In my tradition, the ceremony of the 3 refuges and the 5 precepts are done together in one ceremony.
The Three Refuges
In Buddhism, taking refuge has two meanings: to return and to rely. By taking the Three Refuges, we acknowledge that we have been deluded and erroneous in our ways; now we wish to return to the purity of our Buddha Nature, and we need to rely on the wisdom and guidance of the Three Jewels: the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
Buddha: the Enlightened One; the guiding teacher of our cultivation.
Dharma: the teachings of the Buddha that can guide us to Enlightenment.
Sangha: the community of ordained Buddhist monks, nuns and disciples, devoted to the practice and teaching of the Dharma.
The Sixth Patriarch said, Buddha represents the enlightened mind, Dharma represents truth, and Sangha represents purity and harmony. By taking three refuges we develop our intrinsic Three Jewels.
One Seeker's Story 