Weddings are a happy time. They’re a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the love of a man and woman and to spend time with family and friends that you rarely have the chance to see. Unfortunately, however, a touch of sadness is sometimes present, especially when the bride or groom has lost someone near and dear to their heart, such as a parent, sibling, grandparent, or dear friend.

While some people choose not to mention the deceased in hopes of keeping the occasion upbeat, there are many couples who decide to find a way to pay homage to that dear family member or friend who has gone before. There are a number of ways to do that like mentioning them in the printed program or dedicated a song during the ceremony. Yet another suitable way to remember the deceased is to place a memorial vase on the altar (or elsewhere), perhaps filled with the person’s favorite flowers.

Others opt for placing memorial candles in a suitable location. Memorial candles are not unlike unity candles in that they are usually a thick, white pillar candle that includes some sort of personalization. These wedding memorial candles can usually be purchased from the same vendors that sell unity candles and unity candle sets.

The personalization on good quality memorial candles generally includes a hand-printed inscription that probably says something such as, “In loving memory of [person's name], who is present in our hearts.” Many are suitable for more than one name so that you can use just one candle for multiple memorials. Some couples, however, choose to place one candle for each individual they wish to honor.

Most vendors that sell wedding memorial candles offer the option of choosing a particular ink color for personalization. This allows the couple to design the candle(s) to match their wedding décor or theme. The candle may also be adorned with a ribbon of the same color or of a contrasting hue. Many people choose simple black, the traditional color of mourning. Usually, these candles come with a stand – either silver-toned or gold-toned.

If you’re wondering how to incorporate these memorial candles into the ceremony, there are a few choices. Some couples simply light them before the ceremony begins and allow them to burn throughout the service or Mass. They can be lit by whoever lights the other candles or may be lit by the couple. Others, however, incorporate the memorial candle(s) into the unity candle ceremony, especially if the individual being memorialized is a very close relative such as a mother or father. Like the unity candle, it can be lit by the thin tapers held by the bride and groom.

Once the ceremony is over, the candle can be moved to the reception area and placed in an appropriate location or can simply remain extinguished and kept by the couple as a keepsake.

There’s so much to think about while planning a wedding, even if you’ve given yourself plenty of time to get all the details in order. Most women give initial thought to choosing a reception venue, a location for the ceremony, their own gown, and the gowns for their bridesmaids. They help their soon-to-be spouse decide on the right tuxedo for the men, work on the dinner menu, and consider where to go for the honeymoon.

Often, some of the little details tend to fall through the cracks though, in the scope of things, they may be pretty important. One of those little details is the purchase of the candles for the unity candle service, a very essential part of most Christian wedding ceremonies these days. The unity candle and the accompanying taper candles are sometimes supplied by the church, but most often the couple wants to choose there own.

Personalized unity candles literally come in a variety of shapes and sizes these days. While many people choose the traditional round candle, you can also purchase these personalized candles in a more modern square shape. These particular candles look especially classy for very formal weddings – like black tie affairs – and can be adorned with a black ribbon or black monogramming for a very formal look.

For those who prefer something much more traditional, the more standard round candle also comes in a variety of options. Couples can begin by choosing a color. White isn’t necessarily the standard choice these days. Most companies that sell personalized unity candles also offer certain styles in ivory, which is ideal if the bride has chosen to wear an ivory dress. You may even be able to find some styles of unity candle in a light pastel, such as pink. In addition, couples can choose the standard white or ivory candle and limit the inclusion of color to the monogram or image that appears on the candle.

Yet another option is the floating unity candle. Also a bit contemporary in appearance, a floating candle set includes a glass vessel that is filled with water. A small candle floats on top. Later, the personalized vessel can be emptied and used as a vase for fresh or artificial flowers. Like regular unity candles, these can be personalized with names of the couple, the date of the wedding, an appropriate image, and perhaps some other verse or Bible passage.

Couples can opt to purchase just the candles needed for the candle lighting ceremony or may choose to buy an entire “set”, which generally includes the monogrammed center candle – usually about 9 in. tall, 2 taper candles, and a stand that holds all three. The stands are usually silver- or gold-toned and often include a heart motif.

If you’ve been to a Christian wedding ceremony lately, you’ve probably witnessed the popular unity candle lighting tradition – that moment in the ceremony when the bride and groom take their individual taper candles and light the large column in the middle, signifying the joining of two as one. It’s a touching moment, often accompanied by an equally as touching vocal solo that proclaims the sanctity and joy of marriage.

