Unique Unity Ceremony Ideas to Add to Your Wedding

Weddings are a special event that shows a couple’s dedication and love for one another. There are many ways to make your wedding more special and unique, such as by writing your own vows instead of using traditional wedding vows, curating a playlist of songs that are meaningful for you and your spouse, and incorporating family, religious, and/or cultural symbols and heirlooms.

Incorporating a unity ceremony or ritual into your wedding adds a special touch. Read on to learn what a unity ceremony is, get ideas of things to do for a unity ceremony, and at what point the unity ceremony should take place.

What Is A Unity Ceremony?​​​​​​

A unity ceremony is a symbolic activity that the couple does during the wedding ceremony. Depending on the circumstances, a unity ceremony may also involve the participation of the couple’s parents, children, or other loved ones. A unity ceremony can be used to honor a religious or cultural tradition, or simply be an activity the couple enjoys doing together or that has special meaning in their relationship.

Unity Ceremony Ideas

A unity ceremony or ritual is a simple thing to incorporate into your special day that can add a great deal of uniqueness and significance to the event. Here are some unity ceremony ideas to help you start planning your own:​​​​​​

Tying The Knot (Literally)

Tying a knot with your new spouse symbolizes your bond. There are many different types of knots and materials available to choose from, but tying a piece of rope into a fisherman’s knot is one of the most popular options. The rope is a sturdy material and a fisherman’s knot is the strongest type of knot that becomes tighter under pressure, representing staying close with each other when times get tough. Practice tying the knot at least a few times before the ceremony to ensure that it goes smoothly on your special day.

Pouring Sand

This is one of the most popular and well-known unity ceremony ideas. After you and you spouse say your vows, you pour two containers of different-colored sand into one container to signify the blending of your two lives into one. This is a good unity ceremony to include your children in as well, since each family member is represented by a different color of sand. You can also seal the container and keep it on display at home as a keepsake reminder of your bond as a family or couple.

Lighting A Unity Candle

This popular unity ceremony involves the couple lighting one large candle using two smaller candles. You can incorporate the participation of your parents and children by having your parents light the small candles and having your children each have their own small candle.

Warming The Rings

Before the rings are exchanged, pass them around to your wedding guests so they can warm the rings in their hands and give well wishes before passing the rings on to the next person, and ultimately back to you and your spouse.​​​​​​

Jumping The Broom

This tradition is commonly practiced by African-Ameican and Black couples at the end of the ceremony, jumping into a new life together and “sweeping” away evil and each person’s old self

Draping A Lasso Over The Couple

The Catholic lasso ceremony is common in the Phillippines and Latin America, and it has been used by non-Catholics as well because of its rich meaning. It involves draping a rope or flower garland over the couple’s shoulders in a figure-eight shape to show your commitment to each other in front of your family, friends, and God.

The lasso can be placed by the officiant or a married couple that the newlyweds look up to. You can use a new lasso or one passed down to you from a family member (a great choice for your “something borrowed”).

Washing Each Other’s Hands And/Or Feet

Washing each other’s hands symbolizes a fresh start in married life. You and your spouse can take turns washing each other’s hands, or you can have the officiant pour the water on your hands over a basin and wash your hands at the same time instead of one at a time.

Washing each other’s feet is usually done by Christian couples to show humility and their dedication and respect for each other.

Handfasting

Handfasting is a Celtic tradition commonly practiced in Pagan or Wiccan ceremonies, but it can be included in any wedding. This ceremony involves using rope to have your hands tied to your spouse’s hands, representing two becoming one. For a more modern and colorful spin on this tradition, you can use colored ribbon instead of a rope.

Serving Tea

A traditional Chinese tea ceremony is an intimate act that involves the couple serving tea to their parents and in-laws privately before the ceremony. You can choose to serve the tea to your parents and in-laws in front of your guests rather than privately, or the couple can serve each other tea after taking their vows. The tea ceremony represents the two families coming together.

Toasting With Mixed Wine

You can mix two types of wine to represent the effort and care you will give in your marriage, just like it takes effort and care to make wine. After mixing the wines, you can make a toast to each other with the wine blend you made. You can also store a bottle of wine or your favorite liquor in a sealed box to enjoy on a future milestone anniversary, like your fifth, tenth, or twentieth anniversary.

Sealing Love Letters

You and your future spouse can write one or more love letters to each other before the big day, and then work together during the ceremony to build and seal a box to hold the unread letters until a milestone anniversary. When the anniversary arrives, you open the box together and read the letters.

When Does The Unity Ceremony Take Place?

Unlike other unifying activities, such as the first dance or cutting the cake that are done during the reception, a unity ceremony is meant to be done during the ceremony. Some unity ceremonies are supposed to take place at a certain time during the ceremony, such as concluding the ceremony with jumping the broom or breaking glass.

Less traditional unity ceremonies can be performed at any point during the ceremony, but most are done after the vows are exchanged and before the rings are exchanged.