The Sand Ceremony

THE SAND CEREMONY represents leaving two separate lives and joining to make one life together. The separate lives are symbolized by two vases of sand, in different colors. The Bride and Groom come together, and pour into one vase, two individual colors of sand. Their flowing together creates a design made by the couple as they share their first experience of unity as husband and wife. The newly formed union is represented by the intertwined pattern of sand created by the couple. This symbol is then a keepsake of their wedding day.

Jorge and Lorraine

At our first interview, I found out that this couple met on a beach. The sand ceremony was perfect for them. Not only that, but each was bringing two children into the marriage. When I asked them what was most important to them about the ceremony, they said they wanted everyone to know how they overcame obstacles to be together, and they also wanted their guests to know that as of this, their wedding day, they have blended two families into one.

I asked the children, “What’s your favorite color?” When they told me, I got packages of sand in each of the four colors. Jorge and Lorraine wanted natural sand, from the beach, to commemorate their first meeting. The children came up to the table where the four small vases, filled with colored sand, surrounded the large vase where the sand would be poured, blended into one and taken home as a keepsake and memento of this beautiful ceremony and important day.

As each one of the children, (from the eldest to the youngest) poured their individual vases of sand into the ‘unity vase’, the sand formed a wondrous pattern, much like a lava lamp, with undulating colors and patterns. After the children poured their sand, mom and dad added theirs as well.

How did the sand ceremony affect this occasion? When the photographer was getting ready to snap the first after-ceremony shot of the blended family, three of them yelled, “La arena, la arena”, ‘the sand, the sand.” They didn’t want to take their first picture without the perfect symbol of their now blended families – their vase of colorful sand.

There was a posting on that long indiebride thread that detailed one family's inclusion of there children, where the parents sat down and read to their children a modified version of Green Eggs and Ham (We will love you in a box.  We will love you with a fox.  We will love you here or there.  We will love you anywhere...).  Super cute.

This won't work so well with a 10/11 year old, but maybe you could figure out another way to demonstrate your & your FI's commitment to your FI's son?  Like "vows" from you/your FI to your children?

We are incorporating our kids into the service..My son (9) will be 10 at the wedding, he is giving me away since both of my parents are deceased.. our son and daughter will be the ring bearer and flowergirl..they will be 6 and 5 at the time of the wedding..then we will all do the sand ceremony..

D1rty - I think you should include him for a few reasons.  Not only does the sand ceremony unit the both of you as husband and wife, it would be uniting him as part of the entire family.  I have seen where people have included children in the unity candle, so I would definitely do the Sand - plus you can have him pick his color to make him feel important. AND - it is a keepsake like what was said above.  A very nice reminder of how he is now connected with you and his dad!!

Be like NIKE - and just  DOOOOOO ITTTTT!!!!!!  (how cheesey was that!?) hahah