Unity Candle Celebration

Streams of Light

by Rev. Stacey K. Miles

Unity candles are a beautiful inclusion to a wedding ceremony, yet not many brides, grooms and guests know the meaning of the candle lighting or its origin. “I want the candle lighting, but I don’t really understand what is symbolizes,” one bride confided to me.

We all understand a wedding ceremony is the formal joining of two lives into one and includes many symbols of unity throughout the service, exchange of vows, rings, etc. A unity celebration is a showing, a visual, of what we cannot see happening in the heart, body and spirit of the couple.

There are as many unity celebration types as there are imaginations to create them; sand, chocolate, roses, water… The unity candle has become one of the more popular, and powerful visuals used to symbolize and show the unity.

There is no certainty to the exact origin of the unity candle, though candle lighting has played an important role in spiritual events for centuries and documented across many cultures and religions. However, the unity candle within a wedding ceremony does not originate with any particular religion, as far as it is known. The earliest recorded use of unity candles in wedding ceremonies dates back to the 1930s, gaining in popularity in the 70s. The hugely popular television soap opera General Hospital incorporated the unity candle in Luke and Laura’s wedding, further popularizing the simplicity and beauty of the custom.

Beautiful Unity Candle and Tapers

All that is needed to create this ceremony is a large candle, and two tapers. During the ceremony, the bride and groom each hold a lit taper, symbolizing their individual lives, spirit and experiences, and together light the larger unity candle, symbolizing the joining of their lives, creating a stronger, single flame.

The officiant will usually say words to explain the unity candle celebration. The following is my favorite passage to say,

“Bride and Groom, you have chosen to affirm your love by the lighting of a unity candle.

It is said, ‘From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. And when two souls are destined for each other and find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single, brighter light goes forth from their united being.’ (by Baal Shem Tov)

If you will please take your individual candles and together light the center candle symbolizing the unity of your hearts and souls…”

Some couples chose to include important family members in the candle lighting. This is a wonderful way for a parent to symbolize the life they created, for families to show their blessing of the union, or to remember the spirit of a loved one. There is no limit to the number of tapers you may add, and you may display them in a variety of ways, just don’t forget a reliable lighter or matches!

Shop for beautiful unity candles at Uniquely, I Do’s wedstore: http://uniquelyido.weddingstar.com/ceremony-accessories/unity-candle-ceremony

By TAMMY MALGESINI
East Oregonian | Posted: Thursday, March 22, 2012 11:27 am

After a two-year hiatus, Hermiston will again have a bridal show. Stacey Miles, who created the Tri-City Wedding Professionals Network, has resurrected the event — calling it the Eastern Oregon Bridal & Quinceañera Show.

The event is Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Hermiston Conference Center, 415 S. Highway 395. Any bride-to-be or those having a quinceañera can register in advance at www.eobridalshow.com for free passes for themselves and those attending with them. Admission for others is $5 per person or $10 for wedding/quinceañera parties at the door.

Miles provides wedding officiant services through her business, Uniquely, I Do. A strong supporter of the wedding industry, she held a once-in-a-lifetime wedding event on Nov. 11, 2011, which united more than six dozen couples from as far away as Idaho.

“I just love being a part of the couple’s special day and making their day unique,” she said. “I enjoy touching people’s lives during the most important moment of a couple’s lives.”

Although now divorced, when Miles got married 20 years ago, she said her wedding ceremony wasn’t very personalized. The vows, she said, didn’t really match her beliefs.

“That’s one reason why I wanted to start officiating — so the words I speak are about and for the couple,” Miles said.

Miles was motivated to register to officiate weddings when her daughter got engaged. Ordained in 2008, Miles had 86 weddings under her belt when she officiated her daughter’s ceremony.

“When she told me she was engaged, I said, ‘I can design your flowers, I can cook the meal.’ I was teasing and said ‘I can even get ordained.’ That was the seed that started it,” she said.

The show will include wedding vendors from throughout Eastern Oregon and Washington. For a “one-stop” shopping experience, brides can talk to florists, bakers, photographers, jewelers and DJs. In addition, representatives from shops with formal wear and a limousine service will be on hand. The event also will include a ballroom dance demonstration, a fashion show, a vow writing workshop and live entertainment. Many of the booths, Miles said, will have drawings.

“There will be lots of fun prizes to win,” she said.

