Beautiful and Practical Aspects of Displaying Unity in Glass at your Wedding

by Lee Ware

Couples, who choose Unity in Glass as a unity ceremony, are upgrading their wedding to the most unique and elegant ceremony option available.  The creative couple can further the artistry of Unity in Glass and make it even more personal by how they display the glass crystals before and during the ceremony.  In this article, we’ll cover the aesthetic aspects as well as the practical aspects.

Before the wedding, the individual colors of the glass crystals that you’ve selected will be held and displayed in individual containers.  During the wedding, they will be combined into a common container as part of the ceremony.    You don’t have to have an individual container for each color, by any means.  Some of our couples have selected four different colors, but only wanted to display them in two containers.  You can premix colors together, or even elegantly layer the colors into the individual containers. 

Crystal champagne flutes are a beautiful option to hold the individual colored crystals. These can sometimes be borrowed from the parents or grandparents adding the symbolism and sentiment of “together forever” or couples can purchase new ones as part of beginning their new life together.  (Or even borrow display containers from the venue in the case of a destination wedding for added convenience!)

Another very practical option is to purchase small, glass, votive candle holders. These come in many shapes and sizes.  Tall slender bud vases are a great option and work well to hold the individual colors prior to the ceremony.  The height of bud vases and champagne flutes elevate the crystals, helping to make them visible from a distance.   (if there are small price tags on the bases of the containers that you buy, please remember to remove these before the wedding.  These tags have been suspect and seem to steal the show in a few wedding photos..)

The central vase or container that the crystals are mixed in, during the ceremony, could be borrowed from a parent, close friend, or grandparent as well.  Your grandmother will be beaming with delight to have her favorite cut glass crystal bowl or vase used during the ceremony.   Remember, we’ll just be borrowing these during the wedding.  After the wedding, just the unified glass crystals need be returned to Unity in Glass.  A practical note on the common vase that you’ll be pouring into:  Make sure the opening is large enough for easy pouring.  An opening that is too small could result in crystals being spilled.  The final mixed volume of the crystals is about 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups.

We’ve had couples even share with us that they’ve included the entire list of wedding guests to join in on the unity ceremony.  They’ve invited guests to add a “pinch” of the crystals from bowls, to each of the couple’s individual containers, as they’re entering the venue for the wedding, while signing the guest book.  Having an assistant to explain and help is mandatory in this very inclusive option.  The options really are limitless.

Want to include the unity ceremony portion as part of your rehearsal?  A previous couple let us know that they used different types of dried beans and peas as stand-ins for the different colors of crystals for the rehearsal.  Perfect. 

At Unity in Glass, we’re always excited about new ways to display our product.  Please let us know your ideas!

Posted in sand ceremony alternatives, unity candle altervatives, unity ceremony ideas, wedding ideas

Announcing Your Engagement

by Kim Lehman

You have an engagement ring on your finger and you want to announce the news. There are so many ideas out there - from using a faux magazine cover with pictures of you and your intended sporting a headline that reads, “Famous Engaged Couples,” to inviting your friends to “like” your engagment page on Facebook.

But before you give it a S/O on twitter or post it on the World Wide Web, take the time to follow a few standard rules that haven’t changed. Tell your family and closest friends, first, and make sure to do it in person or at least over the phone. Don’t rely on impersonal technology to do your announcing for you - no texts or tweets. Marriage is one of the most important and exciting decisions you’ll ever make. If you don’t treat it as being special and worthy of taking the time to do it right, it devalues the event for everyone else around you as well. If you choose not to take the simple path of going by or calling Mom and Dad to tell them the news, consider some creative ways to announce your engagment.

