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    Ceremony Rituals Create Special Memories

    March 16, 2013

    Adding a unique ritual to your Outer Banks beach wedding ceremony is the ideal way to create a memorable experience for you and your guests.  Below are just a couple of options that work nicely at an oceanfront venue and offer outstanding photo opportunities.

    Sand Ceremony

    This ceremony is a great alternative to the Unity Candle Ceremony, which is challenging at windy oceanfront locations.  The Sand Ceremony is a beautiful and meaningful addition to your wedding and can be adapted to include children coming into the marriage, offering them hands-on participation during the celebration.

    For this ritual, you will need a clear glass cylinders or bud-style vase for each participant, each containing a different color of sand.  A larger clear container is needed for everyone to pour their sand into during the ceremony.  As the sand is being poured, the officiant’s words express the significance of blending the couple’s two families into one.

    This container becomes a nice keepsake, so locating one that can be sealed is ideal. Plain or colored sand can be purchased at most craft stores, but if you prefer to use actual beach sand for one color, let it dry in advance so it will blend well.

    Shell Blessing

    During this ritual, each guest is given a beach shell or pebble (those picked up on the beach are perfect) as they enter the ceremony, and they hold this trinket throughout.  Following “the kiss,” everyone will be invited to the water’s edge to cast their shells into the ocean, extending their best wishes to the couple and those in attendance. This ceremony creates another great photo opportunity as everyone casts their treasures into the water.

    More detailed information about the Sand Ceremony, Shell Blessing and many more creative ceremony rituals can be found at seeyouonthebeachobx.com.