If there is one thing we know for sure about weddings, it is that everything about the wedding ceremony is there to be altered and modified slightly should the need or desire for it ever arise. Just because things have been done a certain way for years and decades does not mean it always has to be that way forever or that it has to strictly adhere to the old custom.
Wedding ceremonies are there for the bride and groom to adjust if they wish, although for the most part it generally follows tradition with a few new additions or slight modifications done here and there. One such new addition is the introduction of the unity candles at weddings, a ceremony that symbolizes the beginning of the bride and groom’s new married life together and what lies in store for them in their new journey.
And just like everything else about the wedding, the unity candle ceremony too can be changed or substituted for something else – and it is substituted for what is known as sand ceremony unity candles instead. Although it goes by a different name, the basis of the entire ritual is in essence the same thing, with just a few slight differences here and there but nothing too major that it changes the ceremony entirely.
Now, the sand ceremony unity candles ritual is actually the same thing as the lighting of the unity candles ritual. The only main difference here is that instead of using a large pillar candle as the unity candle, the pillar candle is instead traded in for a large, pillar-candle-shaped vase, known as the unity vase. It is exactly the same size and shape as the unity candle, except that it is a clear vase instead of a candle. And the two taper candles which will be used by the bride and groom to light the candle will instead be replaced by two clear vials or mini vases. And instead of a lighted candle, what the bride and groom will be holding instead are clear vials which will contain sand in them.
The procedure for the sand ceremony unity candles remains the same as the lighting of the unity candles rite. Only instead of lighting the big unity candle, what the bride and groom will do instead is take the clear vials of sand that each of them has, and together pour it into the unity vase. The symbolic meaning is still the same as the unity candle lighting. By pouring the sand into the unity vase, the bride and groom are signifying that the grains (since it is sand) of their lives are now united forever and intertwined with one another as they are now husband and wife.
Another common trait that the sand ceremony unity candles ritual shares with the lighting of the unity candle ritual is that the unity vase too can be personalized and decorated just like you would do with the unity candle. So the unity vase too can have the couple’s names engraved onto it, or sayings and quotes, and it could be accompanied by their wedding invitation or a photo of the couple. The unity vase could also be decorated with ribbons and ornaments as the bride and groom want, just like how they would decorate the unity candle.
If you think that the sand ceremony would only be appropriate for a beach wedding since that’s where you would collect the sand from, have no fear because you don’t have to have a beach wedding to incorporate this rite into your wedding ceremony. The sand can easily be bought at craft stores, where they are likely to sell natural colored sand, and even colorful sand as well for you to take your pick from, although for a wedding, it is only natural to opt for white colored sand. The vials can also be purchased from the craft stores too.
The sand ceremony unity candles rite is a wonderful one and will be a great way for the bride and groom to cherish their memories of the wedding day for the rest of their lives. The sand in the unity vase can be kept for a lifetime, and it would look great on display at their new home too! Then the couple will be able to tell the guests who come visiting and happen to ask about the unity vase of the ritual that they went through on their wedding day.
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