CEREMONIES
EXAMPLE OF WEDDING CEREMONY; MAY BE CUSTOMIZED AND CHANGED TO SUIT YOUR PERSONAL AND RELIGIOUS PREFERENCES.
Hawaiian Welcoming Chant
Oli Aloha
Onaona i ka hala me ka lehua
He hale lehua no ia na ka noe
O ka`u no ia e `ano`i nei
E lia`a nei ho`i o ka hiki mai
A hiki mai no `olua
Hiki pu no me ke aloha.
Aloha e, aloha e, aloha e
Fragrant with the breath of hala and lehua.
This is the sight I long to see.
Of this, my present desire of your coming fills me with eagerness.
Now that you two have come
Love comes with you.
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 1:
Minister:
____________ and ____________, in presenting yourselves here today to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and develop and last, but only if you both decide to make it so. A lasting and growing love is not guaranteed by any ritual.
If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the devotion you have for one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, then treasure the hopes and dreams that you bring here today. Establish that your love will never be blotted out by the common nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Faults will surface where now you find comfort, and admiration can be shattered by the routine of daily life.
Dedication, love, and joy can grow only when you nourish them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, having faith in your shared destiny just as strongly as you have faith in yourselves and in one another today. Only with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives.
Groom:
I, ____________, take you, ____________, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.
The Groom places the Bride’s ring on her finger and says:
____________, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of God.
Bride:
I, ____________, take you, ____________, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.
The Bride places the Groom’s ring on his finger and says:
____________ , I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the name of God.
Minister:
Wedding rings are a symbol of longevity in the marriage covenant. The circle of the ring symbolizes a never ending circle of love and commitment that you are making. Always see the best in each other and each day that you are together, when you look at the beauty of these rings, Remember the love that you have for each other is forever.
The ring is a circle and as such is the symbol of the sun, the earth, and the universe, of wholeness of perfection and of peace. These unbroken circles represent the wholeness and completeness of your love and affection for one another. The rings that you give and receive this day are symbols of shared love into which you enter as husband and wife, as lover, as companion, and as friends.
With this statement made of love and trust, which we have just heard, I now wish you to greet ____________ and ____________ as husband and wife.
May this day shine eternally in your lives.
May it add brilliance to every achievement and cast a divine light over any misfortune.
May you care for each other in all sadness.
May you give cheer to each other.
May you give vitality to each other in all undertakings.
May all that is virtuous, beautiful and honest, remain with you always.
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 2:
Minister:
Welcome to the marriage of ____________ and ____________. You have been asked to gather here to witness and share in the joy of this union.
Groom:
There was darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you. Your love has given me wings, and our journey begins today. I pledge before this assembled company to be your husband from this day forward. Let us make of our two lives one life. I want you for today, tomorrow, and forever.
Bride:
I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you love me the way you do. I give myself to you as your wife, and I promise here to treasure for all of my days the love we celebrate today. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day.
Minister to Bride:
____________, will you take ____________ as your husband, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquility?
Bride:
I will.
Ring is placed on Groom’s finger.
Minister to Groom:
____________, will you take ____________ as your wife, in happiness and with patience and understanding, through conflict and tranquility?
Groom:
I will.
Ring is placed on Bride’s finger.
Minister:
In the years which shall bring ____________ and ____________ into greater age and wisdom, we hope that their love shall be ever young; that they shall be able to always recover from moments of despair. In this hope, may they keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching each other who they are, what they yet shall be, enabling them to know that, in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than each other, that they are all of us, and that together we share joyously the fruits of life on this earth, our home.
Inasmuch as ____________ and ____________ have declared their love to each other before family and friends, I now greet them with you as husband and wife.
(Name), you may now kiss your bride. (kiss)
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 3:
Minister:
We are gathered here today to take part in the most time-honored celebration of the human family, uniting a woman and a man in marriage. _ and _ have come to witness before us, telling of their love for each other. We remember, their love is sourced from the affection of those who loved them into being.
