UNITY CANDLE CEREMONY
The unity candle lighting ceremony is becoming more and more common in today's weddings. The ceremony symbolizes the unity of marriage and the beauty of the bride and groom becoming one flesh.
The ceremony begins by the mothers lighting their tapers, which symbolize the individual lives of the bride and groom. The tapers remain lit during the ceremony until the end when the bride and groom light the center unity candle with the lit tapers. The timing of the unity candle lighting occurs after the exchanging of rings and before the couple is pronounced husband and wife.
Upon lighting the unity candle, they then blow out their individual taper candles to symbolize the extinguishing of their two single lives and the uniting in marriage their new life together. They can take a few minutes up by the altar to pray or exchange a few words.
The unity candle lighting ceremony is a wonderful demostration of the love the couple has for one another and their committiment to the covenant of marriage.