| By :
Sarah Simmons
A wedding ceremony symbolizes the commitment to work through life together—for better or worse, for richer or poorer. In a moment, two people's lives become one and also two extended families. This is a particularly special time when children are involved, as they too are greatly influenced by the joining of two families. A great way to honor children or other family members is to involve them in a unity sand ceremony. Sand ceremonies are performed by pouring different colors of sand into a vase, often preceded with an explanation of its meaning by the wedding officiant. As the sand pours, a unique blending effect occurs as the colors layer and blend with each other. The officiant will often conclude the unity sand ceremony with something like this: "Just as the mixed sand can never again be separated, neither can the lives of these two people." A variety of vase styles and sand colors are available for unity sand ceremonies. Many couples choose to use their favorite colors while others match the color theme of their wedding decorations. For religious wedding ceremonies, it is common for the center, main vase to have white sand at the bottom that symbolizes their faith as the foundation of their marriage. To prepare for the ceremony you will need one large vase and a smaller vase for each person participating. A great way to personalize this symbol of unity is to have the bride and groom's monogram and wedding date engraved onto the ceremony vase. You may select as many colors of sand as you would like, but choosing contrasting colors will allow for the most decorative results. After the ceremony, the vase is often moved to the cake table as a perfect complement to the wedding cake display. The best advice you can possibly hear regarding a sand ceremony is to practice at least one time before the actual wedding day. The best way is to fill the large vase to where you want with regular, uncolored sand. Then divide that sand between however many smaller vases will be used among the participants. Allow each person to practice pouring the sand into the larger vase in the right order and be sure to time how long it will all take. If you are having an outdoor ceremony, it's important to understand that wind can affect wedding decorations and make the pouring process difficult and messy, so you may have to alter the direction you approach the sand ceremony table depending on the direction of the wind. This is typically not an issue as switching the side of the table you stand on is a simple change. While the ceremony can be shared between just the bride and groom, it can also include as many family members and colors as you would like. Always keep in mind that this is your wedding, and while there are many wedding decoration trends, you should never be limited by rules or boundaries from having the ceremony you want. The unity sand ceremony is a beautiful and unique alternative to the traditional candle ceremony. While your guests enjoy witnessing the union of two lives, all will be amazed watching how beautifully the colors blend. The result is a beautiful and unique wedding keepsake to display in your home for years. Many display their sand ceremony vase next to their wedding cake topper as a reminder of their special day.
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