Barbados Destination Weddings Onsite Magazine
The Unity Ceremony

In recent times, more and more couples have been including the Unity Ceremonies in the wedding ceremony.  This is the perfect way to symbolise your union as it represents the pledge of unity between the bride and groom and the merging of the two families and their lives and can be used in all types of weddings from the simple to the elaborate.   

It can be performed at the beginning of the ceremony or after the exchange of rings.  A discussion with the officiant can help to decide this and other options such as the readings.

Alternately and in the event that this cannot be done during the ceremony, it can take place during the reception.  It can either be set up on the cake table just before the sticking of the cake or at the Head Table just before the toasts. 

THE UNITY WINE
In the Unity Wine ceremony the bride and groom each take a carafe of wine and pour the wine into a single glass.  They both drink the mixed wine to symbolise their willingness to share in both the joys and the disappointments of life.

There are many variations to this ceremony or you can start your own tradition.

Some couples have the bride pour a glass of white wine while the groom pours a glass of red wine. The bride and groom drink from each glass and then pour the wine together in a separate glass and the new glass of wine would look like a rosé.  The officiant can talk about the colour of the wines and the blending of hearts together to become one. 

They can then serve rosé wine at the reception to remind everyone of the ceremony and marriage.  A nice touch would be to have a combination of wedding flowers of red and white with a touch of pink.

An idea for an ethnic couple is to include their countries of origin. You may acquire a bottle of wine from both the bride and groom's countries to mix at the ceremony.
 
Some couples may pass the wine glass to immediate family members as a remembrance of the history of the now united families or, immediately after the service, others may be invited to drink the new wine, if they so desire.
 

 

THE CEREMONY

  1. Two carafes with red wine and white wine are placed on the altar or a small table along with an empty wineglass.
  2. The couple goes to the table and each takes the individual carafe and pours some wine into the larger carafe.
  3. The groom will pour red wine and the bride will pour white wine, to create a blush or rose colored wine in the larger carafe.
  4. The groom then takes the larger filled carafe with the combined wine and pours some in a glass for the bride.
  5. The bride then takes the Larger Carafe with the combined wines and pours some into a glass for the Groom.
  6. He may now toast his bride with, " Now Our Lives Are One" and drinks from the glass.
  7. The bride responds the same.
  8. They place the wineglass back and face the officiant.
During the Unity Wine ceremony, the following is an example of what may be said by the officiant:

 

'This Ceremony represents the two individual lives which are now combined like the two wines into one single life. The drinking of the combined wine signifies the commitment you now make to live your lives as one family. May you remember this day of commitment you have sealed with drinking of the new wine joining your lives as one.’

 
 

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