Did you

[sparklesweetie]

If you had a unity candle and played a song while doing it, did you edit the song to make it shorter?

I wonder because it was mentioned yesterday that we might want to edit the song to make it shorter. Really, we don't want to b/c we like the whole song. It's 4 minutes....I think it's manageable, but that's just me. (We are also giving the mothers roses after we light the candles, so it'll probably be only 3 minutes that I have to just stand and stare at him, lol.)

Your thoughts?

[wembley]

We had a friend who wrote a song for us and it was longer than the unity candle ceremony was. I didn't want to cut it though because it was a special song that he wrote for us. We ended up just turning and looking at him and it was a nice moment.

While we were planning our ceremony the pastor actually wanted us to add more music where we would just be standing there listening and doing nothing and I thought that would be funny to just do nothing but for just part of one song it was fine.

My cousin just got married and they had a bunch of songs thrown in with nothing else going on and it was fine for the first one or two but then it got old after that. I think that as long as it's only a little bit you'll be fine and you should enjoy the moment and the song you've chosen.

[Marge129]

We didn't edit the song.

[555Ann555]

We lit our unity candle as soon as we went in (we did our own instead of having our mum's light it) so it just carried on from my entrance music, but my entrance music was really long so it worked fine.

For the second part we didn't have any music. I thought it was lovely, without, kind of solemn...

[SuzyBride]

OUr song stopped short because Josh hates being the center of attention. It was Celine Dion "have you ever been in love." I would have loved to play the whole song, but Josh said he would feel stupid just standing there for so long..

[justnmary]

I didn't know people played music during the unity ceremony....just goes to show how sheltered I've been....lol

[Kim&Bob2004]

What we had instead of a unity candle was the signing of the family Bible. I wanted communion but our pastor refused, don't know why, but it still worked out ok. We played Amazing Grace and didn't edit it. All the guests were singing too after we signed the Bible. It was really beautiful. We didn't edit any of the music although I wish I had the first song......

[feb-bride]

We didn't have to shorten the song, but we specifically had the musician choose something that was just long enough to allow us to get the lighting done and resume our positions. My husband would have been extremely uncomfortable with the two of us staring at each other for several minutes with everyone just starting back at us.

When my cousin and her husband did the unity candle, the song lasted for a few minutes beyond the time it took to light the candle. They looked a little awkward just staring at each other.

[TheaterDiva1]

We had "One Hand, One Heart" from West Side Story. I had specified either the original stage or film version (not the Barbra Streisand remake). What I didn't realize was the film version contained a clip of dialogue during the intro (that's the scene where Tony and Maria were at the bridal shop where she works and pretended to get married, and they recited their vows in Spanish). It's not a lot, but considering it only takes 30 seconds to step towards the candle and light it, the clip was all there was time for - the DJ had to end it before the singing began. I hadn't expected it, but looking back, I thought that sounded pretty cool.

[ladedah]

We had violinist play during the unity candle...they played "Ave Maria" and we asked them just stopped playing at the end of the verse when we were done with the lighting. We stood up there talking and that was nice to have a moment to just be like "WOW" but it seemed as though we were standing there FOREVER!!!!

[ljeagle]

We didn't cut it short the song meant a lot to us and it gave us time to really take in the moment. Thats the part I remember of the ceremony.

[Complicated Woman]

Originally Posted by Kim&Bob2004

I wanted communion but our pastor refused, don't know why, but it still worked out ok.

That's odd...did you want it just for yourselves or for everyone?

ETA: Right...the original question! I've sung at several weddings and during the unity candle I try to choose a song that's relatively short -- but, if you have a song you love, extra time doesn't hurt so long as it doesn't make you two uncomfortable. Unity candles don't always take on the first try...

[555Ann555]

I wondered if I had read that wrong...

Did your pastor completely refuse to offer communion at your wedding? Did he give a reason?

It seems really odd to me