What are wedding rituals and how to include them in a ceremony
Wedding rituals, symbolic rituals, symbolic moments, ceremony traditions.
Personalised vows, handfastings, sand ceremonies, jumping over the broom…
Whatever you call them, and whichever you choose, these creative additions to a wedding ceremony are not only beautiful but provide you and your guests with a truly special memory - and, as they are often full of smiles, colour and movement they also make great moments for photos!
And if you choose to have a celebrant-led wedding ceremony, your options are endless!
How do you choose the perfect wedding ceremony ritual?
Symbolic rituals are really as diverse and as unique as each couple. I love working with couples to explore the inclusion of ritual moments in their perfect ceremony! To help you think about whether a symbolic moment is right for your ceremony, I’ve pulled together a little overview of some of my favourite wedding ritual ideas.
Wedding Ceremony Ritual Ideas
Vow Exchange
Vows and weddings go hand in hand. They are a central part of what many people imagine when they think about important moments in a wedding ceremony - but whether you choose to exchange vows publicly at your celebrant-led ceremony is totally up to you. A vow exchange gives you the chance to share your love with your partner, and with your guests, and whether you choose to pen these privately from your partner, or collaborate on something together a vow exchange brings life to your commitment to each other… and often brings out the tissues!
Put a Ring On It - Ring Exchange and Ring Warming
The tradition of giving a ring at a wedding can be traced back for many hundreds of years, when men would give their brides a ring as a symbol of their commitment to marry and as proof that they can be a good and supportive partner.
Whereas in the past the ring may have symbolised a man’s wealth and ability to provide for his new wife, things have moved on a little bit and today the symbolic ring exchange is seen as a shared and reciprocal commitment to each other, and the circular neverending nature of love.
A lovely option to consider if you choose to include wedding rings in your celebrant-led wedding ceremony is who will present them to the bride and groom - this could be a best man, groomsman, special family member, four-legged best mate, or you could even incorporate your guests by hiding a surprise ring-bearer amongst them, or by asking all your guests to bless the rings in a ring warming. There are so many options for creativity, and making even these more traditional moments special to you!
Handfasting - or ‘Tying the Knot’
The Celtic origins of handfasting go back thousands of years - it is a moment where the couple face each other, and their hands are symbolically intertwined with ribbons to celebrate their union and commitment to each other. The ribbons are knotted together around their clasped hands - and this is how a couple can literally ‘tie the knot’ on their wedding day.
Handfasting is almost endlessly customisable - you can use coloured ribbons with each colour representing a family member, personality trait or memory, instead of ribbons you could use cords made from important material to you (for example a military uniform, or strips from a parents’ wedding gown), I’ve even written a ceremony before for two football fans who wanted to tie-the-knot with their football scarves.
Sand Ceremony
A sand ceremony is a beautiful choice for a couple that wants to celebrate the fact they are joining together, and will never be separated - it’s also a great way to extend the wedding ceremony out to other important people including children, and parents of the couple if desired.
In a sand ceremony, each person is represented by a different sand - each sand is poured from separate containers into one large vessel in a symbolic representation of the union. The sand is poured in layers one for each person (representing the individuals) until the last layer all participants pour their sands in together so that the individual grains mix (representing the new family).
Jumping Over The Broom
Jumping over the broom is about making that first step together in partnership. It is a symbolic moment where the couple take on their first challenge together as a married couple, and jump over it together. It symbolises change, and that the past is being swept away for a different future - and one that you leap into together!
The best bit is that it doesn’t even need to be a broom that you jump over… this is another perfect opportunity to let your personality shine! Consider jumping over golf clubs or fishing rods if that’s more your style!
Unity Candle
In a Candle Ceremony, the couple are represented by two separate candles. These candles symbolise who they are as individuals, or their family units. The couple then symbolically take their individual candles and jointly use them to light their, often larger candle - their flames joining together. The lighting of the candle is done jointly with the shared heat and light of the two candles with no side of the partnership taking more or less responsibility.
Invent Your Own Unique Wedding Ritual
With a celebrant-led wedding ceremony, you have endless possibilities for wedding rituals. I love it when a couple wants to try something new, and I am bursting full of ideas for different ways we can build something symbolically special into your wedding ceremony.
With all symbolic wedding ceremony elements what is important is that the ceremony feels special and right for you - the ceremony should reflect your love, and your partnership and I would be thrilled to work with you to bring this to life. Want to explore a bespoke ceremony featuring your favourite food, TV show or other passion point? No problem. At the end of the day, it’s your story, your ceremony, and your way.
Get in touch today to chat about how I can help design the ceremony you’re hoping for.
