You may have attended weddings where the bride and groom light a Unity candle. The unity sand ceremony follows a similar principle, but instead of sparking a flame, the couple creates an artistic masterpiece by pouring different colored sand into a unity vase. The wedding keepsake that results in a treasure that can grace the dining table in the couple’s first home.

But this special ceremony involves more than just fashioning lovely artwork. During the ceremony, the couple and, in some cases, the relatives of the bride and groom, exchange unique vows.  These are vows that go beyond the traditional, allowing the couple to articulate their vision for a unified future.  As a result, they hold a special meaning that can enhance a traditional wedding ceremony and offer a fabulous memory for the couple involved.

For the Christian couple, the vows of the sand ceremony can be based upon the time-honored words of Scripture. There is good reason for this. As the Bible says, there is tremendous power in the tongue. As Proverbs 18:21 states, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Our words have the strength to create or destroy…to enhance or to detract.

Speaking words of love, commitment, and hope breathe life into a relationship and form a strong foundation for a marriage. Studies have shown that couples who often compliment each other are far more likely to stay together than those who constantly complain. Words paint a portrait of a marriage; by exchanging life-affirming and relationship-affirming vows on the wedding day, couples create a habit that can last a lifetime.

Fortunately, many verses of Scripture can serve as the basis for unity sand ceremony vows.  Consider Ephesians 4:2-3, which states, “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”  Couples can easily adapt this verse to profess their personal desire to be patient with one another in love, and to maintain their unity in God through a peaceful marital union.

Another possibility – the Song of Solomon 2:16, which declares, “My beloved is mine, and I am his.” Or Ephesians 5:31-33, which states, “A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.” In fact, virtually any verse that promotes unity can be used as a basis for these special vows.

For today’s couples, marriage is more than just the union of two people. It is also a celebration of the merging of two families, the blending of two clans. This is especially important when there are children from previous marriages involved. There is perhaps no better way to help smooth the transition for these children than to have them serve as active participants in a unity sand ceremony. They can recite their own unique vows as they pour bright-colored sand into the unity vase.

Blended families need special care; the exchange of unity sand ceremony vows enables them to proclaim the beauty of the new family that has been created. In some cases, couples might also want to include the mothers of the bride and groom or the maid of honor and the best man in the ceremony. What a wonderful way for families to pledge their support for a couple!

In the end, the unity sand ceremony is more than just a Technicolor treat. It is an event which honors faith, commitment, and love. The power of the ceremony lies not only in the visuals, but in the words, which speak to the heart of Christian marriage.

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The Power’s in the Word: Unity Sand Ceremony Vows Affirm Love is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

On one level, it’s not surprising that vows might be omitted. After all, a couple does not want their wedding to be overly long. They may want the unity sand ceremony to be as brief as possible, and they believe that deleting vows will help them to accomplish that mission. Also, they might be a bit tongue-tied – in other words, they simply may not know what to say.

Bridal couples can be understandably nervous and often that translates into a fear of not remembering the vows. Not to worry, though – the officiant can have a copy of the vows and be on standby to prompt you and your beloved, if there’s a need to do so.

Also, omitting the unity sand ceremony vows can place too great a spotlight on the officiant. The officiant, merely through the power of words, ends up commanding attention, rather than the bride and groom – the very people the ceremony is designed for.

As Scripture states, death and life are found in the power of the tongue. By speaking words of love to one another, the couple speaks life into their relationship. Without these critical words, the wedding and the marriage that follows can both falter.

Remember: the wedding day is your day, not the officiant’s. To ensure that your special day is as exquisite as it should be, be sure to plan your unity sand ceremony vows in advance. That way, once those wedding day jitters arrive, you can rest assured that you have everything under control. Don’t make the critical mistake of excluding vows from your ceremony. The success of your ceremony depends upon these critical words.

