We’ve put together a list of ways to make your wedding stand out with unique ideas and rituals that can be added to any typical ceremony outline. Here are some creative, out-of-the-box suggestions for how to spice up your ceremony!
HANDFASTING (CORD) CEREMONY
This is a timeless, Celtic tradition that symbolizes the binding together of two lives. The couple holds hands while the officiant wraps a cord around their hands to demonstrate their union.
WINE CEREMONY
In this ritual, the bride and groom drink from a single glass of wine. This symbolizes drinking from the cup of life and sharing all of life’s experiences together, both bitter and sweet.
FLOWER CIRCLES
During this ceremony, guests line up to place flowers around the bride and groom, creating a “circle of love” out of the blooms. This is a lovely way to incorporate the guests and create some beautiful images of the bride and groom surrounded by flowers!
SAND CEREMONY
Referred to as a "blending of the sands" ceremony, each person pours a small container of sand (often two different colors) into a larger vessel to symbolize their "coming together" as a couple. Check out an example of a sand ceremony set below!
UNITY CEREMONY
For a unity ceremony, you take two pieces of something and turn it into a third, singular piece (usually, it’s something that becomes stronger once the two pieces are united). Here are a few examples:
Wine Ceremony - the bride and groom will each have a glass of wine (usually one red, one white) and pour it into one wine glass to combine it.
Water Ceremony - similar to the wine ceremony, each person pours their glass of water into one pitcher for this unity ceremony.
Unity Candle Lighting - each person will light their own candle and then light the smaller candle in the center together.
JUMPING THE BROOM
Jumping the broom takes place at the very end of the wedding ceremony, after the officiant pronounces the couple officially married. The newlyweds jump over a broomstick before the recessional to symbolize sweeping away their old lives and welcoming their new life together.
WHISKEY CEREMONY
Whiskey is a representation of happiness, hope, love, and delight, while also incorporating a bitter taste to represent life’s trials and tribulations. Including whiskey in an elopement is fun for the day as well as a fantastic yearly tradition!
Sky Lantern Ceremony
The bride and groom, as well as their guests, will tie prayers, blessings or requests to lanterns and let them fly into the sky so that deities receive the messages.