Many traditions surrounding the marriage ceremony have developed over the millennia.

One of the latest is a colorful, if perhaps fragile, remembrance of the happy day.

It’s a twist on the unity ceremony known as the Blending of the Sand that has become a fixture of some traditional weddings where containers of different colored sand are combined to create a new mixture. A Unity Glass Ceremony uses crushed glass, known as frit, which eventually will become a unique glass creation for the couple or their wedding party.

Eric Hess is a glass artist whose Sanctuary Glass Studio offers local couples the option of remembering their nuptials in this unique manner.

“When they get back from the honeymoon, usually the grooms, the bridesmaids and the parents and whoever else goes to the studio, and then everybody gets to do a create-your-own and make glass.

“People have a Christmas ornament or a heart paperweight or something to remember the couple by for the rest of their lives. The couple generally pick one item like a vase or whatever that they want to make and then they have that in their home.”

Hess’ studio offers 12 items that people can make in the create-your-own glass memory category. People can opt to do that or, Hess said, “some of the brides and grooms will just give us the glass and say, ‘We want you to create something so that we can remember.’” The appeal of the Unity Glass concept is its uniqueness, Hess explained. “If I just give you an engraved vase or something from a store, there’s nothing really fun about that. I think it’s not only a unique experience during the wedding, it’s also a unique experience after the wedding. Then people have something that they really would value as time goes by. And if it’s made by you, it makes it something so much more unique.”

Sanctuary Glass is located at 421 Lake Street. Call 504-390-4377 to learn more or see them on Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/sanctuaryglassstudio/