We remind them that they are performing an act of complete faith, each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship that they create. In a world where faith often falls short of expectations, it is a tribute to these two, who now join hands and hearts in perfect faith.
Exchange of Leis
In the culture and tradition of Hawaii the exchange of the flower lie is a deep symbol of love, respect and affection. To place a lei on a loved one is to bestow them in the highest esteem. The beautifully crafted lei ,with its colorful,hand-picked flowers and sweet fragrance, represents a Polynesian tradition of two lives that have intertwined and bonded together. It is the most profound meaning of Aloha. The lei is a refection of your love and aloha that you share for one another. As you exchange these leis, it is symbolic of a new beginning.
Minister to Groom:
__, will you receive __ as your wife? Will you pledge to her your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing her with a husband's loyalty and devotion?
Groom: I will.
Minister to Bride:
___, will you receive _ as your husband? Will you pledge to him your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing him with a wife’s loyalty and devotion?
Bride: I will.
Minister:
_ and _, please repeat after me, by saying now, each to the other, words which will tell of your love.
Groom:
I, __, take you, _ to be no other than yourself, in all the ways that life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love.
Bride:
I, _, take you, __ to be no other than yourself, in all the ways that life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love.
Minister: Will you now give and receive a ring?
Bride and Groom: We will.
Minister:
This circlet of precious metal is justly regarded as a fitting emblem of the purity and perpetuity of the Marriage State. The ancients were reminded by the circle of eternity, as it is so fashioned as to have neither beginning nor end; while gold is so incorruptible that it cannot be tarnished by use or time. So may the union, in its purity and strength, be more lasting than time itself.
Minister hands the ring to the Groom, who places it on the Bride’s finger:
(groom repeat after me) Wear this ring forever, __, as a symbol of love and peace and of all that is unending.
Minister hands the ring to the Bride, who places it on the Groom’s finger:
(Bride repeat after me) Wear this ring forever ___, as a symbol of love and peace and of all that is unending.
Minister:
We speak to _ and _ of love, in which the trust and freedom of the other person becomes as significant as the trust and freedom of one's self. We speak to them of generosity, which gathers the beauty of earth for riches, and the kindness which turns away the wrath of foolish men and women. We speak of our hopes for their continued growth through patience, one for the other. We speak of our confidence that new levels of understanding, discovered by them in experiences of sorrow and tribulation, shall bring ever new surprises of strength and fortitude.
In the years which shall bring __ and _ into greater age and wisdom, we pray that their love shall be ever young; that they shall be able always to recover from moments of despair. In this hope, may they keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching each other who they are, and what they yet shall become, enabling them to know that in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than each other; that they are all of us, and that together we share joyously the fruits of life.
Inasmuch as _ and_ have declared their love and devotion to each other before family and friends, I now greet them with you as husband and wife.
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be sanctuary to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth to the other. Now there is no isolation for each of you. Now there is no more loneliness. Now you are two, but there is only one life in front of you. Go forth and start this new life today as man and wife!
Family and friends, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. _. "
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 4:
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 2; CIVIL UNION APPROPRIATE:
Ceremony on the Beach
Minister:
We are gathered here today to witness the coming together of two people, ____________ and ____________, whose hearts and spirits are entwined as one. They now desire to profess before all the world their intention henceforth to walk the road of life together.
You have come here because you know there is much beauty to behold here in Hawaii. In this place you can see beautiful rainbows and sunsets, you can hear the trade winds blowing or the surf breaking on the shore, you can smell fragrant flowers in the air and, you can hear birds singing in the distance.
As we look out, we know that the ocean has been here since the beginning of time, flowing with a sense of awe and life giving power. The ocean does so because it is alive and constantly changing. The ocean brings life and cleanses all it touches with its ebb and flow. So I invite you to let your love be as far-reaching and as deep as the ocean ever flowing with the currents of change. Be open to the changes and challenges that will come in your new life together, and always share those moments with each other.
