The first wedding includes a flower presentation, reading,
Affirmation of Marriage extended to a brief homily, blessing of the hands,
unity candle and Gaelic blessing. The entire wedding lasts less than half an
hour. The second wedding includes a reading, a memorial candle in the opening
words, the Bread, Wine, Salt & Coin ritual and a butterfly release.
Multi-Element Wedding I
- Presentation of the Bride
- Opening Words with Flower Presentation
- Reading: Love by Chief Dan George
- Affirmation of Marriage
- Exchange of Vows
- Blessing of the Hands
- Exchange of Rings
- Unity Candle
- Gaelic Blessing
- Declaration of Marriage
Presentation of the Bride
Who brings this woman to be married this day?
Opening Words with a Flower Presentation
Dearly beloved, we gather this afternoon to witness
and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in matrimony. The
union of husband and wife in heart, body, and soul is intended for their mutual
joy and for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity.
Marriage is a bond to be entered into advisedly and reverently.
______ and ______ are about to enter a relationship
of assumed mutual responsibilities and a promise of undying devotion. Nothing is
easier than saying words, nothing harder than living them day-by-day. Love
between a husband and wife means caring as much about the welfare and happiness
of our partner as about ourselves. Burdens will be lighter because they divide
them—joys more intense because they share them.
Weddings unite two individuals in the sanctity of marriage, but these two
people do not come to their union alone. Each has a history and a family that
nurtured them and helped them become the man and woman each holds dear. ______
and ______ would like to take a moment to honor their mothers, ________ (Bride's
mom) and ______ (Groom's mom), for their continued love and support in their
lives.
<Bride and Groom present their mothers with a long-stemmed rose.>
Reading
Love by Chief Dan George
Love is something that you and I
must have. We must have it because
our spirit
feeds upon it. We must have it
because without it we become faint and weak.
Without love our self- esteem weakens.
Without it our courage fails. Without
love we can no longer look confidently at the world.
We turn inward and begin to feed on our own personalities and little by
little we destroy ourselves.
With love we are creative. With love we
march tirelessly. With love and
with love alone, we are able to sacrifice for others.
Affirmation of Marriage
______ and ______, it is a great joy for us to be
here with you on this day, sharing in you marriage ceremony and witnessing the
commitment you make to one another. It is our hope that you remain ever mindful
of the gifts you bring to one another, that you inspire and encourage one
another. Bring out the best by being sparing in your criticism and generous with
your praise.
One of the most surprising things
I have learned about marriage is how much it can serve to strengthen
us as individuals. Rather than subsume the partners into the sole
definition of a couple, marriage can define who each of you are and who you can
become. Like the grandeur and mystery of the universe, a marriage is more than
the sum of its parts.
______ and ______, by coming here
today, you have taken the initial step in what will be a wonderful and lasting
life together. A union between two people takes effort and neither is a
relationship ever complete. It is a process and a journey requiring constant
nurturing.
When you don't feel particularly
loving, act loving. The tenderness exhibited by kind and loving acts
translates almost seamlessly into the compassion necessary for loving feelings
to grow. A good marriage is one that fosters respect, a devoted
love, a willingness to make sacrifices as well as support one another by
remaining true to your values and convictions.
A strong and healthy marriage is an eternal gift we
cultivate within the context of our lives. But bear in mind that eternity is
something other than endless time. It is outside of time. It is not the
past and not the future, but now. This moment. But as soon as we contemplate the
moment it is gone. That is eternity. So if one seeks a relationship of love
throughout eternity, it must be a continual process of the here and the
now.
Symbolically you have been brought together as one,
yet are still two separate people with unique ideas, talents and ways of
being. Respect and value those differences and your relationship will flourish.
In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “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 each other’s shadow. But let there be spaces
in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.”
I remind you that the vows you are about to exchange
belong entirely to you. The words I speak have no magical powers and nothing I
say or do on this day can ultimately make your marriage endure with beauty,
fidelity and joy. Only you, by the integrity and diligence of your life, can
make these vows last.
So it is not to lofty words or institutions that we
appeal at this hour of commitment, but to the resources which you draw from deep
within yourselves…the deep well of human need, the need to live united and
loving and complete in an imperfect world. So will you now please (join
hands/turn to one another)?
Exchange of Vows
______
Today
I marry my friend,
the
one I will live with, dream with, and love.
I ______
take you to be my wife/husband.
From
this day forward
I
will cherish you,
I
will look with joy
down
the path of our tomorrows
knowing
we will walk it together
side
by side, hand in hand and heart to heart.
Blessing of the Hands
______ and ______, please hold one another’s hands with the palms
facing up, so you may see the gift they are to you. These are the hands of your
best friend, young and strong and vibrant on your wedding day, as you promise to
passionately love and cherish each other through the years, for a lifetime of
happiness.