For more information, go to www.eobridalshow.com, search “Eastern Oregon Bridal Show” on Facebook or contact Miles at stacey@eobridalshow.com or 509-948-6974.

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top local wedding vendors from the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism within the wedding industry. While many industry awards are selected by the organization, Uniquely, I Do was selected based on its stellar reviews from past newlywed clients.

Uniquely, I Do is recognized as part of the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire local vendor community, comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States and Canada. The Bride’s Choice Award recognizes the best local wedding vendors across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on their overall professional achievements throughout the past year.

“WeddingWire is thrilled to honor the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Community,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Since the launch of the Bride’s Choice Awards™ program four years ago, thousands of outstanding wedding professionals have been recognized by the bridal community for their supreme service and dedication to the wedding industry. It is with great pleasure that we congratulate Uniquely%2c I Do for their continued professionalism and commitment to enriching the wedding planning experience for engaged couples.”

We are happy to announce that Uniquely%2c I Do is one of the very best Officiants within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. Thanks to their positive feedback we were able to receive the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ for 2012.

For more information, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today at http://www.weddingwire.com/biz/uniquely-do-richland/98170406d92d60e1.html.

To learn more about the Bride’s Choice Awards™, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

About WeddingWire, Inc.
WeddingWire™, the nation’s leading marketplace serving the $70 billion wedding industry, is the only online wedding planning resource designed to empower both engaged couples and wedding professionals. For engaged couples, WeddingWire offers the ability to search, compare and book over 200,000 reviewed wedding vendors, from wedding venues to wedding photographers. WeddingWire also offers a comprehensive suite of online planning tools for weddings, including wedding websites and wedding checklists, all at no charge. For wedding professionals, WeddingWire is the only all-in-one marketing platform for businesses online and on-the-go. WeddingWire offers one simple solution to build a professional network, improve search visibility, manage social media and reach mobile consumers. Businesses that advertise with WeddingWire appear on WeddingWire.com, ProjectWedding.com and other leading sites, including MarthaStewartWeddings.com (NYSE: MSO), Brides.com and Weddingbee.com.
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August 2011 e-Newsletter

A Trip Down The Aisle

by Rev. Stacey K. Miles

I am a wedding officiant. I stand front and center and have watched over a hundred brides walking down the aisle toward her groom.

Or, rather, try to walk down the aisle.

It can be painful. Not unlike a train wreck, I find myself riveted to watch the less than graceful journeys down the aisle.  I’m not alone; gasps and murmurs escape guest’s mouths, despite their attempt to appear they did not notice a bride’s flounder, trip, or tangle.

I often wonder if this is the true reason a bride’s father walks her down the aisle- to keep her upright.

A little pre-planning for your trip down the aisle will help, well, prevent a trip down the aisle. They work for bridesmaids, too!

In love with glittery high heels or red stilettos?
Forgo the potential ankle twisters, and feet busters for a cootsie pair of ballet slippers for the ceremony. You’ll be comfortable and sure-footed. Slip on your knock out, heartthrob shoes for pictures and the garter toss after you’re a Mrs.

Hem your dress.
Take the shoes you will be wearing when you get your dress hemmed so your seamstress can ensure you won’t be stepping on the front of your dress when you walk. Give it a test walk after the hemming, a good walk, not a few steps.

Does your dress have a large train?
Add Pages to your wedding party to lift and carry your train down the aisle. This will
prevent the heavy train from pulling the front of your dress, distorting the fit of the bodice and flow, and catching on pews, chairs, canes, etc. as you make your way down the aisle.

Say no to paper aisle runners.
I have yet to encounter one single paper aisle runner that did not bunch, tangle feet
or blow away, no matter the creative attempts to anchor them down with tape,
rocks or spikes. Rent an aisle runner, or check ebay, I’ve found them for sale
online for around $100.00

Walking down a grass aisle?
Revisit the first tip to prevent a trips, and add on the sinkage effect. Thin heels will sink into soft grass, and while the venue may appreciate your help in aerating their lawn,
it’s hard to look composed while pulling plugs of grass and dirt out with each step. Can’t live without heels? Check out acrylic discs that fit over the bottom of your heel, such as Penny Heels, they prevent sinkage and mud and grass stains from ruining your shoes.