Creative Ways to Announce Your Engagment

It’s a surprise! Plan a surprise party for your family and friends. It can be casual or extravagant, depending on your budget. Since December is the most popular month to get engaged, why not throw an afternoon New Year’s Day get together? Use a giant bowl of the traditional good luck food, black-eyed peas, as a table centerpiece with a sign saying, “Wish Us Luck On Our Marriage.” Have your engagement photo out for viewing and a sign in book for guests to leave a good luck message. If you want a black-tie affair, host a New Year’s Eve party and think of a clever toast to make your announcement as soon as your most important guests are present. If you want to wait until midnight, or until someone else finally asks, place small clues around the house like wedding books on the coffee table or blank wedding photo frames in obvious places. If no one picks up on your subtleties, announce it at your midnight toast. If you just can’t wait until midnight, tell your guests you have a special DVD for them to watch and play an engagement DVD – either movie or snapshot style will work. Start with some snapshots of family members’ weddings and end with the two of you holding a sign that says, “Surprise! We’re Engaged!”

Hand delivered. Pop the question on Christmas Eve and visit your family and friends on Christmas day wearing the ring. If they don’t notice right away, don’t be shy, wave your hand around until they notice.

Picture perfect. Plan a day to announce your engagement by taking a small gift of a photo frame to your loved ones and in place of a picture, place a beautifully incribed note that says, “Place OUR WEDDING PHOTO Here!"

You can’t have too much good luck. Yes, more about black-eyed peas. You might as well take advantage of the time of year. Place the tiny good luck morsels in pretty canning jars labeled “From the future, Mr. and Mrs. your name here, or give the canned peas with a note saying, “We wish you all the luck this New Year, please wish us luck on our new life together!”

An old fashioned way that never goes out of style. The rules still apply. Tell your parents, family and close friends in person or over the phone, and no, texting does not count! After that, send out engagment announcements in the mail. It’s a great way to also double up on a save-the-date card mail-out, if you’ve already managed to set a date.

To post or not to post. It can’t be advised nearly enough. Before you change your Facebook status from “in a relationship” to “engaged,” consider some suggestions. Social media means instant, viral notification. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other venues may tempt you to rush your engaement announcement, but don’t. Despite technology, some things haven’t changed when it comes to wedding etiquette – tell parents and family, first. Tell them in person or over the phone, no impersonal emails, texts or IM’s. After informing family comes letting your closest friends know. Do you really want them to find out about it on Facebook? Let the ones you love and only the friends you would actually invite to your wedding know before you post it to the world. 

BOL2U & HNY2014*

*If you do NOT have to look this up for a “text lingo translation,” please read this blog twice. :)

Posted in announcing your engagement, creative ways to announce your engagement, how to announce your engagement, Ways to announce your engagement

Countdown to the Perfect Destination Wedding

by Kim Lehman

Unity in Glass asked free-lance writer, Kim Lehman to share her thoughts on the early stage planning of a destination wedding. She has some great advice, from the guest list to the best unity ceremony option for a destination wedding. US!

So, you’ve said, “yes.”

One small word means the beginning of a journey that will last a lifetime and you want it to be perfect. Now what?  Before you begin making plans involving venues to menus or guest lists and a date, consider whether or not you want a traditional wedding in your hometown, or the latest trend - a destination wedding.  Destination weddings are, quite literally, the hottest alternative to taking vows in a local setting.“Hot,” because the number one choice is a balmy beach. Most Americans choose a sandy surf somewhere near the shores of Mexico.Regardless of your choice, whether it’s Cabo San Lucas or Europe, getting there involves travel. More and more couples are choosing this option to declare their unity because it is less stressful and less expensive.

Get Ready!

Choose a date and time. If you want to save money, traveling during the off-season may be the way to go. Do your research and compare peak season and off-season pricing. But keep in mind that if it is likely you will end up landing on a beach with a hurricane blowing, reconsider. There are plenty of options to choose from that are off-season that won’t also mean being the next star of, “Weddings Gone Wrong.”

If you have a special date in mind, determine your destination around it, or be resolved to change your travel preferences if it means flying into the eye of a hurricane.

Consider the time of day your wedding will occur. Sunsets provide a beautiful backdrop for photography and may be the best choice for staying cool. Sunrises are lovely and provide cool weather for your guests, but no one, including you, may feel like getting ready for an early morning wedding while on vacation.

