This very beautiful Sedona Bride looks like a water maiden and her cute little ring bearer looks like a water sprite himself!
In the summertime early morning Weddings along the banks of lush Oak Creek are cool and full of summer sparkle.
Giant cottonwoods reflect in the waters surface and the temperature is perfect.
This Wedding took place at Red Rock Crossing. This is a popular Sunset Wedding Location but as you can see mornings here are magical too.
The Sand Ceremony is a very popular Wedding Ceremony.
The different color sand in the separate vessels represents the uniqueness and the wholeness of each individual. The Bride has her vessel and the groom has his. Often if there are children involved in the new union they will have a separate vessel of their own.
The Bride and Groom each take turns holding their vessel and speaking of who they are as an individual. Their hopes and dreams and their family and history. Then the Groom has his say.
Then the couple combine their sands into a new vessel. This represents the Union of their Marriage.
When they have finished they both speak of who they are together. What their relationship means. What their shared hopes and dreams are.
The new vessel with the combined sands becomes a very special and treasured family heirloom. It is displayed in a prominent place in their new home. A daily reminder of their Vows and their Sacred Union.
There are so many lovely Wedding Traditions that you can add to your Ceremony to add richness, color and express your uniqueness and your love in a fuller manner.
These traditions come from a variety of cultures and historical times.
A very popular one is the Unity Candle and a lesser known one is the Honey Ceremony.
The Hindus have a lovely tradition called the 7 Steps. The Rose Ceremony is a sweet reminder of your Wedding Day throughout your life. There the Hand Fasting tradition from the Druids and the Sand Ceremony which is colorful and leaves you with a daily reminder in your home of your special day and the vows you made. The Hawaiians use Leis and the native Americans use the Wedding Vase Ceremony.
Then there’s the Wedding Pouch Ceremony which is unique to Sedona Destination Weddings. its a lovely little tradition that we created in the Spirit of creating a Sedona Wedding Tradition tradition found nowhere else.
Its a lovely touch to add a Tradition to your Ceremony.
All of these Traditions and more I will share with you in greater detail in the coming Blogs.
Often a Wedding Ceremony blends a New Family. Grooms instantly become fathers and Bride’s become mothers. Sometimes the new family includes children from both sides.
It is a wonderful idea to include your children in your Ceremony. There are so many ways to do it. Including a child makes them feel a part of the new family, welcomed and valuable.
You may want to do a Candle Ceremony that includes a candle for the child. Or a sand Ceremony in which the children each have their own vessel of colored sand to add to the blended sand vessel.
Or you and your Beloved may choose to say a few words to the child. You can write your own vows to your new step-daughter or son. Make a promise to be a good and loving parent.
Alternatively, after you and your Spouse exchange rings you can present the child with a locket or bracelet also symbolizing their role in your new family.
Any or all of the above are wonderful ways of recognizing, including, welcoming and celebrating the presence of the child in your family.
Tlaquepaque is a quaint, old Mexican style shopping mall right on Oak Creek. There are cobble stoned courtyards and a lovely little chapel for your Ceremony. For more info on the Chapel see our Sedona Chapels Package
Even if you go for a Ceremony out on the Red Rocks this little jewel is a great place for a photo session either before or after your Ceremony.
There’s plenty of parking, easy walking access for everyone and an old world charm that is remarkable and uniquely southwestern.