United as One

I have no real attachment to the unity candle tradition. I think my main problem with it is that I don't want to use something once at the wedding, and then have store it - having never used it again - and feeling guilty every time I want to toss it.

So I went searching for alternatives to the unity candle.

• Sand ceremony - Each family has its own color of sand, and the bride and groom each pour their family's sand into a new container, symbolizing the blending of their families. Doesn't really solve my storing-it issues, though.

(source)

• Rose ceremony - The couple is supposed to give each other one red rosebud as their first gifts to each other as husband and wife, as a way of saying "I love you," and recognizing their new titles. This can also be used as a way to honor the mothers, giving each of them a rose as a thank-you for a job well done (raising you, of course).
• Wine Box (or "Love Letter") ceremony - The couple writes a love letter to their partner, telling them all the reasons they love each other, and are sealed up so the other person can't be sneaky and read it ahead of time (^^). During the ceremony, the two letters are put into a box along with a nice bottle of wine and two glasses. The maid of honor and best man nail the box shut. If the marriage is ever in serious trouble, the couple is to open the box, drink the bottle of wine together, and read the love letters before making any decisions. If the relationship never comes to such a point, then the box is opened on an anniversary way in the future (like, the 25th, or 50th or whatever). This is something I actually wouldn't mind storing long-term.
• Handfasting - A member of your wedding party or your officiant ties your wrists together with a rope, cord, etc. to symbolize the couple being bound to each other. I liked this idea a lot, but upon doing further research, I found out this was originally a pagan tradition, and I had a feeling that wasn't going to go over too well...
• Ring Warming - The wedding rings are passed around for the guests to pray over and bless, while "warming" them with their hands.

On top of these, I've seen a lot of couples taking communion at their weddings, and I really like that idea. I'm not sure if that's a tradition in Protestant weddings, as I've only been to one where they did that (and then only the couple took it, not the guests), but all the Catholic weddings I've been to involved the Eucharist (another name for communion).

Are there any that I'm missing? What unity traditions are you using for your ceremony?