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Unity Sand Ceremony Blunder #1: Letting Your Officiant Steal the Limelight is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

The beauty of the sand ceremony lies in the fact that the ceremony itself combines both the old and the new – the ceremony may be reminiscent of the traditional unity candle ceremony, but with a decidedly modern twist. Still, although couples are encouraged to make the unity sand ceremony their “own,” there are certain mistakes that should be avoided in order to guarantee success. Some of these mistakes are relatively minor, but others can create major problems which can potentially ruin the symbolism of the ceremony.

One of the biggest blunders brides and grooms can make is the manner in which they fill the center vase with unity sand. The artistry of the ceremony needs to be respected. That means the bride and groom should not pour their unity sand into the center vase simultaneously without pouring in individual layers prior to that. If they do, they will be committing a serious error, since the loveliness of the ceremony lies in expressing both the couple’s individuality and their unity.

In other words, the bride and groom need to express their individuality first through their distinct individual layers of sand before sealing their union through the final joint layer.

By following the right procedure when performing your unity sand ceremony, you will create a beautiful memento – while maintaining the symbolism that it should convey. If you’re still unsure about how to design your sand layers based on your number of participants, my book Sand, Sound & Soul: The Complete Guide to the Unity Sand Ceremony will get you up to speed with 17 different sand pouring sequences.

Don’t make the blunder of forgetting the individual layers when pouring sand for your unity sand ceremony. If necessary, practice the pouring process ahead of time in order to avoid this nerves-driven mistake. You want your ceremony to be flawless – some advanced planning on your part will ensure that it will be so. After all, a joyful ceremony can be the springboard for a happy marriage!

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Unity Sand Ceremony Blunder #2: Not Following Proper Unity Sand Ceremony Pouring Guidelines is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

And yet, there are certain mistakes that can easily occur in the rush to stage a Sand Ceremony. One of the biggest blunders is to insist upon using 100 percent beach sand for the festivities. Couples turn to actual beach sand in an effort to ensure a sense of authenticity in their ceremony. That can be especially true when the bride and the groom are from two different cities and they want to demonstrate their individuality as well as their unity. However, there are numerous problems with this approach.

For one thing, 100 percent beach sand can be filled with twigs and other debris. Combing through beach sand to remove unwanted materials can be a time-consuming process. Also, actual beach sand will result in a monochromatic palette for your unity vase. As a result, the bride and groom’s individuality will be lost.

A far better approach is to use wedding sand. The sand has a sparkling quality which gives it a magical feel. In addition, it comes in a wide variety of colors. This means that you can easily incorporate your wedding colors into your Unity Sand Ceremony. With multi-colored crystalline quartz sand, you can be assured that your wedding photographs will have a festive flair.

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Unity Sand Ceremony Blunder #3: Using the Wrong Kind of Sand is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

An important point to realize is that you can make mistakes in your ceremony – mistakes that could seriously jeopardize the joy of the day. If you know ahead of time which mistakes to avoid, you’re well on your way to creating a ceremony that will be every bit as lovely as the bride.

One of the biggest blunders you can make is thinking exclusively in black and white. Often, couples choose black and white as their official wedding colors, and there’s nothing wrong with that. In fact, such a color combination can add an element of elegance to the proceedings.

The mistake comes when brides and grooms carry over the black-and-white theme to their unity sand ceremony. While black sand and white sand may look perfectly lovely individually, when the couple combine the two in the final sand layer, the result is a gray speckled mess.

Not only does this detract from the beauty of the ceremony; it also creates a photographic nightmare. When your photographer attempts to take a picture of the unity sand ceremony vase, the photograph which emerges will be most noteworthy for its lack of visual appeal.

If black and white are your wedding colors, your best course of action is to use black or white for either the bride’s layer or groom’s layer – but not both. That way, you can include at least one of your theme colors in your unity sand ceremony, creating a lovely display that can be treasured year in and year out.

