Celebrating Life’s Journey ®
"Welcome to the Celebration!"
This ceremony was performed as a “Circle Ceremony” with all the guests and wedding party (myself included) forming a circle and the bride entering on her fathers arm and standing under a beautiful canopy of flowers facing the Groom– It is a relatively short and simple ceremony and included their children, they decided to include minimal elements, choosing only those that were meaningful to them-
Minister:
We, who have gathered in this circle, are now privileged to witness and participate in a ceremony celebrating, the public acknowledgement 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 for children too! 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 a they bring a “Gift of Love” will 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 what that is what most of us demand. We have such little faith in the ebb and flow of life and of Love in relationships. We leap forward at he flow of the tide and resist in terror in 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 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 the 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 and 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.
Minister to Bride:
Do you ________________, knowing this man’s love for you and returning it, realizing his strengths and learning from them, recognizing his weaknesses and helping him to overcome them, take ______________, to be your lawfully wedded husband?
Bride: I Do-
Bride places ring on Groom’s finger:
May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love.
Minister to Groom:
Do you ________________, knowing this woman’s love for you and returning it, realizing her strengths and learning from them, recognizing her weaknesses and helping her to overcome them, take ______________, to be your lawfully wedded wife?
Groom: I Do-
Groom places ring on Bride’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.
Kiss-
Minister:
Ladies and Gentlemen for the first time anywhere
It is my honor to introduce Mr. and Mrs. ______________________
… And they live happily ever after...
Joel and Kari’s Ceremony:
The Procession:
Groom and Groomsmen are waiting at ceremony site, Bride enters with escort and bridal party-
The Convocation:
Greetings, and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Joel and Kari in marriage.
We gather here today to witness, and to honor their commitment to continued growth both as individuals and as a couple- Who presents this woman to be joined to this man? “ I do-”
Today Joel and Kari proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with and for them.
In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, we receive the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. This union is an act of complete faith, each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship they create– In a world where faith often falls short of expectation, it is a tribute to these two who now join hands and hearts in perfect faith-
(NOTE: If you want to insert a personal element, such as a rose ceremony, a unity candle, sand ceremony or personal, song, a statement made to your family, or anything else "theatrical," this is the spot for it).
The Invocation:
Joel and Kari, we are here to remember and rejoice with you
and to recount with one another that it is love that guides us on our path,
and to celebrate as you begin this journey together
It is in this spirit that you have come here to today to exchange these vows.
(Silent Blessing may be inserted here)
The Question of Intent:
Do you Kari choose Joel as your partner, companion and friend? Will you walk with him this journey of togetherness, wherever it may lead? Do you promise to support his dreams and to share your own? Do you seek to love him with your heart, mind and soul, through joy and through sorrow? Will you take him to be no one other than himself and strive to fill your lives with understanding, passion and laughter?
In turn each proclaims ”I Do-” to these questions-
The exchange of Vows:
I, Kari , ask you, Joel to be my husband, my friend, my love– On this day I affirm the relationship we have built and I look forward to the future to deepen and strengthen it– I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health in adversity and in triumph– Together we will dream and build our life together– we will share all things, serving each other and our fellow humanity– I will cherish and respect you, comfort and encourage you, be open with you, and stay with you as long as we shall live, freed and bound by our love-
The Blessing of the Rings:
These rings symbolize Universal Unity having neither beginning nor end, so may this union be incorruptible in it’s purity and more lasting than time itself-
The Exchange of Rings:
Wear this ring forever, as a symbol of love and peace and of all that is unending-
The Ministers Prayer:
“The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace-”
(Silent Blessing may be inserted here-)
The Pronouncement of Marriage/Union
Inasmuch as Joel and Kari have declared their love and devotion to each other before God, family and friends, I now am honored to greet them with you as husband and wife-
The Kiss:
The Introduction:
Reading: “Benediction of the Apaches”
“ Now you will feel no rain, For each of you will be shelter to the other-
Now you will feel no cold, For each of you will be warmth to the other-
Now there is no loneliness for you, For each of you will be the companion to the other-
Now you are two bodies, But there Is only one life before you-
go now to your dwelling place, To enter into the days of your togetherness-
And may your days be good and long upon the earth-”
The Beginning…
