Sand or Unity candle? The people who have had them.

hales2010

So I am really wanting to do either a sand ceremony or something similar at the ceremony. I was wondering form people who have had them how they work. I have never seen one (even with going to 14 weddings). I am just wondering how they work or if any one did something similar to these things! Thanks!

daria24

We had a sand ceremony. After the ring exchange, we walked over to the table and poured the sand while a friend read a short explanation. Then we signed our marriage license. Then we pronounced ourselves husband and wife.

I've seen a few unity candles at different churches-some Catholic, some other Christian denominations. Usually the family members who light the two candles will get up and light them before the processional starts. Then the bride and groom light the candle immediately after the ring exchange. At the last Catholic wedding I went to, the bride and groom lit the candle after the gifts were brought up. 

erinlin25

We did the Unity Candle.  Our moms each lit the candles as part of the Processional. And then H and I took each candle to light the Unity candle during our ceremony while the reverend did the explanation.  It is quick and easy to do.  Be mindful of weather though. If you are outdoors it can be tricky to keep them lighted!  Even in 100 degree weather, the candles did not stay lit

I have seen the sand ceremony before. Similar approach to the unity candle.  Friends of ours used different colored "beans" and they mixed in a vase that they keep in their house now.

CMGragain

There was a recent thread about these ceremonies : http://forums.theknot.com/discussion/1023477/unity-candle#latest

mrssharpe3

I have seen both done and they are both beautiful. We actually did a "dirt" ceremony. We each filled a jar with dirt from important places in our lives. I had some from my parent's house, college, camp, lake house and such. Then we poured them together. We recently just bought a house and poured our dirt in our backyard and if we ever move we will fill the jar from the same spot in the backyard. One side note though that we didn't think about… dirt does not pour as nicely as sand. 

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iloveu4ever

We plan on doing sand ceremony.

Knottie37373131

I do not know why, but I am obsessed with having a sand ceremony. We are having a destination wedding but they offer them so Fiance and I will be having one. I just think it would be something nice to save forever.

mrsmorales2be

My cousin decided that I have to have a sand ceremony at my wedding.  I assured her I do not.  I'm not opposed to them, by any means - I simply do not want to have one, and definitely do not want her input.  I still lean towards unity candles, though. 

MollyandD

At first, we planned on neither. When we went to my dad's wedding, my fiancé loved how during the sand ceremony, the minister said that once the sand was poured together, it could never be separated back into the original containers. The minister compared that to the way that once people are married, they cannot be separated. My fiancé liked that so much, that he requested we do it too.

MollyandD

You asked how they worked. I'm sure you know by now, but I'm going to share anyway. 

I bought two colors of sand from Hobby Lobby and two small vases for pouring from Dollar Tree. I tried to make sure the vases had large enough openings that pouring sand would be easy and not take too long. I found an inexpensive shadow box to pour the sand into, and I had our names and wedding date engraved in the glass. 

On my wedding day (one week away!!!), I will put my pink sand in one vase and his blue sand in the other. The vases plus the shadow box will go up to the front of the ceremony location before the wedding starts. Once we get up there, we will pour our sand together while the minister talks about the meaning of the sand pouring. 

After it's done, I plan to glue the shadow box shut. It will then be something I can display on a shelf in our home.