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Archive for the ‘Ceremony’ Category

Imagine leaving the chapel with your new spouse and walking under an arch of sabers.  There is no more dramatic and tear-inducing way to start a marriage!  Military weddings do much more than offer pomp and circumstance and pageantry; they honor patriotism, sacrifice, and service.  Men and women in the service vow to protect and serve their country; it is a very powerful and moving experience when they vow to love and honor their spouses as well.  A military wedding is memorable for everyone on the guest list, so start planning now!

As you might expect, military weddings carry with them a great amount of tradition, ritual, rules, and regulations.  But in many respects, planning a military ceremony is just like planning a “regular” one: you need to start early.  Just as desired venues get scooped up fast, especially during peak seasons, military chapels and halls are also booked well in advance.  It is advisable to book your chapel and reception venue a year in advance by applying to the chaplain’s office.  Check to make sure you are eligible for a military wedding as some rules apply.

If the service is performed at a military chapel or on academy grounds, the chaplain charges no fee, but do plan on making a donation to the chapel.  Some chapels allow another clergy person to co-officiate, so do ask if you would like to pursue that option – and you will have to pay that officiant’s fee.  Your chaplain may require pre-wedding counseling as well.

Speak with your chaplain about proper seating as there are some guidelines to consider.  Also ask about flowers and chapel decorations because rules vary.  The Chapel Altar Guild does arrange the flowers, candelabra, and other décor, and this is the same for every wedding.  You may have to provide your own reception decoration or even plan it yourself.  Part of the appeal of military weddings is the sense of tradition, and this extends to every detail, down to the decorations. And don't forget to look into matching wedding accessories as well.

Military weddings are gorgeous, and a large part of that are the uniforms.  Officers or enlisted personnel in the bridal party wear their uniforms (which may differ depending on the seasonal regulations or formality of the wedding).  A black-tie affair, for instance, would require dinner or mess dress uniforms, while a white-tie and tails event would require evening dress uniforms.  Non-commissioned officers wear dress blues or Army greens, and none of the uniformed service people wear a boutonniere.  Guests who serve in the military can choose to wear their uniforms or civilian clothing.

What if the bride is an officer?  Does she have to wear her uniform?  She may, but she may also wear a bridal gown, if she chooses.  Even the military knows not to mess with the dress.

There are also rules for the receiving line and reception.  For example, if the groom is uniformed, he must be before the bride in the receiving line.  Again, your chaplain is a great resource and can help you follow the regs – and have a great wedding!

The arch of the sabers (or swords, for the Navy) is optional, but it is often a highlight of the ceremony. Surprise; there are rules for this too!  In the Army, for instance, the couple exits the church under the arch.  In the Navy and Marines, the ushers usually form the saber detail, while in the Air Force, they cannot.  Regardless of the branch of the military, it is a stunning tradition.

From seating and decorations to dress and cutting the cake, there are rituals and traditions in every detail of the ceremony and reception. The rules and regulations may seem overwhelming at first, but chaplains (and handy websites!) are there to guide you through your military wedding preparations.

Related Articles:

• Remembering the Men and Women Who Serve
• Creative Groomsmen Gift Ideas
• Inspiration: Nautical & Sailor Style Wedding

If the thought of months of wedding planning, family arguments and huge outlays of money makes you want to run off and elope, you have a few things to consider. It may very well be a good idea for you to head off to an exotic destination or even to city hall, but your choice will not be without its own challenges.

First, you risk hurting someone’s feelings. If your mom or dad had their heart set on throwing you a big wedding, count the cost of running off without them. If you just want to rush it because the thought of all that planning makes you crazy, hire someone to help out. A good wedding planner will take a lot of the work off your plate. If it’s a matter of cost, you could plan a more casual, smaller wedding and still include those you love.

But perhaps your reasons for eloping are that you are so in love and want to be married right away. Perhaps you just aren’t the big wedding type and a smaller ceremony is the only thing that will work for you and your partner. You’ll want to know how and where to elope to make it memorable.

