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Wedding Rituals that will personalise your Ceremony

Incorporating Ritual and Symbolism into Ceremonies

The word “ritual” spans every culture. As Ireland becomes more multi-cultural, we are embracing beautiful rituals and ceremonies from around the globe. Part of the benefit of using a Celebrant is that we can look to both traditional and global rituals to be incorporated into your bespoke ceremony. Every aspect of a wedding has a symbolic value and while they are quite subtle in nature, they can be a very emotive way of uniting people and sharing values.

My Favourite Ceremony Enhancements

Handfasting

The term “tying the knot” itself stems from Celtic tradition and symbolised a union. The ritual involves wrapping the hands of the wedding couple in ribbons. The knot represents the union of love which grows stronger under pressure. Additional ribbons can be added during the ceremony and some couples hold on to it as a keepsake.

Wedding Bells

Aside from the chimes of the church bells in many cultures it has been a belief that bells disperse negative spirits. At the end of the ceremony some couples now walk down the aisle to the sound of their guests ringing small bells to send them on their merry way. It is a fabulous way of building the excitement and getting everyone involved.

Unity Candle Ceremony

The Unity candle ceremony symbolizes the joining of the couple’s two families and merging two individuals. It involves 3 candles. A family member from each family lights one candle of the outside candles, then the couple light the centre candle from the other two. The three candles remain lit as a symbol of the unity of their new family and their commitment to each other and to a lasting and loving marriage.

These are just a few of my favourite enhancements but there are many more to choose from, such as The Wine Box & Love Letter Ceremony, The Sand Ceremony, Wishing Stones and Jumping the broom! As your celebrant I would be delighted to talk through all the options and even create your very own new one that represents you as a couple.