This is Lia's first task for Photo Thursday. She says:

"Dear Friends: My name is Lia Kent (aka Art Junk Girl) and I'm thrilled to be your Photo Day host for the month of JUNE! Traditionally, June is a month of many celebrations: weddings, graduations, and don't forget summer vacations [ed. note: and birthdays!]! So, this weeks photo prompt will be entitled, "Celebrations". Please take a photo of a celebration you will attend this week."

Now, I'm a rule breaker bender from way back...and I really wanted to share this picture I took at a wedding last summer.

This particular shot was taken during a celebration of their two cultures coming together as one. They separately collected a jar of sand from their favorite beaches, hers from Maine, his from his hometown in Spain. The woman in charge of the ceremony had them pour the jars of sand into a single jar, signifying their joining. Then they both took hold of a sand dollar, broke it in half, and emptied all the "white doves" inside the sand dollar into their single jar of sand. It was one of the most lovely celebrations I'd ever seen, and I loved the significance.

I hope you don't mind that I bent the rule a bit!

Rules are made to be broken (and bent too!)

I love the story behind this. I am not really a fan of "traditional" weddings as so often they are more about flashy looks and to put on a show for everyone else instead of what it should be about- the uniting of the couple and their lives. This is the way it should be done and this is what it's all about. :-) Best wishes to the sweet couple too!

rules? PFFFTTTT.....

I love the combined sand! That is so sweet!

What a lovely symbolic gesture for their ceremony! Love the photo too.

We gotta be married too then. Think about all the sand we've shifted together! LOL!

That's a very cool idea! I like it better than the unity candle thing. :)