You may order a custom candle, specially designed for your ceremony. E-Mail CFunbar@aol.com To see some more beautiful candle designs, and suggested prices, please click here. View the special Beach Scene Wedding Candle.

CANDLES:

The candle is the oldest means to supplying light. Although a number of changes have been made to methods of candle manufacture, there is no basic difference between a candle made in the past and one made today.

References to lighting candles date back to ancient times as early as 3000 BC in Crete and Egypt. Candles are mentioned in Biblical writings as early as the tenth century BC. A fragment of candle from the first century AD has been found in Avignon, France.

The Unity Candle: The unity candle symbolizes the very essence of the wedding ceremony. Two taper candles, representing the couple as individuals, are used to light a single center candle as a visible symbol of their commitment to each other. There are many variations on the ceremony and the individual details are completely up to you. Here are some ideas to help you as you plan your own ceremony.

Preparing for Your Unity Candle Ceremony: Before the ceremony begins, place the unity candle on a small table near the altar. If you have an on-site coordinator who may have specific instructions, be sure to check in advance. To prepare for the ceremony, it is a good idea to light the wicks for a moment. (We know you won't be nervous or anything...but just in case, your candles will light much more easily.) Oh, and who's got the matches? There are several popular options for lighting your taper candles. You can have your parents come forward to light the side tapers as a symbol of your two families coming together as one. At this point, some couples choose to present their mothers with a rose. If you wish, the minister or best man and the maid of honor can light the tapers. Or, you may light the tapers yourselves from a candle on the altar.

The Classic Unity Candle Ceremony: Today, [Name] and [Name] make a loving commitment to follow the greatest Commandment of all: "Love one another, as I have loved you." They do this in hopes that their union will become a symbol of God's promise to merge two lives into one. The two distinct flames represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique. As you light the center candle together, the entwined rings symbolize your two lives joined in dependence and growing maturity. Your plans will be mutual, your joys and sorrows will be shared alike. The cross is a reminder of your faith in the Lord who who enriches your marriage in every way. Extinguish the two, and you are forever united in God's love. To Extinguish or Not to Extinguish... When it comes to your unity candle ceremony, that is often the question! While some folks feel that you should extinguish the candles to symbolize your commitment to one another, others argue that to emphasize your individuality within your union, you must leave the tapers lit. Whether or not you extinguish the taper candles is a personal decision and, like many aspects of your wedding planning, is entirely up to you. If you choose to extinguish your tapers, this can be read aloud: As [Name] and [Name] together light the center candle, they will extinguish their own candles, thus letting the center candle symbolize the union of their lives. As this one light cannot be divided, neither will their lives be divided. If you'd prefer to leave your tapers lit, try this one... [Name] and [Name] come into their marriage relationship as individuals and they do not lose their identity, rather they use their individuality to create and strengthen the relationship of marriage. Therefore, the three candles remain lighted, one for each of them and one for their marriage, as symbols of their commitment to each other and to a lasting and loving marriages.

The Humanist Unity Candle Ceremony: Our community is shared, if in a different way, by those who have passed beyond this life. Their roles in the lives of [Name] and [Name] are no less remembered and honored as we savor today's joyous moments. Join with us, then, in fond memory of all these people, and in particular Grandfather and Grandmother [Name]. In their memory, let us be silent together. In all the quiet of this very special moment, we pause, also, to give thanks for all the rich experiences of life that have brought [Name] and [Name] to this high point in their lives. We are grateful for the values which they have found by their own strivings. We are grateful that within them is the dream of a great love and the resources to use that love in creating a home that shall endure. We are especially grateful for the values which have flowed into them from those who have loved them and nurtured them and pointed them along life's way. The heritage each brings to this marriage will continue to be an important element in their lives, but now will be shared between them. In commemoration of the merging of these two rich heritages and in memory of those, living and dead, who were part of these heritages, I now invite [Name]'s parents and [Name]'s parents to bring forth lighted candles, representing each of the families of this couple. [Name] and [Name] will now light the flaming chalice with these candles, symbolizing the union of their two families in this marriage and the rich heritage each brings to it. As [Name] and [Name] light the chalice, they do not extinguish their flames. Although they are embarking upon a new and unique relationship in the union of their lives in marriage, they, nonetheless, retain their own separate and unique identities and personalities. Note: The parents of the Bride and Groom each obtain a lighted candle from opposite sides of the front of the sanctuary or room in which the wedding is taking place, lighting it from stationary candles that have been burning throughout the service. They, in turn, present the lighted candles to their respective child. The couple then jointly light the flaming chalice at the center of the sanctuary. This ceremony signifies the heritage each is bringing to the marriage and the blending of these two heritages. If the third paragraph is used, the candles are not extinguished as the chalice is lit, but are placed in holders alongside. Appropriate music should accompany this ceremony.

