Some people choose to include a symbolic ceremony as part of their service. These can be included in any ceremony, t's totally up to you but here are a few ideas to inspire you; of course you can always create your own tradition as well, based on your lives and story.
What is a Symbolic Ceremony?
A Symbolic Ceremony is an element that is sometimes include to represent your relationship, your cultures and your own traditions through the use of ritual. Often they element includes a keepsake that you keep as an added memory of your day. They aren't just for weddings or renewal of vows, but can be incorporated in to Naming Ceremonies, Renaming ceremonies and even Celebrations of Life. They can symbolise unions of love, or unions of families and children and guests can be included.
Whatever your beliefs a symbolic element can be included to honour generations past, or to give to those generations yet to come.
Hand Fasting
Hand Fastings are becoming more popular in wedding ceremonies today but their origins are in Pagan ritual. In fact it is where the phrase 'Tying the Knot' came from. These days it represents the joining of two people together with a chord or ribbon.
A hand fasting can be made in to your very own in a number of ways, including asking a family member or friend to perform the 'tying', by having multiple chords plaited together to represent the promises you have made, and you can plait them together or involve other family members.
Together the chord becomes a symbol of your everlasting love.
Candle lighting ceremony
Candles have been used in ceremonies since the dawn of time, and there are many ways to incorporate them into the ceremonies of your life. From candles of hope at a naming ceremony to memorial candles at a funeral, the lighting of a flame lifts and soothes. Again family and friends can be involved, and afterwards those who have joined with you in the ceremony have a keepsake to take home.
Together we discuss which candle ceremony works best for you, and you can decide whether you would like a bespoke candle made, which I can do myself, or you can order on line.
Sand Ceremony
Grains of sand mingled together forever, never to be separated. You can see why these beautiful sand ceremonies are so popular these days. Again, this is a element that can be used at all sorts of ceremonies, and you can actually have as many colours as there are in the rainbow. Afterwards you again have a keep sake of your day.
Ring Warming and Wish Trees
How do you involve everyone in your ceremony. You could ask them all to get up and say a memory, or you could use a wish tree and have them all write down a wish for you, or your child and hang it on a wish tree.
Alternatively at a wedding you could ask every person to hold the rings in a pouch or box then pass them from person to person, making a wish as they hold the rings in the palm of their hand.
The possibilities are endless. You could jump the broom, you could plant a tree, you could create a ceremony all of your very own. With a celebrant led ceremony, no dream is out of reach.
