Bride and Groom, the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends. I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the center candle.  The individual candles represent your individual lives before today.  Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining of your two families and sets of friends to one. ___ and ___ will now extinguish their own candles, thus letting the center candle symbolize the union of their lives. As one light cannot be divided, neither will their lives be divided.

Alternate Unity Candle Ceremony:

In just a moment _____and _____ will light one central candle from the two candles you see burning.  This ceremony will symbolize the merging of their lives into one relationship. 

(During candle lighting I will read)

One of mankind’s first and greatest gifts was the power of fire.  Fire whose heat could provide warmth, healing, and nourishment.  Fire whose brilliance could light the way.  Fire whose wrath could destroy enemies.  Yet other fires exist for man that share these same benefits.  These fires are inner fires… passionate fires which drive us toward our destiny.  Let the lighting of these  candles symbolize that inner flame; the unending faith, love, and devotion that has brought these two here today.  And like this flame, may their love burn brightly throughout a lifetime of joy and happiness.