These are the hands that will work beside one
another, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share
your innermost secrets and dreams. These are the hands that will countless times
wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the
hands that will provide comfort in illness, and hold you when fear or grief
engulfs your heart. These are the hands that when wrinkled and aged will still
be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a
touch. These are the hands that will tenderly lift the chin and brush the cheek
to gaze into one another’s eyes—eyes filled completely with love and desire.
May these hands we see before us this day be blessed. May they long be
held by one another. May they have the strength to hold on during the storms of
stress and the dark of disillusionment. May they remain tender and gentle as
they nurture each other in their wondrous love. May these hands continue
building a relationship founded in love, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching
for perfection. May ______ and ______ see the hands that will hold their rings
as healer, protector, shelter and guide.
Exchange of Rings
The circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth
and the universe. It is a symbol of perfection and of peace. As the circle can
begin anew at any point, so a good marriage can pick any point to renew itself.
This ring is a symbol of unity, in which your two lives are now joined in one
unbroken circle. Please repeat after me as you place the ring on your
beloved’s left hand.
Please repeat after me.
I, ______, give to
you ______, this ring,
as a symbol of my
commitment
to love, honor,
and respect you.
Unity Candle
The
two outside candles ______ and ______ are lighting represent all they were, all
they are and all they will ever be.
They are two distinct lights, symbolizing not only
the families that brought them to this moment, but also the two unique
individuals entering into the sacred bond of matrimony.
As they each take a candle and together light the center one, it now
represents the coming together of two lives in a marriage relationship.
As this one light cannot be divided, neither shall their union be
divided.
A marriage neither results in two distinct
personalities, nor the complete surrender of individuals into a partnership.
Rather it is a relationship that strengthens the individual through love, honor
and respect.
Gaelic Blessing
May
joy and peace surround you both,
Contentment
latch your door,
May
happiness be with you now;
God
bless you evermore.
Declaration of Marriage
What love has brought together, let no
one break asunder. For as much as you, ______ and _______, have consented to
live together in marriage and have pledged yourselves to one another, have
declared the same by the giving and receiving of rings, with great pleasure and
by the authority vested in me as a Minister in the state of Florida I pronounce
you husband and wife.
Multi-Element Wedding II
- Presentation of the Bride
- Opening Words with Memorial Statement
- Reading: Falling by Robert Hardy
- Affirmation of Marriage
- Exchange of Vows
- Exchange of Rings
- Bread, Wine, Salt and Coin Ritual
- Butterfly Release
- Marriage Blessing
- Declaration of Marriage
Presentation of the Bride
Minister: Who brings this woman to be married this day?
Escort/Family Responds
Opening Words with Memorial Statement
Dearly
beloved we are here today to bear witness to the joining of this man and this
woman in holy matrimony. (Bride) and (Groom) invite us to
share in the acknowledgment of the sincerity and gravity inherent in their
decision to unite publicly as husband and wife. Because of this love we find
ourselves in the exalted presence of their devotion, compassion, reverence and
joy. We are invited to be a part of one of the happiest days of their lives
because of the regard they have for us and the love we hold for them.
It is
only right and fitting that we remember those who have been instrumental in
helping (Bride) and (Groom) become the person each finds most dear in the world.
_____ and ____ are unable to be with us today, but we know they reside
within our minds and hearts as they bless this union. (Bride) and (Groom) light
these memorial candles in honor of everyone who is unable to be here today in
person but resides in our hearts in spirit.
Reading
"Falling" by Robert
Hardy
You already know about
love. You fall in love. Falling is easy.
Maybe you don’t see it
coming. Maybe you brace yourself against the wind in the door,
see the earth circling
below and jump. Falling is easy. It feels like flight.
You feel your kinship
with clouds, with light, stuff of stars, atoms that float and fall,
meteors, stars that
still glow with the start of everything.
You raise your arms
like wings. Butterfly or belly-flop.
You feel the earth
expanding--don’t look down. Reach for the cord.
Falling is easy. But
is this love or gravity? Pull the cord.
Yes--love blossoms
from the weight you carry, the question, the tug at your heart.
The parachute pops
like a cork. Now you float in the arms of the atmosphere,
milkweed floss,
dandelion seed, no longer afraid to take root in the earth--
but still floating
awhile, ecstasy and trust,
your high-altitude
heart settling back into a steadier beat,
the tilt of the earth,
seasons and days.
But here you are
floating--buoyed by invitations and arrangements.
Now you look down. The
ground looms like a date, circled for landing.
The fields look like
RSVPs. Your feet touch.
The parachute falls
around you like a wedding dress.
