Wedding Day Advice | Reception and Ceremony

Couples from all cultures around the world have used the unity ceremony as a meaningful way to symbolise love and commitment to one another as they join together as man and wife. Hand fasting, Communion, Glass Breaking and unity candles,  just to name a few have all been performed for a many number of years and are still practiced today. However, the Unity Sand Ceremony is fast becoming the preferred choice for the modern bridal couple.

Image courtesy of With This Ring

What is a Unity Sand Ceremony?

The basis of ceremony involves alternating colours of sand, poured into a specially selected vase by the bride and groom, which provides a visually symbolic representation of two lives becoming one as the grains of sand combine to form beautiful patterns in the vase.

The items needed to perform the sand ceremony typically includes a clear vase; two pouring vessels and coloured sand, with tones usually matching the wedding colour scheme or colours that have special significance to the couple.  If the neck of the vase is narrow, you might want to consider a paper funnel as well.

How to Perform the Wedding Sand Ceremony

Set a small table near to where you will be standing during your vows. Place the main sand vase in the center. Place the smaller pouring vases- each containing a different colour of sand- around the main vase.

Image courtesy of With This Ring

The wedding officiant initiates the Unity Sand Ceremony and explains the symbolism of the ritual by way of introduction. The couple is asked to approach the table to begin the sand pouring. The groom will normally be required to start pouring first, followed by the bride until the necessary levels of sand have been achieved.
There are many variations to the ceremony and a couple is able to choose-

• Their own wording for the ceremony
• Number of participants involved
• Number of sand colours used
• Number of layers of sand required
• When the ceremony is to be preformed
• Where the ceremony is to be preformed

What to do after the ceremony

Be sure to keep the filled vessel safe until after the nuptials where it can be sealed and placed safely out of harm’s way.

To seal the vessel you will need to fill the vase with the remaining sand, layering colours to create a consistent pattern, until there is 2-3 cm left at the top of the vase.

Melt clear wax or candle gel onto the sand until it is level with the top of the vase. Once sealed, the sand will remain in the vase, but be careful not to move it around too much as the sand could shift, which would change the pattern originally created during the ceremony, so it is well advised to place the vessel on a mantel or somewhere out of the way where it does not get moved too often.

How to incorporate the family into the ceremony

If either the bride or the groom has children, the Unity Sand Ceremony is a great way to include them in the wedding proceedings. Each family member receives a pouring vessel with their own sand colour and when the time arises will get to contribute to the final creation.