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Ceremonies
A special thank you
to our listed officiants and other generous people
who have donated the following
ceremony scripts to Handfastings.org
Ceremony
sample
Adapted
from a handfasting ceremony by Reverend April Gismondi
of the Church of Ancient Ways
Click on a link to go
directly to that section:
Drawing Down
the God and Goddess
Sword,
Chalice and Ring Exchange
Preamble*
“Good afternoon and welcome! As we will be
beginning shortly I would ask that those of you with telecommunications
devices, Cell phones, beepers and such, if you will please turn them off or
switch them to vibrate at this time.
As this may be the first time that some of
you are attending a handfasting our Bride and Groom thought you might be
interested in the symbolism of what you will see today. Much of which are
familiar in all but their context
(over the top for
some) The circle in which you all stand is symbolic of the cycles of life, the
womb of the Great Mother, a sacred place created for mortal and divine
interaction, in which any negativity from the mundane world can be left outside
and all the love and joy we feel for <<BRIDE>>
and <<GROOM>> contained within.
(toned down for
others) The circle in which you all stand is a sacred space for a sacred event
to take place. Much of the symbolism of the chuppa and the wedding band hold true in the circle, the
sacred womb from which the two are born again as one and the symbol of
eternity.
Although for many the sacred and the mundane
meet and coexist as often as is humanly possible, marriage is very much a
sacred union, for it is a union of souls in which the bride and groom pledge
unto one another their higher selves and all that is divine within them selves.
In the Earth based traditions it is considered the marriage of the God and
Goddess within.
You will also hear an elemental blessing.
All the worlds religions still parallel the
agricultural calendar, because the natural world speaks its lessons softly and
constantly. In the blessing we simply ask to understand and be able to see the
how the attributes of each element can help us on our journey
Almost all cultures and faiths have a sacred
meal of communion with the divine. During a wedding it has the added meaning of
feeding on and drinking in of the promises that a couple has made.
Those of you who have been to a Greek
Orthodox ceremony will undoubtedly recognize the symbolic binding of the hands
at the end of the service that inspired the terms “Bonds of Holy Matrimony” and
to “Tie the knot” This custom has also been known the world over, through many
different periods in history. During the Middle Ages to be seen in public
holding hands was a sing that a couple were
exclusive to one another. And while rings were for the very rich, love
knows no bounds and a simple cord would do just fine.
Those of you who are fans of the Renaissance
period will be happy to see the jumping of broom at the closing of the ceremony
which symbolically sweeps clean the past reminding our Bride and Groom that the
power to create the future ahead and the quality of life that they both so
richly deserve is their own.
<<GROOM>>, if you will now join
me your beautiful Bride awaits!”
* This preamble, if not spoken, may go in a program
<<BRIDE>>
and <<GROOM>> would like to take a moment to thank you all for
being here with them today. They know that making the journey took considerable
effort for a good many of you and for this they are deeply grateful. All of you
are the most important people in their lives. All of the time and conversations
that you have had with <<BRIDE>> and <<GROOM>> before
they even met helped to make them who they needed to be to find first
themselves and then each other. You have shared in their best and their worst
days, and you are an irreplaceable part of their yesterdays, their today and
all of their tomorrows. So as you can see although many of you don’t live right
around the corner you are never far from their hearts.
I look out at you now and I see a rich and
diverse weave of differing beliefs, life styles, ages and viewpoints. Yet you
are all here celebrating your love for <<BRIDE>> and
<<GROOM>>, wishing for them all that they would want for
themselves, rather than what our own hopes many have been. It sounds more like
an ideal but it isn’t, and it is in part what makes their life together a thing
of such great beauty.
There are many reasons that we share in
life’s celebrations with those we love. Ritual itself is designed to cause a
change in our lives. The promises that a couple makes must be practical
promises that when lived by will actually help them to safeguard their future.
Another important aspect of ritual is that in being here we somehow feel closer
to the couple by being allowed a peek into their inner most thoughts and
feelings at this intensely personal moment of their lives. It reminds the
couples here of when it was their special day and the promises they once made,
and allows us all to somehow feel closer to one another as the community of
family and friends that we truly are.
There is a term that we hear often at events
such as this with very little explanation. The term is “Perfect Love and
Perfect Trust” or “Unconditional Love” In the case of a marriage, and in the
case of all loving, caring, committed relationships the ideal that this speaks
of is not about perfection, but of expecting and accepting imperfection and
human frailty. It means that a couple must say to one another: ‘I accept and I
expect that on occasion you will anger me as I will anger you, and that you
will hurt me as I will hurt you; But I know in my heart that between us there
is love and affection and friendship that is stronger; And I trust that no pain
is caused out ill will, or malice, or pettiness, just as I trust that we are
together for a reason and that we will never throw each other away. I trust
that at our best we will live together in love and joy and harmony and at our
worst we will fight, with and for and beside each other, for the greater good
without fear of abandonment. For the divinely inspired desire to be together
for a lifetime in indeed something well worthy of fighting for. And these dear
friends are the promises that you have been invited to bear witness to this
day.