Not being ‘given away’?
Consider an escort anyway. Have a brother or friend help you down the aisle so
you can keep your chin up and a smile on your face and not worry about any obstacles or dangers before you. I’ve seen too many brides staring at the floor for her entire processional.

Have a pre-ceremony glass of wine to steady the nerves?
It should be a no-brainer, but keep the alcohol light, not only so you don’t
stagger down the aisle and embarrass yourself, but your officiant may not allow
you to engage in a legally binding contract if you’re intoxicated!

***
Take is nice a slow down the aisle, if you do have a little trip or incident, right yourself, smile and continue onward, it probably won’t be the only little mishap that will happen on your wedding day, and will make for a good laugh later on.

www.uniquely-i-do.com

The Perfect Officiant for Your Wedding Ceremony!

Upcoming Events

*Come meet Uniquely, I Do’s wonderful officiants at the Three Rivers Bridal Show, October 16, 2011 and enter to win some fabulous
prizes!

*FREE WEDDING CEREMONY 11-11-11 Uniquely, I Do is looking for 164+ couples to get married on 11-11-11 in an attempt to break the World Record for most couples married in a single location in a 24 hour period! Each couple gets a free mini-ceremony, 1 hour reception, free cupcake and more! Visit www.uniquely-i-do.com/worldrecord.htm for details!

I am a wedding officiant
and I love my job. However; people often ask what I am. “Are you a photographer? A wedding planner?” they inquire.

One of my first
weddings, a family elder leaned toward me, eagle eyed my black clothing, service book and asked, “Are you the pastor?” I replied, “Yes, I am the wedding officiant.” He considered me a few moments, reconciling in his mind the duties he figured I came to perform, and then boomed to all in
the room, “The Pastor is here! The Pastor is here!”

His statement sums up what I am… almost.

A wedding officiant is a person authorized to perform a wedding ceremony. An officiant may be an ordained minister/pastor/rabbi/etc., a tribal leader, a current/retired judge or notary. Regulations on who may perform a marriage ceremony vary by state; some states allow self-solemnization or common law marriage.

Last summer, I had a well behaved young man of 8 or 9 years of age for a ring bearer. For the hour long rehearsal, he listened to everything I said, stood where I
instructed, walked when prompted. The day of the wedding his shoes were polished,  tux crisp and ring pillow on his palm like a fancy server, despite having a half hour before ceremony time. As I gathered the wedding party, bride, groom, mothers and fathers, and finally ring bearer, he looked up at me with large brown eyes and said, “Now I get who you are, you’re going to do the marrying. I thought only guys did that.”

Like this boy, many people expect the wedding official to be male, and visualize a man dressed in a black robe or suit. This idea comes from hundreds, thousands of years, when most leaders were male. Lucky for me, times have changed.

Newly termed wedding officiants (sometimes called life celebrants) have largely taken the place of ‘traditional’ officials, especially for weddings held outside of a church or court room. Today’s officiants do much more than simply preside over a ceremony with a standard script.  Most new officiants are warm, creative, responsive and caring. And awesome public speakers. They are not merely doing a service in conjuncture with their church or role with an institution. Many wedding officiants offer on-denominational, spiritual or civil services, filling a growing need as belief systems, family
dynamics and old traditions are replaced. And many are female.

So this is how I answer the question, ‘What are you?’

“I am a female ordained minister who sought ordination through a non-denominational church for the sole purpose of having authority to legally marry couples.”

I spend hours creating ceremonies, meeting with couples, attending rehearsals… in short, working hard to create a perfect, memorable ceremony, which I will deliver with the very best wishes for the couple’s future as man and wife. And I love my job.

~Reverend Stacey K. Miles

(aka-the perfect wedding officiant for your ceremony)

Upcoming Events

Come meet Uniquely, I Do’s wonderful officiants at the
Three Rivers Bridal Show, October 16, 2011 and enter to win some fabulous
prizes!

Now scheduling free consultations for 2012 weddings! Email

stacey@uniquely-i-do.com or call/text 509-948-6974

Join Bride 2 Bride, a local bride support group!

FAMILY UNITY CANDLE LIGHTING CEREMONY

Sample Wording

“Groom and bride, you have chosen to affirm your love
by the lighting of a unity candle. I would
like the groom and bride’s mothers to now each
light a candle, representing their individual
families.

