The Unity Candle and Other Ceremonies of Commitment

There are, in Protestant weddings, more than a few different traditions allowing the bride and groom to show their families a symbolic representation of their union and devotion to each other. The unity candle is one of those very traditions, steeped in only a few decades of history, but incredibly popular in today’s wedding ceremonies.

The unity candle’s birth wasn’t the first, nor the last ceremony to instill in a wedding the gravitas of commitment. Not only is there a definite focus on the importance of the candle, by couples as well as candle makers, there’s a sure gravitation towards the use of other unity ceremonies both new and old that allow both bride and groom to show their dedication to the union.

The unity candle itself is a fairly elaborate affair. One can buy a unity candle from any gift store or bridal shop, complete with a brilliantly crafted unity candle and often the two lighting candles that the bride and groom use to light the central flame. A candelabra for carrying all three is usually also available. Options, including engraving of the couple’s names on the candle or similar keepsake additions make the package perfect for the ceremony.

There are however, other simpler unity ceremonies involving the sharing of a common object, food, or drink that accomplishes the same effect. Probably the simplest of these is the Rose Ceremony, in which the couple might exchange a single rose to show unity. Other such exchanges include the Garland or Lei exchanging ceremonies in which Indian or Hawaiian brides and grooms exchange a ring of flowers to symbolize their unity.

Other similar variations include the pouring of wine or water into a communal glass, or the simultaneous tearing of a loaf of bread to be shared. The purpose of all of these is to display the way in which the couple is giving a part of themselves to complete a new whole. Appropriately, in the unity candle ceremony some couples choose to keep their individual candles burning as a sign of the individuality that they will retain beside the new entity created in their marriage.

The unity candle tradition’s growth then, is not as surprising as some might think. The concept of symbolically showing to your friends and relatives how you will become a new person and join with your spouse in a united marriage is a common procedure. The manner in which it is done is the only way in which it varies.

Making Your Own Unity Candle

The unity candle is a tradition relatively new to Protestant wedding ceremonies, and similarly open for interpretation, variation, and specialization towards whatever need a bride and groom may have. The act is simple and wholly symbolic, and so it stands to reason that the candle itself can be just as special and symbolic. You can have a unity candle and save a few dollars by crafting your own unity candle to use in your wedding.

Once you take anything and slap on the glitzy white lettering of a “wedding” variation, the price is sure to triple, and when bought from a supplier, you’re getting an impersonal set that will only gather dust away somewhere. Why not take the tradition and make it truly yours by investing the time and love into it that the rest of your wedding and marriage sees?

Finding the right candle is key. You’ll want something large enough to take creative liberties with without giving yourself too much space to fill. Of course, you can always go the extra mile and create your own candle altogether, a craft all by itself. For now, let’s look at a few good ideas for turning your basic gift shop bought candle into that extra special unity candle.

Once you have your candle, spray on a thin layer of clear acrylic paint or epoxy. Nothing too thick, just enough to create a sticky surface perfect as a canvas board for your memories.

Now carefully place onto the surface a series of pictures, mementos, and wedding charms such as invitations, decorating the entire candle in as many personal memories between you and your fiancé as you can find. Make this candle yours, not some store bought memory.

Now paint in any other space you might want to fill; give it the color that matches your personalities (and likely the theme of your wedding), and finish it off with another coat of thin acrylic paint to seal it all up. You’ll want everything to stay put when you light that candle and for the rest of your lives as it sits in a box of your memories or on a mantle to remember your special day.

From here you can simple glue on any more substantial decorations like lace or ribbons. The candle is essentially yours to do with as you please; take the opportunity to make it truly yours. Don’t leave any of that store bought candle behind.

And now you have a candle that is entirely yours, without the impersonally sleek cut of one that’s store bought.

The History of the Unity Candle

The candle manufacturers, like any good company, are never ones to turn down a new trend. The advent of unity candles into Protestant weddings some 30 or 40 years ago was just such a trend and today has become a booming business for the makers of all things waxy and flammable.

The act itself is packed with symbolism, the creation of a tradition that involves the entirety of both the bride and groom’s in-laws in the act of joining in matrimony. The mothers of both the Bride and Groom will light a candle, and depending on just how symbolic said families are, the grandparents might light those candles for the mothers. The Bride and Groom will then take their freshly lit candles and light the unity candle, a single flame between them to symbolize their union. It usually takes place after the vows are completed.