First, check with local laws about marriage licenses. If you’re going for the city hall civil ceremony, just call your local town hall or city marriage bureau (find them online or in the phone book), and ask them what the process entails. Do you need blood tests? Is there a waiting period after you apply for the license? Every state is different, so don’t risk being disappointed because you didn’t take time to get the facts.

Who do you want to officiate? Do you want the justice of the peace? Find out if he or she is available. A justice of the peace may be an employee if the city hall or of a courthouse nearby. You can have a civil ceremony any place they will be willing to meet you. Consider a park or local spot of beauty or inspiration. It can be outside or inside. It’s still legal as long as you have applied for and gotten your marriage license and the person is legally authorized to marry people in your state (be sure to ask if they are, don’t assume!)

If you want to hop a plane and tie the knot, have a Las Vegas wedding. It is the wedding capital of the world and for good reason. There is no waiting time between applying for a marriage license and having the ceremony in Vegas. The city hall stays open 24 hours for just this purpose. Hundreds of tiny wedding chapels line the streets. You can pop in for a quick wedding and even drive through to get married without getting out of your car! Marry at the little chapel Elvis and Priscilla did, or choose from any of the modern, attractive and all-inclusive chapels. You can go as fancy as you like. Many chapels will rent you a dress and shoes and flowers. The groom can get his tux too on rental. You can run in and be married in a few minutes.

But keep in mind that the highest volume of weddings in Las Vegas are on Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve, so plan your trip accordingly.

Related Articles:

• How to Announce that You Have Eloped
• Las Vegas Wedding Invitations

The flower girl is one of the most adorable people at the wedding. Yes, she’s often cute enough to steal the show. And no one will mind. But if you’re in charge of the little darling, you’ll want to know what’s going to be expected of her.

Depending on the flower girl’s age, you’ll want to brief her about her responsibilities. Tell her how exciting it will be that she’s the bride’s special helper.  You’ll want to show her how to carry a flower girl basket of petals or explain what the bride will have her hold. Tell her that she’ll be walking ahead of the bride down the aisle at the ceremony and that she’ll get to sit down after that.

The flower girl duty is usually the highlight of any girls little life, so you won’t have trouble talking her into doing the right thing. She’ll probably talk about it for months before the wedding in excited anticipation. Just be sure you don’t overdo it with the build-up as the actual day may then be overwhelming for her. Just act casual about it and go on about your business. But don't forget her when it's time to give your bridal party thank you's, and give her a special flower girl gift for being your main little lady.

Now, the bride may not want her flower girl to throw petals. Maybe the venue doesn’t allow it or she’s just chosen to go with a bouquet. Be sure to ask the bride before mentioning it to the flower girl. She will remember exactly what you told her she’ll be holding, so get it right or risk tears. If she will be sprinkling petals, let her try with pieces of paper ahead of time at home. She’ll love the pretend play. Make sure she doesn’t dump a big bunch at the start and have nothing for the end of the aisle. No one will expect the flower girl to create a perfect layer of flower petals. Most times, a bride will have the petals put down ahead of time and the flower girl can just add a few extra touches as she walks down. Often with a big crowd and cameras, the flower girl will get shy and end up throwing nothing. It’s okay. Everyone will remember how darling she looked.

If you are the mom of the flower girl, you’ll pay for her attire. It may be a miniature bridesmaid dress or it may be an entirely separate design. You’ll need to find out which bridal shop the bride wants you to go to then get her fitted. You’ll pay for her tights and shoes as well as any veil or head dress the bride has chosen.

Keep your little lady occupied and don’t get her dressed until the moment before the photos are being taken. One spill of breakfast and her dress is ruined. Enlist someone to help keep an eye on her if you aren’t going to be at the session right before the wedding where the bridesmaids gather with the bride and take photos. Your flower girl should be a part of that time, as it will be very special to her. Don’t expect the bridesmaids or the bride to run around after her. And don’t ask a nervous mother of the bride or groom either. Ask a relative who is not in the party to keep her close by if you aren’t there.

