The Unity Sand Ceremony

A sand ceremony is a meaningful and trendy alternative to a unity candle ceremony. While the unity candle is a time honoured tradition and a moving addition to any wedding, it does bring about its own concerns when you have an outdoor beach wedding ceremony.

There have been many speculations regarding the origins of the sand ceremony. Some people believe it is a part of Native American wedding rituals and others argue that it originates from Hawaii as wedding couples would take sand from under their feet at a certain time during a Hawaiian wedding ceremony and pour it into a single container as a symbol of their joined future. Regardless of where it comes from, this is a beautiful and meaningful addition to your beach wedding ceremony or a very suitable alternative to a unity candle ceremony.

In a basic sand ceremony the bride and groom each have a container filled with coloured or beach sand which they empty into a third keepsake container to symbolize their joined lives and futures. There are many ways in which to individualize the sand ceremony to your liking. Here are a few examples:

1. Coordinate the colour of the sand to your wedding colours.

2. Incorporate special people in your lives into the ceremony such as your parents, siblings or close friends. If you already have children this is a beautiful way to make them part of your ceremony as well.

3. Pour the sand from large shells instead of the traditional glass containers.

4. Keep some sand in your individual containers to symbolize that you will not lose your individuality in the joining with another.

5. If you are not having your ceremony on the beach, then perhaps collect some sand from a beach that means something to the both of you and use this in your ceremony.

6. If you are marrying somebody from a different country than yourself, then collect sand from both your countries to make a truly meaningful ceremony.

7. For a spiritual or metaphysical approach to your sand ceremony simply let the sand from your individual containers flow into each other, into the wind and back into the beach. This is symbolic of your coming together as individuals and yet joining the oneness of humankind again.

8.If you want to carry this theme throughout your whole wedding you can also incorporate the same colour sand on your table decorations.

Sand Ceremony Examples:

Example 1:
Today you John and you Mary-Anne, are here to join your individual lives together. The two separate containers of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate circles of friends. They represent all that you are and all are capable on your own as an individual. They also represent your lives before coming here today. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, they will symbolize the coming together of the two of you as individuals as well as the joining of families and friends. Just as these grains of sand come together to make beautiful and unique patterns, may your life together be forever blessed by the others uniqueness that can only be truly seen when contrasted against each other.

Example 2:
John and Mary-Anne, have chosen to commemorate their marriage through a symbolic Sand Ceremony. This is symbolic of the joining of two separate lives into one. John and Mary-Anne will simultaneously pour separate containers of sand into a third and common vessel. Each grain of sand in their individual containers represents a unique and separate moment, decision, feeling or event that has helped to shape them into the unique individuals that they are today. As they pour their separate containers of sand into a common vessel, those separate and independent individuals will join to form a beautiful union with new moments, decisions, feelings and events to shape them from this day forward.

Example 3:
Today John and Mary-Anne have chosen to represent their love to each other in a special sand ceremony to symbolize their coming together as one. Please John and Mary-Anne, take your individual glass of sand and alternate the pouring of sand into this joining vessel and united, repeat after me: You are my chosen love. We blend together in harmony. My heart is like these grains of sands, merging with yours. We are together forever like the sand, like the wind. We are one.

Sand Ceremony Kit:

Available personalized on the center vase only with your first names or available with no personalization.

This complete ceremony set includes:

- One large unity vase
- Two couple pouring vases
- 2 lbs of white sand
- 2 lbs of silver sand - Engraving on large unity vase
- Instructions for use and ceremony wording options

Click here to order the sand ceremony kit.

Follow this link for some more ideas on personalizing your Beach Wedding Ceremony.