If you’re in the midst of planning your wedding and hoping to create a meaningful and personal ceremony, then a Sand Ceremony ritual could be the one for you. Simply put, this is a symboli ritual where different types of sands are combined as one, the perfect choice for couples who love endless beach walks or even couples who have children or a blended family. We have the lowdown on everything you need to know about this beautiful tradition that is full of symbolism and offers a sentimental keepsake for the you to keep. Let’s take a closer look…

What is a Sand Ceremony?

A sand ceremony ritual sees a couple pour sand from two (or more) separate vessels into one. The act represents two people uniting as one, as the different grains of sand can never be separated again. The vessel containing the combined sand is meant to symbolise the combining of your hopes, dreams, and values. It’s a very visual act, perfect for outdoor weddings, and it can be personalised in many ways.

Where Did the Ritual Originate?

While the tradition stems from religious ceremonies, this ritual has evolved and now couples of all faiths and backgrounds can incorporate a sand ceremony into their wedding day ceremony. It can serve as an alternative to the unity candle ceremony, the traditional candle ceremony, practised in the Catholic and Christian ceremonies, which sees a couple light two candles individually before lighting a central candle together using the two flames. As weddings began to move outdoors, people began to look for alternatives to candles as the flames were often blown out by the wind. Hence the idea of using sand was born!

What You Need for a Sand Ceremony

To organise a sand ceremony, a few things are needed:

• Sand (one or more varieties)
• Two (or more) small vessels to hold the sand to be mixed
• One main vessel (the one that will hold the combined sand)
• A table where the ritual can be performed.

How is a Sand Ceremony Performed?

The ceremony is usually performed by a celebrant or officiant, who calls on the couple to come and pick up their individual sand holders. They then invite them to pour them simultaniously into the main larger receptacle. This can then be sealed and kept as a keepsake. The celebrant can make the sand ceremony really unique by weaving your story into the ritual as you pour. We have more on how to personalise it below.

How to Personalise Your Sand Ceremony

There are so many ways to make a sand ceremony your own but really, it’s about what suits you and your family. Just remember, if you take sand from the beach, ensure it is dry before the big day comes around.

• Use sentimental vessels to pour the sand from or into such as a family heirloom.
• Use sand that you and your partner gathered from a place that is meaningful to you, like your favourite beach.
• While traditionally just the couple tying the knot takes part in the ritual, other family members can be involved too. This is especially lovely if you have children or are uniting a blended family.
• Coloured sand is good for aesthetic reasons (you can purchase sand coloured sand online or colour it yourself using food colouring). But you could also use colours that represent your countries or counties, or different colours to represent other family members like your children.
• Have a guest say this beautiful ceremony reading, Rocks and Sand as the ritual is performed.
• If you want to have your sand vessel as a keepsake, choose something that will look like a glass sculpture that you are happy to display in your home.

Photo by Olga Hogan via One Fab Day

Does Your Wedding Suit a Sand Ceremony?

In short, a sand ceremony will suit any kind of wedding. We’ve mentioned it already but a sand ceremony is a very touching ritual when uniting a blended family, as you are not limited by the number of people who can pour sand into the vessel. Children, especially, will find the process fun. It also works especially well for outdoor weddings, so if you’re planning on saying ‘I do’ surrounded by the elements, this will mean you don’t have to worry about keeping a flame going.

You’ll find our ultimate list of ceremony ritual ideas here with tonnes more inspiration!