Unity candles, as wedding traditions go, are a fairly modern addition to the wedding ceremony. While wedding candles have long decorated church sanctuaries during a marriage ceremony, unity candles in particular seem to date back only to the 1960s or 1970s. As a matter of fact, there’s a couple in Illinois that takes credit for having the first unity candle ceremony at their wedding celebration, but there’s really no way to verify the validity of that claim.

Pastors, however, will tell you that the popularity of these wedding candles and the ceremony that goes with them soared after one particular momentous television wedding – the marriage of Luke and Laura on “General Hospital” in 1981. The ritual of lighting the unity candle was a big deal for the TV couple and many “regular” couples who got married that year and shortly thereafter decided to follow in their footsteps, including the candles in their celebration.

Today, it’s not a stretch to call unity candle rituals a tradition. Now about 40 years old, their lighting has become an important part of the ceremony in many Christian denominations, though some pastors or denominations discourage their use for a variety of reasons. Hence, any couple planning on including it in their ceremony should first check with their officiant to see if it is allowed.

If so, then it’s time to shop for a candle set. Unity candle sets no longer consist of just plain white candles as they did in the beginning. These days, you can purchase them in white or ivory and sometimes in other pastel colors. In addition, most are personalized and include the name of the bride and groom, the date of the wedding, and often a short Scripture verse or line from a poem or some other prose/verse. Some include lovely silver-toned medallions with an inscription, tied to the candle. These can be removed for safekeeping or for other uses.

You might even find an oil burning candle that includes a personalized glass vessel that holds the oil and wick. Candles can also be purchased with a stand that supports the larger center candle and the two tapers. They may also be purchased individually. In that case, the couple can choose to use heirloom candle sticks or other candle holders that have special meaning to them.

A wedding is a day full of love and joy. But when a special friend or member of your family has passed away, their spirit and memory can still be a part of your special day with a personalized memorial candle or personalized memorial vase.

Embrace the memory of your loved one in your wedding celebration and add this extraordinary Personalized Aria Wedding Memorial Candle Set into the picture. It is banded with a ribbon and hand printed (not a cheap sticker) with the phrase “In loving memory of [name] who is/are present in our hearts.” Set includes one 3″ x 6″ candle banded with ribbon in your choice of four colors and stand. Choose a white or ivory candle, silver or gold stand, ink color and ribbon color. Accommodates up to three names.

Want a perfect approach to keep in mind that special someone during a wedding or other notable occasion? Well, Our Personalized Aria Garden of Memories Memorial Vase gives honor to loved ones who have passed away, yet live on in our hearts. The vase includes an attractive laser etched “In Loving Memory of” and featuring the name of the deceased. Vase measures 7 1/8″ x 2 1/2″ and holds 20 ounces. Personalize with up to three names of up to 20 characters per line.

Share a commemorative moment at your wedding by placing a beautiful flower in this Personalized Aria Wedding Memorial Bud Vase, printed with sentimental words honoring a loved one. Each bud vase measures 7 1/2″ tall and 1 1/2″ in diameter. Vase is hand printed in your choice of ink color with the phrase, “In loving memory of [name] who is present in our hearts.” Accommodates up to three names.

Candle making is an age-old craft that dates all the way back to several thousand years B.C. with the first wicked candles credited to the Romans, who made them by dipping papyrus in tallow (the rendered fat from a cow or sheep) or beeswax. Today, the process for making handmade candles isn’t all that different than what the Romans and Egyptians were doing thousands of years ago, though some of the materials have certainly changed.

Making a candle the old-fashioned way begins with the wick, which is generally a braided piece of cotton but could be made of other natural materials. The wick is treated with a salt solution or other chemical so it doesn’t burn too fast and so it burns at a proper angle.

If the candle maker is crafting taper candles, he begins with a process of dipping the wick in his chosen mixture of wax again and again until it becomes the desired width. Most candle makers dip until a thin layer of wax has accrued, and then they let the candle dry and dip it again. After it’s finished to the candle makers liking, the candles are hung to dry or placed on a drying rack so that they can dry completely before being sold or used. In the U.S., many Colonial towns – like Williamsburg, VA – boast candle makers that are proud to demonstrate this dip method to visitors.

