Additional Ceremonies
Additional Ceremony Options:
There are a few Symbolic Rituals that may be incorporated into your day to not only express yourselves with an extra special touch, but also to help make your day just that much more unforgettable.
These include Sand Ceremony, Unity Candle Ceremony, Rose Ceremony, Rock or Stone Ceremony, SeaShell Ceremony, Coin Ceremony and Lasso Ceremony.
There are a few Symbolic Rituals that may be incorporated into your day to not only express yourselves with an extra special touch, but also to help make your day just that much more unforgettable.
These include Sand Ceremony, Unity Candle Ceremony, Rose Ceremony, Rock or Stone Ceremony, SeaShell Ceremony, Coin Ceremony and Lasso Ceremony.
The Stone Ceremony and the Seashell Ceremony: Both of these are wonderful to incorporate into your Wedding Ceremony, Christening or Dedication Ceremony as a way to not only include your guests, but also leave you with either a beautiful memento of the day or the fabulous memory of all those good wishes. In both of these ceremonies, your guests are presented with either polished rocks or stones or seashells. They hold them throughout the entire ceremony filling them with good wishes and thoughts. At the end of your ceremony, you can either collect these in a decorative container which you can keep forever, each year on your anniversary adding to the original, or if having a waterfront ceremony, your guests can toss them into the water with their wishes, symbolizing the blessings and wishes to be neverending as is the tide. We'll have to make sure that the venue you choose permits the tossing into the water as some of our areas are protected here and have restrictions.
One of the many options of a "Ceremony within a Ceremony" is the Rose Ceremony. A simple exchange of a single Red Rose between the couple, representing the giving of the gift of Unconditional Love, not just on this day, but each day of your lives together.
In this Ceremony, the Officiate holds 13 gold coins which are presented to the Groom. He in turn presents the 13 coins to his Bride (often in ornate boxes or gift trays), as a symbol of his unquestionable trust and confidence. he pledges that he places all of his goods into her care and safekeeping. Acceptance by the Bride means taking that trust and confidence unconditionally with total dedication and prudence. (These coins can become part of a family heirloom). The Ceremony closes with the Groom pouring the coins into the Bride's cupped hands, placing the box or tray on top. This represents his giving her control of his worldly goods. 
The Unity Candle Ceremony is quite lovely and can be performed in several ways. Uniting the couple and, or the families as well. After the Ceremony you have the beautiful memento of the candle which you can light each year on your anniversary.
Another choice for a Unity Ceremony is the Lasso Ceremony. Traditionally a large loop of Beads, Cord or Orange Blossoms are looped around the couple's shoulders in a figure eight during the Ceremony. (Orange Blossoms symbolize fertility and happiness). The loop is symbolic of their love which should bind the couple together every day as they equally share the responsibility of Marriage for the rest of their lives. At the end of the Ceremony the Lasso is either removed by person or persons closest to the couple and or the Officiate. It is in turn presented to the Bride as a memento of becoming Mistress if the Groom's heart and home.
Sand Ceremony:
This is an ideal alternative for couples desiring a "Unity Ceremony" within their ceremony. It is especially helpful for the couple choosing an outdoor venue where you are at the mercy of the wind and elements which might interfere with a successful Unity Candle Ceremony.
In both a Sand Ceremony and Unity Candle Ceremony the symbolism is the same. A couple or family blend the containers of sand into a single container. Representing the blending of the couple and the families lives. Ideally using different colors of sand for each participant, blending the layers which leaves you with a beautiful memento of the day. The intermingled grains of sand representing the unbreakable intertwining of your lives.
This is an ideal alternative for couples desiring a "Unity Ceremony" within their ceremony. It is especially helpful for the couple choosing an outdoor venue where you are at the mercy of the wind and elements which might interfere with a successful Unity Candle Ceremony.
In both a Sand Ceremony and Unity Candle Ceremony the symbolism is the same. A couple or family blend the containers of sand into a single container. Representing the blending of the couple and the families lives. Ideally using different colors of sand for each participant, blending the layers which leaves you with a beautiful memento of the day. The intermingled grains of sand representing the unbreakable intertwining of your lives.
