Sand Filling?

[Soon2BeMrsI]

I'm not sure if that is the right term for this, but I had never heard of this or seen it before. Is this is something that Carnival offers, or is it something that I would need to bring on my own?

 

I am very interested in doing this, as My fiance and I each have a child and I would rather do this than a candle lighting.

 

Any ideas, thoughts or knowledge on this would be great!

[Cuizer2]

I'm not sure if that is the right term for this, but I had never heard of this or seen it before. Is this is something that Carnival offers, or is it something that I would need to bring on my own?

 

I am very interested in doing this, as My fiance and I each have a child and I would rather do this than a candle lighting.

 

Any ideas, thoughts or knowledge on this would be great!

 

I've never heard of it and I've been on seven Carnival cruises. Would you please describe what it is.

[chars]

It's called a sand ceremony. My wedding coordinator (On Carnival) said they would absolutely do this. You would have to bring your own sand and vase. It is a very touching ceremony in joining families. If you do a google search on sand ceremony, you will find various vases that you can choose from, and various sand ceremony sayings.

[Soon2BeMrsI]

It's called a sand ceremony. My wedding coordinator (On Carnival) said they would absolutely do this. You would have to bring your own sand and vase. It is a very touching ceremony in joining families. If you do a google search on sand ceremony, you will find various vases that you can choose from, and various sand ceremony sayings.

 

I immediately did a google search after I posted this. I think I'm going to do this.

 

Thanks, for giving the correct term.

[soon2bmrsspd]

We did this, and included our guests and children in the ceremony!!!! The guest thing I came up with on my own, it only seemed appropriate with some of the sayings that I found and used. As each guest entered the room, they were given a vial of sand with their name on a poem and instructions attached. The color of their sand was the color of the persons sand that they were there to represent. As they entered the room, before they sat down, they emptied their vial of sand into the bride or grooms corresponding vase, to represent their roll in that person's life. The wedding party emptied their vial as part of the ceremony when they walked down the isle, as you will see in the pictures.

 

When it came time for the sand ceremony, my kids were inculded in the actual pouring/blending of the sand, symbolic for a family uniting, they also had their own color. I will post my wording below, but the minister embellished a little, and added in the begining about the man laying the foundation, and the wife holding it together, or something along those lines. That will explain why in the pictures you will see he and I are pouring a little bit separatly from everyone else. I chose to pour our sand into a specially made picture frame I located after months of research and looking for something different. The frame is a keepsake that will be forever, and cannnot be disturbed as it could be with many of the unity vases on the market. Besides, you do have to get the thing off the ship in one piece, and looking like it did when you poured it, and to me, this was the most practical way of doing that. We put our family engagement pictures in the frame, and with the way the frame is built, you can change the pictures afterward.

 

I will post the pictures and the saying in the next box, as I will have to do that from a different computer. Let me know if you have questions or need help coming up with anything. I seriously researched this for months, and I took several different saying I found all around and pieced them together for my situation, which I believe is very similiar to yours soon2bemrsI. Soon2be, you also probably have seen these pictures before in my shutterfly link.

[soon2bmrsspd]

[The two children will now join the bride and groom]….

Shawn and Robin may your love always be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as the waters touch and nourish the many shores of the earth, may your love be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Just as there will never be a morning without the ocean’s flow, there will never be a day without your love for each other. You have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings. This beautiful union will now be symbolized through the combining of these individual vessels of sand.

The first jar represents you Shawn, in all that you were, and all that you are. The second vessel represents you, Robin, in all that you were, and all that you are. The third and fourth vessels represent you, Jordan and Rebecca, and the significant role that you play in this marriage celebrated today. As you each hold your sand in separate vessels, the sand represents your lives to this moment; individual and unique. Jordan and Rebecca will now join Shawn and Robin in this commitment to each other.

[The following will be spoken as the bride, groom, and children pour sand]

As each person’s sand is poured into the family’s one united container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. You met as individuals and so remain, but strengthened as you have also become one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated, or poured again into the individual containers, so will become the bond with your family. You can look forward to the future knowing that you can face whatever it may hold because of your unity. May your love forever shine as a beacon to others."

Ugggg, I am having issues with uploading today for some reason, so here is my shutterfly link, you will find unity pictures in the wedding pictures if you scroll through them. Sorry....

http://thedaileyscruisewedding.shutterfly.com/

[canucme_cruisin]

I also plan on doing a sand ceremony. The picture frame is a different/interesting idea, everyone LOVES pictures. Since I am getting married on the island, I am going to have my WC mail it to my home since they have to mail my official marraige certificate anyway, I will just pay for the postage or have her bill me, so I don't have to worry about it on the ship/plane/etc...

[Soon2BeMrsI]

Yay! I found the frame for this today at Hobby Lobby on sale for half off! Then I got the sand for 9.99 for 12 different colors, but I think I'm going to have to go back and get another pack of it, so that we will have enough to fill the frame.

 

Yay! I was able to get everything for the Sand Ceremony for about $34.00, which is half of what I was finding the sets for online, and that didn't include they sand.

 

And on another fun note... My soon to be step son's tux came today. It's the smallest tux I've ever seen, and it's the cutest thing EVER! (Size 3T)

[soon2bmrsspd]

I also plan on doing a sand ceremony. The picture frame is a different/interesting idea, everyone LOVES pictures. Since I am getting married on the island, I am going to have my WC mail it to my home since they have to mail my official marraige certificate anyway, I will just pay for the postage or have her bill me, so I don't have to worry about it on the ship/plane/etc...

