Wedding preparations are not easy. Aside from having to spend thousands of dollars, the planning stage is the most critical. You will only have to go through this very special day once so you would want everything to be perfect.

The unity candle symbolizes the coming together of two people to unite as one. According to tradition, originally there will be three candles needed in this ritual. One candle will be for the groom, the second for the bride, and their lighted candles will light the third candle as a gesture of having a life together. But there had been a few modifications made already, depending on the families celebrating the union. There are some, wherein instead of having the bride and the groom do the act, it can be their mothers or any member of the family.

If you have a short list of guests you can give each of them an unlit candle as soon as they arrive at the ceremony. You can ask your guests to move to the front, as soon as the couple has lighted their unity candle, so that they can light theirs as well. This gesture is not made to gather participation from the audience, rather than to symbolize the union of family and friends into the marriage. However, this will not be advisable for those who have a long list of guests as it will take much of the time. On top of that, the venue can get so crowded with everyone moving around going to the front.

Another innovation would be to bring the unity candle to the wedding reception instead of having it at the wedding ceremony itself. One option is to place votive candle holders at the tables for each guest. Then the unity candle must be lighted and placed at the entrance to the reception hall. Each guest will be given a candle to be lighted with the unity candle and placed in each of their votive candle holders.

One other idea as well is to just incorporate the unity candle lighting into the activities of the reception. The bride and groom can choose a quiet moment like before dinner after the invocation, or before the slicing of the cake. The unity candle can serve as decoration for the cake, and then after the couple cut it they can serve it to the guests. This gesture would signify the guests as taking part of the bond of the bride and groom.

But then again, having the unity candle is not mandatory. What is important is how one would make the celebration a momentous and memorable one.

Legal Requirements

There are a number of things which you are required to include in your wedding ceremony for your marriage to be legal.

1. You must have a Registered Marriage Celebrant perform the ceremony.

There was recently a wedding horror story about a couple who had gotten married by their celebrant only to find out a few months later that their celebrant had let her licence lapse, therefore any marriages she had performed since her licence lapsed were not technically legal! How would you feel knowing that you weren’t legally married? Always check your celebrants references and choose a someone reputable.

The good news was after a lengthy battle with the courts the couple were allowed to keep their wedding date and were “legally” declared married over six months after their wedding day.

2. You must have obtained a marriage licence from the registry office prior to your wedding date.

Contact your nearest registry office for information on obtaining a marriage licence. It currently takes three days for your application to be processed so don’t leave it to the last minute! Once you have your marriage licence it is valid for three months.

The marriage licence is signed on your wedding day by the officiating celebrant, the bride, the groom and two witnesses (usually members of the bridal party or close family). There is no age specifications so your witnesses can be your children, just as long as they’re at the age that they can understand what they are witnessing (no very young children). This can be a great way to bond “mixed families”, having a child from a previous marriage be a witness for you.

3. You must hold the wedding ceremony at a specified venue

When you apply for your marriage licence you must stipulate two addresses where your wedding ceremony could take place. The first of these venues is your church, garden or other ceremony venue. The second is usually your wet weather option. Make sure you get the addresses right on your application. If your actual ceremony isn’t at one of the specified addresses you will run into legal issues.

As previously mentioned there are certain things that must be said during your wedding ceremony. The following is a basic format; your celebrant will have suggested words, readings and formats that will assist you to put together your ceremony.

1. Welcome to the guests
2. A Reading or Prayer can be read here
3. Declaration of intent by bride and groom
4. A Reading can be read here
5. Vows
6. Exchange or Giving of Rings
7. Pronouncement
8. Kiss the Bride
9. Signing of the Register
10. Congratulations

There are other things to consider if you are having an outdoor wedding ceremony such as, will your wedding guests be able to hear the bride and groom reciting their vows? You may need to use a microphone and speaker system. Most wedding celebrants usually have a small system which may be including in their fee.

Beach Wedding Ceremony

It’s no surprise that New Zealanders love the beach; we are surrounded by breathtaking bays and spectacular coastlines that provide a backdrop unequalled by any man-made location. So is it any wonder that beach weddings are among some of the most popular themed weddings of all time!

The colours of the land and seascape and the unique geographic formations of its coastline give a beach wedding a distinct New Zealand flavour. The freedom of the great outdoors and the relaxed, informal atmosphere of a beach wedding reflect our way of life, and suit the style and personalities of many Kiwi couples. And even if you don’t choose to have your wedding ceremony at the beach, it’s a great photo location. Include iconic coastlines and recognizable island outlines in your photos to add a touch of Aotearoa to even the most formal of weddings.

If you can’t get to the coast, New Zealand has some of the most beautiful lakes in the world that offer an ideal alternative to a beach wedding. Imagine the crisp, clear water of a lake set against a magnificent mountain backdrop….bliss.

Beach Wedding Ideas

• It’s a good idea to hold your ceremony on a sheltered spot on the beach. Strong winds can be just as uncomfortable as rain, and will carry away the voices of the celebrant, bride and groom. You also don’t want your guests to be staring into bright sunlight or for them to become too hot.
• Think about the accessibility or your spot. Is it easy to get to and does it have sufficient parking? Neither the wedding party nor the guests will want to trek too far or deal with obstacles, such as steep rocks or locked gates. Also, make sure there are toilet facilities nearby.
• Check with the local council if you need a permit to marry at your location of choice, and ask if alcohol is allowed, or if the beach is being used that day.

• Provide seating for guests who may need it, plus a table for signing the register.
• Check the tides. A low tide can leave a residue or smell, and a high tide may bring a rogue wave to dampen your ceremony. An ebb, or outgoing tide is a good choice because the surf is usually quieter as it works it way out.
• A beach breeze is refreshing but can cause havoc to flowers and decorations. Keep everything simple and well anchored!
• If it’s sandfly season think about providing insect repellent for guests. Some extra tubes of sunscreen won’t go astray either!
• Always have a back-up plan. Hire a covered venue for the ceremony just in case the elements aren’t on your side and the beach wedding plans have to be abandoned. The last thing you want is to have your guests running for cover and your carefully curled hair going limp. Your secondary location needs to be near the first so that guests can be easily diverted to the new venue at the last minute.

• You can find loads of ideas for beach wedding invitations which will tie the whole theme together for your guests from the start.
• Your can even have beach wedding favors using shells and sand from your beach wedding location or these funky beach wedding themed wine charms.
• A sand ceremony is a popular thing for brides & grooms to have as part of their wedding, why not use sand from the very beach on which you get married.