Unity Candle Ceremony by Dr. Joyce Gioia: Now, we're going to engage in a ceremony of spiritual symbolism. Ancient sages tell us that for each of us, there is a candle, a symbol of our own inner light, but that no one can kindle his or her own candle. Each of us needs someone else to kindle it for us. When two people fall in love, they kindle each other's candles, creating great light and joy and glorious expectations. Now, [Name] and [Name], I'd like you to remember when it was in your relationship that you first realized you were truly in love and wanted to spend the rest of your lives together. And holding that thought . . . [Name], take this candle, symbol of the inner light in [Name], light it by the eternal light, with the dedication to rekindle it again and again, whenever necessary. And [Name], take this candle, symbol of the inner light in [Name], light it by the eternal light, with the dedication to rekindle it again and again, whenever necessary. With these candles, we can see how to achieve a beautiful marriage. In your marriage, you will try to bring these lights, the symbols of yourselves, closer and closer to each other, until they become [join the flames] one great torch of light; a radiant symbol of love, joy, peace and harmony. [hold flames together] This is the mystery of the union two becoming one. Yet, it is vitally important to remember that there are always really two [divide the flames] in a marriage, each with his or her own desires, yearnings, dreams and wishes. And these must be respected and responded to with great love, with great compassion and with genuine tenderness. We know that it is the prayer of your beloved, as it is the prayer of each of us here, that you will continuously light these candles of love, so that there will always be light and joy, peace and harmony in your hearts and in your home. Please kiss each other.

More Unity Candle Ceremonies: [Name] and [Name] are going to light their Unity Candle, a symbol of their marriage relationship. The candles from which they light it have been lighted by their mothers to represent their lives to this moment. The lights, representing the faith, wisdom, and love they have received from their parents, are distinct, each burning alone. [Name] and [Name] will light the center candle to symbolize the union of their lives. As this one light burns undivided, so shall their love be one. >From now on your thoughts shall be for each other rather than for your individual selves. Your joys and sorrows shall be shared alike. May the radiance of this one light be a testimony of your unity. May these candles burn brightly as symbols of your commitment to each other, and as a tribute to your parents' lasting and loving marriages.

Cross and Double Ring Ceremony: Today, [Name] and [Name] make a loving commitment to follow the greatest Commandment of all: "Love one another, as I have loved you." They do this in hopes that their union will become a symbol of God's promise to merge two lives into one. The two distinct flames represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique. As you light the center candle together, the entwined rings symbolize your two lives joined in dependence and growing maturity. Your plans will be mutual, your joys and sorrows will be shared alike. The cross is a reminder of your faith in the Lord who who enriches your marriage in every way. Extinguish the two, and you are forever united in God's love.

Wedding Chapel at Harvey's: Reverend David Beronio of The Wedding Chapel at Harvey's says this is his most popular ceremony: Marriage brings people together in a unique relationship, in their togetherness they may share many experiences as if one person but each also retains his or her own identity. Genuine love allows us to overcome our sense of isolation, yet permits us our own uniqueness as individuals. The two lit candles before you are representative of your individual lives up to this moment. They are two individual and distinct lights, each capable of going their own separate directions. To bring joy and radiance in to your home and lives, there must be a merging of these two flames in to one. As you take your own candle symbolizing your individual lives, I ask that you light the center candle establishing the union of your two lives in to one.

Amore Wedding Chapel: This ceremony is used at the Amore Wedding Chapel in Saint Augustine, Florida. The Unity Candle symbolizes the new family you are now forming from your past lives. The flames you light it with both burn brighter when joined together. Now you both are charged with keeping this flame bright for the rest of your days upon this earth.

You may order a custom candle, specially designed for your ceremony. E-Mail CFunbar@aol.com To see some more beautiful candle designs, and suggested price, please click here.