Light or candle ceremony

There are several symbolic rituals that can be organized when celebrating religious or just civil ceremonies.

One of the ceremonies that has grown the most in recent times in our country is the so-called ritual of the light or candle ceremony. This ceremony symbolizes the union and love that unites the couple, marking the beginning of a life together for the couple.

This is one of the ceremonies most chosen by the bride and groom for the moment of exchanging rings in the case of civil marriages in which the bride and groom do not follow any type of religious doctrine.

Origins of this ritual

As for the origins of the ritual, it is difficult to reach a conclusion, as there are those who think that this ritual is of pagan origin while others defend its origins within evangelical ceremonies.

What is certain is that this is an ecumenical ceremony, without any religious connotation. Hence this ceremony can be carried out in both civil and religious ceremonies.

Its great symbolism is linked to the light of candles, which symbolize the spirit, flame and love.

How is it processed?

To carry out this ritual you need three candles.

Each of them should have a different size and meaning.

If the bride and groom still have their baptism candles, they can use them in this ceremony, thus giving an even more intimate and familiar meaning to the ceremony.

Regarding the ritual itself, it is carried out as follows:

– First, the couple’s candles are lit, which represent each person’s family.

– After the couple’s two candles have been lit, the third candle is then lit, which symbolizes the new family that the couple will form from the day of their wedding.

It is the mothers of the bride and groom who have the task and great honor of lighting their children’s candles. It will be with the couple’s two candles that they will then light the third candle, uniting the couple with the flames of their candles and in turn lighting the third candle which symbolizes in the ritual the union and conversion of the couple’s souls into one with one another. the celebration of your marriage.

There are couples who choose to decorate their candles with floral elements or other elements that will be in some way associated with the ceremony decoration or even with the bride and groom in specific. However, the ceremony can be carried out with undecorated candles and it will not lose its symbolism and beauty.

Some of the elements most used by the bride and groom to personalize their candles are small diamonds, satin ribbons, ribbons in the colors of the bridesmaids’ and ring girl’s dresses, small floral arrangements or even the bride and groom’s initials or the wedding date. However, all ideas are valid and more and more couples are opting for out-of-the-box ideas to personalize their ceremony or event.

When does this ceremony take place?

There is no defined protocol that indicates the right time at which each of the rituals associated with the wedding ceremony should be performed. However, both this specific ritual and the sand ritual are often performed by the bride and groom after the exchange of rings.

However, it is up to the bride and groom to choose the most appropriate time to celebrate this or any other type of ritual. Once the moment has been chosen, simply notify the person responsible for celebrating the symbolic ceremony of the moment chosen for the ceremony, and they will be in charge of carrying it out.

Who are the bride and groom out there who are thinking about having a candle ceremony to celebrate and further personalize their moment of yes?

Tell us everything in the comments, and help other brides come up with new ideas for their big moment.

Big Kisses,

Cláudia Geraldes

Wedding Design, coordinator & Event planner