Cake &
Ale Ceremony
Photo by Rick Dubie
The Cake & Ale
Ceremony allows for the Bride and Groom to share their first meal
together as husband and wife.
Double Ring Exchange
 
Photos by Rick Dubie
The exchange of
rings has been a time-honored tradition for centuries. A double
ring exchange puts a modern twist on that old tradition. Both
Bride and Groom exchange rings at the same, binding them and giving them
another way to bond.
Honoring the
Mothers
The
flowers represent the ways in which the bride and groom have blossomed
and grown up into the adults they are on their wedding day. The
bride and groom each hand a specially picked bouquet of
flowers off to their mother as a gift to say thank you for all the love
and support.
Island
Sweets Exchange
In every
marriage there should be a little sweetness. In the Island Sweets
Exchange, the Bride and Groom express their first act of unity as
husband and wife by sharing three island sweets, being pineapple,
coconut and mango.
The practice of
having couples "jump the broom and sword" during wedding ceremonies are
both an African American as well as a neo-pagan custom. The couple jumps
over a sword and broom while holding hands. The sword is symbolic of
cutting ties with the old life before they were together and the broom
represents the old remnants being swept away. The leap that the couple
takes over the broom and sword is also symbolic. Starting a new life
with another person does require a "leap of faith". But by taking the
leap, the individuals make a gesture of dedication to working together
through the tough times ahead and the willingness to care for and defend
one another.
The Rose
Ceremony is placed at the end of the wedding ceremony just after being
pronounced husband and wife. In the past, the rose was considered a
symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant
the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that the first gift - as
husband and wife - would be a single rose. (Every flower has its own
meaning, you may substitute any flower you like.)
Like the unity candle, the sand is used in uniting of the bride and
groom. As the two vials of sand are poured into one, they flow together
symbolizing the joining of the couple as they share their first
experience of unity as husband and wife. The newly formed union is
represented by the intertwined pattern of sand created by the couple.
Seedling
Ceremony
The
Seedling Ceremony is a combination of seedlings planted into a symbolic
planter by the bride and groom. Once the seedlings are covered by
dirt, together, the bride and groom pour water over the seedlings to
nourish them. After the ceremony, the newly formed plant is
brought to the bride and groom's home to be planted in a special spot
selected together.
Unity Bouquet
A Unity Bouquet
is a random arrangement of flowers. They are handed to the bride
by each family member or friend that is seated at the end of each aisle.
Each flower has a different symbolic meaning of what the giver wishes
for the brides future.
 
The Unity
Candle symbolizes the very essence of the wedding ceremony. The single
candles represent the two families alone, one for the bride’s family and
one for the groom’s family. The taper candles are ignited and then
together, the two single candles light the center candle, representing
the coming together of the two families and their visible commitment to
each other. The alternative to this ceremony, is to include other
members of the family to participate. It's a good way to bring
step-families together.
Wishing Stone Ceremony
The Wishing Stones
are presented to guests upon their arrival. They hold them in the palm
of their hands and make a wish for the couple’s life together.
Wishes can consist of anything from a large healthy family to eternal
love. A great way to add extra sentiment is to provide felt
tipped pen for the guests write their names and wishes on.
A wreath is a traditional symbol of matrimony and friendship and also
represents the Circle of Life. Wreaths given as gifts represent love,
happiness, friendship and gratitude. The wreath is made by members of
the community, as a gift and a blessing. Friends and family members have
the opportunity to add sprigs of chosen plants, herbs, flowers, & tokens with
traditional meanings related to marriage. The wreath decorates the
Bride/Grooms home, as love decorates their lives. The wreath will let
them remember the love shared by all of us there on that day.
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