The origins of the unity candle are still fuzzy, as no one will own up to the initial introduction of the tradition. Born in America within the last 50 years or so, some believe it to have sprouted from the Catholic Church, although the rite itself is not permitted in Catholic weddings now as it’s not part of the wedding Mass.

Like Valentine’s Day and any other candy coated holiday that Hallmark invented, some even believe it to be the result of a marketing guru within the candle making companies themselves thinking of new ways to spread their product. The truth may never be known, but the history is entertaining nonetheless.

Some will even point to a particular wedding on General Hospital in 1981 in which the symbolic lighting was performed, but there are records of the Unity Candle being lit earlier than that in Protestant ceremonies. The appearance of the candle on a show like General Hospital no doubt didn’t work towards curbing the newly created tradition though.

As for the importance of the ceremony, it’s a symbolic show of unity under God, but also under the eyes of two families coming together. The use of a unity candle is just one more way to show visually how two people feel about each other on the most important day of their relationship. The candle itself means nothing, it’s the act with which it is lit, and that’s more than a good reason why the origin itself isn’t necessarily as important as the thought behind the act.

Choosing The Right Wedding Photographer

One of the most important choices that you make for your wedding day is choosing the right wedding photographer to document your wedding. Having the right wedding photographer for your wedding day will determine the quality and the creativity of your wedding photographs and ensure that you have a lasting reminder of the day that you and your love became one. Picking the right professional wedding photographer can be a difficult choice, but by keeping a few things in mind you can choose the photographer that is best for your needs.

Professionalism

One of the most important things to look for in a wedding photographer is their professionalism and their ability to get the job done. There are many things that can be used to judge the professionalism of a wedding photographer, including their manner when setting the appointment, whether they are prepared for the job when they arrive, whether they arrive on time consistently, and how they act while they are taking the photographs. If the photographer is unable to act professionally during the job, then you would be better served by hiring a different photographer.

Some of this may be difficult to judge before the wedding so it is important to obtain reviews about the wedding photographer prior to hiring them for the job. The reviews can be obtained from previous clients of the photographer, testimonials that the photographer has available, or community websites that allow consumers to post reviews about the businesses in the area. These reviews will give you a good picture of what other consumers thought about the wedding photographer and can save you from making a bad decision on which photographer to choose.

Experience

When you are trying to choose the best photographer for your wedding, the experience of the photographer is also important. Photographers that have more experience may know more tips and tricks to obtain just the right lighting for the picture, which poses would look best with the bride's dress, and how to arrange everyone for the group picture so that everyone is showcased in their best light. Although the number of years the photography studio has been in business will give you a good idea of how much experience the wedding photographer has, it never hurts to ask how long they have been in the business.

Price

Another thing that will need to be taken into consideration when choosing which photography studio to give your business to is the price of the wedding photographer. Most people do not want the price of their wedding photographer to cost as much as the honeymoon, but they want to be sure that they are obtaining a professional photographer and not someone that does photography on the side for extra cash. When you budget the amount of money that will be needed to pay for the wedding, be sure to budget enough for the photographer, that you can hire a professional that will do a great job on your wedding photographs.

Choosing the right wedding photographer to document your wedding could be one of the most important choices that you make for your wedding day. Read more no cost articles at http://www.weddingphotogaphy.jsgenterprises.com.

Making Unity Candles

It can be really very enjoyable to engage in making unity candles that are often deemed to be an integral part of Protestant marriage ceremonies. Basically, it is simple candle making that is involved. However, the gracious and solemn nature of the occasion at which the unity candles set up are to be used need to be kept in mind while creating these candles. Besides, it is to be importantly borne in mind that there is to be made a set of three candles- two similar slender ones and a large one that is to be the central unity candle.

 

Beautifully made unity candles adorned tastefully and marketed as wedding accessories are sure to fetch a high price. However, the candles made are often not sold out and are used at special wedding ceremonies of friends and near ones. These certainly win far more acclaims than the common varieties secured from suppliers.

 

Going about with making unity candles

 

In order to prepare the unity candles you can start up by using ready-made candles and work upon them to bring about a beautiful transformation. Alternatively, you can even prepare the candles by yourself. By molding from molten wax you can craft exquisite pieces of unity candles featuring innovative designs.

 

With the candle to be worked upon at hand you may proceed with spraying on it a thin layer of acrylic paint or epoxy. Too much thickness of paint/glue is of course not required. What is needed is just enough spraying for creating a sticky surface that can hold on what all decorations will be placed.