“Since ancient times, people have communed
with nature to learn more about themselves by example. Since it is within
nature that we all do abide, we ask for <<BRIDE>> and
<<GROOM>> the blessings of Nature’s Elements, Air, Fire, Water and
Earth. We do this that they may fully come to understand the lessons each
element has to offer. The attributes of which are examples of those aspects
they mirror not only within divinity but within ourselves as well.”
“We ask the spirits of Air to keep open the
lines of communication between this couple. May their
future be as bright as the dawn on the horizon. As Air
flows freely to and from and through us all, may their
hearts and minds and souls come to know the world and each other in this
manner. Seeing not only with their eyes, may they together grow wise with wisdom.”
“Spirits of Fire, we ask that
<<BRIDE>> and <<GROOM>>’s passion for each other and
for life itself remain ever strong and vital, fortifying each day with a
vibrancy rooted in boldness, and courage. As Fire clears the way for new growth,
may they know that this power is theirs: to create change and bring about the
richness and quality that comes with a true love of life.”
“We ask the Spirits of Water, that their
love for each other and the comfort of loved ones, like the serenity of the deep
blue ocean, be the oasis that forever surrounds our Bride and Groom. May they
be well loved, and love well, letting the surety with which Water makes its
journey to the sea, flowing over rocks or around trees, even turning into vapor
and riding a cloud, ever serve as a reminder that with love all is well and
will endure.”
“Spirits of Earth, we ask that you give unto
those you see standing before you this day, the rock solid place to stand and fulfill
his destiny. May their journey mirror the vast planes and fertile fields,
expansive and alive. May they find the right seeds to
sow to ensure a bountiful harvest. And when they look
up at the Northern Star, may they know that it is as bright and constant as
their love for each other as well as the love of the divine is for them.”
“Father, Mother, Divine Spirit whose
presence is felt in all things and at all times we ask your continued blessings
upon this couple, upon their union and upon their family and friends who have
gathered here to celebrate this joyous event with them. May they become one in
truth and forever revel in the magik that is love.”
Drawing Down the God and Goddess
“In the drawing down of the God and Goddess
into <<BRIDE>> and <<GROOM>>, it connects them with the
divinity within themselves, reminding us that in marriage it is our higher
selves and the best that we have to give, that we offer to one another. As a sacred spiritual union to become the embodiment of the God and
Goddess serves as a reminder that as above, so below, honoring the God and
Goddess within themselves and their mate.”
Bride bows head
<<BRIDE>>
Lady <<BRIDE>>, I ask you to
call upon
all that is divine within you,
Let it come forth and shine.
In you dwells the essence of the Great
Mother
and the divine feminine principle of the
Universe
You are She who has
been worshiped and adored
for centuries and throughout the ages
You are wife, mother, lover, friend,
prophet, and confidant
In you is everything that any one
could ever aspire to be and more.
In you is strength
and wisdom, perfection and peace.
Shine dear one and show your true nature as
Goddess.
Groom bows head
<<GROOM>>
Lord <<GROOM>>, I ask you to
call upon
all that is divine within you,
Let it come forth and shine.
In you lives the essence of the Gods
The active force that has sparked and
powered all life
You are He who has been worshiped and adored
for centuries and throughout the ages
You are husband, healer, protector,
visionary, friend, and confidant
In you is everything that any one
could ever aspire to be and more.
In you is strength
and wisdom, perfection and peace.
Shine mighty one and show to all the God within.
<<BRIDE>>
“Queen most Secret, touch with your grace
and fill this woman with your beauty and strength in the unending cycles of
growth and change that are the years and seasons of lives spent together in
love and wonder. Share with her your fertile nature from which all abundance
flows.
<<GROOM>>
“Lord of light and life, touch with your
power and fill this man with your knowledge and wisdom to guide him in this
divine alchemy which is the union of two souls. Share with him the secret union
of heart and mind upon which this union known as marriage must be based.”
“<<Best Man >> and <<Maid
of Honor>> will you now hold out the rings entrusted to you by
<<BRIDE>> and <<GROOM>>? Your hands beneath serve as a
symbol of how <<BRIDE>> and <<GROOM>> and their marriage
are supported upon this earth by the love of their friends and family as
blessed from above.”
<<Best Man>> and <<Maid of
Honor>> hold out the wedding bands in the palm of their hands Celebrant
continues:
“Lord and Lady, guardians of all that is seen
and unseen,
Bless these rings and this couple who shall
wear them.
Keep them safe through adversity forever
supported
by your eternal blessing.”
Celebrant takes rings
“The ring finger of the left hand, the side
of the body that holds the heart, has been used for the wedding band because
for centuries people believed that there was a vein that ran directly from that
finger to the heart. They also believed that the words that were spoken during
the placing of the ring would resonate over and over, like the
circumference of the band itself, through to the heart and soul of both
giver and receiver of the most monumental promise of all, the promise of a
lifetime as husband and wife."
