100 Best Unity Candle & Sand Ceremony Songs 2022

Updated on July 28, 2022 | Written by Matthew Campbell

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 wedding couple exchanges their vows.

Traditionally, the bride lights a single candle for herself, and the groom lights a single candle for himself. Then, the wedding couple lights their “unity candle” together.

Choosing the right candle song is important; we have some suggestions.

We’ve talked to wedding couples through social groups and analyzed hundreds of wedding DJs’ playlists across the U.S. that provide ceremony music.

We selected a list just for you of the most popular and unique unity ceremony songs.

Every couple’s music tastes are different.

Thus, we selected unity ceremony songs that include many different genres.

 

Our Top 7 Unity Candle Songs

1. “Canon in D” by Brooklyn Duo
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”.

2. “One + One” by Lawson Bates feat. Olivia Collingsworth
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.

3. “Hand in Hand” by David Arkenstone
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.

4. “Air on a G String” by Hauser
2020 – Hauser is a cellist and a member of 2Cellos.  He broke out on his own on this widely popular instrumental wedding song.

5. “No Matter Where You Are (Wedding Version)” by Us The Duo
2020 – Even though they did not win the season they were on America’s Got Talent, this song will win over your heart.

6. “I Would, I Could, I Do (Duet)” by Treela
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.

7. “Take My Hand (The Wedding Song)” by Emily Hackett feat. Will Anderson
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.

Listen to Unity Ceremony Songs

The Best Unity Ceremony Songs

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Folk Unity Ceremony Songs

If I Didn’t Love You – Ben Abraham
2022, Folk

Would I be drifting
With nowhere to land?
I don’t know what I’d do
If I didn’t love you

Sing Me a Song – William Prince, Serena Ryder
2022, Folk

So sing me a song, babe
What kind of song, babe
The one you hear when you look into my soul

Hold Us Tight (Acoustic) – The Macarons Project
2021, Folk

Once again
Know that my heart
Will always be for you

Better Half – JJ Heller
2021, Folk

Any way you choose to do the math
You will always be my
My better half

I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You – Bob Dylan
2020, Folk

I’d preach the gospel, the gospel of love
A love so real, a love so true
I’ve made up my mind to give myself to you

No Matter Where You Are (Wedding Version) – Us The Duo
2020, Folk

I won’t let you go
No matter where you are
No matter where you are, I’ll be there

Compass (Cinematic Version) – Analog Heart
2019, Folk

(Instrumental)

I Chose You – Caleb Edens
2019, Folk

That’s why you’re mine
That’s why I walk the line
So don’t ever question why
I Chose You

Forever From Now – Sheffield
2019, Folk

I will love you forever from now
And I will hold you like no one’s around
Forever from now

Hallelujah – Alison Sparrow
2018, Folk

(Instrumental)

Before You – Fortunate Ones
2018, Folk

And you can doubt every word I’ve ever said
Most of them are true
Like I can’t remember my life before you

Touching Heaven – JOHNNYSWIM
2016, Folk

I’m not just waiting for skies to part
You’ve been my glimpse of Kingdom right from the start
And you got me touching heaven

One Flame – Amber Norgaard
2010, Folk Rock

As we go on this day
Commit to Thy Way
Forever in Faith
Together in One Flame

By My Side – Ben Harper
1995, Folk

My love is never-ending
You are my saving grace
By my side

Wedding Song (There Is Love) – Peter, Paul & Mary / Noel Paul Stookey
1969, Folk

As it was, in the beginning, is now and til the end
Woman draws her life from man and gives it back again
And there is Love

Pop Unity Ceremony Songs

Chance of a Lifetime (The Proposal) – Cory Singer
2022, Pop

Make You Feel My Love – Blessing Offor, Bob Lanzetti
2022, Pop

When You Married Me – Andrew Brien
2022, Pop

I Do – Monique Melendez, Byron Addison
2021, Pop

I’ll stand by your side
Cause I promise to tell you, baby, I Do.