Choose a venue. Some of the greatest movie love scenes were filmed on the beach. It’s the perfect, romantic setting for your unity. But, if the winds begin to blow or the storm clouds gather, have an alternative ready to go. A tent set up nearby makes a wonderful place for a reception and in a pinch will provide protection from the elements. Decide on a resort or hotel that offers wedding-planning packages and much of the work will be done for you.

Make a guest list. Destination weddings tend to be smaller, as usually only family and close friends are able to make the trip. Smaller weddings mean smaller costs.  Be realistic about who you invite. Unless you are Hugh Hefner, and can pay for everyone’s travel, only your closest friends and family will attend.  In addition to smaller wedding costs, an intimate, small list means you get the bonus of spending some vacation time with your favorite people.

Best of all, because you’re already at your honeymoon destination, the festivities can begin as quickly as you can say, “I do.”  Be sure to send out your save-the-date cards at least 5 to 6 months in advance to give guests plenty of time to plan their vacations.  Don’t forget to remind everyone about getting their passports and any other required items that need to be taken care of, such as immunizations, if required.

Get Set!

Prepare for the details. An on-site wedding planner can answer most of your questions and make a majority of the arrangements, but there are some items you need to consider.

Find out about obtaining a local marriage license. Many places require blood tests and x-rays. The planner can answer those questions and make arrangements for you.

Packing doesn’t have to be a chore. Find out if the airline will accommodate hanging up your wedding dress or other wedding day apparel, but don’t overpack. Do pack an emergency wedding kit. Include a needle and thread, stain remover, and if you’re planning on wearing your hair down, consider bringing bobby pins or other hair items needed for a quick up do should the weather turn windy.

Go!

Some couples have begun seeking interesting ways to commemorate their special moment. Sand ceremonies involving couples and family members mixing different colors of sand in a container while saying their “I do’s” to represent their union are popular; however, traveling back to your new home with such a precious treasure could prove difficult. A suitcase full of spilled sand would spell disaster. A better, modern alternative ceremony is “Unity in Glass.”  Glass crystals in your personal, chosen colors are blended together in a container during the ceremony to symbolize the union of the couple and the blending of those who are chosen to participate. The unified glass crystals travel in their own plastic bag, impervious to breakage.

After arriving home, you ship the crystals to “Unity in Glass” to have your memories made into a handcrafted, unique, glass art piece that will last a lifetime.

Posted in destination unity ceremony options, destination wedding ideas, destination wedding planning, destination wedding unity ceremony options

We were featured on the Huffington Post

by Lee Ware

The Huffington Post published an article that we wrote about the very beginnings of Unity in Glass as Lee moved from the corporate world to a full time professional artist. The story gets a little personal, but has a great ending.

Read the full story here.

Wording Ideas for your Unity Ceremony

by Lee Ware

We asked our fans on Facebook to put their creative thinking caps on and grab a pen.  Here are the top 4 entries as voted on by our fans. Feel free to use these as they are, or make them even more personal for you and your fiance. 

Photos by Sarah Ann Griffin (www.griffinfoto.com)

By Lisa Cipriano:

Before each of you is a container of glass crystals, each represents your separate lives, your friends, your families. I will ask that you each pour the contents within your own vase into the middle vase together. As the glass from each individual vase is blended together it symbolizes the joining of your separate lives, friends and family, into one union, the beginning of your journey as husband and wife. 

This combined glass will be taken by an artist and blown into a beautiful vase, never to be separated again, so may your marriage be.

Marriage and this beautiful vase are alike. Both are examples of what can happen when raw, unfinished elements come together. They can be two separate entities, fluid and independent of each other and can have an exquisiteness of their own, but join them together and the result can be stunning in its beauty, inspiring in its strength , humbling in its function. Continual flow....no beginning and no end.
As with your marriage.... this vase requires great care. Cherish it, polish it, protect it from any harm. Keep from it that which can break it, or chip away at it, and it will remain a thing of beauty.

