I'll Have a Cone, Please! (petal cones for your flower shower)

What could be more romantic than rose petals fluttering over you as you recess down the aisle or exit the church?  It certainly makes for a picture-perfect moment, and enhances the sentiments of joy and celebration.  Without a doubt, the flower shower serves as the perfect ending to a heartfelt and momentous wedding ceremony.

Photo by Visonari at the Halekulani Hau Terrace in Waikiki.

However, what the photos do not reveal is the logistics behind the creation of that picture-perfect moment.  Particularly for outdoor ceremonies, when the flower shower takes places immediately after the kiss and announcement of the newlyweds, how do the guests get the petals for tossing?  Do they hold a handful of petals throughout the entire ceremony until that moment that the couple passes?

Photo by L'amour Photography

We suggest providing guests with a cone or receptacle for the petals.  While purely functional, they can be made to coordinate with the colors and style of the wedding, and we like it best when they tie in with the "day-of" wedding stationery!  Often times, local stationers will string a ribbon through the cone, so that the guests may easily take one, or so that they can be hung from the ceremony chair.  

Photo by Visionari.

Here are a few examples of some custom designed cones.  Perhaps they will provide you with inspiration for cones of your own!

Happy Planning!

Mona

neu events

(formerly known as "Weddings by Grace and Mona")

Cones by Emi Emi Ink.  Photo by Visionari.

Cones by Something Blue.  Photo by L'amour Photography.

Cones by Emi Ink.  Photo by Kai Photo.

Petal cones by Emi Ink.  Photo by Eclat Photography.

Sand Ceremony

photo by Jim Creed Photography

While certainly no longer a novelty, the sand ceremony is relatively new to wedding "traditions," and may very well deserve to become a long standing one.  In many senses, the sand ceremony resembles the unity candle custom, where the simultaneous lighting of a central candle by the couple each using a separate candle, symbolizes the joining of two separate individuals and their families.  With the sand ceremony, the beauty of the mixing of two separate vessels of sand is that once the sand has been mixed, it is inextricably mixed forever and can never be separated, just as the couple's two lives and families will be.

photo by Kris Labang Photography

photo by Kris Labang Photography

The sand ceremony works exceptionally well in lieu of the unity candles when it comes to outdoor wedding ceremonies.  Particularly here in Hawaii, where our balmy weather entices many couples to celebrate their union in the open-air, the unity candle can be tricky to execute, where even a subtle gust of wind could blow out the candle (and what would the symbolism be behind that?!).  For couples wishing to incorporate the unity candle into their outdoor wedding ceremonies, I usually suggest the sand ceremony instead, which is impervious to the elements.

Photo by Chrissy Lambert Photography

The mixed sand also makes a beautiful keepsake following the ceremony.  Some couples will even get the vessel engraved with their names and wedding date.  A slew of beautiful sand ceremony kits are available on-line and even picture frames that can be filled with sand serve as a beautiful alternative to a glass container.

 

photo by L'amour Photo

photo by L'amour Photo

photo by L'amour Photo

If planning your own wedding, consider how you'd like to personalize your ceremony.  The sand ceremony might be a wonderful way to do so, but be sure to consult with your officiant first.  Happy planning!

Mona

Weddings by Grace and Mona

neu events