When the time for the big walk down the aisle, your flower girl may be a natural. Or she may seize up with stage fright. If it looks like she may be hesitant, stand up near the altar and gently encourage her silently to come down the aisle to you. She may not do it perfectly, but no one will care. If she’s having a meltdown from all the excitement, don’t force her. Just take her off to the side and reassure her it’s ok.

Have something for her to do at the ceremony, like color, if she’s not going to be standing up with the bride.

More of the Bridal Party Duties:

• Duties of a Ring Bearer
• Maid of Honor Duties
• Bridal Party - Duties of an Usher
• Duties of a Groomsmen

Having a unity candle as part of your wedding service is a nice touch. The reason for it is to signify the uniting of two different families or two different individuals into one loving, committed body.  The use of unity candle lighting may have started as part of church wedding ceremonies as far back as the 1930s, but no one is really sure where the unity candle came from.

The way a unity candle ceremony is carried out is up to the bride and groom. The only real must-haves are three candles. These candles are usually one larger pillar candle on a base and two smaller taper candles in candle sticks. The candles are usually white but can also be personalized or monogrammed.

The two single candles are lit typically at the beginning of the wedding procession. Both the mother of the bride and groom can come forward and light the candles or the bride and the groom can light them themselves. If any children are present from previous marriages, they might want to light the candles as a way of showing the two families are uniting.

The ceremony usually takes place after he vows have been said. The priest or pastor will stop the ceremony to explain why the candles are being lit and how the tradition of showing oneness is represented in this part of the ceremony. The bride and groom will each take a thin candle off its holder and bring it over to the unity candle. They will together light the flame of the center unity candle as a way of showing their committed love and oneness.

That’s where the traditional parts end. Couples are choosing to use the unity candle indoors or out, in traditional and informal wedding ceremonies. It’s a nice addition, but there are no set rules on how to include the candles in a wedding ceremony. It’s fun to add personal touches to the service, so this is one way that couples show their style. They may use large cathedral type candles, earthy colored candles, or candles in the wedding color themes.

If you’re thinking of using a unity candle in your wedding, you can find lovely examples online of both the actual candles you can purchase as well as how others have used the ceremony. You are free to use the candles for interfaith marriages as they do not belong to any one tradition. Many people think the unity candle is a Catholic tradition because it’s most often used there, but it actually belongs to no specific faith or religion.

Most brides and grooms choose to save their unity candles as a memento and relight them on anniversaries. It’s a nice thing to pull out of the wedding trunk every now and then. Some couples will use the center unity candle on their milestone anniversary wedding cakes.

Use your imagination as to how you’d like to make the unity candle tradition special for you and your families. Include people who are special to you and it will take on a very important tone. But don’t feel that you have to do it any special way. It can be as different and as carefree as you yourselves are.

More on Ceremony Accessories:

1. The Wedding Sand Ceremony Trend
2. Personalized Wedding Ceremony Accessories

Many brides and grooms choose to incorporate a wedding arch into their wedding ceremony or reception. Whether you’re hosting your wedding outdoors in a backyard, at a fine resort, or indoors in a simple ballroom, you can have the arch you’ve always dreamed about.

Outdoors, you can go big and bold with your arch and wedding reception decorations. Think about the setting. Is it on the beach? Bring your arch down to the sand and set it up. Have palm fronds decorating it or pick your favorite flowers to drape over it. Just secure the flowers with floral twine so they don’t blow away in the wind. That goes for any arch. Secure the flowers even if they are indoors so they don’t get bumped and knocked over.

You can find lightweight arches at just about any home supply store. They come disassembled so they are easy to carry and transport. You set them up at the reception most times by screwing poles together.

Cover your arch completely with swags of either silk or real flowers. Or leave some of the metal exposed and drape tulle around it for a glowing, gossamer feel. You may want to drape ornate hanging flowers so that you look like you’re standing under something that would be found in a magical fairy woodland. Your florist can help you decide on a design.

