Unity ceremonies are a symbolic way of professing your oneness and commitment. Finding the perfect fit can get challenging, as there are many options. For instance, wine ceremonies are well-known for their simplicity and profoundness.
A unity wine ceremony wedding refers to a specific unity ceremony involving wine, which the couple drinks from the same cup. The wine, a combination of two varieties, represents their new union and commitment. This ceremony is typically done after the exchanging of rings.
Wine ceremonies are discussed in further detail below, including a similar alternative. Steps for planning a wine ceremony are also given, followed by a description of the ceremony’s flow of events. Lastly, sample scripts for the officiant of a wine ceremony are provided.
What is a Unity Wine Ceremony at Weddings?
A wine ceremony is a type of unity ceremony wherein the couple takes turns drinking from one glass of wine. This glass contains a combination of two varieties of wine, each poured by the bride and groom from different carafes. The wine ceremony usually takes place after the couple exchanges rings.
Typically, this unity ceremony utilizes red and white wine. The red wine symbolizes passion, deep love, and energy. Meanwhile, white wine represents a strong marriage, good fortune, and wealth. The resulting blend is a rosé, embodying their harmonious relationship.
Symbolically, the glass of wine represents the cup of life. As with other unity wine ceremonies, the mix of wines signifies the coming together of two lives. Therefore, the act of sipping from the same glass symbolizes the couple’s promise to stay together through life’s ups and downs.
The couple must not empty their carafes upon pouring wine into the shared cup. Ceremonially, this act means that the bride and groom remain two people. They must respect each other’s individualities, dignities, and uniqueness.
Alternative Wine Ceremony Wedding
An alternative way to conduct a wine ceremony wedding involves a wine box and two love letters. The wine box is made of wood, and the couple will place two bottles of wine and two wine glasses inside.
Before the wedding starts, the couple will write a letter to each other. They will jot down their thoughts and emotions about the day, why they decided to marry their partner, why they fell in love, and so on.
During the wine ceremony, the couple will place their letters inside the box. The officiant will ask them to seal the box before continuing with the rest of the wedding. The result of this alternative wine ceremony wedding is a sentimental time capsule.
The couple will unseal the box and read their love letters after a certain amount of time, usually ten years. Concurrently, they will drink the wine. They have the option to write a new love letter for each other and store new bottles of wine in the wooden box.
A couple can repeat this ceremony as many times as they want. They can perform it during vow renewals, anniversaries, and other significant milestones in their relationship. They can store the wooden box anywhere, though it makes for a lovely piece of decor.
How to Plan a Wine Ceremony for Your Wedding
Search for Inspiration
The first step for adding a ceremony to your wedding itinerary should be researching. Aside from this article, there is plenty of information available online regarding wine ceremonies at weddings.
Look for inspiration as to how you can incorporate this unity ceremony into your special day. Likewise, start brainstorming about possible personalizations to make this wine ceremony truly yours.
Talk to Your Officiant
Regardless of whether your officiant is your pastor, friend, or a professional, you must talk to them about doing a wine ceremony wedding. Ask them about integrating the unity wine ceremony into your wedding timeline.
Your officiant may have prior experience with wine ceremonies; they may already have a script prepared and know what to expect. Otherwise, they can offer to write a new script and present it to you once it is done.
The script might need multiple revisions; do not feel guilty about making changes, pointing out things that could be better, and offering suggestions. After all, this ceremony will happen at your wedding; it is understandable to want everything as perfect as it can be.
Prepare the Necessary Materials
As for the wine ceremony wedding, here are the materials you will need:
- Two carafes, one for each individual
- One wine glass
- One variety of white wine
- One type of red wine
You can purchase each item separately. However, some retailers sell wine ceremony kits. These kits can be personalized by adding initials, dates, and other monograms.
For the alternative wine ceremony wedding, also referred to as the wine box ceremony, you will need:
- A box, preferably wooden
- Two bottles of any wine of your choice
- Two wine glasses
- Trinkets, memorabilia, and anything you want to put in the capsule (optional)
- Stationery, if you plan on writing love letters (optional)
Similarly, you can buy the above-mentioned items individually or in boxed sets.
Settle the Logistics of the Ceremony
Once you have the materials prepared, you must start thinking about the logistics of the ceremony. As stated above, this unity wine ceremony commonly takes place after the exchange of rings. However, you are free to decide when to do the wine ceremony at your wedding.
Furthermore, finalize where the ceremony will take place. Some couples prefer to stay by the altar, while others want more privacy. In the latter case, you can choose a spot several meters away from the center of the venue.
Rehearse
Make sure to go over the wine wedding ceremony with your pastor during the rehearsal. While you may have an idea of where the ceremony will occur, the rehearsal is your opportunity to test its feasibility.
You do not have to practice the entire ceremony. You just need to ensure the materials are available, smoothen the blockings, and get a feel for the ceremony itself. Any last-minute changes you want should be communicated at this point.
The Flow of a Wine Ceremony Wedding: Sequence of Events
The officiant will facilitate the wine ceremony at your wedding. Firstly, they must explain the symbolism and essence of this ceremony; your guests must understand why it is important to you and your partner.
