6 Creative Unity Ceremony Ideas for Your Vow Renewal

Celebrate your lasting unity with one of these nontraditional unity-ceremony ideas

A unity ceremony is one of the most popular types of vow renewal ceremony enhancements. While the classic unity candle ceremony is always lovely, some other unity ceremony ideas are even more appropriate for a vow renewal. Many couples look to incorporate a unity ceremony that represents their strength as a couple or continuing journey. Here are six creative unity ceremony ideas to enhance your vow renewal ceremony.

Blending Paint

The blending paint ceremony is perfect for modern or artsy couples. Each spouse chooses a color of paint to represent themselves and what they bring to the relationship. During the ceremony, they pour their colors simultaneously onto a single canvas in a single stream, causing them to intermingle and combine. The result is a modern-art representation of their marriage.

The Wish Lantern

The wish lantern ceremony is perfect for an outdoor evening vow renewal. The couple either writes their wish for the future on the lantern itself or an attached small piece of paper. The lantern is then lit and released into the air. This represents their love passing into the universe as it carries with it their wish for the future.

Wine (or Beer ) Blending

This ceremony is perfect for a more casual vow renewal and can be used to create the signature drink for the reception. During the ceremony, the couple pours two compatible types of wine or beer into a single glass to create the perfect blend. The couple then drinks from the mixture together.

The beer and wine selections should be made and tested well ahead of time. It’s crucial that they are compatible, yet notably different. The combination can be served to guests as the couple’s signature drink to support the theme of their ceremony further. This ceremony can also be performed with other types of alcohol, juice, coffee, or tea to meet the couple’s preferences.

The Sands of Time

The sands of time ceremony requires one large empty container than can be sealed and three small containers of colored sand, one to represent each the past, present, and future. During the ceremony, the couple pours 2/3 of the sand from the past and present containers into the larger container. This step represents their journey to this day. One spouse then combines the remaining sand from the past and present containers into a single small container. The other spouse then takes the container of sand that represents the future in hand. Together, then pour the remaining sands into the container, causing them to blend. This final step represents their journey into the future and shows how their journey to this day will color it as well. The combined sands make a lovely memento that can be displayed in their home.

The Anniversary Capsule

The anniversary time-capsule ceremony is a beautiful addition to a vow renewal ceremony for those celebrating their 5th, 10th, or 20th anniversary, especially if they might be inclined to renew their vows again in the future. The capsule is designed to be a reminder of the durability of their love and lifetime commitment to one another.

The couple should select mementos of their marriage to include in the box. They should also prepare a written love letter for one another and place it in a sealed envelope. Guests can also be invited to bring mementos of the couple or write a letter to include in the box. Excellent memento examples include recent photos, travel souvenirs, ticket stubs, notes from one another, cards they’ve saved, and other keepsakes.

During the ceremony, the couple places all of these mementos into a box, which is then sealed. These mementos, representing their love and relationship, will serve as a reminder of how far they’ve traveled through life together when the box is opened. The couple can then open the box on their next milestone anniversary or when they hit a particularly rough patch in their relationship.

The Braiding of the Cross

This unity ceremony idea is perfect for religious couples that have been through trying times together and want to show their unified strength moving forward. It is inspired by Christian tradition and is based on Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

The couple will need three cords of equal length in complementary colors to perform the ceremony. Two of the strands represent the couple, and the third represents God. Once braided, they represent the eternal bond and strength between the three. One person should tie the three strands together at one end, and them hold them tight while the other braids them and then ties off the other end.
Many couples choose to display the braided rope over the front door of their home or their bedroom door.