I like the idea of personalizing aspects of my wedding, while maintaining a few tried and true traditions that couples have used to symbolize their union throughout the years. My fiance Chris and I decided that while we love the idea of a unity ceremony, we want something a little bit more personal and true to us to symbolize our union, rather than the traditional unity candle.
My initial idea for an alternative unity ceremony was handfasting or the "binding of hands." If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's a Celtic custom that dates back centuries. It involves wrapping different colored ribbons into the infinity shape during the wedding vows, representing the symbolic union, commitment of marriage and binding to each other as husband and wife (or husband and husband/wife and wife). It's also a ritual that is usually portrayed in fantasy and historical fiction, so if you're familiar with the show Game of Thrones, you won't be surprised to hear that's what initially gave me the desire to look into handfasting. However, as anyone who watches the show knows, weddings in Westeros rarely turn out well. So, Chris and I decided to veto this idea, though I still absolutely love the symbolism and ritual behind the tradition!
On to my second idea: a rye whiskey aging unity ceremony. Chris and I came up with this idea while we were in the liquor store one day. We love whiskey! What could possibly go wrong? So, I did some researching and came across an "age your own whiskey kit" by the Woodinville Whiskey Company. It comes with a two-liter barrel and two one-liter bottles of white (unaged) rye whiskey. The two bottles mean we can each pour one during the ceremony. Then we'll seal it and have our officiant explain that we'll drink our wedding rye on our first anniversary. Well, as it turns out (and it's a good thing I checked on this first), this would mean violating our contract terms for our venue, as no outside-purchased liquor is allowed on the premises, even if it's not being consumed.
Third times a charm, right? Right! Chris loves to garden and landscape, while I love to enjoy his gardening and landscaping efforts. So, we decided that planing a tree would be the ideal unity ceremony. To also honor our strong familial ties, we will use soil from his childhood home and my childhood home to combine in the pot as we plant the tree. Planting a tree falls right in line with representing the strong roots of our future marriage and the friendship we shared before we were a couple. I can't wait to plant it in the yard of the home we share together!
images via Pinterest
