My niece introduced me to the Sand Ceremony.
She and her fiance were planning a lovely outdoor wedding on a bluff overlooking the ocean.
She loved the Unity Candle Ceremony but was concerned that the bluff would be way to windy for candles.
When she took me to visit the place, the wind was blowing quite firmly and we decided that a Unity Candle ceremony was out.
As I was the officiant, nothing would make me more nervous than trying to light candles in a wind.
Several day later she called and asked, "Aunt Kathy, have you ever heard of a Sand Ceremony? I think it would be perfect for us.
" I quickly looked it up on the internet and fell in love.
What a lovely and simple idea.
Briefly, here is the idea behind and the components needed for a Sand Ceremony.
1.
The Sand Ceremony: Like the Unity Candle Ceremony, the Sand Ceremony symbolizes two individuals becoming one.
There are several way to perform the ceremony.
In one way, you have two smaller vases containing sand and one empty, larger container.
The two individual containers represent the bride and groom and their individual families, friends, and lives.
The empty larger container represents marriage.
During the ceremony, the bride and groom pour their individual vases of sand together into the larger container symbolizing that their individual lives are now forever intertwined.
Another way to perform this ritual is to have one large empty container and three vases of sand.
Here, one vase of sand represents the shared life of marriage and the other two vases represent the individuality of the bride and groom.
In this ceremony the bride and groom layer the sand so that you have a layer of shared life and you also have your individual layers symbolizing how marriage can contain all.
2.
Vases and Sand: You can be quite creative with you vases and sand.
Because this is such a lovely keepsake that can be displayed, you might want to consider having the large container be clear class.
If you purchase a kit, often times the glass container can be personalized.
Or you can simply choose a lovely clear glass vase that fits in your future home.
The sand can be plain sand that you purchase at a hobby store or it can be colored sand or it can be sand that you collect from places that are meaningful to you.
In both of the ceremonies mentioned,having different colored sand adds a meaningful and beautiful dimension to the wedding as well as being an eye-catching keepsake.
So if you are looking for an alternative to candles, consider the Sand Ceremony.
And my niece, she and her fiancee choose a family heirloom clear glass vase and sand from their favorite beaches for their ceremony.
And yes, it was a windy day but not enough to disturb the sand.