Alternatively, you could assign the second color (black or white) to another participant in your unity sand ceremony. This is a clever way to sneak in that second color – and still achieve your black-and-white theme in your sand design – without jeopardizing the aesthetics. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out. (:

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Unity Sand Ceremony Blunder #4: Thinking in Black and White is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

UnitySandCeremony.net—where there’s always a story…
At first, we thought we might only receive a few stories and photos from happy couples. But, we were wrong. Touching stories from all around the world are pouring in every day… and they are having a profound impact on couples who are planning their Unity Sand Ceremonies.

Now, it’s your chance to help others with your story, photos and ideas.

Are you ready to make your story count? Share your story today!

Remember, if we choose your photo and/or story for our site, you’ll be showcased on the world’s top Unity Sand Ceremony website and could receive a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card (Amazon.com gift cards can be used to buy almost any item sold on Amazon.com and Endless.com). So, don’t delay, inspire other with your perfect memories today!

Best wishes in life and love,
Sharon Vaz, Founder & Editor, UnitySandCeremony.net

Terms & Conditions of “Tell Your Unity Story”

• Who may participate. The “Tell Your Unity Story” program is open to couples worldwide that have included the unity sand ceremony in their wedding. Limited to one submission per couple. No purchase is required to participate.
  
• Wedding Vendors: Wedding planners, wedding photographers, officiants and other wedding vendors wishing to participate in this program should instead look into our Vendor Spotlight program that provides free exposure for your products and services.
  
• Submission of photo. You may only submit one unity sand ceremony photo so choose the best. Photo size should not exceed 3MB.
• Length of this program. We reserve the right to end this program at anytime without prior notice.

Share Your Unity Story for a Chance to Be Featured on the Web’s Leading Unity Sand Ceremony Site! is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

Using different colored wedding sands, the bride and groom each take turns filling a Unity Vase as they recite their chosen vows. The sand colors can be coordinated with your home décor, chosen based on colors you love personally or for any other special reason that is meaningful to you. At the end of the ceremony, the vase is taken home and sits atop a shelf, a table or a mantle, beautifully symbolizing the start of your new life together.

Thinking of a Beach Wedding?
Beach weddings are growing in popularity. There’s something very special about being outdoors, having an ocean breeze wash over you and your guests. It’s very magical. Beach weddings are uniquely suited for the Unity Sand Ceremony.

I’m sure you would agree that beach weddings are very romantic and the Sand Ceremony is a beautiful way to add meaning to your beach wedding vows. Your guests will be touched as well watching you and your beloved pour colored sands into your Unity Vase as the waves lap upon the shore.

A Special Way to Honor Your Blended Family
The Family Unity Ceremony is a modified version of the Unity Sand Ceremony. This ceremony can include children and other members of your new blended family and creates a treasured Unity Vase filled with many colors. Family members can also recite special vows as part of the ceremony.

In today’s world it’s not uncommon for either the bride or groom to have children and the Family Unity Ceremony is perfect for when children are part of the picture. Children are especially drawn to using sand to symbolize the loving union of their new Mom and Dad.

Select from these Beautiful Unity Vase Sets
Searching for the perfect Unity Sand Ceremony accessories? Choosing the right Unity vase set and the right color sand is an important part of creating the perfect wedding. At My Divine Wedding, you’ll find everything from heart-shaped vases to the popular family unity nesting vases and a whole lot more. The vase sets can be engraved with your names or a special message to honor your wedding day.

You’ll also find a great selection of high quality crystalline quartz sands in colors ranging from Bermuda Blue, Lavender, Dark Pink, Moss Green and several others. If children or family members are included in the ceremony, you may want to have them choose a color that is symbolic to them.

Create the Perfect Unity Sand Ceremony Vows
Deciding what vows to recite as you and your beloved pour beautiful colored sand into your Unity Vase is now easier than you may have imagined. 34 touching and inspiring vows are included in the new book, “Sand, Sound and Soul: The Complete Guide to the Unity Sand Ceremony.”

