Chi Omega, Yours Forever Candlelight

Preparation for a candlelight can be a glorious thing. You get to pick out your dress, get your hair and nails done all in preparation for the big event. For those of you who have no clue what a sorority candlelight is, I’m here to help.

A sorority candlelight is an announcement of your engagement through a sorority ceremony amongst your sisters. Your engagement ring is placed on top of the candle and is passed around under candlelight for a better and more intimate view of your engagement ring. There’s a catch. No one knows who is engaged! The first pass around the room is for a close look and the second, is for the announcement of who is engaged. On the second pass, the member will wait until the candle is passed into her hands and then she blows out the flame!

I had my candlelight in the middle of the afternoon after our initiation. I waited 45 days to announce my engagement! By that time, I nearly passed out as soon as the candle hit my hand, but it was all worth it. My sisters went from singing “Chi Omega yours forever” to jumping up and down and screaming. Talk about feeling loved, right? Seconds later I'm tackled with hugs and photos.

Things to remember while preparing for your candlelight:

1. Check and see if your meeting is informal or formal – I bought two dresses before being told my candlelight was informal and that was a bummer on my wallet and emotions.
2. Do your nails – People will be looking for manicured nails on candlelight days so try not to go for bedazzled but get them done one or two days before with friends.
3. Do not spill the beans – Candlelights are supposed to be a surprise, if you are wanting a full fledge candlelight experience. Keep those lips tight.
4. Breathe – My candlelight was moved back a week, changed to informal and I thought people were figuring it out. Just breathe and move forward. In the end, it was just stressful for that week and totally worth the wait.

The most important thing to remember with your candlight is just to relax and enjoy it. It's such a special time to share this momentous occasion with all your sisters.