83 Best Unity Candle & Sand Ceremony Songs
The Unity Candle Ceremony is a symbol of two people joining as one. Two families unite. Two souls unite. It takes place during the wedding ceremony after the bride and groom exchange their vows. Traditionally, the bride lights a single candle for herself, and the groom lights a single candle for himself. Then, the bride and groom light their “unity candle” together. Choosing the right candle song is important; we have some suggestions.
What Is the Unity Candle Ceremony?
The Unity Ceremony isn’t just about the wedding couple. When you marry, you also join families. A great way to involve your parents or grandparents is to have them light the candle for the bride and groom. It’s up to the wedding couple whether or not to extinguish their individual flames are left them lit.
If you choose to honor your extended friends instead of the biological family, the best man and maid of honor can step in. It’s definitely up to you as the wedding couple.
This also works brilliantly in same-sex ceremonies. There is no gender-specific role. It’s about togetherness. One side lights each of their candles and passes that candle to the wedding couple. Their individual flames become one flame. It’s symbolic. It’s beautiful. It’s a tear-jerker. This is why choosing the right song for this part of the wedding ceremony is key.
What Type of Unity Candle is Best?
Unity candles are a big business to candle companies. They come in all sorts of sizes and colors. For the do-it-yourself bride and groom, they can buy a standard candle. Then, the candle can be decorated in your wedding colors with ribbon, beads, and whatever suits your fancy. Unity candles can be purchased as a single candle or in a candelabra setting with a single tapered candle on each side of the official unity candle.
Should I Play A Song During the Unity Ceremony?
This ceremony isn’t long. So be aware of the time. If you choose to not have others participate, it will be even shorter. Talk to your wedding coordinator and professional DJ for great suggestions. The last thing you want to do is stand there awkwardly thinking, “I didn’t realize the guitar solo was so long in this song.”
Traditional wedding Unity Candle songs celebrate the union of the bride and groom. Bridal couples can select romantic pop songs “I Was Meant To Be With You” by Diamond Rio, “True Companion” by Marc Cohn, and “Give Me Forever (I Do)” by John Tesh. Bridal couples can also select instrumental songs perfect for church weddings like “Wedding Song” by Kenny G. Since the candles are being lit, a theme-appropriate song would be “You Light Up My Life” by Debby Boone.
Is There An Alternative to the Unity Ceremony?
An alternative to the unity candle songs ceremony is the unity sand ceremony. The sand ceremony is perfect for venues that don’t allow candles, non-religious ceremonies, and ceremonies on the beach — of course!
The unity sand ceremony can be done after the vows are read as the unity candle ceremony would be. Alternatively, it can be done during the vows — especially if you write your own. The sand ceremony uses multiple sand colors to fill a single glass container such as a vase. The bride and groom take turns filling a glass vase — also known as the unity vase. The sand colors can be coordinated with the bridal couple’s wedding colors. The same unity candle songs below are also fitting for the sand ceremony. (Just don’t pick “Dust in the Wind.”)
Top 7 Unity Candle Songs
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7. Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) – Emily Hackett feat. Will Anderson
Originally released in 2014
This is a great love song in the singer-songwriter category. If you want to know the background of this song, read our interview with Emily.
6. I Would, I Could, I Do (Duet) – Treela
Originally released in 2019
This song is not by a superstar singer but this beautiful song has the perfect message for a message of unity during a wedding ceremony.
5. No Matter Where You Are (Wedding Version) – Us The Duo
Originally released in 2020
Even though they did not win the season they were on America’s Got Talent, this song will win over your heart.
4. Air on a G String – Hauser
Originally released in 2020
Hauser is a cellist and a member of 2Cellos. He broke out on his own on this widely popular instrumental wedding song.
3. Hand in Hand – David Arkenstone
Originally released in 2018
This Celtic gem fits perfectly into any wedding ceremony. It can be used not only for the unity candle lighting but also for the rope ceremony or sand ceremony.
2. One + One – Lawson Bates feat. Olivia Collingsworth
Originally released in 2019
If you are looking for a religious song for your unity ceremony, listen to this song as it describes a couple joining together with God.
1. Canon in D – Brooklyn Duo
Originally released in 2019
With more than 15 million views on Youtube, this piano and cello duet is an instrumental cover of one of the most popular wedding songs of all-time behind the “Wedding March”.