Your arch may be part of the landscape already in place at a reception hall. In that case, ask the hall what they typically use to decorate it. They may have seasonal flowers or lights and you’ll save yourself some expense and time running around.

If your arch is indoors, you can set it up so that as people enter the ballroom or dance area they pass under it. You can do this with satin and lights or flowers in your theme colors. The indoor arch need not be as fancy as the outdoor one as you are going to have your tables and other wedding centerpieces to accent the room as well. Sometimes all you need is a drape of fabric and a few swags of flowers.

Consider having an arch as your photo station if you are offering wedding photos. Sometimes couples set up a digital camera on a tripod or have a photographer set up near an arch to take guests’ photos (kind of like at the prom). You can do this, too, with a simple arch decorated in your wedding colors.

Incorporate a small, fabric draped table under an arch for your guest book. Guests will wander over to see what it is and you’ll be sure to get lots of signatures. Or you could house your gift box there. Guests can drop their gift cards into a slotted, decorated box that’s on a table under an arch. It’s a pretty way to discreetly place your box. While guests are marveling at the beauty of the arch, they’ll remember to drop off their card.

There’s no saying arches have to be made of any certain material. Have one made of bamboo or evergreens or wood wrapped in fabric. Have one entirely made of topiary bushes cut to form the arch. Go with a square shape or round, it’s up to you.

Think outside the traditional when going with an arch. It’s your day so make your arch unique and personal.

More decorating tips:

• How to Decorate a Barn for a Country Wedding
• Winter Wedding Ideas
• Planning a Cherry Blossom Wedding
• Eco-Friendly Wedding Tips and Ideas
• Outdoor Wedding Decorations
• Planning A Beach Wedding

So you want to have a Las Vegas wedding? Whether you plan on doing a spur of the moment ceremony or want to fly in friends and family, Vegas offers an exciting backdrop for the wedding of your dreams.

Getting a License

First thing you will need is a marriage license. You will need to get that through the Nevada Marriage Licenses bureau. You can find them at:

Clark County Court House
200 South Third Street, First Floor
Las Vegas, Nevada 89115
702-455-4415

They stay open until midnight most nights, and on holidays they are open 24-hours. You’ll need to be at least 18 or have written parental consent if you’re 16 or 17. You’ll need to bring photo identifications, so call the Court House to see which documents they require to avoid disappointment. No blood tests are required. For a cash fee of $35, you’ll be granted a license you can use any time within one year from the issue date.

The Finer Points

As you might imagine, there are a host of businesses in Vegas that specialize in nothing but weddings. You’ll find more information online than you ever thought possible. Everything you need to know about a Vegas wedding can be found by searching “Vegas wedding” online. Ideas for chapels, reception venues, cakes, flowers and more abound. www.vegasweddingguide is a great source as is www.vegas.com, the official Las Vegas travel site.

Planning Logistics

Assuming you live outside the greater Las Vegas area, you’ll need to plan how you are going to get your guests into town. Allow guests enough time to make their travel arrangements. Send out Save the Date cards up to a year in advance if you can. Block out rooms at a hotel for guests and include that information with the card. Try to make everything as simple as possible for people.

Other things such as Vegas wedding favors or table centerpieces can get really creative. Play up your Las Vegas theme, and pick favors and decor that will be really fun for you and your guests. If you’re planning an elopement, keep reading.

Eloping

What an adventure to fly off to Vegas with just you and your fiancé to get married! If this is the route you are choosing, you can add little traditional elements that make the day special. There are bakeries in Las Vegas that will deliver you a miniature wedding cake for free. You and your new husband can enjoy it back at your hotel room. And speaking of hotels, there are many wonderful packages offered that include the wedding ceremony and hotel. You can find those on the internet. Often for as little as $199 you can have the ceremony and a night at a nice hotel.

