So… you’re busy planning your amazing celebrant led ceremony and you’ve just found out they’re not bloody legal! Don’t panic, this blog will explain the process of sorting out the legals and a few different options that are available!

IT’S your wedding, you’ve personalised everything from the dress to the salad dressing….why not take this into the ceremony too by adding in a super personal ritual or symbolic action!

A wine ceremony is a unity ceremony that usually takes place after you have exchanged vows (and rings, if you choose to do so). Some say that using wine is significant because it is sweet like the love, wonder and commitment you will share, along with the bitterness of sadness and pain you may encounter over the years.

Sand blending is one of the unity rituals. Each person takes sand in their own container, and pours it into a shared vessel. The blending represents the joining of two (or more) individuals into a joined family. The sentiment behind the ritual is that once the sand has been blended together into one vessel, it can never be separated. Learn more here.

A tree planting ceremony is another lovely ritual for outdoor weddings, especially those taking place at home.

In a unity candle ceremony, each participant takes a lit candle and then together they light one - usually larger - ‘unity candle’. Lighting the candle together is a symbol of joining together as one family.

Throughout history humans have marked important occasions with ritual and ceremony, within these rituals symbolic objects have often played a key part. Oathing stones are one such object!

Knot tying is a symbolic act where the couple’s hands are tied together - with ribbon, cord or you can even get specially made handfasting cords…

One of the nice things about a humanist wedding ceremony is that you are invited to include one or more rituals, or symbolic actions. This blog post is the first in a series which will explain some rituals you might consider including in your own ceremony - or you might feel inspired to create your own meaningful ritual.