Similar song lists for further reading:
The Best Unity Ceremony Songs
Last Updated: January 4, 2021
Unity wedding songs list curated by Matthew Campbell
| Song | Amazon Link | |
|---|---|---|
| 4th + Main I Prayed for You 2019, Country |  | |
| Alison Krauss When You Say Nothing At All 1995, Country | | |
| Alison Sparrow Hallelujah 2018, Folk | | |
| Amber Norgaard One Flame 2010, Folk Rock | | |
| Analog Heart Compass (Cinematic Version) 2019, Folk | | |
| Andy Grammer I Am Yours 2019, Pop | | |
| Atlantic Starr Always 1987, R&B | | |
| Aurora Exist For Love 2020, Indie | | |
| Beatles All You Need Is Love 1967, Rock | | |
| Bebo Norman A Page Is Turned 1999, Christian | | |
| Ben Harper By My Side 1995, Folk Rock | | |
| Beyonce Ave Maria 2008, Pop | | |
| Blane Howard Promise To Love Her 2017, Pop | | |
| Bob Dylan I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You 2020, Rough and Rowdy Ways | | |
| Brian McComas I Could Never Love You Enough 2002, Country | | |
| Brooklyn Duo Canon in D 2019, Classical | | |
| Bryan Adams When You Love Someone 1997, Rock | | |
| Caleb Edens I Choose You 2019, Folk | | |
| Calum Scott You Are The Reason 2017, Pop | | |
| Case Happily Ever After 1999, R&B | | |
| Casi Joy I Do 2018, Country | | |
| Charlotte Church & Josh Groban The Prayer 2001, Pop | | |
| Chris Lane Big, Big Plans 2019, Country | | |
| Christina Perri A Thousand Years 2011, Pop | | |
| Clay Davidson Unconditional 2000, Country | | |
| Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black When I Said I Do 1999, Country | | |
| Daniel Jang All Of Me 2014, New Age (Violin) | | |
| David Arkenstone Hand in Hand 2018, Celtic | | |
| Derran Day My Word 2018, R&B | | |
| Ed Sheeran with Andrea Bocelli Perfect Symphony 2017, Pop | | |
| Ella Henderson Yours 2014, Pop | | |
| Emily Hackett feat. Will Anderson Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) 2014, Pop | | |
| Fortunate Ones Before You 2018, Folk | | |
| Foy Vance feat. Ed Sheeran Guiding Light 2013, Pop | | |
| Haley & Michaels Giving It All (To You) 2019, Country | | |
| Hauser Air on a G String 2020, Classical | | |
| Heatwave Always and Forever 1977, R&B | | |
| Imaginary Future & Kina Grannis I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You 2017, Indie | | |
| Jacob Lee I Belong to You 2018, Pop | | |
| John Tesh Give Me Forever (I Do) 2000, Pop | | |
| Johnny Gill feat. Kevon Edmonds Home 2019, R&B | | |
| JOHNNYSWIM Touching Heaven 2016, Folk | | |
| Joshua Radin Here, Right Now 2019, Pop | | |
| Justine Chantale If I Know You 2019, Country | | |
| Kane Brown Live Forever 2018, Country | | |
| Kenny Lattimore For You 1997, R&B | | |
| Kiana Ledé I Choose You (Acoustic) 2017, R&B | | |
| King Calaway World For Two 2019, Country | | |
| Kodaline The One 2015, Indie | | |
| LANCo Greatest Love Story 2016, Country | | |
| Lari White Amazing Grace 1997, Country | | |
| Lawson Bates feat. Olivia Collingsworth One + One 2019, Country | | |
| Leela James Fall for You 2014, R&B | | |
| Leon Patillo Flesh Of My Flesh 2007, Christian | | |
| Luciano Pavarotti Ave Maria 1988, Opera | | |
| Lukas Graham Love Someone 2018, Pop | | |
| Martina McBride and Pat Monahan Marry Me 2011, Country | | |
| Matt Stell Prayed For You 2019, Country | | |
| Matthew Mole The Wedding Song 2013, Pop | | |
| Matthew West When I Say I Do 2010, Christian | | |
| Music Travel Love The Only One 2019, Pop | | |
| Natalie Cole Inseparable 1975, R&B | | |
| O.A.R. All Because of You 2019, Rock | | |
| O’Neill Brothers Group One Hand, One Heart 2013, Piano | | |
| Peter, Paul & Mary / Noel Paul Stookey Wedding Song (There Is Love) 1969, Folk | | |
| Piano Guys Just the Way You Are 2013, Classical | | |
| Rahsaan Patterson Sent From Heaven 2019, R&B | | |
| Reneé Dominique feat. Jason Mraz Could I Love You Any More 2019, Pop | | |
| Ronan Keating When You Say Nothing At All 1999, Rock | | |
| Ruelle I Get to Love You 2016, Indie | | |
| Russell Dickerson Yours 2016, Country | | |
| Ryann Darling feat. Cory Ard For a Lifetime 2018, Indie | | |
| SafetySuit Never Stop (Wedding Version) 2012, Rock | | |
| SAILR All My Life 2019, Pop | | |
| Samantha Durnan I Found You 2019, Indie | | |
| Sammy Wilk Saturday (The Wedding Song) 2019, Pop | | |
| Sara Bareilles I Choose You 2013, Pop | | |
| Scott Brothers You Chose Me 2018, Pop | | |
| Shania Twain & Bryan White From This Moment On 1997, Country | | |
| Sheffield Forever From Now 2019, Folk | | |
| Tamia Today I Do 2018, Pop | | |
| Teresa James & David Chamberlin Yours, Mine & Ours 2001, Pop | | |
| The Alternate Routes Nothing Lost 2019, Pop | | |
| This Wild Life You Changed Everything 2019, Indie | | |
| Treela I Would, I Could, I Do (Duet) 2019, Pop | | |
| Trey Healy Baby 2019, Country | | |
| Twila Paris & Steven Curtis Chapman Faithful Friend 2001, Christian | | |
| Tyler Childers All Your'n 2019, Country | | |
| Us The Duo No Matter Where You Are (Wedding Version) 2020, Folk Pop | | |
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Question can more than one unity ceremony be done at a wedding???
Hi Teena. Absolutely. We have seen weddings with multiple events at a wedding celebrating two coming together as one such as the sand ceremony, unity candle ceremony, wedding rope ceremony, jumping the broom and more. It’s your wedding and do what makes you happy!
My daughter is getting married in the Fall in the mountains. Candles for the unity ceremony Wong work since its outdoors and may be windy. I’m thinking the sand unity is more for weddings at the beach. Any suggestions for a unity ceremony in the mountains?
Hi Fatims. Most of our unity candle songs will also be great for the sand ceremony as well. Just skip the songs with candle in the title of course.