Gathering Words

We are gathered here in this beautiful place to witness the joining of Bride and Groom in marriage. They particularly wanted to invite you here because their sense of spirituality and the growth of their love is connected to this place. They wanted to share with you the beauty of these mountains because this is where they have made their home.

During their seven and a half years together, they’ve come here on many mornings like this one, and walked quietly through the mountain laurel, listening to the wind in the pines.

Their time spent in nature, climbing some of the mountains you see before you here, has been a time of connectedness, of shared reverence for the world, and a deepening respect and love for one another.

It is this sense of timelessness and peace that they wanted to share with you on this, their wedding day.

As you look out over the mountains, please take a moment for reflection and quiet prayer to open your hearts and minds to the love and togetherness  we are here to share through this ceremony.

You may also want to take a moment to remember those loved ones who are not with us today.

Declaration of Support

Today, we form a circle of love around Bride and  Groom as they enter into marriage.

To last, their marriage must be a consecration of each to the other,and of both to the wider community of which they are a part. That community starts with each and every one of you, their  loved ones.

Through their act of marriage, Bride and Groom have gathered you around them like a comforting  blanket, forming their community of love and support as they move forward into a shared life as Marriage Partners.

Now, let us share in a moment of silently extending our blessings to Bride and Groom for a loving, healthy, and happy marriage.

Bride and Groom,  it is very special that you have chosen to celebrate your marriage union in the circle of your families. I would like to welcome each member of your  families.

(Family members are each called by name, given a flower by the Bride and Groom, and then, one by one, join into a circle around the Bride and Groom.)

 This circle of your  family represents your circle of loving, caring, friendship, and family support.

These people embody the traditions and values that have brought you to this point in your lives.

Bride and Groom, at this time, your parents would like to share their best wishes with you.

Bride’s mother:

Bride, your father and I are so happy for you today and filled with pride and  joy that our baby girl has become such an accomplished and lovely woman. And, as though that were not  enough, you have found a profound love with Groom and brought this magnificent young man into our family.

Bride’s father:

Groom, I never imagined there would come a day when I could sincerely feel that anyone was wonderful enough for our Bride. But you have changed all that. She has chosen wisely, and we are delighted to have you in our family.

Bride’s  mother:

Bride and Groom, we have had the good fortune to build and enjoy a secure and nurturing marriage. Our greatest wish for you is that you too have the good fortune to share a healthy and happy marriage, and that you continue to light up the room for each other for the rest of your lives.

Groom’s mother:

My dear son Groom, nothing could give your father and me greater pleasure than to stand here with you today knowing that you have found what your generation calls your soul mate. I have watched you and Bride really take your time in getting to know each other and in building a solid foundation of love and respect for each other. And now, as you stand on the threshold of your marriage, I can truly say we support you both without reservation and with great enthusiasm.

Groom’s father:

I remember when Groom was a young boy and used to love learning all the names of the trees, flowers, and birds. Now I listen to the two of you share your anecdotes and lessons from nature and am so pleased for you both that you share this common  bond. Seeing how much you two love and understand nature touches me deeply. You are a wise and wonderful pair, and you make us all better people just by knowing you. May God bless you always.

Officiant:

I invite each of you as members of this gathering to indicate your support for Bride and Groom by answering “I will” to the following  question:

By God’s grace, will each of you do everything you can to uphold and care for these two persons in  their marriage?

Guests: I will.

Marriage Address

A true marriage is the ultimate relationship because it offers the opportunity of limitless intimacy between two people. It is a great and challenging adventure into the depths and heights of human caring, affection, trust, and understanding.

For those who take its sacred vows, their  lives  are intermingled as the waters of two streams become one, flowing together into a mighty  river.

A true spiritual marriage is a journey of transformation into the profound mysteries of life and creation.

In marriage, two become one, and that one is far more complex and dynamic than the simple addition of the  two.

In marriage, we do not give ourselves to another, but rather surrender into something greater while maintaining our balance and well-being as individuals.

