emerged. The symbolism is the same as the candle sets, but the process is different. You begin with a center vase (usually acrylic or glass) that is arranged with multiple smaller vases (compared to the tapers in a candle set). Each smaller vase has its own color of sand (which can match your wedding colors). During the ceremony, the bride and groom each take one vase of sand and alternate pouring the sand into the larger vase. When it is completed, the center vase has a beautiful combination of sand layers that can never be separated again - thereby symbolizing "unity". The resulting vase is then used in the home for decor and is a forever keepsake of the wedding day. Just as additional tapers can be used in the candle sets, additional smaller vases can be added to the unity sand sets which allow additional family members to pour sand during the ceremony.

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