Making container candles is much easier and less time consuming than making tapers. Crafters begin by setting the wick in the desired heated jar or other container and simply pour in the melted wax, which has been scented or colored. The wick is then secured on top so it doesn’t move and the candles are left to harden.

If making candles doesn’t interest you, however, you can certainly enjoy buying them at your favorite store. The mass production of candles began in 1834 with a machine invented by Mr. Joseph Morgan. Today, of course, candle making machinery is much more sophisticated though the overall technique hasn’t changed much.

There are several factories in the United States that mass produce candles for all their customers that collectively buy millions of candles of all sizes each year. As a matter of fact, candle sales in the U.S. are estimated at $2 billion annually, and that probably doesn’t count the little, independent candle makers in towns across the country.

Who doesn’t love a beautiful flickering candle? These days, they are used for a variety of reasons, from celebrating birthdays to creating a romantic moment. Of course, in days gone by, before the advent of electricity, they were the only source of light and were an everyday essential for households from ancient times up until the mid-to-late 19th century.

However, few of us stop to think about the origins of this handy little item. Historians note that the Egyptians were using wicked candles as early as 3,000 years ago but the credit for developing the candle usually goes to the Romans, who made the first candles out of rolled papyrus dipped in beeswax or tallow, fat rendered from cattle or sheep. Other civilizations used waxes from plants and trees of various sorts and dipped other materials, like rice paper.

Even in the ancient days, candles were a part of important ceremonies. Candles, of course, are the centerpiece of the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, which was believed to have first been celebrated in 165 BC. Early churches decorated their sanctuaries with tons of candles for special holidays and candles were mentioned numerous times in the Bible.

As the years went by, candle making became a little more sophisticated and new and better materials for making candles were discovered. During Colonial times in the U.S., scents were added to candles for the first time by boiling the leaves of bayberry bushes and added the resulting substance to the candles. From that point on, candle makers began looking for other ways to make their candles smell pretty.

In the 19th century, the use of stearin wax made candles more durable and clean burning. During the middle of that century, candle makers began using another commonly known wax product – paraffin. This made candles more economical and increased their durability yet again.

It wasn’t really until the 1970s, however, that candles became immensely popular as decorative items. Candle makers were no longer interested in making boring one-color, one-scent candles but were branching out in a variety of directions, creating candles in a wide selection of sizes, scents, and hues. Companies like Yankee Candle, which was founded in 1975, began to reap the benefits of this new interest in candles and business soared for such companies, which now have annual sales of more than $1 billion.

Today, people still use candles to celebrate certain occasions, including the use of Unity Candles for wedding ceremonies. But they also remain popular accessories for the home, great for so many uses, from covering up kitchen odors to adding some extra ambience for that special dinner or party.

A wedding is all about the little details. There’s so much to remember that it’s easy to overlook the small stuff, such as choosing your Unity Candle, an item that has become an integral part of a large percentage of U.S. wedding ceremonies.

Happily, the Unity Candle set is no longer simply a white pillar that the bride and groom light with the help of two plain white taper candles. These days, there are so many additional options available, including styles that will fit the theme or color scheme of your wedding.

When choosing a Unity Candle for your ceremony, consider first whether you wish to stick with something traditional or go a bit more modern. Traditional Unity Candle sets are lovely and generally include white candles and a stand for all three candles. The stand is usually silver- or gold-toned and ranges from fairly plain to a bit more ornate, perhaps with heart-shaped decorations or some sort of fancy filigree pattern. These stands are quite convenient and hold the candles firmly, preventing any tipping that could cause a fire. If you choose not to use a stand, however, you may prefer to bring your own candlesticks for the tapers.

Choosing the center candle – the one that is lit by the couple – isn’t as easy as it once was. While white is still the most popular color for the Unity Candle, it is possible to purchase these candles in light pastels or to purchase a white candle with a colorful monogram. The monogram color can match the bridal party color scheme or can simply be a favorite color of the bride and groom.

If you prefer a traditional gold or silver monogram or no monogram at all, perhaps a thin colored ribbon tied around the center candle can add a little extra pizzazz. Candles that are tied with a black ribbon are especially ideal for formal after-6 pm black tie affairs.

In addition, couples are no longer tied to the traditional round pillar candle. These days, Unity Candle manufacturers have latched on to a more contemporary look by offering square candles, which look quite sleek and modern, especially when accented with just a single letter monogram.

