https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 07 Aug 2026 05:06:50 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-236015 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:53:27 +0000 Running Elley 236015@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did candles but our ceremony was outside and REALLY windy and the candles would never light…not even when our moms were lighting them. So we just faked it  It is actually one of our favorite memories because we just went with it, had fun and it was a really lighthearted part of the ceremony for us! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-236002 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:43:14 +0000 Charcole2011 236002@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do either, but we did do a wine box and love letter ceremony, which to me sort of replaced the unity candle or sand. I know in blogland it's not super creative anymore, but neither of us had ever been to a wedding with the wine box and all of our guests commented on how unique it was, which I also liked! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-235972 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:24:22 +0000 photomommy 235972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i am a wedding photographer, and have only seen sand a handful of times... more often candles, but in general neither! i had a candle at my own wedding :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-235969 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:22:19 +0000 kml636 235969@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Personally, I did neither. It just didn't feel right to me, but I'm probably weird. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-235538 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 11:33:47 +0000 Alivoo01 235538@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Neither, but I like the idea of the sand and for a "longer" keepsake. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-235065 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 08:20:32 +0000 LuLu Mom 235065@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Candles if it is inside, sand if it is outside (wind/elements preventing candles from working) Just a personal opinion! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234973 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:11:24 +0000 Rubies 234973@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did sand. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234972 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 07:10:48 +0000 mrsjyw 234972@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did the candles for the moms. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234912 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:41:28 +0000 DigAPony 234912@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do either of those things. We wrote our own ceremony, and our vows, and had three friends and my father in law read poems that we chose. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234911 Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:39:17 +0000 looch 234911@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>What is the tradition behind unity candles or sand? I am not a traditionalist in any sense of the word wrt to marriage ceremonies, so is this common in some religious denominations?</p> <p>We did neither, just our vows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234862 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 23:27:44 +0000 Minnie_Girl 234862@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Neither. I was super traditional with my wedding--the marriage was the unity ceremony! I also had zero desire to purchase and store sentimental sand art or candles. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234857 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 23:12:44 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 234857@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We used sand since we had an outdoor ceremony. Our mothers carried our sand down the aisle in vintage milk bottles that came from the states we were born in. We have the bottle of combined sand on display in our living room. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234778 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:51:40 +0000 pastemoo 234778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>neither, but we both drank from the same glass of wine </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234763 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:30:06 +0000 photojane 234763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we did unity candles because we had an entirely candle-lit ceremony. like hundreds and hundreds of candles. </p> <p>my brother and sister-in-law had a garden wedding, and did sand. it turned out really nicely. they included my sil's three-year-old daughter, so she was able to pour in a little sand as well. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234722 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 20:05:25 +0000 banana 234722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a candle. I was so scared it was gonna blow out and then I'd be freaking out my entire marriage thinking we were doomed! Thank goodness it didn't blow out! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234694 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:31:39 +0000 Shutterbug 234694@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a candle, mostly to give our moms a role in the wedding. They each lit our individual candles, then we lit the middle one together. I think I threw it all out after the wedding though, haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234681 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:18:12 +0000 loveisstrange 234681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Neither, we did a modified handfasting with a wreath of flowers. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234677 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:12:52 +0000 tororojo 234677@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do either, but I have been to windy outdoor weddings w/unity candles and it didn't work very well! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234673 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:04:40 +0000 mrs. bird 234673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do either. Not our thing. I can see how it would be symbolic to some ppl though. We each chose a reading to read to the other. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234665 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:48:01 +0000 Smurfette 234665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Coco Bee: Nothing. We got married outside so we couldn't have done the candles and I am not a fan of the sand. So we just took that part of the ceremony out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234662 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:43:28 +0000 MamaMoose 234662@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@c.sassy: hahaha agreed!!! We figured the fact that we were getting married pretty much covered the topic of unity : ) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234654 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:34:28 +0000 Weagle 234654@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We were married in a church, but we didn't do either. Neither DH nor I really like them. Plus, we figure what better way to exemplify unity than a wedding! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234651 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:33:30 +0000 Mrs. Pen 234651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lemondrop: that is sooo cool! I like that idea. And totally get it if it's an outside wedding.</p> <p>@Smurfette: what did you use? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234647 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:32:14 +0000 Smurfette 234647@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We didn't do either! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234641 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:29:01 +0000 kokobee 234641@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we had a semi outdoors ceremony and used sand because candles would've blown out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234636 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:25:39 +0000 lemondrop 234636@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our wedding was outside, so we did the sand since the last thing I wanted was the symbolism if our unity candle blew out! </p> <p>The big thing we did was get sand from special places- my husband spent a lot of time in Kiawah, SC on family vacations, so we collected sand there for him to pour. I spent a lot of time in Sedona, AZ growing up, so we got the red sand from there. It looks sooo good on our mantle all mixed and swirled together! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234630 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:23:03 +0000 chopsuey 234630@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We lit a candle :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/unity-candle-vs-unity-sand#post-234628 Wed, 25 Jul 2012 18:22:38 +0000 Mrs. Pen 234628@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Maybe I'm a stickler for tradition, or I just think sand is more appropriate for beach weddings - but I love unity candles and honestly find it kind of weird when I see someone in a church do a unity sand (or whatever you call it). </p> <p>Did you have sand or candles? Which did you prefer? </p>