 

Usually it is pictures of the bride and the groom or mementos or wedding charms like invitations that are pasted on the candle. Some inscriptions may also be made on the surfaces of the candles. If it is for your own wedding that the candle is being set up for then decorations may include personal memories shared by you and your fiancé/fiancée.

 

Sealing up unity candle adornments and memories

 

After completion of decorations whatever space remains on the candles’ surfaces can be filled in with colors that match the personalities and moods of the bride and the groom or that of the occasion. Finally, another coat of acrylic paint is to be applied to seal up everything. Thus is readied the special unity candle set that, when lit up at the marriage ceremony or later on, would bring to light sweet memories of a relationship based on everlasting love.  

Marriages Ceremonies Involving Unity Candles

The lighting of unity candles has been a comparatively recent inclusion in Protestant wedding ceremonies. These serve as a symbol of the union of two willing hearts and minds that are going to become one by the bond of love, faith and trust.

 

It is at a particular point in the marriage ceremony that the bride and the groom light a unity candle together. The unity candle set up at marriage is frequently white in color and is often decorated with the invitation or some inscription or a picture of the couple. Other special adornment/ornamentation may also be used. The ritual lighting is also at times accompanied by a special musical piece.

 

The unity candle ceremony at marriage

 

In the unity candle ceremony two taper candles and a large pillar candle are used.  The large candle is the one referred to as the unity candle. As the wedding ceremony begins the mothers of the bride and the groom light the two taper candles. Later on, typically between the exchange of vows and the formal declaration of the wedding, the bride and the groom take the two taper candles lighted and use them together to light the large pillar candle.

 

After lighting the pillar candle the individual taper candles may be blown out or kept lit beside the central candle. Blowing out of the individual candles may signify that the bride and the groom lose their individuality and develop a new united identity of their own as symbolized by the central candle. However, keeping them lit beside the central candle is also preferred by many as it signifies that though united in a big way yet the participants in the wedlock still do retain their individuality.

 

Alternate ways of using unity candles at marriages

 

Though traditionally the unity candle ceremony makes use of three candles there are other ways of performing it too wherein all the family members and close friends of the bride and the groom are invited to participate. Some unconventional twists may be added to the conventional unity candle ceremony too. Each of the guests may be provided with an unlit candle and after the couple lights the unity candle the guests can be requested to light their individual candles from the unity candle. This will be meaningfully symbolizing that the guests’ involvement is important too in the union.

 

It may be noted that the unity candle ceremony may not be considered necessary at all in the wedding. However, it does serve as a novel inclusion that makes the occasion all the more special and memorable for the couple, their family members and guests.

Wedding Traditions around the Globe

All over the world the wedding is regarded as a solemn occasion. This is a special program at which two willing hearts and minds are made united following some rituals and customs while members of the society stand as witnesses wishing the couple well. The traditions and customs of the wedding vary to a great extent between people residing at various parts of the globe. The particular culture, ethnic group, religion, country and social class to which the bride and the groom respectively belong will determine the peculiar wedding traditions that will be resorted to.

 

Diverse wedding traditions of cultures

 

Throwing light on the peculiar customs of wedding ceremonies as observed in various cultures across the globe will reflect the diversity of wedding traditions-

 

• Traditional marriages in China are characterized by the predominance of the red color- the traditional color of love. While the bridal gown is usually of a brilliant red color various shades of red like scarlet prevail over the various objects associated with the wedding.

 

• In the marriage ceremonies of some African tribes there is the custom of binding the wrists of the bride and the groom with braided grass ties. This custom signifying the union of the couple is prevalent even today.

 

• Old Mexican weeding customs that are still followed involves the encircling of the bride and the groom in a loose lasso made of some pretty, soft cord that is twisted into a figure eight symbol or a sign of infinity. 

• Wedding receptions in the Irish culture substitute the usual white wedding cake with a brandy or bourbon-soaked, spicy fruit cake. This signifies a special celebrative mood.

 

• Finnish marriages done the old way require the brides to be wearing a crown of gold. This was especially featured in the ‘Dance of the Crowns’ whereby the crown- a gold colored wreath was wrapped around the bride’s head. This beautiful ‘crown’ was also used for crowning some other maiden during the dance.

 

• Traditional Indian (Hindu) marriages are considered sacraments and are characterized by the exchange of garlands between the bride and the groom and the taking of seven steps together by the couple. The couple also moves around the holy fire together amidst chanting of special incantations while onlookers- friends and relatives shower petals on them.