It is said, ‘From every human being there
rises a light that reaches straight to heaven.
And when two souls are destined for each other
and find each other, their streams of light
flow together and a single, brighter light
goes forth from their united being.’ (by Baal
Shem Tov)

Bride and groom, if you will please take your
family’s candle and together light the center
candle symbolizing the unity of your hearts
and families, and repeat after me,

From this day forth,
my soul flows with your soul.

I have found in you the one to light my days

and warm my nights.

You are my love for all my life.”

View this ceremony addition and many more at www.uniquely-i-do.com!

Adore this unity set? Click here to purchase it at our wedstore!

Photo of Kelli & Trevor, a Uniquely, I Do couple

Don’t worry if you’re wondering what a recessional
is, I answer this question for my couples all the
time. (I don’t expect you to be an expert with all
things weddings, after all, most people only get married once.)

The recessional is the bride and groom’s exit,
followed by the wedding party, after the officiant
pronounced you husband and wife and the kiss
commenced.

I personally enjoy a fun, unique recessional; it
sets the tone for the reception, and the start of
your future as husband and wife. Many couples who
are hesitant to break ‘tradition’ for the wedding
ceremony find a unique recessional a perfect
solution to incorporating their personalities into
their special day. (Those who opt for a unique
ceremony from start to ‘I Do’ get a special permit
from this officiant to really-really-really have fun
with their recessional!)

Another bonus to creating a memorable recessional…
imagine the cheers, smiles and laughter from your
guests as you surprise them with a grand finale to
your wedding ceremony! You’re guests will remember
your ceremony for years to come.

Here are some fun ideas for your recessional.

• Forget Cannon in D and other sleeper songs, select
  an upbeat song that will have guests singing and
  tapping along!

• Hop on your new hubby’s back for a piggy back ride
  down the aisle. Alternately, have your strong
  hubby lift you in his arms and carry you down the
  aisle.

• Cruise down the aisle on a rented tandem bicycle.
  Horseback, tractor, mopeds, Harleys and vintage
  cars are other fun options. Think wide aisle.

• 
  
  Put
  your groomsmen to work! Have them pull the bride
  and groom out in a decorated rickshaw.

• Choreograph a dance routine to your favorite upbeat song, or have everyone free style down the
  aisle. Have bridesmaids and groomsmen encourage
  guests from the seats to dance down the aisle as
  well.

• Skip or run down the aisle.
• Plant friends armed with faux rifles, plastic
  swords, light sabers, or skateboards on the aisle
  seats and have them stand and raise their weapon
  for a salute for bride and groom to walk under.
• 

• Show everyone how bright your future is going to
  be, after the kiss, pull your your shade and
  coolly slip them on. The wedding party can follow
  suit.

• Everyone loves a hand jive. Starting with bride and groom,
  have each pair in the wedding party come up with
  their own hand jive to do before starting down the
  aisle. A creative handshake or high five is fun,
  too.

• Release a pair of doves.
• Strike a pose. Work it, bride and groom, work it!
  Have everyone strike an outlandish model pose
  before going down the catwalk-er- aisle.
• Roll the credits. Have your officiant or dj
  introduce the bride and groom before their ext in
  a theatrical voice, saying something unique and
  special about each one, then follow with the
  wedding party.

• 
  Party time! Have the groom & his men all strip off
  their jacket and ties, the bride and her maids
  unpin their hair and slip off their shoes—think
  Kevin Bacon cool in Footloose as you strut down
  the aisle!

• Star
  wars, anime or gamer fanatics? Go for it! Slip on
  your helmet, crusader cape, pixie ears, steam punk
  glasses or eye masks and the bride and groom can
  make their get away! Secret super heroes? Have the
  grooms rip open their formal wear to show their
  inner Superman t-shirts!

• Movie moments. Think Dirty Dancing, Grease,
  Glee and the like for inspiration.

• 
  
  Remember, your wedding should be a reflection of the
  your personalities and the future you are building.
  Adding in fun ceremony elements to express this will
  make lasting impressions. Forcing your groom, bride
  or wedding party to participate in what one person
  thinks would be awesome could result in arguments
  and awkward moments.

Caution and warnings: Many of the ideas assume your
wedding is outdoors. Please use common sense and
check with ordinances-rules-etc. at your specific
venue before enacting. Please use common sense
safety and practice, practice, practice. Brides,
always check the appropriateness of your dress
length before attempting.

www.uniquely-i-do.com