Together, we co-create a shared identity we call “we.”

A truly sacred marriage union is a vehicle for self-realization that allows us to know our true selves by reflection through our loved one. Thus, marriage is a divine instrument through which we come to know God’s presence in ourselves, in each  other, and in the world around us.

Bride and Groom, you have come here today to surrender into the co-creation of something wholly new and transcendent— your precious, sacred, and unique marriage journey as husband and wife.

Today, you step into a much fuller experience and expression of the mysteries and miracles of love.

Your precious, blessed, and sacred union is lovely in its innocence, mighty in its strength, and abundant with possibilities. It belongs to you both. Over time you will give it an identity. We wish for you the wisdom, strength of character, and divine creativity to make this a happy marriage, a safe harbor, and a joyful journey to share.

Water Ceremony

Many of us have been blessed to notice that when we sharea true and abiding love with a partner, even plain water tastes sweet.

Bride and Groom, share this clear water now as a symbol of the sweet and precious love you share.

(The Bride and Groom give each other a drink from the same glass.)

As you do so, remember that just as you are now partaking of the sweetness and purity of this fresh and clean water, you have already been blessed to partake of the brilliance and magnificence of the love you share. By devoting yourselves to cherishing and nurturing this love, may your marriage grow sweeter with each passing year.

Wedding Vows

Officiant:

Bride and Groom, please join hands and share your Wedding Vows.

Groom:

I, Groom, choose you, Bride, as my life partner. I am so glad that I waited for my dreams to come true because they did when I found you. I am so blessed that I get to be your partner and am comforted to know that I have chosen wisely.

Whatever life has in store for us, I will honor and respect our marriage and be by your side, loving you through it all.

I will always strive to be the husband of your dreams. Bride, I will love you  forever.

Bride:

I, Bride, promise to always keep my love for you alive and out in front of all I do.

I promise to be faithful and true no matter what challenges may come our way. I promise to nurture you as my husband, my lover, and my best  friend.

I will continue to love you and cherish you, walking through this life, together, hand in hand.

Ring Exchange

Officiant:

May I have the rings, please?

Wedding rings are symbolic reminders of the unbroken circle of a healthy and abiding  love. Within the safety and comfort of a true marriage, love freely given has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no separate giver and  receiver. Each of you gives your love to the other and each of you receives love from the other and the circle of love goes around and around.

May these rings serve to remind you of the freedom and the power of your love.

The wedding ring is a circle symbolizing the sun, and the earth, and  the universe. It is a symbol of wholeness, perfection,  and peace. As you enter into the circle of your shared love, may you be blessed through your devotion to this union. May your journey as husband and wife be filled with peace, love, and joy.

Groom, place this ring on Bride’s finger.

Groom:

With this ring, I give you my promise to  honor you, to be faithful to you, and to share my love and my life with you in all ways, always.

Officiant:

Bride, place this ring on Groom’s finger.

Bride:

With this ring, I give you my promise to  honor you, to be faithful to you, and to share my love and my life with you in all ways, always.

Final Blessing and Pronouncement

Bride and Groom, on behalf of your loved ones who are here with you today,

I would like to mention some of the things we wish for you:

First, we wish for you a love that is rich, deep, and powerful enough to inspire others and to support you both in bringing forth the best that is within you. May you lavishly love one another and love being loved by one another today, tomorrow, and always.

Second, we wish for you the kind of home that will be a sanctuary for you both, a place of peace, freedom, vitality, growth, and humor. And in this home, we hope that you are blessed with a healthy and happy family.

Finally, we wish that at the end of your lives you will be able to look back and smile upon the life that you have shared together, pleased, satisfied, and fulfilled beyond your wildest dreams.

And now, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the First Nation Church and the Knights of St. Valentine and in accordance with the laws of the State of the Maryland, it is my honor to pronounce you husband and  wife.

 

Mr. and Mrs.        , you may now kiss as husband and wife for the first  time.

Congratulations and God bless  you!