You’ll find vows for beach weddings and blended family weddings, for multi-ethnic or multi-racial couples as well as vows for various faiths. And any of them can be modified as you are inspired to do so. Everything you need to know about the Unity Sand Ceremony is included and with the help of this book you can create the most memorable wedding of your dreams!

“How to Add the Unity Sand Ceremony to Your Wedding And Make it a Lasting Keepsake of Your Union.” is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

At MyDivineWedding.com, several lovely vases have been added to the growing list of products that enhance the emotional symbolism of the Unity Sand Ceremony.

First, the new Heart Shaped Unity Sand Ceremony Set is growing rapidly in popularity because of its beautiful message that the hearts of husbands and wives beat as one for the rest of their lives. This 6 piece set includes a heart shaped bottle with glass stopper, 2 large heart vases, 1 small heart vase and 1 metal display stand.

This is the perfect vase for the delicate sands poured into it by the bride and groom during the Unity Sand Ceremony. It’s wonderful for blended families as children, through their own vases and sands, celebrate the joy of their parents’ union.

Since the heart-shaped pouring vases are also sold separately, the couple can purchase additional vases to complete the Unity Sand Ceremony portion of their wedding. This very attractive set of vases is stunning on a mantle or displayed in a china cabinet.

For simple and unique loveliness, the new Small Heart Shaped Vase is versatile and memorable even when used alone rather than with the heart-shaped set. A couple can choose this smaller vase for their Unity Sand Ceremony to hold their chosen multi-colored sands. Alternatively, this charming vase can also be used with blended families, as table centerpieces holding the couple’s sand color theme, or even with flesh flowers to commemorate the occasion.

When brides and grooms symbolically join hearts through their wedding vows and the beauty of the Unity Sand Ceremony, these heart-shaped vases are life-long reminders that despite the trials of life, love still thrives in the heart. Explore the complete Unity Sand Collection now!

Announcing a Beautiful New Unity Sand Ceremony Collection is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

Our first Unity Sand Ceremony story to be featured is that of Joe and Tammy Cugini of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Tammy explained how this lovely and meaningful ceremony came to be included in her 8/29/09 nuptials and the positive impact it had on her new family and wedding guests.

“We chose to incorporate the Unity Sand ceremony because it was the second marriage for both of us and we wanted to include the children from our previous marriages. My pastor, George Eckstein, suggested it. To keep it a surprise, we did not tell the children about the ceremony prior to the wedding. Our children loved participating and we received many positive comments about the ceremony from our wedding guests. I have a reputation for “making messes” in the household and as expected, I was the only one who spilled some of the sand. I do not think anyone noticed but my husband and the kids. Thank you for providing a product that really made our wedding day special for all.”

The Unity Sand Ceremony: The Uniting of Two Hearts and Families as One
Similar to the Unity Candle Ceremony, the Unity Sand Ceremony symbolizes the uniting of two hearts and families within the covenant of marriage. What makes this ceremony so special is its adaptability to the unique needs of couples that make up society today. Therefore, it can be included in any couples’ special day whether it is a first marriage, remarriage that will result in a blended family (as was the case with Joe and Tammy Cugini), vow renewal ceremony, or wedding anniversary celebration.

Additionally, it is not necessary for the Unity Sand Ceremony to follow a rigid, prescribed format. In Joe and Tammy’s story, the ceremony was a surprise to their children and they were unaware of their participation until they were asked to join their parents at the front of the church. Therefore, they did not recite unity vows when pouring their sand into the vase. However, if you are considering including The Unity Sand Ceremony into your special day and others will take part, you may want to have them speak unity vows. This would lend an extra heartwarming touch.

Sometimes It’s the Mishaps that Make a Wedding Memorable
Besides beautifully symbolizing Joe and Tammy’s two families joining together as one, what made their Unity Sand Ceremony uniquely their own was Tammy spilling some of her sand during the ceremony. Although it is natural to strive for perfection when planning your wedding, it is the imperfections that inevitably occur in almost all weddings that make it memorable and unique.