There are also companies that will do your whole wedding outdoors in a garden or park including limo, flowers and champagne. Check out www.lasvegasmasterpieceweddings.com as a starting point. They’ll even include a minister for you! Other companies will provide a helicopter wedding complete with transport from your hotel to the top of a canyon for the ceremony. You can even get a violinist and special foods and beverages included. Vegas offers everything from gondola ride weddings to the original Elvis chapel. So dream big. If you can dream it, Vegas can accommodate it.

Consider…

While it may sound romantic to fly off to Vegas to get married, keep some important factors in mind.

• From May through September, temperatures can often reach a scorching one hundred degrees or hotter. A bridal gown with long sleeves or a heavy tuxedo jacket may not be the best option. Also, consider the time of year you’re going. Valentine’s Day and New Year’s Eve are two of the most crowded times for weddings in Vegas. You might want to plan for fall or early spring to beat the wedding chapel lines.
• You can actually rent a wedding gown in Vegas! This might be something to consider so you don’t have to invest a fortune in a dress you’ll wear once.
• Have your hair and makeup done in the hotel’s spa. It will save you having to run around looking for a stylist. And have your coiffure done right before you plan to leave for the ceremony so it doesn’t fall flat.
• If this is either party’s second marriage, you’ll need to have your divorce decree handy. You’ll need to provide the exact date and state of the divorce before you’ll be able to get a new license.

For more tips on Las Vegas weddings, try:

• Vegas Themed Wedding Cake Ideas
• Decorating for your Las Vegas Wedding
• Las Vegas Wedding Invitations
• Planning a Las Vegas Wedding

Your wedding day is probably a day that you have imagined and dreamed of since before you met your fiancé.  The emotion and excitement are probably overflowing in your heart and mind.  You have found and chosen each other and decided that you want to spend the rest of your lives together.  When it is time to make it official, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the things you want to say to the love of your life and the feelings you want to describe to everyone at your wedding.  If you choose to write your own vows, while you may feel no shortage of emotions, thoughts and words, there are a few do's and don’ts to bear in mind.

Do clear things with the institution that will marry you

If you are getting married in a church, Catholic and Episcopal congregations may require that you include the traditional vows.

Do plan your vows with your fiancé

While you may want to surprise each other on the big day, it is important to make sure you are both on the same page so one of you doesn’t bring the audience to tears while the other starts cracking jokes.

Do brainstorm together

Sit down and reminisce about how you felt when you first met and started dating.

Do make an outline

Once you have your thoughts and emotions out in the open, make a plan and organize them.  You need structure so that no one gets lost during the ceremony.

Do practice

You should practice but not just with each other – it is best to find people you trust to give you honest opinions on how it sounds to someone other than the two of you.

Don’t forget the two of you are individuals

Your wedding vows should complement each other but they don’t have to be the same.

Don’t use clichés

It is wonderful if a movie or song capture the way you two feel about each other and how it felt to find love, but this is your chance to be original. This is your wedding and your love.  Speak from the heart and use your own words.

Don’t make promises you can’t keep

Your future spouse is not going to forget what you say, so you’d better not say anything you won’t be able to stick to for the rest of your life together.

Don’t put on a show for your audience

Your vows are to each other.  Yes, you will have an audience, but the most important members are the two of you.

Don’t be sloppy

Your vows should be natural and from the heart, but don’t forget to go through and edit. No vows are perfect, but you want them to be as wonderful as possible.

So you've gotten engaged and you're starting to plan. There's so much to do (find a church, find the reception spot, find your dress, bridesmaid dresses, tuxes, pick out flowers, cakes, jewelry, gifts for your bridal party, food, wedding favors, *breathe* and more.) So where on earth do you even start? There are hundreds of websites out there that try to help, and even more websites out there that are out to sell, sell, sell. So which ones are worth it?

Well we've done the research for you to help the wedding planning go a little bit easier. To really make it work for you, the bride, we've also segmented the sites into two different categories; free and paid. It's your choice whether you have it in your budget to pay for a site to stay organized, or maybe you're just looking for ideas and you'd rather have a site that's free. Either way is perfectly fine!