I Am Yours – Andy Grammer
2019, Pop

I am yours
Now and always
Wouldn’t dream to be anything more

Here, Right Now – Joshua Radin
2019, Pop

‘Cause you’re here (I’m here)
Right now (right now)
Not lost (not lost) but found
And everything I’ve done
Has broughten me to you

The Only One – Music Travel Love
2019, Pop

Don’t you know that I’ll always be there
Baby, I swear, ’till my days on this earth are done
You’re the only one

Could I Love You Any More – Reneé Dominique feat. Jason Mraz
2019, Pop

Finding you is like a miracle
Only this wonder remains
Could I love you any more?

All My Life – SAILR
2019, Pop

I’m gonna stay right by your side
I’m gonna live to make you smile

Saturday (The Wedding Song) – Sammy Wilk
2019, Pop

And I will never leave you
I’m staying this strong right by your side
A month or year for life

Nothing Lost – The Alternate Routes
2019, Pop

Nothing Lost is ours to lose
You’ve got me, and I’ve got you
My heart lives where you are

I Would, I Could, I Do (Duet) – Treela
2019, Pop

Would I, could I, shall I,
Spend the rest of my life with you?
I would, I could, I do

I Belong to You – Jacob Lee
2018, Pop

I belong with you
When they let us choose
I will say I do

Love Someone – Lukas Graham
2018, Pop

If you love someone
And you’re not afraid to lose ’em
You probably never loved someone like I do

You Chose Me – Scott Brothers
2018, Pop

You’re so beautiful, got a heart of gold, and I can’t believe
Out of all the guys in the whole wide world
You chose me

Today I Do – Tamia
2018, Pop

Today I do, today I do
Today I’m saying I do to you
Today I do, today I do

Promise To Love Her – Blane Howard
2017, Pop

I promise to love her
With all that I have
I’ll put nothing above her
And I won’t turn my back

Yours – Ella Henderson
2014, Pop

And I know every day you say it
But I just want you to be sure
That I’m yours

Take My Hand (The Wedding Song) – Emily Hackett feat. Will Anderson
2014, Pop

Take my heart and take my hand
I’ll be your lover and I’ll be your friend
Take my heart and take my hand again, and again
Right where we stand

Guiding Light – Foy Vance feat. Ed Sheeran
2013, Pop

Oh and I will keep on moving ’till
‘Till I find my way home
When I need to get home
You’re my guiding light

The Wedding Song – Matthew Mole
2013, Pop

Heaven made your hand
To complement my hand
Like heaven made my heart
To complement your heart

I Choose You – Sara Bareilles
2013, Pop

Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
I will become yours and you will become mine

A Thousand Years – Christina Perri
2011, Pop

Darling, don’t be afraid
I have loved you for a thousand years
I’ll love you for a thousand more

Ave Maria – Beyonce
2008, Pop

While you’re busy making plans
Suddenly hit you and then you realize
It’s out of your hands
Baby, you got to understand
Ave Maria

The Prayer – Charlotte Church & Josh Groban
2001, Pop

Needs to find a place,
Guide us with your grace
Give us faith so we’ll be safe

Yours, Mine & Ours – Teresa James & David Chamberlin
2001, Pop

Give Me Forever (I Do) – John Tesh
2000, Pop

All of the love I have here for you
And if you give me my reason for living
To love you, I love you, I do

Country Unity Ceremony Songs

Wherever Time Goes – Jake Hoot
2022, Country

Deepest unforgettable
With all that I am, with my heart wide open
For the rest of my life, I promise you

Believe in Love – Charlie Worsham
2021, Country

And you, you make me believe in love
You, you give me a reason to trust that there’s
A happy ever after

If It Were up to Me – Johnny and Heidi
2021, Country

A love like we’ve never known
Forever never alone
Still, you and me when that sweet heavenly symphony calls us home
If it were up to me

