You might be used to seeing couples light a unity candle or blend sand together in a jar, but there are lots of other meaningful unity ceremonies you can choose from for your wedding. There are plenty of unity rites with religious ties such as the lazo, or Catholic wedding cord, but here are nine great non-traditional alternatives you can incorporate into your ceremony regardless of your faith or religion.

Handfasting is a marriage unity ritual that has been used during weddings for centuries. Like many other unity rituals, such as unity candles or sand rituals, it represents the combination of two people coming together to create a new singular entity.