What’s Your Unity Story?
We continue to encourage couples that incorporated the Unity Sand Ceremony into their wedding, vow renewal ceremony, or wedding anniversary celebration to submit their story along with a photograph (in jpeg format) that best captures its essence. We are especially interested in unusual approaches to the Unity Sand Ceremony as well as stories that describe emotional, tender, elegant, or funny moments. By doing so, your story may be featured on unitysandceremony.net, the Internet’s leading international sand ceremony website along with the added benefit of a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card. We are looking forward to hearing your Unity Sand Ceremony Story! Click here to get started today.

What’s Your Unity Story? Joe and Tammy Cugini Lift Spirits As Their Surprise Sand Ceremony Binds the Hearts of Two Families Together is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz

If incorporating the lovely and symbolic Unity Sand Ceremony into your special day, it will be the layering and combining of different sand colors in your central unity vase that will create a striking, one-of-a-kind sand effect that will poignantly signify the joining of your two hearts and lives as one within the covenant of marriage. As an added benefit, long after your special day comes to a close, there will remain a keepsake – your unity vase – as a visual reminder of your wedding for a lifetime.

To help inspire couples planning a Unity Sand Ceremony for their wedding, vow renewal, or wedding anniversary celebration, the Tell Your Unity Story promotion was created. With the promotion well underway, couples are writing in to share how the ceremony helped to make their special day one they will never forget.

Our second in a line of Unity Stories to be featured was sent in by Matt and Salima Fetter of Los Angeles, California. Salima described how the Unity Sand Ceremony enhanced their May 24, 2009 wedding.

“The Unity Sand Ceremony was such a beautiful part of our wedding ceremony. The vases were gorgeous, and we picked sand that coordinated perfectly with our wedding colors. We received so many compliments about the beauty of the vases as well as the symbolism and meaning of the ceremony. I’m so glad I found these vases, and now they are sitting on our mantel as a reminder of our wedding day.”

Fashioning Your Unique Unity Sand Color Palette
Matt, a Financier, and Salima, a Marketing Strategist, chose dark, royal purple as one of their primary wedding colors. When selecting sand colors to coincide with their wedding, Salima stated that, “ivory and light green seemed like natural choices that I thought looked beautiful with purple.”

Green, the most relaxing color in the spectrum, is abundant in nature and strongly associated with life, nature, and youthful vitality and white denotes purity, innocence, and higher consciousness. When light green sand is combined with ivory, a tranquil and refined unity color palette is created. However, Matt and Salima’s serene unity vase colors became quite dramatic when contrasted with their primary wedding color of dark purple.

When designing the mood of your central unity vase, it is important to remember that it will not only be influenced by your selected sand colors, but also the color scheme of your wedding and the colors in the room where your unity vase will be displayed.

Regardless of the colors you choose for your wedding – whether elegant black and white, whimsical pink and yellow, or passionate red and black – there are sand colors available that when layered and combined in your unity vase would complement your wedding colors and symbolize the essence of who you are as a couple. The possibilities to create a Unity Sand Ceremony that is uniquely you are truly endless!

What’s Your Unity Story?
We continue to encourage couples that incorporated the Unity Sand Ceremony into their wedding, vow renewal ceremony, or wedding anniversary celebration to submit their story along with a photograph (in jpeg format) that best captures its essence. We are especially interested in unusual approaches to the Unity Sand Ceremony as well as stories that describe emotional, tender, elegant, or funny moments. By doing so, your story may be featured on Unitysandceremony.net, the Internet’s leading international sand ceremony website along with the added benefit of a $50 Amazon.com Gift Card. We are looking forward to hearing your Unity Sand Ceremony Story! Click here to share your Unity story.

What’s Your Unity Story? Matt and Salima Fetter Enhance Their Lavish Wedding with a Unity Sand Color Palette that Exudes Opulence, Abundance and Vitality is a post from: Unity Sand Ceremony Smart Tips with Sharon Vaz