Perhaps because we are at the shore couples ask me for more information about sand ceremonies.It’s a natural fit with beach ceremonies, but you can also have a ceremony away from the beach, too.
On the beach, couples put the sand below their feet into a container creating a keepsake of the moment and the location. Away from the beach, colored sands from smaller containers are combined into a larger container. Unlike a unity candle, the sand won’t blow out on the beach.
Let’s start with the ceremony on the beach.
Part of a beach sand ceremony....
This is a great way to include children in the ceremony, and it opens up a tremendous opportunity for photographs. It appeals to children naturally. If you want hands to stay clean(er), provide small scoops or shovels. The wording of the ceremony usually has to do with the ground where you marry being sacred and keeping a piece of that with you.
One family had a glass cube that sealed shut etched with the names of the children around the sides, and the couple’s names, the date, and the name of the beach on the top. The cube had a seal and they planned to superglue the lid on when they got home. Lovely keepsake. Other couples chose an open container that they added a few shells and pebbles to as they walked along the water’s edge after the ceremony. The size is up to you–how big do you want the finished product to be? Where will you keep it? How many people will be adding to it? Consider a funnel if you choose a container with a small neck. Decide if you will have a small amount of sand put into the container or if you want to add a few handfuls and choose the appropriate size container. You don’t want to end up with a large container with sand barely covering the bottom.
Sand ceremony at Adventure Aquarium, Camden. Photo by Candid Moments Photography.
This photo is a sand ceremony I did at the Adventure Aquarium in Camden. Kristin, the bride, wanted the sand because it seemed like a perfect fit with the aquarium behind us. I’m holding the container that they are pouring into. Doug Burns of Candid Moments Photography did a great job shooting that wedding, by the way.
When doing a sand ceremony with sand from smaller containers, consider several variables.
First, determine if you are going to use sand from a beach or packaged sand. If you are marrying someone who is also from a coastal area, blending the sands from those two locations would be meaningful. The sand from Sandy Hook, New Jersey, is different from the sand of Island Beach State Park, Long Beach Island, or Cape May, so you may visually end up with a contrast, too. If you are using packaged sand, you can choose your favorite colors, your wedding colors, colors that match your decor at home, or colors that have symbolism to the two of you. If you are having children participate, you can either have each person have a color or divide it by family. If you and your future spouse already have a child together, you could premix the sand colors of the two of you into the container for your child to pour during the ceremony.
Consider the individual containers each person will pour from. Some people like the look of taller, thinner vases or bottles. Other prefer something smaller. You may want to use containers with a small spout to aid in the pouring. Don’t forget that on your wedding day, nerves may be a factor–don’t choose something that requires precision and a steady hand. One couple used test tubes and blended their sand into a large flask. Other couples have chosen decoratively shaped bottles.
Finally, decide what kind of container you want to keep your final product in. You can choose large or small, clear or frosted glass–your imagination can come into play here. One company, T & K Young Online sells hourglass containers you can fill. See the photos on their blog here. The laser-engraved keepsakes are pricey but a lovely touch.
Most of the ceremonies talk about how the sand granules, while individual, cannot be unmingled, just as your lives cannot be unmingled.
Remember that the sand ceremony uses the same symbolism as the unity candle, so you use this in place of the candle ceremony, not in addition to it.
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Compared to any other type of personalized wedding keepsake my hourglasses are both classy and a great value.
Not only can I laser engrave your entire wedding invitation or another message of your choice on one end-cap, but I can laser engrave your names and wedding date on the second cap as well.
My Wedding Hourglasses are not novelties. They are keepsakes that you will want to use forever.
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