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We gather here today
under these trees and this sky to celebrate the union of Bride and Groom
as their souls are united in matrimony.
This is not the first
cycle of their lives together. Rather than start new, this ceremony
represents to Groom and Bride new season. Just as Spring is a time of
planting and Summer is a time of growth, maturity and abiding respect.
Past successes, failures, disappointments and joy simply nourish this
harvest, proving a rich and stable place from which to grow together as
the cycle of life continues.
Question of Intent
Bride, is it true
that you come in freedom and without reservation, to join together
with this man in marriage? (It is.)
Groom, is it true
that you come freedom and without reservation, to join together
with this woman in marriage? (It is.)
Then you will be
bound together in this journey of life by the vows of this rite.
Bride, do you desire
to have this man as thy husband, forsaking all others? (I do.)
Groom, do you desire
to have this woman as thy wife, forsaking all others? (I do.)
All have heard and
witnessed that which has been said. Are there any who would say nay?
Groom, Bride, many
are the years you will share and countless the moons you will watch
together. If you keep your vows, your sacred trust, happy will be your
days.
Prayer
And now, each in your
own way, join me in prayer…
This is a holy place,
for here life is touched by love and love by life, radiating joy like the
warmth from fire. Here, between Bride, Groom lies hidden all the
future of their lives together. May that future be blessed with deepening
love. May they trust each other wholly, as they trust themselves, so that
together they are equal to the need of their tomorrows. May they be at
home wherever they dwell, and gather wisdom from all the seasons of their
lives.
Reading
Drop by drop is the
only way to fill the cup of Eternal Love. If love is poured in a hurry,
it will splash and be wasted. Lovers must be mindfully gentle with each
drop, trusting in fate. Henceforth, instead of growing weary with
impatience, they will be filled with peace, for the wings of angels uphold
those who take their time.
Handfasting
This is an occasion
in which the worldly and the divine come together, a time when the
boundaries between the ordinary and the sacred fall down. It is the
intent of Groom and Bride be joined in handfasting, an ancient and sacred
rite of union. They will be bound by a knot that shall hold them together
as the winds of fate blow through their days, a knot that shall tie them
in all happenings of their lives, both large and small. And in this tying
of the knot, Bridend Groom will become a new family, joining the spiraling
chain of generations that has given us life and thus given that life
meaning. For without love, life has no meaning. Without love, death has
no redemption.
I bid you look into
each other’s eyes, and repeat after me…
Groom says , I take
thee, willing to be bound to you forever, for you are where my heart is
and where it shall always be…
Bride says , I take
thee, willing to be bound to you forever, for you are where my heart is
and where it shall always be…
Above you are the
stars, below you are the stones. As time passes remember… Like a star
should your love be constant, like the earth should your love be firm.
Possess one another yet be understanding. Have patience with each other,
for storms will come, but they will quickly pass. Be free in giving of
affection and of warmth. Have no fear, and let not the ways or words of
the unenlightened give you unease, for there is no greater magic on this
world than two people joined together in love.
Vows (continue
holding hands)
Please repeat after
me…
Groom, these are my
promises to you: that I will love you freely, as the sky loves the bird,
as the sunset loves the early evening; that I will love you grandly, with
my loving words and all of my actions; that I will love you purely, with
all of my honor, and my knowing, with all the best intentions of my being;
that I will love you joyfully, with my body, with my laughter, with my
foolishness and playing, until we grow old together. And then I shall
love you sweetly and gladly, until our lives shall come to an end. Nor
shall death part us, for in the fullness of time, we will be born again,
and we shall meet, remember and love again.
Bride, these are my
promises to you: that I will love you freely, as the sky loves the bird,
as the sunset loves the early evening; that I will love you grandly, with
my loving words and all of my actions; that I will love you purely, with
all of my honor, and my knowing, with all the best intentions of my being;
that I will love you joyfully, with my body, with my laughter, with my
foolishness and playing, until we grow old together. And then I shall
love you sweetly and gladly, until our lives shall come to an end. Nor
shall death part us, for in the fullness of time, we will be born again,
and we shall meet, remember and love again.
Reading
Love has no other
desire but to fulfill itself.
But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night.
To know the pain of too much tenderness.
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of
loving;
To rest at the noon hour and meditate love's ecstasy;
To return home at eventide with gratitude;
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song
of praise on your lips.
The Prophet by Kahil
Gibran
Exchange
of Rings
Let these rings be as
a symbol of the circle of life, and of the circle of unending love that
the two of you share. May they ever remind you when apart or angry of the
vows which you have spoken today. Wear them in love and honor.
Bride says:
Groom, with free and unconstrained soul, I give you all that I am and all
I am to become. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in
your care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. Accept
this ring and my pledge of love to thee.
Groom Says Bride,
with free and unconstrained soul, I give you all that I am and all I am to
become. I pledge to you my living and my dying, each equally in your
care. I shall be a shield for your back and you for mine. Accept this
ring and my pledge of love to thee.
Apache
Prayer
Now you will feel no
rain, for each of you will be a shelter to the other. 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 companion to the other. Now
you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you. May your days
be good and long upon the earth.
(Groom Says ) Today,
in the light and in the shadow, I have become one with my beloved, as
streams that meet, join and become one mighty river, so shall flow and
carry the beauty with us.
(bride says )
Today, in the light and in the shadow, I have become one with my beloved,
as the winds that blow do not remain apart, as the flames leap together
towards the sky, so we will give our beauty to each other.
(Rev) Today in the
light and in the shadow, we have all walked in beauty. Let that beauty go
forth to nourish all of the world, bringing harmony and prosperity to the
lives of all it touches.
Closing
Let those assembled
here bear witness that Groom and Bride are joined in love. May their love
partake of the beauty, majesty and power of the sacred land, may they
plant strong roots in the earth and grow together in wisdom, joy and
harmony.
Would thou begin thy
married life with a kiss?
(Kiss)
I
present Groom and Brides husband and wife. May the sweetness of this kiss
last your whole li
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