Many couples are not sure what a Wine Ceremony entails.   It’s a lovely symbolic ritual to include in your wedding ceremony.⁠ The ritual can be done in various ways. It usually represents the coming together of two people, or two families.  It represents the good and bad times to be faced together.

The ritual of the ceremony turns an ordinary event of pouring and drinking wine into one with a special meaning. The actions of the ritual stir emotions in us which add depth and meaning to the wedding ceremony.

 

Bitter/Sweet

Doing the ritual this way involves just the wedding couple. Two types of wine (other liquids can be substituted) in different decanters. One wine sweet and the other a little bitter/dry. These represent the different times in the future married life. The sweet wine signifies the good times when life is going well. The bitter wine represents the times when sorrow or disappointment come.
Each partner drinks both wines to signify that they will stick by each other and support each other through good and bad times. The Celebrant says appropriate words throughout which expand on the subject.

 

This cup contains within it a wine with certain properties that are sweet and symbolic of happiness, joy, hope, peace, love and delight.

This cup holds some bitter properties that are symbolic of disappointment, sorrow, grief, despair, and life’s trials and tribulations.

Together the sweet and the bitter represent “Love’s Journey” and all of the experiences that are a natural part of it.

Let this toast symbolise how sharing in the partnership of marriage doubles the sweetness of life, and also lightens the burden of its bitterness by half.

 

Another way of performing a wine ceremony is to have the wine represent the blending together of two lives.

This Ceremony represents the two individual lives which are now combined like the two wines into one single life.

The drinking of the combined wine signifies the commitment you now make to live your lives as one family.

May you remember this day of commitment you have sealed with drinking of the new wine joining your lives as one.

 

The joining together of two families

The wine ceremony can also include each set of parents.  They can bring a specially chosen bottle of wine to the ceremony.  They will ceremoniously open the bottle (it can be prepared before the ceremony starts if participants are a bit nervous).
The wine is poured and the Celebrant asks each set of parents in turn if they welcome and support their new son/daughter into the family. The Celebrant says appropriate words to them all and they all drink a toast to the marriage and welcome their new family members.

 

Wine is a universal symbol – of the richness of life and sweetness of love.

So it is appropriate, that on this joyous occasion, you toast life with this ancient symbol.

(Parents), please fill BRIDE and GROOM’s glasses and take a sip.

This represents the continuous connection between parents and children.

It’s also symbolic of the love and encouragement you have provided them and will always provide them in their lives together.

Hand the cups to your children, and they will toast each other by drinking from their own cups as a sign of maintaining themselves and their individuality. (Drink)

Now BRIDE and GROOM drink from each other’s cups as a sign of sharing yourselves and your life together. (Drink)

Let this wine ceremony represent the spirit of your lives together.

By sharing this wine now, you have shown your desire to blend your families together even stronger.

May you always find life’s joy heightened and its bitterness sweetened.

Adding something special

 

This kind of ritual has been carried out through the ages. Sharing these rituals in ceremonies with family members and friends as you celebrate life’s milestones creates even stronger community and family bonds. They add something extra special to your wedding ceremony.  Family members can take a part in the ceremony with you, and feel like they are a part of your ceremony instead of being only witnesses to it.

 

How to have your own Wine Ceremony

 

If you’d like to have a personalised Wedding Ceremony get in touch for a chat.  I’d love to hear all about your Wedding Plans

 

 

 

 

 

 

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