| Over the past decade or so, unity candles have | | | | no rules about how to light them. However, the |
| become a very popular part of traditional wedding | | | | practice seems to be to light them right after the |
| ceremonies, and plenty of friends these days | | | | exchange of wedding rings and before the 'I now |
| approach me to supply them with these candles | | | | announce you man and wife' part. |
| when their children get married. I used them myself | | | | Who actually lights these candles? Once again, there |
| for my eldest daughter's wedding last year, though | | | | are no hard and fast rules, but I have been to |
| my 69-year-old mother rather sniffily said that these | | | | weddings where the two single candles were lit |
| new fangled ideas had no business to be in church! | | | | before the actual ceremony, and the larger candle |
| While that is open to debate, what does seem | | | | during. At Joanna and Grant's wedding, my husband |
| certain is that the popularity of unity candles is set to | | | | Dean and I lit the candles after the exchange of rings |
| grow. In time, they may even come to be regarded | | | | along with Grant's parents Ellie and Hugh, by common |
| as a traditional aspect of Christian weddings. | | | | consensus! |
| Personally, I think it is a wonderful idea to light | | | | It is not uncommon for the bride and groom to each |
| candles that symbolize the union of two souls, and I | | | | light his and her own candles during the ceremony. |
| would warmly congratulate the person who invented | | | | They then light the larger candle together as a |
| the custom. | | | | symbol of unity and blow out the individual candles as |
| Speaking of two souls, the custom is to actually light | | | | a sign that they are now leaving 'single-hood' behind, |
| three candles - one each for the two people getting | | | | though some people regard it as a bad omen to blow |
| married, and one larger pillar candle to signify the | | | | out these candles. Personally, I would think it was |
| union. At my daughter Joanna's wedding last year, I | | | | better to leave them lit, indicating that one was not |
| used a special candle holder that accommodated all | | | | sacrificing one's individuality at the altar of marriage. |
| three candles, though most people I know prefer | | | | Unity candles can be plain or showy, colored or white, |
| individual candle holders. | | | | and shaped like lots of things. So what do you do |
| When I make unity candles, I prefer to make the | | | | with the unity candles once the wedding ceremony is |
| two single candles thin and tapering, while the larger | | | | over? Keep them to light for special occasions like |
| candle is a no-frills pillar. Lighting these candles | | | | your anniversary or the birth of a new child, of |
| obviously holds no religious connotations, so there are | | | | course! |