Making unity candles is a great way to add a special homemade touch to your wedding. Unity candles are no more difficult to make than other sorts of candles, but they'll be a keepsake you'll treasure the rest of your life.
The Unity Candle Tradition
Many faiths use a unity candle to represent the coming together of two people into one new family. A unity candle set includes one pillar candle and two taper candles.
The taper candles are lit at the beginning of the ceremony, often by the parents of the bride and groom or other honored guests. These candles represent the family that the person came from and is now leaving behind to form their new family.
At some point in the ceremony, the unity candle is lit. The bride and groom each take their individual candles and use them together to light the pillar candle, which remains lit for the rest of the ceremony. Usually the tape candles are blown out at this point to represent officially leaving the old family and starting the new one.
Unity candles are usually white. They may have some decoration on them, such as a cross, a pair of wings or a flower. They can also be decorated with white silk flowers or ribbon, either in white or in one of the wedding colors.
Tips for Making Unity Candles
Plain unity candles are not expensive, but making unity candles adds an extra touch of meaning to the ceremony. It's a good idea to plan to make these candles several weeks in advance of your ceremony in case they don't turn out perfectly the first time.
If you're going to make both the taper candles and the pillar candle, you will need candle molds or other supplies for both sorts of candles, including:
- Wax
- Wick
- Melting pot
- Hot plate (or you can use your stove)
- Special mold (if you want a shape embedded on the side of the pillar candle)
- Mold sealer
It's a good idea to leave these candles both uncolored and unscented, since it's likely there will be plenty of aroma coming from your wedding flowers.
Start by preparing your work area, covering countertops with newspaper and prepping your molds. Melt the wax that you need for the candles and pour it into the mold, or, if you're making taper candles by hand, into a coffee can or similar receptacle to dip the candles.
Take your time, no matter which sort of candle you are making. Remember that these candles are for your wedding, and think good, happy thoughts as you make them.
Allow the candles to cool thoroughly before removing them from their molds. If you don't like the look, you can always melt them and try again.
Unity Candle Molds
If you don't want a plain round candle for your unity candle, consider other shapes like a heart or hexagon. You can even find molds with fluted sides to add a little more interest to the design.
There are many different supply companies on the web that offer different shapes and sizes of candle molds, so you can be sure to find just what you're looking for.
Decorating Your Candles
Now that you're done making unity candles, it's time to dress them up for the big day. You can go with a classic plain set of candles in lovely crystal holders, or you can put ribbon, lace, tulle, silk flowers or even dried flower petals on the candles.
Make sure you consider safety if you're attaching anything to the candles. You don't want anything on the candles to catch fire during your ceremony. Still, if you keep anything that's around the candle close to the bottom and trim the wick before the ceremony, you should be fine with whatever decoration you choose.