Remember, when you choose your candle, you’ll probably want to keep it for years to come. So choose something of good quality that is likely to last. While you might pay a little more, you can be sure that it will be around for future anniversaries.

These days, most weddings include a number of wonderful traditions. One of the more modern traditions includes the lighting of a Unity Candle. Included in both religious and civil ceremonies, the Unity Candle lighting has been popular since the 1970s. Some wedding experts note that the inclusion of the candle lighting in the modern wedding ceremony became particularly popular after a notable television event – the 1981 wedding of Luke and Laura on TV’s General Hospital soap opera. The famous couple included the Unity Candle in their ceremony, which was watched by 30 million people, prompting fans to do the same.

Regardless of why the Unity Candle rose to popularity, the fact remains that it’s a lovely and touching part of today’s weddings. Furthermore, the symbolism is tantamount to what a wedding means – the joining of two that have now become one. That sentiment is expressed in the Bible several times in passages such as Genesis 2: 24, which states “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh”, and Mark 10:8, which notes “…and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one.”

Hence, the performing of the candle lighting ceremony symbolizes the joining of two unique lives into one and the formation of a new family. This symbolism is carried out by the lighting of one large candle from two smaller tapers. Normally, the candles are set up before the ceremony begins, with the large, thick pillar candle in the middle and two thin tapers, one on each side. Recently, most couples have their mothers or other close family member start the tradition by lighting the tapers on behalf of their son or daughter. This generally occurs before the wedding party enters.

The rest of the ceremony is completed sometime during the middle of the wedding service when the bride and groom are instructed to pick up their own candles and use them to light the large one in the center, symbolic of the coming together of their lives. It used to be that the couple would then blow out their own candles, but most now prefer to leave them lit, representing the fact that they are still an individual spirit even though they are now intimately joined with another.

Everyone’s wedding is a little different. Each bride and groom likes to design their special day to their particular liking, including in the ceremony things that are important to them and have special meaning. Some ceremonies are quite traditional while others are much more unique. Through the centuries, however, many wonderful wedding traditions have developed…traditions that seem to make their way into most wedding ceremonies.


One age-old tradition, of course, is the giving of rings during the ceremony. The ring – a perfect circle – is the sign of eternity, a promise that the marriage will last a lifetime. For a long time, only the woman was given a ring. But these days, almost without exception, the groom receives a ring during the ceremony as well. But why is it worn on the third finger of the left hand? Traditions note it’s because there’s a vein in that finger that connects directly to the heart.


A newer tradition is the inclusion of a so-called unity candle in the marriage ceremony. This is done both in weddings that are held in places of worship as well as in civil weddings. These days, the unity candle ceremony actually starts at the beginning of the service when it’s time to light the two individual candles. Sometimes, this is done by the officiant. However, more often, it has become the job of the mothers (or another close relative) of the bride and groom to move forward after they are escorted in and light the candle that symbolizes their offspring.


The tradition continues as the bride and groom take their individual candle and light the large center candle, usually a thick white or off-white pillar that includes their names, the wedding date, and perhaps a passage from Scripture or some other related verse. It used to be that after lighting the center candle, the couple would blow out their individual candles, indicating that they have now become one. These days, however, more and more couples are choosing to leave the smaller candles lit, indicating that – though they are joined in marriage – they still remain as unique individuals.


Of course, another favorite tradition is the kiss at the end of the ceremony. Considered the ultimate symbol of love, the kiss is announced by the officiant and is generally the last part of the ceremony. Often, in today’s ceremonies, the officiant then introduces the couple (”The new Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So”) and the audience/congregation applauds before the recessional begins.


Wedding ceremony traditions mark special moments on that big day. Depending on the couples’ background, ethnicity, or race, other traditions may be included as well. If you’re marrying, talk to family members about their ceremonies and choose the traditions that have the most meaning for you and your loved ones.

Celebrate the joining of two lives with our Personalized Aria Everlasting Wedding Unity Candle – Square. With our broad, up-to-the-minute color palette, there is sure to be one to match any wedding theme and couple’s personality. Our vibrant Everlasting design will last and last for a special wedding day keepsake. Candle measures 3″ x 9″. Stand not included. Choose design color, accent ribbon color and personalize with bride and groom’s first names of up to 30 characters and wedding day of up to 20 characters.