The Sand Ceremony

The sand ceremony was one of our favorite parts of the ceremony and something we came across while researching weddings and unity ceremonies. The unity candle is the more traditional version of this ceremony, but with an outside wedding, sand is becoming more and more common so that the wind doesn't extinguish the flame. Our wedding was supposed to be outside but due to the weather it was moved inside. We were totally fine with still using the sand because the final result is something we can keep and cherish in our home as part of our decor! Instead of the mothers carrying in the candles, or lighting each side to symbolize their child, our moms carried in jars of sand that represented each of us.

Here is the wording of the ceremony for those of you not familiar!

You have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings. This beautiful union is symbolized through the combining of these two individual jars of sand. The first jar represents you Jamie, in all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other jar represents you Matt, in all that you were, all that you are and all that you will ever be. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create an entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination. Please pour the sand into this common container to symbolize the union of your two lives. This container of sand now represents your new life together, although you are two separate people your lives are now entwined as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be a molding of two individual personalities, bonded together forming one heart, one love. The life that each of you experienced now, individually, will hereafter be inseparably united, for the two shall become one.

The first layer was poured by the preacher and represented our foundation of God, friends and family.

Then Matt poured in a thin layer representing who he is as an individual.

And I did the same...

And then we poured together to finish it!

And here is our sand! It's corked and in our living room!

And there you have it! :)