SAMPLE SPIRITUAL CEREMONY
WELCOME:
Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. Today -----and ----- proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together.
Be with us here, O beings of the Air
With your clever fingers
Tie closely the bonds between these two.
Be with us here, O beings of Fire
Give their love and passion
your own all-consuming ardor.
Be with us here, O beings of Water
Give them the deepest of love
and the richness of the body, of the soul and of the spirit.
Be with us here, O beings of Earth
Let your strength and constancy
Be theirs for so long as they desire
to remain together.
Blessed Goddess and Laughing God
Give to these before you, we do ask
your love and protection
Blessed Be.
METTA SUTTA (The Buddha’s words on loving-kindness)
This is what should be done
By those who are skilled in goodness,
And who know the path of peace:
Let them be able and upright,
Straightforward and gentle in speech.
Humble and not conceited,
Contented and easily satisfied.
Unburdened with duties and frugal in their ways.
Peaceful and calm, and wise and skillful,
Not proud and demanding in nature.
Let them not do the slightest thing
That the wise would later reprove.
Wishing: in gladness and in safety,
May all being be at ease.
Whatever living beings there may be;
Whether they are weak or strong, omitting none,
The great or the mighty, medium, short or small.
The seen and the unseen,
Those living near and far away,
Those born and to be born --
May all beings be at ease!
Let none deceive another,
Or despise any being in any state.
Let none through anger or ill-will
Wish harm upon another.
Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings;
Radiating kindness over the entire world:
Spreading upward to the skies,
And downward to the depths;
Outward and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down,
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.
By not holding to fixed views
The pure-hearted one, having clarity of vision,
Being freed from all sense desires,
Is not born again unto this world.
SONNET 116 --- Shakespeare
Let me not to the marriage of true minds
Admit impediments. Love is not love
Which alters when it alteration finds,
Or bends with the remover to remove:
O no! it is an ever-fixed mark
That looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
Minister: ----- and -----, I would ask that you both remember to treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourself often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage – as they do to every relationship at one time or another – focus on what still seems right between you, not only on the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, abundance and delight will mark it.
Minister: ----- and ----- stand before us today to declare their promises openly and gladly. -----, will you take ----- to be your wife/husband? Will you give yourself to her/him? Will you share completely with her/him in your life together? Will you promise to be open and honest in your relationship? Will you give her/him your comfort, support and strength?
Groom/Bride: I will.
Minister: ----- and ----- will you now turn and face one another and join hands as you pledge your love and devotion to each other as husband and wife? -----, repeat after me.
I, -----, take you, -----, to be my husband/wife. I promise in the midst of our families and friends to stand beside you and love you always; in times of celebration and times of sadness; in times of pleasure and in times of pain; in times of sickness and in times of health. I will be with you and love you as long as we both shall live. (This vow is repeated by the bride and then the groom).
Minister: By Air, by Fire, by Water, and by Earth do I bless and consecrate these rings.
These rings, a token of your love for one another, serve as a reminder that all in life is a cycle; all comes to pass and passes away and comes to pass again.
May the element of Air bless these rings. Air is at the beginning of all things, the direction of East, and the dawning of a new day. May your lives through the reminder of this ring be blessed with continuing renewal of love.
May the element of Fire bless these rings. Fire is the passion within your love, the spark of love itself, the heat of anger, and the warmth of compassion. It is the direction of South, the heat of midday. May your lives through the reminder of this ring be blessed with continual warmth.
May the element of Water bless these rings. Water nourishes and replenishes us, the waters of emotion and harmony pour vitality into our lives. It is the direction of West, the afternoon and evening. May your lives through the reminder of this ring be blessed with fulfillment and contentment.
May the element of Earth bless these rings. All life springs from the earth and returns to the earth, the direction of North, the nighttime. May your lives through the reminder of this ring be blessed with strength and solidity.
May the Lord and Lady (God and Goddess, Great Spirit) bless these rings, the symbol of union, with happiness, wholeness, and love.
I consecrate these rings with the element of Air, the breath of life. I consecrate these rings with the element of Fire for the warmth of love. I consecrate these rings with the element of Water to wash them clean. I consecrate these rings with the element of Earth for solidity and stability.
Air for hopes and dreams; Fire for the spark of love; Water for harmony and healing; and Earth for strength. May these rings be so Blessed.
----- and ---- will now exchange their rings.
-----, please repeat after me:
-----, I give you this ring as a sign of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you. (This pledge is repeated by the bride and then the groom).
BLESSING OF THE HANDS
Minister:
(Bride), please face (Groom), and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the
gift that they are to you.
(Bride and Groom should be facing each other, his upturned hands resting in hers.)
These are the hands, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within your womb.
These are the hands that look so large and clumsy, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
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 comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief rack your mind.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his love and desire for you.
Minister:
(Groom), please hold (Bride)'s hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that
they are to you.
(Bride should now place her upturned hands in the Groom's hands.)
These are the hands that are smooth, young, and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.
These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurts, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it's time to let go.
These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings, after you've both had a long hard day.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. They are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope.
These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, everything you wish for can be realized.
Minister:
O Great Spirit, bless the hands that you see before you this day. May they always
be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms
of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they
nurture each other in their love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship
founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted to reaching for your perfection.
May (Bride) and (Groom) see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter,
and guide.
Minister: I will now give the final blessing.
May the Winds of communication blow ever between you; may the Fires of love sustain you; may the Waters of life heal and soothe you; and may the strength of the Earth bind and steady you throughout your time together.
As the Air you breathe brings you life, may you always speak truthfully to one another. (For truly does each falsehood act as a little death).
As the Fire of love burns within you, may you always find a spark even in your anger. (For without Love, we are but weak shadows upon the stones).
As the Waters of life flow within your bodies, may your personal tides move in unison, and your emotions flow. (For Water contains life, sustains life, and without it we are but dry husks).
As the Earth grounds and steadies you, may you always remain strong for one another. (For strength adds to strength and builds upon itself).
All this do I charge you, for as long as Love shall last.
PRONOUNCEMENT
----- and ----- because you have promised/pledged each other your love, devotion and commitment, I declare you to be husband and wife.
KISS
-----and ----- you may seal your promises with
a kiss.
PRESENTATION
It is my privilege/pleasure to present to you ---------.