Free Wedding Planning Websites

TheKnot.com - Yes, you probably saw this one coming on the list but it's typically a bride favorite. It gives you your own wedding page, allows you to shop thousands of wedding gowns, features to-do lists, guest lists, budget tools, local wedding resources and lots more.

OneWed.com - A lesser known site with just as many options. OneWed offers bridal gown searches, cake designs, hair ideas, a personal checklist for the big day, a wedding website, and lots of advice from other OneWed members as well.

Brides.com - It requires a few steps to sign up, but when you do, you have access to bridal gowns, real wedding ideas, a budget planner, honeymoon help, to-do checklist, and of course, your own wedding website (seeing a trend here?) They also feature bridesmaid and mother-of-the-bride dresses as well.

OneStopWeddingPlanner.com - This site is amazing, they have everything you could ever need starting with food, music, floorplan, transportation, budget, wedding party, photographer, registries, guestlist, flowers, agenda, calendar and lots more. You may have to host your wedding site somewhere else, but it may just be worth it if these options help!

OurWeddingDay.com - Okay, so you want to get on the wagon for the online RSVP's. Not a problem, this site has that going on. They also feature a task-list manager, a contact list, budget-planner, save-the-dates, and more. This one doesn't have too many bells and whistles, but it is most certainly helpful.

PerfectWeddingGuide.com - Supporting you locally, this site helps you find DJ's, flowers, dresses, cakes, favors, invites, rings, and lots more. Plus it features a guest list, a budget tracker, and a custom to-do list for you to keep up with what's left to be done on your timeline.

MarthaStewartWeddings.com - This one is another great site that has more wedding planning tools than you might know what to do with. She even offers a seating chart section (how great is that?) Plus, she gives you etiquette tips for the big day. Other helpful tools include a budget tool, checklist tool, guests tool, vendor tool and vendor search as well!

Paid Wedding Planning Websites

eWedding.com - This site allows you to create a very customized wedding website for free (and your own domain name on a paid plan) There are additional features when you upgrade, plus you can place a poll, events list and RSVP right there on the website to keep everyone up-to-date on what's happening next. Not to mention your own mailing list to use for communicating with your bridal party.

WeddingWindow.com - This might be the best wedding planning site out there. Your options are almost limitless starting with a budget tracker, invitation workshop, thank-you note workshop, a checklist, reminders, personal journal, calendar, vendor list, email blasts, invitation tracker, event manager, save-the-date cards, guest list manager and more.

WeddingTracker.com - Equally impressive, this site has it all. Your own wedding website with personal domain, online RSVP, maps, news & update alerts for your guests, attendants, registry, photo section, guest book, accommodations, and more.

Get Planning!

Hopefully this helps you along with planning your wedding! With so much to do on a limited timeline and budget, it's great to be organized and prepared for the busy months ahead! Do you have a wedding planning site not seen here, but you think it's great? Let us know! It might just help out another bride!

For more bridal essentials, try some of the helpful articles:

• Planning A Wedding - Tips and Timelines
• Planning a Destination Wedding
• Should You Send Save the Date Cards?
• Announcing your Engagement
• Choosing a DJ versus a Live Band
• How to Register for Wedding Gifts
• Wedding Budget

Location, location, location – the word that will be constantly on your mind in the early stages of planning a wedding. Venue choice is probably the most important decision you’ll make about your wedding day – apart from deciding to tie the knot in the first place. These days, the possibilities are endless. The Marriage Act of 1994 changed the face of wedding locations, allowing ceremonies to be performed in buildings other than churches and registry offices.

Since then, almost every stately home, hotel or any place that has the commodities for a wedding can become ‘approved premises’ with a licence to marry. Civil ceremonies now make up 68% of marriages, only 32% of couples getting hitched in a traditional church. So, you could walk around a city and eye up the appealing buildings or stop to enquire at a beautiful country manor house – nearly everywhere is a potential spot for the big day.

