Cosmic Ceremony

Welcoming Words:
Dear family and friends, this is a day for celebration. We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of (Groom) and (Bride). As they share their special day with you, they ask for your blessings.

(Groom) and (Bride), have come before me today, because they have reached that point in their relationship where they desire a greater commitment. Today they are ready to pledge their love to one another in this union we call marriage.

Think for a moment of the caterpillar. He begins life as a lowly, uninteresting little creature. Yet he is one day transformed by an extraordinary metamorphosis into the most exquisite and fragile butterfly. In a similar way, your relationship is changing today. You will no longer be just two good friends. Today you are being transformed by marriage, into one.

(You may wish to add a song or a reading here)

Why Do You Love?
Have you ever thought about why you want to get married? Take a moment, and gaze into each others eyes. What is it that you see there that has captured your soul? What spark, what love, what beauty have you found in those eyes that has made you into a better person? Do you remember when you first met? When you first kissed? Can each of you recall the moment when the other turned your life and your heart upside down . . . ?

Now, today, you have come here to turn all of these emotions into something more. Today you stand before these witnesses and desire to make a commitment that will produce a lifetime of fulfillment.

Love is a verb. Although it can describe a state of being, love really is an ACTION verb. Over time, feelings can change. But if you keep performing acts of love for each other, cultivate the great art of forgiving and expect the best from your lover, your feelings will stay fresh & alive and you can transform your home into a castle where love thrives.

(This is AWESOME when read by a special person)
Poet Carl Sandburg captured the essence of a love which can stand the test of time when he wrote: "I love you. I love you for what you are, but I love you yet more for what you are going to be. I love you not so much for your realities as for your ideals. I pray for your desires, that they may be great, rather than for your satisfactions, which may be so hazardously little. “A satisfied flower is one whose petals are about to fall. But the most beautiful rose is one, hardly more than a bud, wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire are working for larger and finer growth. Not always shall you be what you are right now. You are going forward toward something great. I am on the way with you and . . I love you.”

Honey Ceremony:
Honey is a symbol of the sweetness in life. And so, with this dish of honey, we proclaim this day as a day of great joy and celebration. A sweet day to remember.

Groom dips his finger into the honey and touches the bride's tongue.
Bride dips her finger into the honey and touches the grooms tongue.

As together you now share this honey, so may you now share perfect love and devotion to each other, share your lives together, and thereby may you find life's joys doubly gladdened, it's bitterness sweetened, and all things hallowed by time, companionship and love.
HIS VOWS:
Do you (Groom), take (Bride), to be your wife? Will you love and cherish her, giving her assistance in all of life’s labors? Will you be true to her both in sickness and health, when things are going well and when there are difficulties? And will you be faithful to her as long as you both shall live? If so, you may answer, I WILL. (Groom):
"I Will"

HER VOWS:
Do you, (Bride), take (Groom), to be your husband? Will you love and cherish him, giving him assistance in all of life’s labors? Will you be true to him both in sickness and health, both when things are going well and when
there are difficulties? And will you be faithful to him as long as you both shall live? If so, you may answer, I WILL. (Bride): "I Will"

HER RING:
The ring is a circle. A circle has no ending so it symbolizes an enduring love. (Groom), let this ring remind you of the lifetime commitment you are making to (Bride). (Groom), do you have the ring that is the lasting symbol of your vows to (Bride)? Place the ring on the third finger of (Bride’s) left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows to her: “From this day on / I (Groom), take you (Bride) / to be my wife / I will love you / I will cherish you / I will be true to you / no matter what comes into our lives / if we are rich or poor/if there is sickness or health/my heart belongs to you/so long as we both shall live."

HIS RING:
The ring is a circle. A circle has no ending so it symbolizes an enduring love. (Bride), let this ring remind you of the lifetime commitment you are making to (Groom). (Bride), do you have the ring that is the lasting symbol of your vows to (Groom)? Place the ring on the third finger of (Groom’s) left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows to him: “From this day on / I (Bride), take you (Groom) / to be my husband / I will love you / I will cherish you / I will be true to you / no matter what comes into our lives / if we are rich or poor / if there is sickness or health / my heart belongs to you / so long as we both shall live."

(You may wish to add a song or a reading here)

Proclamation:
(Groom) and (Bride), May you never take each other's love for granted, but always experience that wonder that exclaims "WOW! Out of all in the entire world, you chose me!" and when life is done, may you be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God that you found each other. Never forget to treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together in the first place.

Although I'm officiating here today, it is not truly in my power to sanctify, legitimize or bless your relationship in any way, the two of you have already done that in your hearts.

And NOW, you are Husband and Wife.

-May God be with you and bless you
-May you see your children's children.
-May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings,
-May you know nothing but happiness.
-From this day forward.

YOU MAY SEAL YOUR VOWS WITH A KISS
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great privilege to present to you, for the first time as husband and wife:

(Groom) and (Bride) !