Meaning

• The unity candle ceremony brings together two families through marriage, according to The Knot. The bride and groom light a large, pillar unity candle during the ceremony using two tapered candles already lit. Often, this ceremony is set to music, and the officiant may choose to explain the meaning behind the ceremony before it takes place.
  
  

Candles

• Incorporate three candles into your unity candle ceremony. Two tapered candles represent the bride's family and the groom's family. In the middle, a larger unity candle remains unlit until the unity candle ceremony. The bride and groom use the two family tapered candles to light the unity candle to symbolize the union of two families.
  
  

Family

• The unity candle ceremony allows couples to let their family members participate. Tradition calls for the bride's mother and groom's mother to light the tapered candles before the wedding ceremony begins, with each candle symbolizing a family. However, the couple can choose any family member to light these candles. For second weddings, the unity candle ceremony works well for couples who have children. For instance, the bride's daughter and the groom's son can light the tapered candles, signifying the creation of this larger family.
  
  

Religious Affiliation

• The unity candle ceremony crosses religious denominations. Couples from a variety of religious backgrounds choose to include this ceremony in their wedding to symbolize the union of their families. According to Catholic Bride, non-religious weddings began including the unity candle ceremony as recently as the mid-1990s.
  
  

Alternatives

• Depending on a couple's preferences and ceremony location, they may choose to use items other than candles for this ceremony. Candles may not stay lit for a beach wedding, so some couples choose to use sand instead. Here, couples include two jars of colored sand, which they will combine into a larger vase during the ceremony. The Knot suggests using flowers as well. Place two single flowers in vases, and the couple can add their family flowers to a larger bouquet during the ceremony.