To these two people, this marriage signifies the birth of a new spirit, a spirit which is a part of each of us, yet not of any one of us alone. This "birth of spirit" reminds us of spring, the season when all life is reborn and blooms again. It is appropriate, therefore, that this wedding of ____________ and ____________ be in the spring, and that it be under the open sky, where we are close to the earth and to the unity of life, the totality of living things of which we are part.
The beliefs and thoughts about love which motivate these two people are perhaps best expressed in the words of poet Kahlil Gibran:
"You were born to be together, and together you shall be forevermore.
You shall be together when the wings of death scatter your days.
Ay, you shall be together even in your silent memory.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heaven dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bondage of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not of the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone, though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping,
For only the hand of life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together,
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in shadow."
Minister to Bride:
Do you ____________, knowing this man's/woman's love for you and returning it, realizing his/her strengths and learning from them, recognizing his/her weaknesses and helping him/her to overcome them, take ____________ to be your lawfully wedded husband/life partner?
Bride:
I do.
Minister:
Place the ring on his/her finger.
Minister to Groom:
Do you ____________, knowing this man's/woman's love for you and returning it, realizing his/her strengths and learning from them, recognizing his/her weaknesses and helping him/her to overcome them, take ____________ to be your lawfully wedded husband/life partner?
Groom:
I do.
Minister:
Place the ring on her/his finger. Let these rings serve as locks–not binding you together–but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever.
And now ____________ and ____________, seeking the fulfillment of love and marriage, find again that the poet Gibran speaks for them:
"Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks to another day of loving.
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home eventide with gratitude, and then sleep with a prayer
For the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."
We have been witnesses to this special day. Therefore, I and those of us here with you recognize that you have become husband and wife/life partners, and we and all of your family and friends shall honor you as the same from this day forward. Our best wishes to you both for many happy years together, with all the rewards of a sacred and sanctified married life.
Now therefore by the authority given unto me by the laws of the State of Hawai‘i, I now pronounce that you united in marriage/civil union, as man and wife/life partners.
Therefore, you may kiss your Bride/each other! E honi ka waha!
SAMPLE WEDDING VOW 5:
Minister:
We, who have gathered in this circle, are now privileged to witness and to participate in a ceremony celebrating the public acknowledgment of a love which ____________ and ____________ have for each other, knowing that by our presence here with them, we are saying that they, together, are loved by many others. We have come to surround them as they stand before us in this center, where now ____________ and ____________ in essence say, "Welcome to our marriage! Welcome to the Celebration!"
Marriage is too for children! For them it is, or can be, more than just witnessing. There is an opportunity for them to bring themselves into the new family and in a symbolic sense to give themselves to this new venture as they bring a "Gift of love" which they will present now to ____________ and ___________.
The children come bearing flowers, which are given to the Bride and Groom.
Minister:
When you love someone, you do not love them all the time in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. That is impossible. It is even a disservice to pretend it is possible. Yet that is what most of us demand. We have such little faith in the ebb and flow of life and of love and of relationships.
We leap forward at the flow of the tide and resist in terror its ebb, for we are afraid it will never return. We insist on permanence, on duration, on continuity. But the only continuity possible in life, as in love, is in growth, in fluidity and in freedom, as dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in creating the same pattern.
I speak now to ____________ and ____________ of love, in which, the trust and freedom of the other person becomes as significant as the trust and freedom of one's self. I speak to them of generosity, which gathers the beauty of earth for riches and the kindness which turns away the wrath of foolish men and women. I speak of all our hopes for their continued growth through patience, one for the other. May ____________ and ____________ keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching each other who they are, what they yet shall be, enabling them to know that, in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than each other, that they are all of us and that together we share joyously the fruits of life on this Earth, our home.
Ring Ceremony:
Groom places ring on Bride’s finger:
May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love.
Bride places ring on Groom’s finger:
May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love.
Minister:
May these two find happiness in their union. May they live faithfully together, executing the vows they have made between them; and may they ever remain compassionate and encouraging, that their years may be rich with the joys of life, and their days be long upon the Earth.
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Due to the customized nature of my wedding services, the final wedding ceremony will not be in this exact format or wording.