Sand Unity Ceremony

Sand Ceremony in Family Wedding

The popularity in weddings of the sand unity ceremony continues to grow!  If you haven't attended a wedding ceremony with a sand unity portion incorporated, you surely will at some point.  I myself have had the chance to participate in two weddings using the concept! Couples love the symbolism the sand represents and enjoy the fact that they get a unique memento to forever display their love. 

The process of the sand ceremony is simple.  It features two containers that are filled with two different colors of sand, usually the wedding colors.  There are a variety of containers you can choose from.  In the weddings I attended, they used a box and the other a glass vase; both decided to have the container etched with the wedding date and their names.  The container can be empty or filled with a base layer prior to the start of the ceremony.  Some versions of the sand ceremony have the priest or officiant pour in a neutral color of sand to represent God's presence in the couple's unity.

The bride and groom take alternating turns pouring in the color of sand they have chosen to represent themselves  Usually while the couple pours someone will share a short reading or statement about the significance of the combining of sand.  And there you have it! A great piece of your wedding, which can be displayed anywhere in the home and serve as a special reminder of that day and the many more to come in the marriage.

It's the symbolism that has really sparked such an interest in the sand ceremony.  Unity candles have dominated weddings for quite some time due to their own symbolism of the couple coming together to become one.  Candle ceremonies are great too, and also allow you to keep the unity candle as a keepsake.  But a lot of couples are leaning towards the sand due to the durability (candles don't do so well in wind), and the way to add their own personality to the keepsake through choice of sand colors and the container.

Sand Unity Ceremony in Friend's Wedding

It's hard to not like the symbolism of the sand ceremony.  The different colors representing the bride and groom which combine into layers of color, demonstrating that each individual has still retained their own identities and personalities.  But, if you take a closer look it is virtually impossible to pinpoint where each layer begins, that the grains of sand can't be truly separated.  I think that's pretty powerful stuff.  And apparently so do others.  What a wonderful representation of the "two becoming one," an idea that continues to resonate with couples.

This new trend of the sand unity ceremony becomes a colorful keepsake that serves as a powerful reminder of the unifying of the couple on their wedding day!