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If you come to think of it, a wedding is probably the most important of all rites ever inaugurated by man. Weddings institutionalize and bring some form of order into the collective act of procreation, an activity without which our species would die out. The importance of marriage is that it is the symbolizes, and at the same time, hopes for the fidelity that strengthens the union between the couple, the fertility that will grant offspring and material abundance and the spirituality that will guide the family to their proper goals.

The symbols and rites used internationally to signify those aspirations are many and varied.

The Chinese disappearing apple act

There is a comic ritual practiced in China after weddings and during the party for the wedding guests. An apple is dangled in between the newly weds in the ritual. Without holding the apple, they are supposed to take a bite from it at the same time. But when they do stretch out their heads to take that bite, the apple is whisked up into the air and the newly weds end up kissing each other lips to lips.

Every time the routine is performed, people never fail to be amused. But underneath the humor, there is a deeper meaning. The pursuit of the apple ending in a kiss stands for the fact that the importance of love cannot ever be subordinate to the need to attain riches and abundance.

The Colombian candle of unity

There is a Colombian wedding ritual that is often seen in weddings. After the groom gives the ring to the bride, they both are handed two candles which they light. Holding those lighted candles in their hands, they approach and light up a third candle with the ones they are holding. After that, they put out the original two candles.

The first two candles symbolize the extinguishing of selfish motives while the third candle stands for the light of love and cooperation which is supposed to light up the path of their future lives. Another way the ritual can be interpreted is the transfer of life from themselves to their children, the new life. Light (life) is first given the new candle before the original ones are put out. It stands for the strange relationship between love, life and death.

Japan's strong family ties

A peculiarity in some Japanese weddings is the practice of making the wedding couple drink three times from a vessel of rice wine. After doing so, they turn towards each other to say their vows. At the same time, the members of both families also turn around towards the other family.

It is easy to imagine that in ancient times, when women were often abducted, the wedding minister might need to make the wedding couple drunk to ascertain whether they really wanted to be wed. Perhaps the three sips of rice wine is all that remains of just such an ancient practice.

Because the families also turned to face each other when the wedding vows were pronounced implies that they have also been united by that vow in a bond of familial love.

Other than those mentioned above there are many more, beautiful wedding practices from all around the world that can be incorporated in weddings to make them more meaningful.
Jameson Daniels is a writer for skylighter.com check out his colored smoke or his ice fountain.