At the beginning of the wedding ceremony, a representative from each family (usually the mothers of the bride and groom) light the two taper candles. Later in the ceremony (usually after the formal vows), the bride and groom use the two taper candles to light the large pillar (unity) candle together.
Unity Sand
The flowing sand and blending of the colors in the Unity Sand Ceremony symbolize the bringing together of two lives into one. The two sands symbolize everything that the bride and groom have been or will become in the future.
The blending of the wedding sand represents the union not only of them but their friends and families as well. The separate sands once poured into the unity vase can never be put back into their separate vases. They are forever entwined just as the lives and loves of the bride and groom.
