Choosing a Symbolic Gesture
Symbolic gestures are small moments of meaning, tradition, or connection that you can add to your ceremony — if they feel right for you.
This page gives you a little more detail about each option so you can decide what, if anything, you’d like to include when you complete your Ceremony Preferences form.
You don’t need to choose a gesture for every part of the ceremony. Simply explore the ideas that speak to you and skip anything that doesn’t.
There’s no pressure, no right or wrong — just possibilities.
Handfasting
A meaningful Celtic tradition symbolising unity and connection. Ribbons or tartan are tied around your hands as you “tie the knot”, using colours that reflect your families or values.
Candle Lighting
A calm, reflective moment where you light a candle together to represent your shared future. Families can be included by lighting individual candles first.
Letters to Each Other
A deeply personal gesture where you write and read heartfelt letters to one another, capturing your feelings, hopes, and dreams before you say “I do”.
Quaich Ceremony
A traditional Scottish “cup of kindness”. You each take a sip from a shared cup to symbolise trust, unity, and the joining of families.
Ring Warming
Your rings are passed among your guests so they can “warm” them with love and good wishes before you exchange them — a lovely way to involve everyone.
Sand Ceremony
You each pour coloured sand into a shared vessel, creating a unique pattern that represents your lives joining together. Ideal for families with children.
Oathing Stone
A Scottish tradition where vows are spoken while holding a stone — symbolising strength, grounding, and permanence.
Log Sawing
A lively Bavarian tradition where you saw through a log together, symbolising teamwork and facing life’s challenges side by side.
Path Sweeping
A Shetland tradition where the path ahead is swept before you walk it — symbolising clearing the way for good fortune and a smooth start to married life.
A little reassurance
There’s no pressure to include a gesture. Pick one, pick a few, or skip them entirely — your ceremony will still feel completely ‘you’.