| The wedding unity candle is a popular, beautiful and | | | | trying to get those long handle lighters work with |
| meaningful addition to a wedding ceremony. | | | | great frustration. Sometimes they burn themselves. |
| However, as a wedding minister, I've seen a few | | | | It's better if they can just take out the taper candle, |
| hitches (pardon the pun) when it comes to lighting | | | | "dip" it into the votive candle to light it and then place |
| the candle. I'm not trying to scare you way from the | | | | the taper candle back in the holder. |
| ceremony, but it's better to be aware of some of | | | | Third, make sure the candles are secure in the |
| the pitfalls so you don't have a problem. | | | | candelabra and the candelabra itself is steady. You |
| One, make sure the candles have sufficient wick. I | | | | don't want it to fall over and have to deal with a fire |
| performed the wedding for one of the Tennessee | | | | emergency. If possible, practice taking the taper |
| Titans football players a few years back. When the | | | | candles out and lighting the center candle. One |
| couple tried to light the candle, they couldn't because | | | | wedding I saw, the bride couldn't get her candle out. |
| the wick was too short! With his large fingers, the | | | | She decided it unscrewed, so she did not and pulled |
| football player dug out the wax around the wick so | | | | up. Unfortunately, that was the sleeve to the candle |
| they could light it. No major disaster and it gave | | | | and when she pulled it up, she snuffed out her |
| everyone a chuckle. But you might not want to be | | | | candle. Her groom wisely reached over pulling out |
| digging candle wax at your wedding. | | | | another candle from a candelabra and handed it to |
| Two, use a pre-lit votive candle that the mothers | | | | her so she could light the unity candle. |
| can use to light the taper candles. I've seen moms | | | | |