Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

Hello. I have 3 issues I am dealing with right now. First of all, does everyone do Unity Candles? And if I need to do one, where can I purchase one inexpensively. Every place I looked they were $100. Does the church provide unity candle holders and you get the candles? Secondly, is everyone having a guest book. I have been looking around and they are all so ridiculously expensive. I am just curious if I really need one, since I will have peoples cards. And last, is anyone NOT doing the bouquet/garter toss? My fi does not want to do it, but I am unsure if we should or not. If anyone can help me with any of these questions or all of them, I would be very appreciative! Thanks. Denise

Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

Hi, Fi & I are definitely not doing garter/bouquet toss; we have always agreed that we just don't care for it anymore after all the weddings we have been to; I am probably just going to throw a small bouquet as we leave the church. We are also not doing candle or guest book. I feel the same as you; I will have cards from everyone; I really don't need them to sign a book. Happy Planning!! Helen

Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

I actually bought my unity candle at a Hallmark store. I think it was 25.00. We are doing the bouquet toss, NOT a garter toss. The guest book , my future mother in law bought. I'm not even sure I want to use it.

Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

Thanks Helen, for the advice. I feel better knowing I am not the only one that is going through these issues. I want to make Fi happy, so we are not going to do the bouquet toss/garter, I think I might just have to priest make an announcement either before or after I dance with my Mom (yes, I am dancing with my Mom), that I would like to dedicate my bridal bouquet to her. Someone else on this site mentioned that and I thought it was a lovely idea. As far as the unity candle goes, I just spoke to my priest and he said it is actually MORMON, not even catholic tradition. So, that also helped ease my mind. And now the guest book. I know half the weddings i have been to, I walked right past the book. And I will have the cards, that I will keep forever, so I think that book is just one thing we really don't need. Besides how many times are we really going to look at it, you know. Wel; once again, Thank you for your advice. Denise

Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

Unity Candle - yes, we are having one during our full Mass. I bid on my Lenox unity candle set complete with holder for only $30 (plus shipping). It is gorgeous and definitely not too expensive in my opinion compared to what I have seen. CHECK Ebay!! Guest book. I would like to have one just for the sake of seeing what wishes people had to write that day. However, I am not buying one. I put the word out with my maid of honor (who is also my sister) that she can see if anyone would like to get me that as part of my shower gift. And no, we are not doing the bouquet toss or garter throw. Instead we are having a song (yet to be named) played while we dedicate it to the maid of honor and best man for all their work in helping out with our wedding. I will then symbolically pass on the 'throwing bouquet' to my sister (maid of honor) who I will ask that she do the same for my younger sister and thus carry on some sort of a tradition I will start.

All of these things are optional...

We didn't have the bouquet or garter toss - frankly, not my style. I dedicated my bouquet to my mom during the reception (the only time I cried at my wedding!). We made our own unity candles. I bought a white pillar and 2 tapers and deorated them beautifully! I also bought the candle holders - since I didn't care for the brass/silver ones so I got separate Mikasa crystal pillar holder and taper holders that I have already reused. The whole thing cost under $30. Finally, I didn't have a guest book, either. I also felt that the cards would be enough, plus I thought I'd get a low percentage of people signing it since I've never signed one at a wedding!! Good luck!! :)

Unity Candle, Guest Book and Garter/Bouqet Toss

HI Denise, Check out Party City for the Unity Candle, Ring Pillow, guest book, cake knife, etc. They are inexpensive and you can get items similar or the same as the items you see online, in books and magazines. As for the garter and bouquet toss, we are not doing it as we have very few single people who will be attending, and the single one's I spoke to were *very* happy that we are not doing those things! The girls all said they always hated being pushed out on the dance floor to catch the bouquet, and didn't want some stranger's hands up their dress putting the garter on them! LOL Just my opinions, Diana

THis is what we are doing

No bo-k toss, I still have not decided whether it will be a generation dance and the oldest married couple gets the bo-k or dedicate it to my mom or my MOH No garter toss No guest book, we will have a well wishing board, where we will enlargen 4 of our engagement pix, have them mounted on a matting and then have our guest sign around our pix with well wishes. After the wedding we will frame it and hang it in our home.

What we did

No garter or bouquet toss. Just not our style and sort of outdated these days. We did the unity candle which I bought from one of the invitation catalogs for $50.00. Because I had been married before and have children we united together as a family. It was a lovely moment and one I would absolutely do again. Guest book. I found an inexpensive one and I must say that everyone signed it. We had a lot of fun reading everyone's good wishes to us. Even though we had the cards the guest book allowed our guests to really leave us a personal message of the day. We had more comments in the book than in the cards.

Guest Book

SonicStef mentioned to make sure that you get a guestbook that can withstand time...So, my search for the perfect guestbook continues...

Some ideas.......

First off, we got our personalized unity candle on www.ultimatewedding.com I think I payed about $35-$40 dollars. With regard to a guestbook. We didnt do it, because I knew I was NOT going to look at the book ever again to see who came to my wedding. That is what my pictures are for. However, my friend used a great idea. She went to a plater paris store and bought a platter for $18. Then she had someone paint thier names/date with pretty flowers on it. She had it on the card table for her guestbook, and evryone signed the platter. After the wedding, she had it glazed, and now has it on her coffee table. With regard to the bouquet/garter toss. That is a matter of opinion. We modified it a little. My hubby still took my garter off. Then the dj went into the Generation/Anniversary Dance. My great aunt/uncle were the longest married couple. The got the garter/bouquet. But My uncle put the garter on my aunt. Everyone LOVED this. At least they knew each other. Godd Luck with your choices!!!

Some ideas.......

Unity Candle - we haven't decided on this yet. Since we are Catholic, I want to discuss this with our priest. Guest Book - We are going to have our engagement picture mounted and let people sign the mat and then get it framed. Garter - No garter/bouquet toss. We will have the Generation/Anniversary Dance. My FH grandparents have been married 65 years and this will be a great way to honor them and the institution of Marriage. Good Luck!

What I did....

I had a unity candle (and the glass breaking, because I am Jewish and he is Catholic). Got it in some mall at a high-end candle store, and the total package (center candle, plus two side candles, and holder) was about $75. I did the bouquet toss, but wasn't going to do it unless I had enough single women (I had about 15, so it was okay). I did not do the garter toss. I hate that, and my husband wasn't for it either. Good luck.