CELEBRANT-DIRECTORY-ARCH-white

What is a Wine Ceremony and is it right for you?

Wedding wine ceremony

You’ve planned your ceremony, and you’ve decided to have a unity ritual. Adding a wine ceremony is a great way to symbolise the unity of your two lives together. Wine is known for celebrating and romance. So why not add it to the biggest celebration of your life? Here we’ll talk about the symbolism of the ceremony and how you can add it to your wedding day.

The Symbolism of a Wine Ceremony

Wine has been a symbolic part of rituals and celebrations around the world for thousands of years.

In the Greek tradition of “The Common Cup”, sharing wine from a single cup represents sharing life’s joys and burdens. In Norse tradition, it was known as Drinking from the Bragr Cup: Sharing a cup of mead or ale, often during a ceremonial speech, symbolizes unity and the shared life ahead.

In French Tradition La Coupe de Mariage or “loving cup” involves the couple drinking from a two-handled cup, symbolizing their union and shared life.

The beauty of a modern wine ceremony is that it can be imbued with your own symbolism and meaning. It can represent the richness of life, the sweet and bitter elements life throws at you or the idea that, like wine, life changes through time; how you want to interpret the ceremony is up to you.

Your celebrant can help advise how to tailor your wine ceremony to suit you.

Wine ceremony 1

What happens during a Wine Ceremony?

A unity wine ceremony celebrates the blending of two lives into one.

During the ceremony, two carafes, one of white wine and one of red wine, are placed beside a larger empty carafe. Each one of the wedding couple pours from one of the carafes into the larger one. One then takes the blended wine and pours some into a glass for their partner to drink. This is then reciprocated. As they each drink, a personalised toast or blessing is given by the celebrant.

Wine blending can also signify the joining of two families. Parents or other family representatives from each side can bring their own special wines and blend them in the same way, each drinking from a glass of the combined wine to signify the strength of their new unity. You might also choose to drink from a single glass or cup to incorporate other traditions.

Your Celebrant or wedding officiant will usually explain the symbolism of the ritual to your guests and share some thoughtful words, well wishes or a toast to the happy couple.

Want help planning your wedding Wine Ceremony? Read More: A bride’s guide to winery weddings, vineyards and wine ceremonies

When does the Wine Ceremony Take Place?

Like most unity ceremonies, the wine ceremony usually takes place after the exchanging of vows and rings. The bride and groom will take their respective wines and pour them into a single glass they will both drink out of.

It is common for the bride and groom to toast three times. Once to their past, once to their present and once more to their future. Now it’s really important only to take sips of wine – you’ll definitely want to remember your ceremony!

Something we suggest is to test the wine combination before your actual wedding day. You don’t want to end up with a mixture that is very unpleasant which results in a surprised face. Can you imagine that picture?!

Personalising your Wine Ceremony

The Wine – The common practice is to have one white wine and one red. It’s supposed to show the mixing of two different lives into one new life. However, if you both love red then you can definitely have two reds or two whites for that matter. You don’t even have to use wine! We know not everyone loves wine. Some couples have decided to use different kinds of spirit, like tequila or whisky.

Wine ceremony 5

The Significance – While not mandatory, you should consider the significance of the wine you choose. Are you getting married in a region known for their wines? Maybe you’ll want to pick a wine from the specific region. You could also choose a wine from the year you met. The possibilities are really endless (there is a lot of wine out there!).

The Ceremony – The ceremony we’ve been talking about involves drinking right then and there. However, if you don’t want to risk spilling red wine on that beautiful white dress or getting too tipsy then there are other options.

You can find a bottle of wine that will age perfectly for your 10-year anniversary and you can place it in a box with love letters to open later. There are also some couples that decide to make their own wine during the ceremony to symbolise the start of their lives together.

In the end, the wine ceremony is what you decide to make of it. It’s the symbol of uniting two separate lives into one life forever.

The Coupe de Mariage or Loving Cup

The Coupe de Marriage or Loving cup used in marriage ceremonies across many European cultures was traditionally a 2 handled, shallow vessel, made from silver, but early Scottish quaich (from the Scottish Gaelic word cuach meaning cup) were often carved from wood, stone, brass, pewter, and horn.

You could have your loving cup engraved with your names and wedding date. It doesn’t have to be silver, you could choose a cup that represents your style. It makes a beautiful keepsake from from special day.

Wine ceremony 2

Alternative Unity Ritual Ideas

If you’re looking for more inspiration for unity ceremony ideas, we’ve created a list of 40 unity rituals from around the world with everything from a sand ceremony, to a hand-fasting ceremonyunity candle ceremonies and more.

Do you want to find a Celebrant who can conduct a beautiful unity Wine ceremony for you? Search our Celebrant Directory to find your perfect Celebrant today.

subscribe

drop us your email and we'll send you beautiful ideas to inspire your perfect celebration

Please enter your name.
Please enter a valid email address.
Please check the required field.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

If you enjoyed this, check these out...

Handfasting cord colours: Meaning & Symbolism
The Handfasting cord colours you chose for your handfasting ceremony can hold particular meaning or symbolism for you and your partner, and since there's no rules on which colours to...
Read more > about Handfasting cord colours: Meaning & Symbolism
Modern Handfasting Ceremonies Explained
Modern handfasting ceremonies are more than just a pretty throwback to ancient Celtic traditions. They're an exquisite expression of love, commitment, and unity, infused with rich symbolism and personalized rituals...
Read more > about Modern Handfasting Ceremonies Explained
The Art of Handfasting: A complete guide to handfasting ceremonies
In the tapestry of wedding traditions, few threads shimmer with such ancient magic as handfasting. This captivating ritual, with its roots in Celtic and pagan customs, transcends mere ceremony. It's...
Read more > about The Art of Handfasting: A complete guide to handfasting ceremonies