Frequently Asked Questions

Every Sacred Salt Ceremony is shaped around your intention.

Explore common questions about weddings, salt rituals, custom experiences, and the process of creating something meaningful together.

If your vision is unique or you have questions, Dena would love to hear it.

Contact Dena
A woman in medieval costume walking in a formal hall, holding a book and a staff, with seated people watching behind her.

  • Sacred Salt Ceremonies is Dena Merlino Scott, fully-ordained officiant who intentionally hand-harvests salt for salt ceremonies during wedding vows and nature-inspired rituals.

    Sacred Salt Ceremonies offers a range of custom experiences to connect, commemorate, and cleanse on Wrightsville Beach, the Carolina Coast, and beyond, including:

    • Weddings

    • Engagements

    • Corporate team events

    • Celebrations of life

    • Yoga/sound bath/spiritual retreats

    • Birthdays

    This special experience of intentionally hand-harvesting salt heightens your connection with your self, the people who you share it with, and the meaningful symbolism of the salt minerals.

    Either I gather the water or we meet at the beach and we intentionally collect ocean water together, stepping into the water as a symbol of release and renewal.

    Afterward, I spend hours slow-heat evaporating that exact water until it becomes salt.

    Each person receives salt made from the water we gathered, so the ritual continues beyond the moment and is commemorated with pure mineral.

    Salt gathered on auspicious dates is also available for purchase.

    Where to buy Sacred Salt in Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach, NC.

    Booking a Corporate or Friend/Family experience.

  • Check out my Wedding Packages page for full details.

    Weddings start at $350 for Dena to perform a Tried & True ceremony. This ceremony is perfect for the couple who wants a quick and easy ceremony process.

    A Sacred Salt Ceremony is $500, which includes your completely customize ceremony and a salt ceremony, with intentionally hand-harvested salt from Wrightsville Beach, as part of your vows.

    Sacred Salt PLUS is $600 and involves the couple gathering their own water before the wedding for Dena to hand-distill into sacred salt. This additional ceremony adds intention, connection, and cleansing to the salt experience. It’s perfect for the couple who want to commemorate more deeply with their sacred salt.

    For more wedding package info, check out my Wedding Packages Page or Wedding Wire and The Knot.

  • A salt ceremony is a wedding ritual performed alongside the vows. Each partner adds hand-harvested sea salt to a shared keepsake salt cellar, symbolizing unity, connection to nature, and an enduring promise.

    For my Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach sacred salt wedding ceremonies, the basic steps remain the same:

    • You exchange customized vows; I am a personalized wedding officiant and each ceremony is unique as the salt itself

    • Each couple is presented with salt that I intentionally hand-harvest or that we hand-harvest together

    • They join the salt together into a keepsake salt cellar (ceramic jar with lid) - the individual grains of salt can never be separated

    • The keepsake salt cellar is yours to hold the salt in your kitchen or cherished space in your home.

  • It can be religious, spiritual, or secular. The wording, symbolism, and connection to nature can be personalized to reflect each couple’s beliefs, values, and relationship.

  • The salt becomes a physical reminder of the shared moment, whether it’s celebration, grief, or a fresh beginning.

    For Couples / Weddings / Families / Groups

    Salt gathering and ceremonies are beautiful for weddings and groups who want to connect, remember and commemorate their time together because you’re creating something lasting together. The salt becomes a shared symbol you can keep or use to commemorate the memory.

    For Corporate / Group Leaders

    For teams, it’s a way to slow down together, reset, and create a shared experience that isn’t forced or performative. It’s reflective, grounding, extremely powerful and FUN!

    More info about booking custom event groups.

  • Every experience is customized, so this is a guideline to begin the conversation.

    Individuals and small groups are completely customized experiences depending on the intention and are $50 per person with $100 minimum and include meeting at the beach, grounding meditation or toast, intentionally collecting sea water together, and commemorative salt.

    Cost investment ultimately depends on number of people, the amount of custom script and officiating required, of yield of salt desired.

    Salt packets gathered on auspicious dates start at $10 + shipping. Follow @sacred.salt.ceremonies on Instagram for these limited drops.

  • Dena is located on Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, a pristine and peaceful paradise. She is most often on the beach gathering water for special salt packets at sunrise or sunset on auspicious days, for example new or full moons, astrological phenomena, and ancient/multicultural observations.

    Dena is willing to travel wherever there is salt water and blessed intentions. Reach out to her to discuss your ideas.

  • Step 1

    We will discuss your relationship, goals, ideas, plans, and everything special surrounding your fully-customized ceremony. I share a questioner with you to fill out to share and shape your vision and tone.

    Step 2

    I will write a first draft that encapsulates our conversations and questioner, which also opens us for more questions, decisions, and development.

    Step 3

    Within 2 - 3 drafts of your feedback, we will have a finalized custom ceremony that expresses your intentions & formal transcendence.

    LEARN MORE on WEDDING WIRE or THE KNOT

  • ABSOLUTELY! Cost will depend on the amount of salt required as well as packaging. Learn more here.

  • ABSOLUTELY! I can harvest the salt for you on an auspicious date, like your dating anniversary, or would love to meet you and your partner to lead you through the process of collecting the water yourselves! Either I could perform the ceremony in addition to your officiant, or your officiant could use your specially-made salt.

    After your wedding ceremony, your sacred salt will be a precious keepsake.

  • Yes. The ritual can be adapted for elopements, intimate weddings, beach ceremonies, and larger celebrations.

  • Yes! There is the option for you and your partner to ‘take the plunge’ and gather your own water for Dena to make salt from! She will lead a short, customized ceremony before you jump in, to clear, cleanse, ground, commemorate, o

  • I was originally ordained through Universal Life Church.

    Since moving to North Carolina, I have upgraded my ordination to include Spirit of Love Ministry, Inc. an IRS Certified 501c3 Non-Profit Church based in Charlotte, NC with the mission of uniting all people under the supreme guiding principle of Love.

    If you have questions about the validity of being married by an ordained person unaffiliated with a specific church, please check out the writings of my friend Elizabeth Love-Lowery of Kindred Unions.‍ ‍She clearly explains that this practice is acceptable.

    Love and Wisdom, Inc. further clarifies.‍ ‍While we are in the state of NC, the ordination I hold is deeper than an online certification.

A woman in a black swimsuit walking out of the ocean holding a silver thermos bottle at sunset.