Use a Soy Unity Candle in Your Wedding Ceremony

I have attended a few weddings recently involving a Unity Ceremony and Candles. It got me thinking about how this tradition has grown in popularity in recent years. When I married, fifteen years ago, the use of a Unity Candle was extremely rare. I didn't come up with too many explanations except for the growth of the Internet enabling the spread of information, meaning people can search globally for potential traditions to include in their wedding ceremony.

In case you are unfamiliar with the concept, Unity Candles are generally in a set of three. In its most common form there are two taper candles and one central taller pillar candle.

At the beginning of a wedding ceremony the parents of the bride and the groom each light one of the taper candles. The lighting of these candles signifies the separate lives the bride and groom have led. The two families, with different beliefs, ideologies and experiences have molded the two people who are getting married.

After the bride and groom have spoken their vows and exchanged rings the third of the candles is generally lit. The lighting of this larger pillar candle signifies the unifying of two people into a new family structure one that is different from the one they had previously. It symbolises, to all present, a need to respect the new family unit and recognise a loosening of the tie that bound each person to their paternal family unit as they shape their new family. As a result, the taper candles are often blown out by the bride and groom once the central pillar candle is lit.

For a candle maker this growth in popularity is great, as I now have a potential engagement gift ready. A Unity Candle set is easy to make, taper candles and pillar candles are easily poured and molds for these types of candles are readily available. Most Unity Candle sets are white with some decorative aspect on the pillar candle. Often the pillar candles has accents on it which match the wedding stationery. Add these accents by using Water Slide Decal labels, print on your inkjet or laser printer and transfer to your candle. You can also add decorative accents through rub on transfers, just like you would use in paper crafts. You can even use Water Slide Decal labels to add a photo of the couple to the candle.

Here are basic instructions to make a soy pillar candle for a Unity Candle

Melt pillar wax in a double boiler Wick your pillar mold (I would chose a mold that is about 20cm high and 6cm in diameter) and make sure you have covered the wick hole with Fun Tack toeduce leakage Pour wax into pillar mold Leave the wax to set and cool Once cooled, remove the candle from the mold and trim the wick Decorate with suitable accents

Making your own Unity Candles is a real cost saving. A quick Internet search demonstrated to me how costly Unity Candles are. I found decorated pillar candles selling at up to $70 each. Once you have made your own Unity Candles next time a friend announces an engagement why not offer to make them a set of candles as a gift.