The wine ceremony starts with a transition or introduction from the officiant. They can do this with a simple, “(Names of the couple), I request you to perform the wine ceremony as a symbol of your union.”
The couple will approach the table where the materials — two carafes with wine and a wine glass — have been set up. They will take one carafe each and pour some of its contents into the glass.
The officiant will take the glass with combined wine and give it to the couple. The couple will take turns sipping from the glass. If they want to, they can make a toast to each other. Afterward, they will put the glass down and return to their places.
In some cases, the wines will be poured into a larger carafe. The couple then takes two glasses, pours some wine from the carafe into each other’s glass, and drinks. Although the materials are a little different, the meanings stay the same.
The officiant may share a speech with further explanations of the symbolism of the ceremony. Similarly, they can also wax poetic about love and marriage. Once the closing speech is done, the rest of the ceremony takes place.
Sample Wine Ceremony Wedding Scripts
1. Kyla and Simon, this glass of wine represents the whole sum of your life experiences. The white wine symbolizes the freshness and sweetness of love, happiness, and excitement. Meanwhile, the red wine reminds us of bitterness, pain, and sorrow.
When you drink from this glass, you acknowledge that this mix of emotions will become part of your married life. Concurrently, you vow to cherish this bitterness as much as the sweetness, recognizing that these are merely the flavors of the life you have chosen.
2. Ladies and gentlemen, Henry and Milly have chosen to do a wine ceremony as a symbol of their unity.
As you may know, wine often symbolizes life. White wine connotes sweetness, happiness, and joy. Meanwhile, red wine is what we might call an “acquired taste,” as it is often bitter and connotes a sense of sadness.
As Henry and Milly pour wine from their glasses into the shared cup, their two lives become inseparably entwined. Their two parts become one whole, but still, the two parts are distinct. They are two individuals coming together for a life of eternal love.
3. (Written by Officiant Eric)
As you have shared wine from a single cup, so may you, under God’s guidance, share contentment, peace, and fulfillment from the cup of life.
May you find life’s joys heightened, its bitterness sweetened, and each of its moments hallowed by true companionship and love.
We praise You, Eternal God, Sovereign of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
4. The universe is a peculiar thing. In its vastness, there are billions of people alive at the same time, most of whom an individual will never meet. And yet, out of these billions, we eventually find a person who makes us feel just as infinite as our universe.
Eddie and Leslie are two lucky individuals who, by divine intervention, brute force, or sheer luck, met each other. They are here in front of us today, declaring their commitment to one another and God.
This wine glass symbolizes the cup of life. Let it remind you of love, happiness, and the universe: always changing, expanding, and present. The wine contains everything you need for a long-lasting marriage: strength, passion, balance, compassion, and more.
Take a sip now from the same cup, and drink regularly. When the glass is nearly empty, replenish it with wine from your carafes, taking care not to empty yourself as well. That is love in its simplest form: nurturing yourself and your partner at the same time.
5. For their unity ceremony, Jill and Ivan have decided to perform a wine box ceremony with love letters.
This morning, they wrote a love letter to each other. They put into words everything that their heart beats every day. In a highly digital world, physically writing a letter in itself is a sentimental task; it is more private, personal, and emotional than anything we can do in front of a screen.
Jill and Ivan, please place your love letters inside the box with the wine. You may seal the box afterward.
For some people, wine is a staple in celebrations. For others, it is a relaxing beverage they deserve after a long day. Regardless, wine symbolizes love and happiness.
To borrow from science, love can neither be created nor destroyed — it changes from one form to another. Wine is the product of years of cultivating, mixing, and fermenting.
Similarly, what you — Jill and Ivan — have is the result of years of ups and downs, of challenges and successes. However, like wine, love gets better with age. You only need to take the time to cultivate, mix, and ferment your love the way you know best.
Ladies and gentlemen, our lovely couple has created their wedding time capsule. They will decide when to open it; they can do it next year, in five years, 15 years, and so on. Each time, they will put in new letters and bottles of wine, resulting in a beautiful montage of the life they have lived.
6. As a celebration of two individuals coming together into one life of love, I call on Mary and Jonathan to perform the wine ceremony.
This unity wine ceremony, although seemingly simple, is rich with meaning. The two wines represent two individuals, and their combination in one glass symbolizes their relationship. It is now forever intertwined.
When the couple drinks from this glass, they commit to a new life. They are still distinct individuals, but they now have something beyond them to nurture, nourish, and cherish — their love and relationship.
Mary and Jonathan, may you always remember to replenish this glass from your own carafe. Likewise, may you always remember that you yourselves need to be replenished now and then.
7. (From Jacob Marries)
Wine, like the lifeblood that pulses through our veins, is a symbol of life. It is created through the work of hands and minds.
Love, a feeling, in constant motion like the sea, lies in the soul alone. Just as wine stimulates the body, love stimulates our souls to welcome the spirit of God.
As you share this wine glass today, may you be joined in a love as fluid as the drink itself, yet as solid as the hands which made it.
