So you are getting married in 2021 and want a sweet and simple, easy yet unique wedding ceremony that won’t be too long and put your guests to sleep. Here are 3 unique additions to any ceremony.
1st. A traditional handfasting/tying ceremony. Your Officiant can loop 2 different coloured strips of cloth (1 metre in length or so) over your clasped hands while explaining to those gathered the symbolism of the knot. Literally “tying the knot”. A unique twist on this is using a strip of cloth from the couples family tartan if you happen to have that heritage. Either way truly a joining of the families.
2nd. Are you of Scottish or Irish descent? Have a Quaich ceremony as your finale. The Officiant announces that as a final ceremony ritual they will have the couple hold a quaich (pronounced quake). A shot of whiskey is poured in the quaich with the couple each taking a sip. The Officiant then pronounces them Married. A great photo op if strong whiskey is used.
3rd. A sand ceremony. Very popular here in Canada. Vials of different coloured sand are poured into a single glass container by the couple representing the merging of 2 unique individuals into 1 new married couple. For blended families the children of the couple can also pour in their chosen sand colour.
One couple I married used beautiful brightly coloured glass beads instead of sand. This was poured into a jar that was then taken to a glass blower to be melted down into a one-of-a-kind piece of art. Very unique!
Photographer: Allison Hadley