So, how can you begin to narrow down this seemingly endless list of options? Well, knowing what kind of wedding you want is the place to start: small or large, expensive or budget, traditional or whacky – all of these concepts will affect the location. With this in mind, here are the five basic categories that wedding venues appear under. Choosing one of these will rule out at least four-fifths of the possibilities!

Traditional

There are still 32% out there taking the traditional route down the aisle. With many beautiful churches in the UK – grand and quaint, rural and urban – there will be one to suit whatever budget you’ve worked out. Maybe this is the way you’ve always imagined the wedding, ever since you started dating. There is something comforting in the familiarity of this setting - a building where you’ll know the same ceremony has been performed many times over the centuries. The only drawback is you will then need to choose another location for the reception!

Historical

Although churches could also be classed as historical, there is something intrinsically romantic about an old castle or tumbled-down mansion. Usually in the middle of the countryside with extensive grounds, these places will add an extra interest for your guests, with secret corners and gardens to explore. The architecture will also be fascinating – in the only way century-old buildings can be.

Personal Locations

It’s always worth considering locations that mean something special to you as a couple. People find love in shopping centres, parks and all sorts of everyday places. But if you can think of somewhere that is significant to your relationship, why not see if they can host your wedding? It will make a great story during the speeches.

Exotic

Ever popular is the far-away holiday wedding. This is a rather expensive option, and you might be a bit scarce on guests because the travel is such an expense. But the south of France or the Mediterranean can actually be extremely cheap to fly to from the UK and there are many absolutely gorgeous locations there. Saying your vows on warm sand while the sun sets over a calm ocean is a pretty unforgettable image.

Unusual

If none of the above locations are wacky enough for you, there are plenty of completely bizarre places to get hitched. In mid-air, under water – if you’re going for a truly unique celebration, it’s amazing what possibilities you can find. It will certainly be a memorable day this way – for you and everyone else.

Whether in an ancient village church or a Hawaiian beach hut, make sure you choose the right place that suits you both!

Many modern couples are choosing to do a sand ceremony at their wedding rather than lighting a traditional unity candle.  The sand ceremony creates a lasting keepsake that the couple can display in their home for years to come.   Like the traditional unity candle ceremony, the sand ceremony symbolizes the union of two becoming one.  During the actual pouring of the sand, the wedding officiant or pastor will have a customized reading that explains the symbolism and directs the bride/groom and others participating in the ceremony when and where to pour their sand.

Wedding Favors Unlimited sells the popular heart-shaped sand ceremony kit (shown in the photo) that can be engraved with the couples monogram and wedding date to make it extra special.

How It Works:

Below you can see a diagram representing the steps in a sand ceremony.  In this example, the vases are pre-filled (before the wedding ceremony) with 3 colors of sand.  Blue for the Bride, Green for the Groom, and regular white sand for the "symbol" vase.  Depending on the wedding participants and circumstances, some couples choose to fill the third vase with sand for the officiant or their children to pour during the sand ceremony.

1) Before the wedding ceremony or at the beginning of the actual sand ceremony have the officiant, children or other designated person pour the sand from the third vase into the central vase.

2) Have the groom pour a portion (or all) of his green sand in the central vase.  We suggest having him pour 1/3 of his blue sand in the central vase.

3) Have the bride pour a portion (or all) of her blue sand into the central vase.

4) Repeat the process if you are layering the sand, having the groom pour some of his and then the bride pour some of hers.  For the last 1/3 of sand in each container, we suggest that you pour both colors of sand simultaneously as the co-mingling of sand represents the union of the bride and groom.

5) Place the bottle stopper in the central vase to secure the sand.  The 3 smaller heart-shaped vases can be used to display flowers or as keepsakes for the bride and groom.

More Unity Sand & Candle Ideas:

The Wedding Sand Ceremony Trend

Personalized Wedding Ceremony Accessories