Ceremony Elements 3: Wine Blending

A wine blending ceremony is another great way for couples to symbolically demonstrate their coming together - particularly if they love a good glass of wine. If they don’t, there are obviously other drinks which can be used, both of alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.

Here's how it’s typically done: each partner will have a different wine that represents them - perhaps their personal favourite or a wine from a meaningful place in their life. During the ceremony, they will pour them together into a special carafe or vessel, creating their first blend as a married couple. Some couples choose to take a sip from this blend, symbolising their first shared cup of married life.

There's a range of ways in which couples can personalise this ceremony. Some choose wines from the year they met, others from vineyards they've visited together. I've even heard of couples using family recipes for mead or other special drinks.

The vessels can be meaningful too - everything from family heirloom glasses to specially commissioned decanters can be used.

From a practical perspective, it’s certainly worth practicing the pouring beforehand (with water as it’s a lot cheaper) to ensure everything flows smoothly.

Couples can also incorporate beautiful symbolism into the explanation - how like a good marriage, the wines bring out the best in each other and create something new and wonderful together.

Some couples extend this ceremony by saving a bottle of each wine to share on their first anniversary, or by serving their chosen wines at the reception so guests can taste the individual wines that make up their special blend.

All of these ceremony elements can be beautifully woven into a wedding day, and as your celebrant, I'm here to help you choose and personalise the ones that best reflect your relationship. You can check out my previous posts on ceremony elements below or email me at nick.wells@thismoment.org.uk if you’d like to talk about how we could work together.

I’d love to hear from you.

You can check out the full collection of ceremony element posts here.