SAND CEREMONY

The Sand Ceremony is a wonderful way to include multiple family members and friends in your wedding ceremony. it’s very simple, yet may be tailored in a variety of ways. The essence is to have a container to hold brightly colored sand, and as many smaller containers of sand needed for the participants. Each participant will pour their sand into the larger container creating a truly beautiful sand sculpture and keepsake. There is language in the ceremony that states in the same way that once the sand has been joined it can never be separated into it’s individual containers again, the love between those participating can never be separated either. This is a great ceremony to include in marriages of blended families, as well as, in Renewal of Vows ceremonies where there are children present.

HAND FASTING

Hand Fasting comes to us from both the Celtic and Native American traditions. It is the ceremony that gave us the phrase, “Tying the Knot”. The ceremony begins by the couple grasping their forearms together palm to palm. A ribbon is draped over the forearms and a cord is laid over the ribbon. There is language outlining what the hands of your spouse will mean and do for you as you go through the years together. It is one of the most heartfelt and touching ceremonies performed. At the end of the ceremony the cord has been draped over the ribbon with each statement made regarding the couple. The couple pulls their hands apart. And the ribbon is then tied to create the cord as a beautiful keepsake.

JUMPING THE BROOM

The Jumping the Broom ceremony comes to us from our Afro-American slave tradition. In the days of slavery blacks could not enter into contracts such as marriage, but as in Africa they had marriage as one of their historic traditions. To symbolize the union the couple would take a broom to ceremonially sweep away the past and provide a “clean”, new beginning for each other. At the end of the wedding ceremony a broom is laid on the ground with language explaining it’s purpose. The couple join hands and together either step, or jump over the broom to finalize the ceremony.

WINE BOX CEREMONY

The Wine Box Ceremony is another beautiful ceremony that is very heartfelt, and tender, while having the added benefit of providing a wonderful keepsake for the couple to have after the ceremony. Each fiancé writes a letter explaining what the other means to them, their hopes and dreams for the marriage and other tender thoughts. The letters are sealed and not read. They are placed in a box along with a very nice bottle of wine. The box is to stay sealed and the letters unread until the 5th wedding anniversary. On the day of the anniversary the box is opened, the letters are read, and the couple shares the wine on a very romantic occasion. The only reason to open the box prior to the 5th wedding anniversary is if the couple finds themselves in a situation where they are truly concerned at the stability of the marriage. Prior to making any irrevocable decisions to end the marriage the couple opens the letters and reads what the other has written. Hopefully the thoughts and sentiments expressed will give the couple the encouragement to work out any differences.