Our Custom Sand Ceremony

Our Custom Sand Ceremony

September 27th, 2010 @ 8:11 am by Mrs. Meerkat
Share

From the start, I liked the idea of a unity ceremony. Having a physical object symbolizing our union that we could take home after the ceremony just gave me the warm fuzzies. The most popular unity ceremony is the unity candle. You have probably all seen this at some point; it’s where the bride and groom light a candle together. Knowing that lighting a candle outdoors would present a challenge, the sand ceremony was a heaven-sent solution and TOTALLY fit in with our wedding on the beach.

Source

I read through many wordings for the sand ceremony, but nothing was exactly right. I wanted something that mentioned our families coming together and also had a part for our mothers to participate in. I found the wording I liked the most at celebrateintimateweddings.com, but it still wasn’t exactly what I was looking for.

As usual when I can’t find something I want, I ended up just making it myself. I thought I should share it with all of you in case anyone else can’t quite find that right wording either.

OFFICIANT: Mama Meerkat and Mama-In-Law Meerkat, please come forward and fill these two smaller containers with sand. (Our moms fill the two small vases from the beach we are on.)

Miss Meerkat and Mr. Meerkat , you come here today from two separate families. From these two families a new family will be created. Today you join your lives and families together. (Our moms hand us the vases.)

The two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families, and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you’ll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. (We pour our two vases into the large container.)

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vases, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable.

Have you rewritten a ceremony or reading to make it more personal?

Tags: riviera-maya, traditions |

Share |

Latest Gallery Pics

Hot Pink and White with Zebra 36" Lighted Spandex Ostrich Feather Centerpiece

13 Responses to “Our Custom Sand Ceremony”

Member

bunnylovesbear (message) 1,726 posts, Bumble bee

This wording is perfect. I especially like how the mothers will be collecting sand from the beach you are getting married on!

9/27/10 @ 8:24 am (reply)

Member

Masala (message) 476 posts, Helper bee

That sounds great! I actually made up a unity ceremony for us - a tea pouring ceremony (no relation to the Japanese or Korean ones). So I had to make up my own wording as well.

9/27/10 @ 8:37 am (reply)

Member

lindseyrose (message) 130 posts, Blushing bee

We did a sand ceremony too! I wrote it myself because we did something a little unique. My husband is a California surfer guy, and grew up on the Lake Michigan beach. He brought sand from his favorite beach in CA and I brought sand from my favorite MI beach and our pastor talked about joining these two families from two different backgrounds and places together. It was beautiful! I wrote a bunch of our ceremony myself because I wanted to put our spin on it. It was one of my favorite parts of wedding planning!

9/27/10 @ 8:45 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Glasses (message) 2,741 posts, Sugar bee

Wow! Awesome! I’m sure you’ve just inspired lots of people

9/27/10 @ 8:50 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Meerkat (message) 3,216 posts, Sugar bee

@lindseyrose: That is such a great idea! I would LOVE to see your wording if you still have it. =)

9/27/10 @ 8:57 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Elephant (message) 6,182 posts, Bee Keeper

I love how you are incorporating you moms and families into the wording for the sand ceremony!

9/27/10 @ 9:02 am (reply)

Member

lindseyrose (message) 130 posts, Blushing bee

@Miss Meerkat– here was our wording! I don’t think this is the final draft, but close.

“Eric and Lindsey, today you join your separate lives together in the covenant of marriage. These two separate vessels of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends.

The sand that Lindsey brought today is from the shores of Lake Michigan, and Eric brought sand all the way from the Pacific Ocean. Together, these distinctly different vessels of sands will become one today.

This Michigan sand and this California sand represent all that you, Lindsey and Eric, have been as individuals. They also represent your lives before today. As these two vessels of sand are poured into the third vessel, the separation of these sands will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. (Lindsey and Eric pour sand together) Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vessels, so will your marriage be.”

9/27/10 @ 9:07 am (reply)

Member

BeadFloraJewels (message) 80 posts, Worker bee

What a great idea. This is the first I’ve heard of a sand ceremony…the wording is perfect.

Lindseyrose- I loved how you guys got sand from your favorite beaches…that makes it even more special!

xoxo,
Fen

9/27/10 @ 9:42 am (reply)

Bee

Miss Meerkat (message) 3,216 posts, Sugar bee

@Masala: *heart* I love the idea of using something unique like tea. Too bad Mr. M. is a coffee addict and not a tea one like me otherwise I bet he would love to do something like this.

@lindseyrose: I LOVE YOUR WORDING! I love how you incorporated the two locations. That is just perfect!

9/27/10 @ 9:43 am (reply)

10.

Bee

Miss Meerkat (message) 3,216 posts, Sugar bee

@BeadFloraJewels: I can’t take credit for finding it. I saw a while ago on the forums talking about it. =)

9/27/10 @ 9:49 am (reply)

11.

Member

jgoulart (message) 1,069 posts, Bumble bee

Our officiant wrote a beautiful sand ceremony for us. Fit our personalities to a tee.

9/27/10 @ 12:04 pm (reply)

12.

Member

JuneBride_26June2010 (message) 1,739 posts, Bumble bee

Absolutely! We did a sand ceremony as well and the way we did it - since he didn’t want our parents involved, I had my minister (/godfather) help me re-write the wording. Since I grew up in the salvation army church, the churches colors are red, yellow and blue for the red =blood of jesus, the yellow = the fire of the spirit and blue = the purity of god. So - of course, we used those three colors as our sand and I had one of our three ministers (long story) pour the yellow as the “base” of the marriage while we poured the red and blue. Our minister who helped re-write the ceremony has been with the SA for 30+ years so he wrote the perfect wording. Everyone absolutely loved our sand ceremony and said they’d never seen anything like it.

9/27/10 @ 6:02 pm (reply)

13.