I Prayed for You – 4th + Main
2019, Country

I belive, deep in my hear that
God would come through
Cause I prayed for you

Giving It All (To You) – Haley & Michaels
2019, Country

Giving it all to, you know I’m yours for worse or for better
I say I do, but I will forever
And I would wait at the end of the aisle my whole life
I’m giving it all to you

If I Know You – Justine Chantale
2019, Country

After all that we’ve been though
Here’s my vow to you
From this day forward, you don’t have to walk alone

One + One – Lawson Bates feat. Olivia Collingsworth
2019, Country

It’s gonna take help, it’s gonna take faith
But with you and God and me
One plus one equals three

Prayed For You – Matt Stell
2019, Country

It’s hard to imagine, bigger than I could fathom
I didn’t know you from Adam, but I prayed for you

All Your’n – Tyler Childers
2019, Country

There ain’t two ways around it
There ain’t no trying ’bout it
I’m all your’n and you’re all mine

I Do – Casi Joy
2018, Country

And I’ll spend the rest of my life
Proving how much I promise you
That I do

Live Forever – Kane Brown
2018, Country

If all we get is just to be together
It makes me wanna live forever
You make me wanna live forever

Greatest Love Story – LANCo
2016, Country

And I said
I wanna be your forever
So baby will you be my wife

Yours – Russell Dickerson
2016, Country

You put a new heartbeat inside of me
You make me better than I was before
Thank God I’m yours

Marry Me – Martina McBride and Pat Monahan
2011, Country

Marry me
Today and every day
Marry me

I Could Never Love You Enough – Brian McComas
2002, Country

Baby, I still can’t believe I found you
I could never love you
Never love you enough

When I Said I Do – Clint Black and Lisa Hartman Black
1999, Country

When I said I do, I meant that I will ’til the end of all time
Be faithful and true, devoted to you

Amazing Grace – Lari White
1997, Country

I was once lost
But now am found
Was blind but now I see

From This Moment On – Shania Twain & Bryan White
1997, Country

From this moment, as long as I live
I will love you, I promise you this

When You Say Nothing At All – Alison Krauss
1995, Country

There’s a truth in your eyes saying you’ll never leave me
The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me if ever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

R&B Unity Ceremony Songs

Faithfully – Brian McKnight
2021, R&B

Oh, I’m in love, I’m love, you’re a dream
I promise you forever
For always, faithfully

I Found A Love (Live at Levon Helm Studios) – José James, Taali
2021, R&B

I found a love
The kind to hold
The kind that lifts you from the bottom of your soul

Sent From Heaven – Rahsaan Patterson
2019, R&B

You know, you know you are
A beautiful expression
An expression of love so glorious
Yeah, yeah, you are
Sent from heaven

My Word – Derran Day
2018, R&B

We’ll never grow apart
I won’t let it happen
You have my word

I Choose You (Acoustic) – Kiana Ledé
2017, R&B

I’m good on my own, but with you, I’m something else
You’re telling me to choose up, but I already choose you

Fall for You – Leela James
2014, R&B

My heart is ready
For love and to be loved
And I chose you

Happily Ever After – Case
1999, R&B

Take you for my wife, the center of my life
And I will never ever fade
From this choice I’ve made

For You – Kenny Lattimore
1997, R&B

Nothing I’ve said is hard to understand
All I feel, I feel deeper still
And always will, all this love is for you

Always – Atlantic Starr
1987, R&B

You’re the perfect one
For me, and you forever will be
And I will love you so for always

Always and Forever – Heatwave
1977, R&B

Me with you, you with me, we as one
Love together (Always forever love you) for a very long time
Loving you
Always, forever love you

Inseparable – Natalie Cole
1975, R&B

Inseparable, that’s how it is
Inseparable, for the rest of our years
It’s so wonderful to know you’ll always be around