By Keighla Schmidt:

{Name} and {name} have chosen colors of glass that represents each of them in a special and unique way.

Throughout their lives they have been two colorful, complete, amazing people all on their own - just like the glass. {Bride} is {attribute} as represented by {color/s} and {groom} is {attribute} as displayed in {color/s}. But today is special; today they become husband and wife and create a new, beautiful combination of their colors.

{Bride and Groom} are together creating a new life and mixing their personalities and characteristics into their marriage. Symbolically they are creating something unique to just the two of them in their wedding vows and marriage. After their unity glass ceremony today the colorfully mixed pieces of glass will be made into a one-of-a-kind glass sculpture as special as their love for each other. The pieces of their personality that complement each other will be reflected in the glass sculpture they can display in their home forever. This new sculpture will be a physical reminder of their beautiful personalities, love and commitment to each other coming together.

By Angela Neik:

From the first moment we've met, the stars in the heavens rejoiced, they danced and smiled as our hearts beat faster, and our affection and love for each other grew stronger. Today we take those moments, as countless and as bright as those stars that light up the firmament of a night sky, and we place them in this glass, remembering the beautiful romance that led to our ever growing love, which brought us to this day, the day when we'll become one forever. May all these moments represented here by the dazzling colors, be sealed and protected in this glass, embraced for eternity just like our love for one another.

By Grant Byington:

Unlocked in the sands of time. Melted in the crucible of care and affection. Crafted by the artistry only love can provide. Together today, we celebrate something entirely new brought forth from something as old as time itself. Something incredibly strong, manifest in something fragile. Something timeless and beautiful, ablaze with the wonder of light.

Posted in example unity ceremony wording, unity ceremony script, unity ceremony wording, unity script, unity vows

We will do our very best for you on your wedding day. Read our reviews.

by Lee Ware

Read all of our wedding reviews on our Unity in Glass Storefront at

Posted in customer reviews, unity in glass customer reviews, unity in glass reviews

UNITY CEREMONY WORDING

by Lee Ware

Finding just the right wording for your unity ceremony may seem like a daunting task.  You want it to be perfect.  

We love to interact and communicate with our couples.  Diane, a fan on our Facebook page asked about wording for her ceremony.  We started with wording for a sand ceremony, and modified it for Unity in Glass to capture the special nature of this sand ceremony alternative.

Diane finished off the wording to be personal and meaningful to her and her new family.  She's graciously shared her final work, and we'd like to share it with you.  I particularly like the last sentence.

"Today, Diane and Eric, have chosen to commemorate their marriage through the celebration of a unity ceremony.

Instead of a candle or sand, they have chosen a higher form of art to timelessly and beautifully represent their marriage. 

This ceremony symbolizes the inseparable union of Diane and Eric into a new, beautiful, and eternal marital relationship. They are also including Diane’s children Madalyn and Justin in the ceremony. Because not only it is an inseparable relationship between the two of them, it is a bringing together of a family as a whole. Diane, Eric, Madalyn, and Justin have each selected different colors of crushed glass crystals that represent aspects of each of them, individually. 

Each shimmering and sparkling color of glass represents a unique and separate moment, decision, feeling or experience that helped shaped Diane and Eric into the beautiful and unique individuals that they are today. 

Today they will combine the colored glass crystals into a common vessel. The blending of the these individual crystals representing those separate and independent individual characteristics that will beautifully complement each other and build a greater good, together. 

Working with a highly skilled glass artisan, Diane. Eric, Madalyn, and Justin are now taking the first step in collaboratively creating a beautiful work of art. It will magnificently and symbolically represent their merge into a loving and supportive marital union.

Diane & Eric, just as the crystals of glass soon will be fused together into a unified symbol of your commitment--so too, will be your life after marriage-- beautiful, unified, complete, complimentary and forever."

Posted in alternative unity ceremony, unity ceremony wording