 

You are going to want to carry your frame or finished vase yourself. Any shaking will settle the sand further, and you will loose your layers. I would not even think about sending this home if it were me, you may be dissapointed when you receive it. I understand your point about shipping things, but leave this item out. Just my advise.

[canucme_cruisin]

You are going to want to carry your frame or finished vase yourself. Any shaking will settle the sand further, and you will loose your layers. I would not even think about sending this home if it were me, you may be dissapointed when you receive it. I understand your point about shipping things, but leave this item out. Just my advise.

 

 

Hmmm I will have to rethink this now. We are only having 2 colors, mine & his. I actually sent message in a bottle invitations and I did layer the sand, but it was only about 2 layers and only filled 1/4 of the size of the bottle, so I know why they lost the layers during shipping.

 

If we fill it to the top and then pack it really well, with LOTS of bubblewrap, etc. do you think it would still shift? I may have to test this theory with one of the bottles I sent through the mail and maybe just mail it back to myself??

[VM_Mom]

We did the sand ceremony with my husband and I and our three kids (my 2 girls and his son). It was a very beautiful and meaningful ceremony, but I have to say that hand-carrying it home won't work if you are flying. I had it well-packed in my carry-on, but the TSA officials were very suspicious of the sand. They ended up unpacking it and pouring out some of the sand to test it and, in the process, mixed it all up. Now instead of my beautiful layers, it's all gray sand. But it was still a beautiful ceremony. And we have pictures. :cool:

[New2cruisen]

I loved the sand ceremony idea and at first I had planned to do it including our kids (my 2 and his 3) but later changed my mind. I read that other brides had issues taking them home and security shaking them up loosing the beauty of the design in the jar. I also have a lot to carry on (signature photo frame, silk flowers, favors, dress, etc) and didn't want to add even more things to carry, especially fragile glass. So I decided to do the candle ceremony instead.

[canucme_cruisin]

Yes, I was thinking about that last night. I am DEFINITELY carrying my dress on as my carry-on. I know the set will take up a lot of room im my luggage, so I would probably want to carry that as well. I think putting it in my luggage and having it go through all the security procedures, handling, it wouldn't be any better than me shipping it??

 

Decisions, decisions....:confused:

[New2cruisen]

Yes, I was thinking about that last night. I am DEFINITELY carrying my dress on as my carry-on. I know the set will take up a lot of room im my luggage, so I would probably want to carry that as well. I think putting it in my luggage and having it go through all the security procedures, handling, it wouldn't be any better than me shipping it??

 

Decisions, decisions....:confused:

 

Are you flying down or driving? It would only be an 8 hour drive from Atlanta. I was talking about the security at the port getting my dress snagged in the scanner. That is a big fear. Also, holding up that dress is going to be exhausting. My dress wrinkles easy so laying it down is not an option unless it's completely flat. I'm gonna recruit some of my male guests to take turns holding it up.

[canucme_cruisin]

Are you flying down or driving? It would only be an 8 hour drive from Atlanta. I was talking about the security at the port getting my dress snagged in the scanner. That is a big fear. Also, holding up that dress is going to be exhausting. My dress wrinkles easy so laying it down is not an option unless it's completely flat. I'm gonna recruit some of my male guests to take turns holding it up.

 

The Victory leaves from Puerto Rico so we definitely have to fly. We are arriving one day early.

 

I haven't seen my dress except pictures so I'm not sure if it will wrinkle easy. It is majority Chiffon so I dont think so?? I was originally going to ship it to the hotel in St. Thomas so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but decided against it since so many things get lost in transit...

 

Good thing it will be your wedding dress, you know how men are with holding purses & other "feminine" things, LOL!

[soon2bmrsspd]

I drove so it was easy for me to not disturb the sand. Maybe an alternative for you flyers, would be the sand ceremony hour glass. They are a bit more pricey, but intended to be "mixed up" google it, and check it out. Just another option I just thought of remembering back to my research.

[New2cruisen]

The Victory leaves from Puerto Rico so we definitely have to fly. We are arriving one day early.

 

I haven't seen my dress except pictures so I'm not sure if it will wrinkle easy. It is majority Chiffon so I dont think so?? I was originally going to ship it to the hotel in St. Thomas so I wouldn't have to worry about it, but decided against it since so many things get lost in transit...

 

Good thing it will be your wedding dress, you know how men are with holding purses & other "feminine" things, LOL!

 

 

LOL yeah. Oh Wow, I totally missed the fact your on the Victory. I was thinking your port was in Florida. I agree, I would definitely carry on your dress. You may want to check your hotel and see if they have a garment steamer you can use once your there, for any touch ups. Carnival told me they will not allow me to bring a travel steamer on board so I plan to bring it to the hotel and steam my dress the night before. I will leave the steamer in my car at that hotel prior to leaving for the ship.

 

Sounds like the sand frame or hour glass vase might be your best bet if you want to do the sand ceremony.

[canucme_cruisin]

Ok, so now I will research the Hour Glass option. I will also check with the hotel about the steamer...so many little details!! I thought choosing an island/destination wedding would be LESS for me to do, but it seems like I still have a lot to tend to...oh well, it will all be worth it!