Indie Unity Ceremony Songs

Ritual – Chadwick Johnson
2021, Indie

With the things we like to do
Enchanting ritual to hold on to
Little moments how they add up
I’m comforted in ritual and you

Anything – JJ Heller
2021, Indie

I’d give up anything for you
But I would not give you up for anything

Make You Mine – Meg Ammons
2021, Indie

I’m gonna love you ’til I die
From the moment I make you mine
I’m gonna make, gonna make you mine

Exist For Love – Aurora
2020, Indie

I can’t imagine how it is
To be forbidden from loving
‘Cause when you walked into my life
I could feel my life begin

I Found You – Samantha Durnan
2019, Indie

Cause I finally found
Finally found the one I know is mine

You Changed Everything – This Wild Life
2019, Indie

You could be my everything
The feeling of being missing
‘Cause my world was craving for a girl
Just came and changed my ways

For a Lifetime – Ryann Darling feat. Cory Ard
2018, Indie

For a lifetime of “I love you”
Two hearts, one beat
You whisper to me
Be mine for a lifetime

I Will Spend My Whole Life Loving You – Imaginary Future & Kina Grannis
2017, Indie

Oh believe me
I’ve been counting my stars
Cause I will spend my whole life
Loving you

I Get to Love You – Ruelle
2016, Indie

I get to love you
It’s the best thing that I’ll ever do
I get to love you
It’s a promise I’m making to you

The One – Kodaline
2015, Indie

You make my whole world feel so right when it’s wrong
That’s how I know you are the one

Rock Unity Ceremony Songs

All Because of You – O.A.R.
2019, Rock

I wanna matter when we go outside and
Hold your hand when we say goodnight and
Tell you how I’m goin’ to make our dreams come true
All because of you

Never Stop (Wedding Version) – SafetySuit
2012, Rock

I’ll never stop opening your door
I’ll never stop choosing you babe
I’ll never get used to you

When You Say Nothing At All – Ronan Keating
1999, Rock

The touch of your hand says you’ll catch me wherever I fall
You say it best when you say nothing at all

When You Love Someone – Bryan Adams
1997, Rock

When you love someone
You’ll sacrifice
Give it everything you got
And you won’t think twice

All You Need Is Love – The Beatles
1967, Rock

All you need is love, love
Love is all you need

Christian Unity Ceremony Songs

Always Be Yours – Scott Drury
2022, Christian

I promise from this day forward
That I will always be yours

Jonathan and Emily Martin – Two Becoming One
2013, Christian

Here’s my life, I lay it down
I give up myself for you
And here’s my will I submit to you
I will follow where you lead

When I Say I Do – Matthew West
2010, Christian

And now ‘for better or for worse’
Are so much more than only words
And I pray every day will be the proof
That I mean what I say when I say ‘I do’

Flesh Of My Flesh – Leon Patillo
2007, Christian

I do give my life to you
Today and everyday
I will stand right by your side
Whatever comes our way

Faithful Friend – Twila Paris & Steven Curtis Chapman
2001, Christian

Anywhere you are, anywhere you’ve been
I will be an honest heart you can depend on
I will be a faithful friend

A Page Is Turned – Bebo Norman
1999, Christian

A page is turned in this life, he’s making her his wife
And there is no secret to the source of this much life
When the grace that falls like rain is washing them again
Just a chance to somehow rise above this land

Classical Unity Ceremony Songs

Air on a G String – Hauser
2020, Classical

Canon in D – Brooklyn Duo
2019, Classical

All Of Me – Daniel Jang
2014, Classical

Just the Way You Are – The Piano Guys
2013, Classical

One Hand, One Heart – O’Neill Brothers Group
2013, Classical

Other Unity Ceremony Songs

Hand in Hand – David Arkenstone
2018, Celtic

Ave Maria – Luciano Pavarotti
1988, Opera

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 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 for 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.

Similar song lists for further reading:

• Processional songs
• Recessional songs
• Church wedding songs

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.”)

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About Matthew Campbell