Wedding Sand Ceremony - Comparisons to Unity Candle Ceremony Explained
A lot of couples these days are now choosing the Sand Ceremony. Like the Unity Candle Ceremony, a wedding using it carries over essentially the same symbolism--two lives becoming one in the process of matrimony.
In the Sand Ceremony at sandsationalsparkle.com, the mothers of both the bride and the groom are escorted in, each carrying a container of unity sand of varying colors. The container, usually a bottle, is used to represent the families, and is placed in a table. The couple then goes to it and pours their respective bottles to a third container, making sure that the sand is thoroughly mixed by pouring alternately. Once the sand is poured in, it can't ever be separated once more, which symbolizes the same for the couple's marriage. Additionally, the sand ceremony container is a great keepsake to remember by their joyous union years later.
The Unity Sand Ceremony is much safer compared to the Unity Candle Ceremony. After all, the latter requires the mothers of both the bride and the groom to light the side tapered candles while being escorted in--representative of each party's families. The couple takes the side candles and uses them to light a larger candle at the center, which essentially means merging two lives together. It is not recommended for outdoor weddings, however; depending on location, the candles could go out due to several environmental effects such as the wind. Of course, using Sandsational Sparkle as wedding sand could be much better than using Unity Candles. There is one thing to consider when handling it--ensure that the sand is never exposed to liquids before the ceremony starts. If it gets damp, it becomes clumped inside the bottle, which could lead to embarrassing situations, since it gets stuck inside the container.
The Sand Ceremony is also used for blended families at times. In these occasions, children are mostly encouraged to pour the sand into the container instead. Many enjoy doing so, as they are able to participate in the ceremony. It gives a deeper symbolism, however, since involving children means the creation of an entirely new family. Learn more about wedding sand at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding.
All in all, the Wedding Sand Ceremony is a novel way of expressing the unity of the couple to be wed. It is much safer compared to the Unity Candle Ceremony, and in a sense it is less overdone. Regardless of preference, the two ceremonies still has the same symbolism.