On recent beautiful Autumn day, I had the blessing of performing a ceremony in which the couple chose to celebrate the sacred union of their hearts, spirits & family with a ritual that has origins in South America. To mark the new beginning in their journey together, we incorporated a Palo Santo smudging, an ancient spiritual practice used by the indigenous communities of the Andes to help clear the energy fields of that which does not serve us, to set sacred intention & to invite & venerate the source of all that is holy.
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In preparation, I asked the bride & groom to join hands & then lit & burned the chosen piece of Palo Santo wood for a short bit before extinguishing the flame & using the smoldering wood to smudge.  For the actual smudging, I used this white pictured handicraft, that was created by the groom's family, to waft the smoke in circular motion first around the groom, then around the bride, & finally around their clasped hands to honor each, as individuals, & their union as its own entity.

I completed this ritual with a few final larger circular gestures, expanding the smudging circle to represent the invitation of goodness into the lives of the couple's parents, guests, community & our world at large.

I adore it when couples incorporate rituals, lyrics, poetry & any other elements that are meaningful to them into their ceremony & always consider it an honor to witness & be part of their sacred union.