 

• Spanish marriages solemnized as per old customs requires the bride to wear a most beautiful headdress made of delicate lace mantillas over the hair with orange blossoms tucked in.

 

• German marriages make wonderful usage of candles. The bride and the groom both hold decorative candles in their hands and light them up together at the conclusion of the ceremony.

 

Unity of purpose in diverse global wedding traditions

 

There can be observed a unity of purpose in these diverse wedding traditions- that of bringing together the bride and the groom and giving social acceptance to their union through a special, memorable ceremony. In the modern day society there is also the need of the wedding to be recognized by the state. So, meeting of some legal obligations have also become a part of wedding customs around the globe.  

Some Awesome Beach Wedding Photography Tips

Beach wedding photography is one of the loveliest types of photography because it allows the wedding party to be in a unique setting that has many different possibilities for creative photography. Beach wedding photography tips can be difficult to master because many photographers do not get the chance to practice the shots very often. Learning some beach wedding photography tips can show you some easy techniques that can be used for taking quality photographs of the wedding party on different areas of the beach.

Choosing The Right Settings

Beach wedding photography tips will often give different ideas for unique settings for the photographs. The more unique the different parts of the photograph are, the happier the subjects of the photographs will be because unique and different are qualities that are in right now and no body wants what everyone else already has. By carefully choosing the angle and the location of the photographs, the photographer can ensure that they are unlike any that has been taken of the couple before and provide a great memory of their wedding on the beach.

One of the easiest beach wedding photography tips to use for great photographs of a beach wedding is to choose different spots for standing and taking the photographs. Although you may be tempted to stand with your back towards the sand, facing the water for all of the shots, a great wedding photography idea would be to take shots from different angles on the beach to get a different appearance for the photographs. Taking a photograph of the bride as she is walking down the water line of the beach with just a sliver of water showing off to the side or of the bride and the groom walking barefoot in the shallow water change the entire concept of the wedding photograph and make it look more like a candid photograph captured when the lovebirds were not looking. Beach wedding photography tips also recommend a bunch of candid shots of everyone frolicking on the beach so that the fin environment that was chosen by the couple is not ruined by the strict poses of the photographs.

Take The Photographs At Different Times Of The Day

Most beach wedding photography tips recommend searching out different types of lighting to create photographs that are even more unique. Many photographers like to take wedding photographs with different types of shadowing such as waiting for a cloud to move across the sun or positioning the couple under a shade bearing item where the light is more muted. The pictures that you get from using these beach wedding photography tips can look entirely different when different types of light are available although some beaches only have direct light and no shade for a large portion of the day, which is what makes the beach an attractive beach for many people to come to.

The Best Digital Wedding Photography Tips To Keep Clients Happy

Weddings are the bane of a professional photographer's life. Granted, there are professional photographers who thrive on doing the best digital wedding photography they can and get some sort of self-fulfillment from it. But most professional photographers would rather get a root canal than have to lower their artistic standards to do yet another cheesy wedding shoot.

Survival Is Creative

Here's the best digital wedding photography tip you are going to get about having to do wedding shoot after wedding shoot. Don’t be a snob. You need weddings in order to pay your bills and give you some flexibility to do some more artistically satisfying shoots. Try to make the best of it. It's never fun being a starving artist.

As a professional, you need to take advantage of every opportunity you can in order to impress a client, so they will refer more clients to you. Granted, some of those clients might only want your best digital wedding photography skills and nothing else, but you never know.

Here's another good wedding outdoor photography tip – look at your next wedding as an artistic challenge. How can you bend the rules a little bit but not make the clients angry? Can you snap a few artistic stills for yourself that the client does not have to pay for? Can you find different angles of perspective – say, the view of the happy couple from underneath the wedding cake?

Get Everything In Writing

Even if you are not a professional photographer, but a friend with a digital camera that was drafted into the chore of wedding photographer, you still need to protect yourself while making your friends happy. The best digital wedding photography that you think might not be what your friends think. They may be so angry with your notions of what constitutes the best digital wedding photography that they will no longer be your friends but your adversaries in small claims court.

You can avoid all that by drawing up a contract, even if it's in crayon. You need a list of what they want and then you go down the list and might do a little more besides, if you have enough battery power in your camera and enough memory, too. Bring extra batteries. Remember to take as many images as possible, especially if you are not a professional. In this way, you practically guarantee that your friends will like some of your snapshots.

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