#unity ceremony

Allie and Ryan love Telluride and the surrounding area, which led them to planning their Telluride elopement and cold plunge there. After some timing hiccups, the date was finally set: 11/11. Miraculously, as I am someone who loves fun dates like that, I was still available to document their most incredible day! These two love spending time outdoors, and their kiddos are up for all their…

Many couples who live together do not get legally married. There are many reasons why they make this decision. Many couples may feel they do not need the “piece of paper to make it legal” and choose to just cohabitate.

However, just because you and your partner have decided not to make it legal doesn’t mean you cannot celebrate your commitment with family and friends. Many cohabiting couples decide to have a non-wedding party. Book a wedding venue Glendale CA recommends, hire the photographer, caterer, florist, and music. Send out the invitations and invite everyone to your non-wedding!

What are some special touches we can use in our ceremony?

Unity Ceremony

A unity ceremony is when symbolic blending, making two into one, that many couple do before the exchange of rings. Some couples use candles for their unity ceremony. Others use a blending of sand to symbolize the blending of their lives together.

Another way to do a unity ceremony is to blend two different colors of water. You can also do this with wine, with one partner taking white wine and the other partner taking red wine and blending them together. The couple can then drink from the shared glass, symbolizing their joining together as one.

One unique idea is to plant a tree sapling together during your commitment ceremony. If you are having an indoor ceremony, the sapling can be planted in a special pot you and your partner choose together. And the sapling is a special symbol that you can enjoy year after year.

Handfasting

Handfasting is another beautiful tradition you can incorporate in your non-wedding ceremony. Couples bind their hands together with special ribbons during the ceremony to symbolize the devotion and connection they have with each other.

Cohabitation Agreement

Once you have had your non-wedding, you may want to discuss with your partner the possibility of drafting a cohabitation agreement. Unfortunately, unmarried couples have no legal rights like married couples do. A cohabitation agreement is a legal agreement between a couple that addresses those issues that would normally be covered if they were legally married. This is especially important if the couple own joint assets.

The following are some of the issues that a family law attorney can address and include in your cohabitation agreement:

Assets and property each partner had before the couple moved in together.

Assets and property that each partner earns or purchases during the time the couple live together.

Property inherited or received as a gift during the time the couple live together.

Types of and amount of all expenses, including housing and utilities and how those expenses will be shared.

How assets and property will be divided if the couple splits up or if one of the partners passes away.

How any disputes that arise after the couple split up will be resolved.

Many of the items that are addressed in a cohabitation agreement are similar to those items that are often found in a prenuptial agreement.

bread & honey unity ceremony

Shasta Marie Photography

Cobblestone Farm - Ann Arbor, MI

Wedding Ceremony – Vows

This is part 5 of a series. Click to see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4. You all know what this part is. The wedding vows and the ring vows are usually said at this time. Regular vows are what usually change the most from ceremony to ceremony. They can be written and read or off-the-cuff; general or personal; you can even repeat after me, the Officiant. The ring vows are a bit simpler.…

I had a really great question today in my shop, and I wanted to share this with other Brides.

Q: “How do I know your Unity Set will fit the candles I buy?”

A: This is something to really make sure you double check! There are different types of tapered candles. Thinner base types, are more likely to fit in any holder. If they are too small, you can stuff some same colored tissue paper to fit it, unlike one with a flat or straight base, you will not be able to fit it or remedy it to fit in a smaller holder. I have attached an image as to help visualize the different types of candles.