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How to Plan the Perfect Wedding Sand Ceremony

Amita Ray
For most of us the wedding sand ceremony means the coming together of two individuals or two families by holy matrimony. Choose to mark your special day with this elegant yet simple ceremony and bring home a memento of the day that you will always cherish.

Back with a Bang!

The almost forgotten ancient tradition was rehashed in Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter's wedding from the 2003 TV series Bachelorett, when the couple decided to mark their unison with this tradition.
Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your life. It is the day you embark on a lifelong journey holding the hands of the one you love. This day is all about you, your spouse, and your endless and untiring love for each other.
Wouldn't it be nice to have something that would remind of that joyous day every time you looked at it? To just simply remind you of the immense love you feel for your spouse when you got married!
The meaning of the wedding sand ceremony is the unison of the two families and loved ones, just like the intermingling of the different colors of sand that can never be separated. It is a simple yet elegant way to commemorate your wedding and have a beautiful souvenir that will last a lifetime to remind you of the happiest day of your life.
In this ceremony, the bride and groom pour sands of different colors in a clear glass vase, giving a unique amalgamation of colors that can sit on your mantle, adding to the beauty of your home. It can be a great alternative to the unity candle ceremony as it can be performed with ease in outdoor locations.

Gearing Up for the Wedding Sand Ceremony

Get the Right Vase

This is something that is going be a part of your home décor forever. It is therefore necessary that you get it right the first time! The right vase might help you do that. It is important to choose a clear glass vase so that the beautifully layered colors are visible.
What can make this even prettier is a pretty looking vase; there are many shapes that you can opt for. The ideal dimension of the vase can be around 10 inches in height and 2-3 inches in diameter.
You will also require two separate, slightly smaller vases to hold the sand before pouring it. Some people like to retain some amount of the sand in the vases to signify their individuality although they may function as one.
Make sure that the diameter of the smaller vases is not very large so that it is easier to pour the sand into the larger vase without making a mess. To give it your personal touch you can get your initials etched in the glass vase.

Get the Right Colors

Getting the colors right may be really important after all, it is the patterns created by these colors that makes the beauty of this vase. Choose colors that describe you the best.
You can incorporate your kids (if any) or other family members by making them pour sand of their favorite color in the beginning of the ceremony and also somewhere between the two layers poured by the two of you. In a religious ceremony, the priest has to pour white sand first to signify that God is the foundation of this marriage.

Make It Special

It is entirely your choice as to where you want to incorporate the ceremony in the wedding (it's your day after all!). Incorporating it at the end of the wedding ceremony or with the vows (one layer with each vow) might be a nice option to try.
You can choose to play a song that may be special for the two of you (not the song for your first dance) in the background during this. You don't want your guests to remain clueless about the ceremony, do you? Get the officiant to describe the ceremony and its significance so that your guests can appreciate the ceremony better.
With a variety of wedding sand ceremony kit available in the market, make yours unique by getting a hollow glass frame, in which you can fill the wedding sand and frame your wedding vows in them.

How to Do a Unity Sand Ceremony

Well now that you're all set for the wedding sand ceremony, here is a quick guide to the sand ceremony.
Step 1: The groom begins the ceremony by first pouring ⅓ of the sand in the vase.
Step 2: The bride then pours ⅓ of the sand in the vase to create another layer.
Step 3: The bride and groom can repeat the above steps or can even ask their family to join them in pouring colored sand into the vase.
In just three simple steps, you have a beautiful unity sand vase that you can cherish all your life! Make sure to add cotton to the top of the vase and seal it completely to prevent the sand from spilling, just in case it gets knocked over. If it's a destination wedding, we'd suggest you wrap the vase in a bubble wrap on your way back home.