The ”Blending of the Sands" ceremony can be a beautiful and
meaningful alternative to the Unity Candle ceremony. Like a Unity
candle the pouring of two different colored sands together is used to
symbolize the joining of the bride and groom or the joining of their
families.
This ceremony requires three small vials, one for you and your fiancé
to pour the sand into and two for each of you to pour the sand from.
Each of the two vials of colored sand symbolizes the separate lives of
the bride and groom and their families.
Use two different colored sands which you can find at most arts and
crafts stores. Small glass bottles or vials are usually found there as
well. A nice touch is to pour the colored sands into a small "heart-
shaped" bottle, melt some wax to seal it and hold the sand in place,
then seal it with a cork or lid.
After the minister reads the text below (or any text you choose), the
bride and groom pour the two containers of sand into the third
container simultaneously.
You may wish to leave a small amount of sand in each vial to
symbolize that although you are now joined as one, you are still free
to express your own individuality.
If you are including children in the ceremony, obtain several extra
vials with different colored sand for each child.
The combined sand makes a wonderful wedding keepsake for the bride
and groom and a constant reminder of their promises on their wedding
day.
Blending the Sands Ceremony
Officiant:
“_________ and _________, today you are making a lifelong commitment to share the rest of your lives with each
other.
Your relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these
two individual containers of sand; one, representing
you,_________ and all that you were, all that you are, and
all that you will ever be, and the other representing you,
_________, and all that you were and all that you are, and
all that you will ever be.
As you each hold your sand the separate containers of sand
represent your lives to this moment; individual and unique.
As you now combine your sand together, your lives also join
together as one.
You may now blend the sand together symbolizing the
uniting of the bride and groom into one.
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and
poured again into the individual containers, so will your
marriage be.”
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