Exploring The Unity Candle

To signify two people becoming one, traditionally, a unity candle is lit at the wedding ceremony. Usually, the bride and the groom each have their own separate candle and take those lit candles to light one, larger candle together. Sometimes at the beginning of the ceremony, before the mothers of the bride and groom are seated, they light the individual candles of their children.

With the growing number of outdoor and nontraditional weddings, the unity candle is often left out or replaced with a unique alternative. Check out these creative, meaningful ceremonies performed by the bride and groom to show their souls joining together through marriage.

Beach wedding! These two couples are pouring sand into one jar to signify their becoming one. To mix it up, give the bride one color sand and the groom another. When pouring together, you will be able to visually see the sand mixed together and unite.

This is one of my favorites! To braid, we know there has to be three strands- one for the bride, one for the groom, and one for God. The bride and groom actually braid the strands together in front of everyone. While doing so, they could have someone special to them say a prayer, have a special song played, or even recite a prayer together as they braid. Couples that pray together, stay together and this beautiful tradition includes an intricate part of the union of their lives.

This couple wanted something tangible to keep as a symbol of their unity and promise to each other. Instead of lighting a candle, why not plant a tree? If you think about it, it's really romantic- much like true love, that tree, if taken care of, will last and live on years after the both of you are gone.

We still think unity candles, their tradition, and the meaning they hold are great for the wedding ceremony! If you want to stick to this tradition, here are a few photos of some really great, unique ones that we found.

This adorable, personalized candle can be yours from WeddingStar.

Deborah & Tony

With a clear vision, this bride did much of the big-day planning herself. Deborah knew specifically what she wanted and went to great lengths to put together the wedding of her dreams. With help from Joy Hayes of Joyous Occasions event planning in Delphos, Ohio, the bride assembled a beautiful, trendy, yet elegant wedding with memories that will last forever. The details of this wedding are bold, vibrant, and meaningful to this young, love-struck couple. Thanks to the talents of Mandy Ford of Mandy Ford Photography, we are able to show you exactly what we mean! Enjoy!

Florist: Ivy Hutch of Delphos, Ohio

DJ Services Provided By: Shawn Kimmett with All Occasions DJ Service

Bridesmaid hairpieces provided by Love Always, Anne Marie Online Bridal Store.

The Church: The Calvary Church in Lima, OH

The bride fulfilled her "something old" requirement by taking her great-grandmother's broach (center piece) and having Tree Top Stuidos of Delphos, Ohio create a custom piece built around it.

 Thank you, Deborah and Tony for letting us share some of your many amazing pictures!

Shoes...

Love really is in the details! It's always fun to see sneak peeks of the brides' shoes from underneath her dress! Here are some of our favorites and where to shop for more stunning slippers.

Bling, anyone? MyGlassSlipper.com

You won't believe how affordable these are - WaneLo.com

Ok I would wear these for the ceremony and probably every day of the honey moon!  By Diego di Lucca

How adorable and surprising for an outdoor, casual wedding!? Imagine lifting up your gown to see these red show stoppers... Zappos.com

Always a good idea to have flats on stand by for the ceremony- aka 'dancin' shoes'   Also found on WaneLo.com

Fashionable AND socially conscience - Toms.com

This post could go on for days! There are so many to chose from! Email me a picture of your dream wedding shoes or the shoes you wore on your big day! anne{at}lovealwaysannemarie.com

Toodles!xoxo

Introducing the newest,  most sought after 'cake lady' in the area: CakeCrazy Edible Art. Tiffany Spray of Van Wert, Ohio provides creative, well-made, trendy and affordable cakes for wedding ceremonies, wedding showers, bachelorette parties, birthdays, holidays, and lots of other special occasions. Sheet cakes, stacked, or even cupcakes, CakeCrazy can provide a truly unique piece for your special day.

A 3-tier square wedding cake in bold red, black, silver and white is a definite show stopper!  Each tier is a different flavor and covered in a homemade marshmallow fondant. The bride and groom chose to have the tiers staggered to create a more unique effect.  Hand sculpted gum paste roses and cali lilies are placed on top with the mirrored “H” to create a stunning and bold cake.

Whimsical Flowers and cupcakes make this unique wedding cake perfect for the summer outdoor wedding!  The large cupcake cake has a fondant covered base to resemble a cupcake wrapper and the top is butter cream icing with fondant flowers cascading down the front.  The bride chose 4 different flavors for the cupcakes which were also displayed on various stands at the site.

A 5 tier wedding cake done in black and white with polka dots makes a simply elegant statement!  Each tier is a different flavor and covered in homemade marshmallow fondant.  The bride chose to use real roses for the top and accents on this cake.  Any flower in any color could be used with this style of cake to create a completely unique look.

For contact information, pricing, and more inspirational pictures, check out CakeCrazy's blog!

CakeCrazy is giving 10% off to my blog readers!!! Just mention this blog while placing your order and get 10% off! How great and easy is that?

Looking for submissions!

Did you recently get married and want to share some of your big-day pictures with us? Let us feature your wedding on Fort Wayne's and surrounding area's brand new, premier wedding blog! Help give other soon-to-be brides some inspiration and tips. We would love to see your photos and hear about your big day! Email us at: anne{at}lovealwaysannemarie.com.

xoxo