You’ve landed
together. Dance while the earth steadies beneath your feet.
Hold each other up.
Now you will walk together in ordinary days.
Your parachute may
become a maternity dress,
a mortgage, a tissue
for your tears.
It may be divided into
diapers, water-proof sheets,
a layette, stories to
tell your grandchildren.
Days may come when you
forget how it felt to float.
But still this moment
of landing lives inside you,
when the touch of the
ground felt like a vow--
I will always be
there. I will catch you if you fall.
Affirmation of Marriage
(Bride) and (Groom), you have shared with me your vision of marriage and the
things each holds most dear about the other. I am struck by the realism that
abides comfortably with your passion. You speak of unity, companionship, respect
for individuality and compromise. And truly these are elements that constitute a
healthy and successful marriage. A husband and wife must acknowledge the times
when they will be of like mind and when they will disagree. They may or may not
share common interests and hobbies. This matters not. It is the alignment of the
heart and will, their commitment of loyalty and trust in a center of value and
power greater than themselves that enables them to respect one another as they
seek to understand and build a life together. The images they share of the
ultimate environment ground them in a relationship that endures the inevitable
changes wrought by time.
(Bride) and (Groom), is it your solemn yet joyous intention to pledge
yourselves to one another in holy matrimony before these witnesses?
It is
Then I ask you to turn to one another, join hands and look into one another's
eyes as you repeat after me and exchange your marriage vows.
Exchange of Vows
I, ______ _____ _____
give to you, _____ _____ ____
this vow of sacred matrimony.
I acknowledge our individuality
and respect the natural space
that will reside comfortably between
us.
I promise to bridge that space
with open communication,
silent understanding
and heartfelt compassion.
I promise to act loving so as to be
loving.
I promise to love passionately,
argue fairly and support you
unfailingly.
I acknowledge our relationship is a
gift
that comes with responsibilities I
accept gladly.
I love you and promise to be faithful
to our union
all the days of our lives.
Exchange of Rings
Do we have the rings?
The circle is a natural symbol of eternity as it has
no beginning and no end. We place the ring on the left hand because it
constitutes a direct path to the heart, a traditional metaphor for love and
devotion. It's presence reminds us of the vows we have made and their
relationship to the emotional seat of the heart. We ask that these rings that
will forever grace the hands of (Bride) and (Groom's) be blessed. May they
reside on the hands of the lover, the caregiver, the companion and the guide.
May (Bride) and (Groom) wear these rings as a symbol of their unity.
(Bride) and (Groom), please repeat after me as you place the ring on your
beloved’s left hand.
I give you this ring
in remembrance of
this hour,
as a symbol of a love
that is complete,
beautiful, and endless.
Bread, Salt, Wine and Coin
(Bride) and (Groom) you
have just just sealed your relationship by the exchange of vows and the
giving and receiving of rings. Today we wish to bless this union and bestow upon
you the best gifts life has to offer. Please come forward together and share in
this ritual of blessing and good will.
<Bride
and groom each taste a piece of the bread on the altar/table>
May your
home never know the pangs of hunger and always experience the fullness of life.
<Bride
and groom each sip a little wine from the wine goblet on the altar/table>
May your
union always bring you the sweetness that life has to offer.
<Bride
and groom each place a spec of salt on their tongue>
May your
family enable you to overcome the bitterness life may bring.
<Bride
and groom hold the silver coin between their right hands together>
May you
be wealthy in good health and never succumb to financial distress.
Butterfly Release
The
caterpillar is a lowly being, bound to the earth and bemoaned as an
indiscriminate consumer of abundant vegetation. Yet this homely creature, with
patience, care and sustenance becomes a venerated symbol of dignity and beauty.
We
now ask that you open the envelopes presented to you when you arrived today. The
release of these butterflies is important to (bride) and (groom) because it
demonstrates their commitment to the cycle of life.
What
is held captive cannot thrive. But when granted freedom in an environment of
opportunity and respect, lives to bring about another generation. May (bride)
and (groom's) marriage last as long as the offspring of these butterflies endure
in grace and liberty.
Marriage Blessing
(Bride) and (Grooom), may
your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow
few as your blessings increase. May the saddest day of your future be no worse
than the happiest day of your past. May your hands be forever clasped in
friendship and your hearts joined forever in love. May infinite blessings rest
upon you and fill all your coming days.
Declaration of Marriage
(Bride) and (Grooom),
you have publicly pledged your intent to live together as husband and
wife, symbolized by the giving and receiving of rings and blessed by the love of
those who have gathered this day to witness your vows. What your love has
brought together let no turn of time or fortune break asunder. As a minister in
the state of Florida it is my joy and privilege to pronounce you husband and
wife. (Groom), please kiss your bride.
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