Sword, Chalice and Ring Exchange*
*Adapted from Ed Fitch's "Rights from the Crystal Well"
“Lord <<GROOM>>, if it is truly
thy desire to become one with this with this woman: Then present unto her a
symbol of thy pledge, and a token of thy love.”
Groom drops to one knee, and presents Sword
with ring on it
“Lady <<BRIDE>>, you are the
most gracious and lovely one that <<GROOM>> has ever seen, for he
understands the essence of thy true self. The beauty which radiates around thee
can only be rivaled by the beauty which radiates from within thee. The pledge
of his sword is as the pledge of his soul. It is his prowess, his fire, his
passion, his strength & courage, His ability to protect, defend and care
for thee. With the strength of his blade and the endurance of its steel to
represent what is in his heart, take from him now, as his beloved, the ring
that rests upon it, and choose him to be your own.”
Bride takes ring from Sword
<<BRIDE>>: “I accept the pledge
of thy blade and the eternal promise of this wedding band.”
Bride takes sword from Groom and places the blade
from left shoulder to right shoulder to the top of his head. The motion, as in
bestowing knighthood upon him while saying:
<<BRIDE>>: “For the boy thou
were,
For the man thee art,
And for the Husband thou shall be to me,
I do choose you to be mine own.”
Bride returns sword
<<BRIDE>>: “If thou wilt now
place this ring upon mine finger,
I shall from this day forth,
‘till beyond the end of time,
Take thee to be mine own.”
Bride opens hand presenting Groom with the
ring
which he then places upon her finger
<<GROOM>>: "With this ring
I thee wed. I take you as my friend, my lover, my wife
from this day forth and into the fullness of time where we will meet and
remember and love again."
“Lady <<BRIDE>>, if it is truly your desire to become one with this
man: Then present unto him a symbol
of thy pledge and a token of thy love.”
Bride bows before Groom and presents Chalice with ring inside
“Lord <<GROOM>>, in the eyes of this woman thou art the only man in
the world. Yours is the voice of sound reason and unwavering support. You the
spark to the bonfire of her passions and yours are the arms in which she would
have lay down to rest. The pledge of her chalice is the pledge of all that is
within her, Her felicity and devotion. The place in
her heart where two souls can be sheltered and nourished, that they may grow
together, ever closer, and flourish as the leaves on the trees and the fruits
of the vine. As the depth and bounty of her chalice foretell the richness of
your future together, take from her now the band that lies there within, and do
choose her as thy own.”
Groom takes ring from chalice, Bride still holding chalice
<<GROOM>>: “I accept the pledge of your chalice and the eternal
promise of this wedding band.”
Groom pours wine into chalice then takes it from his Bride
<<GROOM>>: “For the girl thou
were,
For the woman thou art
And for the wife that thee shall be to me,
I toast and drink to thee!
And do choose you to be mine own”
Groom makes toasting gesture, drinks and returns chalice to Bride
<<GROOM>>: “If thou will now place this ring upon my finger,
I shall from this day forth,
‘till beyond the end of time,
Take you to be mine own.”
Groom opens hand presenting Bride with the ring
which she then places upon his finger
<<BRIDE>>: "With this ring
I thee wed. I take you as my friend, my lover,
my husband from this day forth and into the fullness of time where we will
meet and remember and love again.”
“As the Lord and Lady are
separate yet one. so have your pledges made you. Drink now of one another’s
love and know that you will never again thirst in your heart or in mind, for
what each of you lacks the other has to give and the well spring of love flows
eternally for those who drink often of it’s waters.
Bride and Groom sip from chalice
As food and drink nourish the body, so does
love feed the soul of marriage. Feed now one another, feed forevermore the spirit of your union and be
filled always
Bride and Groom feed one another of the cake
“Is it also your wish today that your hands
be fasted in the ways of old?”
<<BRIDE>> and
<<GROOM>>: “It is.”
“Remember then as your hands are fasted,
these are not the ties that bind...”
Cords are held aloft
“The role already taken by the song your
hearts share shall be now be strengthened by the vows you take. All things of
the material world eventually return to the Earth unlike the bond and the
connection your spirits share which is destined to ascend to the heavens.
“May you be forever as one in the passion
and fire of you
Bride and Groom’s hands are bound
You are now as your hearts have always known
you to be,
Husband and Wife. You may kiss the bride!”
The Broom and Sword
“Brooms are used for cleaning and sweeping.
Therefore that they are used to symbolize the sweeping away the remnants of the
past which no longer serve us is appropriate. The sword symbolizes the wielding
of power and personal responsibility. As the Bride and Groom jump they are
reminded that remaining vigilant over these aspects of the day to day shall
help them to achieve the quality of life that they aspire to. <<Maid of
Honor>> and <<Best Man>> will you now lay down the Sword and
Broom.”
Maid of Honor lays down Broom
Best Man crosses it with the sword
“Now putting the past behind
you, and remembering always that the power to create the future ahead of you is
your own, jump together into your common future!”
The couple jumps, kisses again, and exits to
greet their guests as the circle is quietly broken down.
Other ceremony samples coming soon!
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