Fairytale Wedding

Simple, inexpensive elegance, easily describes candles at a wedding.  Whether it be at the ceremony or reception, indoor or outdoor, by day or at night.  Gather together two or three different size, white or ivory pillar candles with lace or unique ribbon and strategically place them throughout  your venue.   

Aside from your unity candle, subtle votive and/or pillar candles blend nicely within their surroundings (especially in a church) and will help complete your desired ambiance without your guests even realizing quite how.  Simply set them on a plain surface, a platter, a mirror, a doily, in a vase, or in candlebras of different heighths.  You can even add flowers, stones or sand if you’d like!

Shortly after the proposal made by my fiance’ (and my excited, “yes!”) I began to browse catalogs and the Internet for ideas.  I imagine most engaged woman also go this route.  It’s exciting to look at the different style gowns, wedding favors and theme ideas.

You may notice many wedding companies create entire wedding collections from coordinating ring pillows and flower girl baskets to cake tops and unity candles.  If you fall in love with a certain collection it’s convenient to purchase all the items at one time and be ready for your special day.  Others enjoy handpicking each item individually.  Unity candles are a wedding accessory that has the most available styles and types.  White and ivory have always been the most neutral selections, but your unity candle can come in nearly any shade of color.  You can have it personalized or customized with initials or your ceremony program.  Accents include jewels, pearls, ribbons.  Traditionally, a round pillar candle is used, but a more modern twist is the square candle.  There are also variations to the unity candle available, such as memorial candles, vases and/or sand or colored water.

If you’re looking for unique unity ceremony presentation pieces that are truly personal, then why not make your own unity set?  Use cylinder vases or even square vases that you may already have at home.  A floating candle in colored water or a votive candle in colored sand (that match your wedding colors) paired with two taper candles (for the lighting portion of the ceremony).

One of my favorite items that turns any ordinary vase into a vibrant, personal peice without the price tag are the wedding clings pictured here.  Not only do these clings dress up your wedding ceremony decorations, they also make remarkable reception table centerpieces!

After deciding what type of unity ceremony to have at your wedding, you begin to search for the right style of unity candle and maybe a complimenting unity candle and tapers stand as well.  Did you think there would be so many options?

If you’re having trouble choosing your unity candle, finding a coordinating stand or matching the two with your wedding theme or ceremony decor, you are not alone!  I had seen an elegant set at a wedding I was at and thought that was exactly what I wanted for mine.  Well, I couldn’t find that set and I found myself just as in love with a more modern square shaped unity candle, which wouldn’t have fit in the candle stand I liked anyway!  Finally, I decided to browse the candles and stands with my church style and decor in mind.  It really helped a lot to be able to ask a specific question about my potential purchase every time that I saw a unity candle and set that I liked. “Will this set fit in with my ceremony surroundings?”

If your set on a Cinderella theme fairy tale wedding but still want the ability to choose a certain color or style of wedding accessories, for instance vintage or modern in cobalt blue and red, then I have good news for you! 

Here are a few items that will turn your favorite colors or style wedding decorations, favors and accessories into a piece fit for a Cinderella theme wedding without breaking the bank or having to settle for Disney-specific products. These versatile Cinderella carriage charms come in silver or gold, the “Happily Ever After” stickers and/or “And They Lived Happily Ever After” ribbon pictured comes in every color possible!  Simple wrap around favors, pin to wedding accessories or dangle from chandeliers, candles, or chair ties!

You may be trying to decide on whether or not to include a traditional unity candle presentation at your wedding ceremony or opt for one of the more modern takes.  Of course, it is your day and the decision is yours, but here are a few points to take consider.

Nothing is more breathtaking then a traditional unity candle ceremony taking place at the alter at a beautiful church wedding.  (As long as your location will allow open flames!)  There are hundreds of candle styles to choose from, so finding the one that suites your style, wedding theme and even family situation is not a problem.  Bonus, you can keep the unity candle for years to come!

A sand ceremony also has many options in containers, as well as sand color.  Bold colored sand is available for a sea-side wedding.  A sand unity ceremony may be the perfect setting for an outdoor, garden or destination wedding.   The downside is that sand may not transport very well, but the vases and containers purchased to hold the sand ceremony may be personalized with your names and wedding date, a lovely keepsake to display in the newlyweds home!

In addition to all the more traditional items like a wedding unity candle, there are items available to include a loved one who has passed on in your special day.  This is particularly important to many brides and grooms who have lost a parent, sibling or beloved grandparent prior to their ceremony.

Keepsake candle holders bearing the names of your loved ones can be present on the altar as you speak your vows, accompanied by a photograph or photographs if you wish. At a wedding I once attended, a seat was left empty for the purpose of holding a large framed photograph of a groom’s mother, which had been carried into the ceremony by an usher with a rose. It was a small gesture, but also meaningful for the entire family. Many guests noticed this touch and made positive observations about it at the reception.

Whether you have chosen a specific theme for your wedding or not, if you have chosen to have a unity candle ceremony then you have  the opportunity to include a unique, customized and memorable part of your overall wedding event.

A plain pillar unity candle, personalized, customized with your program or invitation, a round or square shaped candle, there are many options.  However today, I am focusing on the candle holders.  Two of my very favorite unique candle holders (can be used for the unity candleceremony or as decorations) are the fairy tale carriage stand by Lillian Rose and the fairy tale expressions horse and carriage candle holders by Hortense B. Hewitt.  Both holders are not only uniquely crafted and elegant, but also of good quality for the price.

If you’ve read the decorating tips on my blogs then you already know what a big fan of gossamer I am!  Or perhaps you’ve used it yourself  to decorate a special event.  There’s a reason gossamer is so popular at proms and weddings – A little gossamer can go a long way in hiding imperfections.  It can turn a drab town hall meeting room into a grand ball party room. If it can turn a high school gymnasium into an elegant night to never forget – imagine what it could do for your big day!  From the church to the banquet hall as pew bows, in floral arrangements, cover tables and chairs, create swags and curtains, not to mention brilliant cake table decor!  Braid gossamer to create walkways and beautiful blockades.

No matter the style of your wedding or unity candle, use gossamer to decorate the unity ceremony alter.  Let it flow to the floor to soften the atmosphere.  You can also arrange the gossamer on the floor around the alter.  A word of caution however, do not use gossamer on or too close to your unity candle and be sure to lay the gossamer that it won’t affect the walkway.  I really love the many colors, patterns, themes and widths available with gossamer.  Turn old, brown church furniture into the look of elegant wedding bliss using white, ivory or shimmery gossamer with accents in your wedding colors.  For a simple look, use thin width gossamer as a table runner, then add floral arrangements, flower petals or place a mirror under the pillar candle for a more dramatic effect.  Make a bold statement by simply using patterned gossamer on top of a solid color.    Drape gossamer from the ceiling and allow it to flow to the ground. Wrap it around columns for a very dramatic ceremony background or church entrance.

Without certain timeless traditions, a wedding just wouldn’t be a wedding. Could you imagine a ceremony that didn’t feature the bride throwing a bouquet for the bridesmaids to catch? What about a rice-free post-nuptial walk? These cultural conventions help to identify a single marriage with the wealth of other ceremonies that have come before in our society.

The lighting of unity candles is a relatively new tradition, but it’s become just as special. These candles are typically lit by parents of the bride and groom, with the spark symbolizing their bringing new life into the world. Most ceremonies employ three candles – one each for the bride and groom and a third representing their new entity as married couple.