Secular Weddings
Wedding Ceremony of Amanda Bakken and Geoff Morse, June 3, 2006, Rochester, MN
Gathering Words [Rev. Peter]
We are gathered here together as family and friends to celebrate the coming together of Amanda and Geoffrey. We come to witness the joining of these two people in marriage and to rejoice in their making of this important and lasting commitment.
The essence of the marriage relationship is the openness to another person in his or her entirety as lover, companion, and friend. We join our lives together in search of something greater and richer, something that transcends our solitary lives.
Really loving one another with depth and passion is perhaps the greatest treasure we human beings can attain. It adds richness and profound meaning to our lives. Love is one of life’s greatest joys. By simply giving ourselves to each other, honestly and courageously, each partner is infinitely enhanced.
As companions in our day-to-day lives, we take pleasure in sharing our time, thoughts, and feelings. We delight in reporting on our separate adventures in the world. These become the rhythm of life between devoted life partners as they build their life together.
In marriage, two lives are intimately shared; and the blending of the two must not diminish either one. Rather, it should enhance the individuality of each partner.
As a marriage matures, it takes on a life of its own. And within it, each partner is individually evolving while growing in understanding of the other. This wonderful intimacy with another person can mirror a depth of inner knowing that awakens levels of awareness we never knew existed. To be awakened in this way is a priceless gift.
When we give of ourselves into a loving marriage partnership, we do not abandon ourselves; we do not shed our individuality; for that is what brought us together in the first place.
So let us come together now to witness, to support, and to celebrate this union of Amanda and Geoffrey. Please join me in wishing them a healthy, loving, and joyful marriage.
Wedding Statement [Rev. Peter]
Marriage is the essence of human relationships. It challenges us to be of one accord without abandoning the truth of our individuality. It challenges us to not lose ourselves in one another, but rather to walk side by side heading in the same direction.
As with all relationships marriage is an endless presentation of choices about how we want to be with one another. Each choice presents an opportunity for more unity.
Choose into that unity, Amanda and Geoff, every chance you get.
Sacrifice your judgments, expectations, and any other ways that you have learned to separate your selves from each other. Share the gifts of your friendship, humor, vulnerability, sensitivity, and kindness. Be sure to find ways each day to protect, affirm, and support each other and to treasure the balance and shared vales that you have found with each other.
Enjoy the intertwining of your independence with your intimacy. I wish you the courage to keep your loving hearts open to each other for the rest of your lives.
It is your love that has brought us here today. May it grow deeper and sweeter with each passing year.
Readings
“Sonnet 17″
Pablo Neruda
[Janet Morse]
I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
or arrow of carnations that propagate fire;
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
secretly, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom, and carries
hidden within itself the light of those flowers,
and thanks to your love, darkly in my body
lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I know no other way of loving
but this, in which there is no I or you;
so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close.
from “Letters to a Young Poet”
Rainer Maria Rilke
[Seth House]
For one human being to love another: this is perhaps the most difficult of all our tasks, the ultimate, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is only preparation…. At first, loving does not mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another…. it is an inducement to the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world for himself for another’s sake, it is a great, demanding claim upon him, something that chooses him and calls him to vast things.
Statement of Intent
Rev. Peter: Amanda and Geoff, you have made a very serious and important decision in choosing to marry each other today. You are entering into a sacred covenant as life partners.
As in tending the flowers in a garden, the quality of your marriage will reflect the effort you put into nurturing this relationship. You have the opportunity to go forward from this day to create a faithful, kind, and tender relationship.
Geoff, do you understand and accept this responsibility and do you promise to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage?
Geoff: Yes, I do.
Rev. Peter: Amanda, do you understand and accept this responsibility and do you promise to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage?
Amanda: Yes, I do.
Vows
Geoff: I, Geoff, choose you, Amanda, to be my wife.
>From this day forward,
I promise to love you,
to honor you,
to respect you,
and to support you,
as long as we both shall live.
Amanda: I, Amanda, choose you, Geoff, to be my husband.
>From this day forward,
I promise to love you,
to honor you,
to respect you,
and to support you,
as long as we both shall live.
Ring prelude [Rev. Peter]
These rings are circles, and circles are symbolic of the sun, the earth, and the universe.
As arms that embrace, these wedding rings you give and receive this day reflect the circle of shared love into which you enter as partners in life.
May you always be blessed, and may you abide in peace and love.
Ring Exchange
Geoff: Amanda, I give you this ring
as a symbol of my vow.
May it encircle your finger always,
as my love will your heart.
Amanda: Geoff, I give you this ring
as a symbol of my vow.
May it encircle your finger always,
as my love will your heart.
Final Blessing [Rev. Peter]
Amanda and Geoff, on behalf of your loved ones who are here with you today, I would like to mention some of the things that 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 is 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, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. Amanda and Geoff, you may now kiss as husband and wife for the first time. Congratulations!
[kiss]
[Recessional music begins: Sue Keasling, "Off She Goes"]
The Wedding Service for
Alexandra Weldon and Ralph Scott, Jr.
The Collier Athletic Club
November 18, 2000 6:30 PM
Prelude
Processional
Opening Words and the Words of the Ceremony:
The Reverend Peter Edward Lanzillotta, Ph.D.
Welcome…. Tonight we have come together to be with Ralph and Alexandra as they begin their married lives. It is through our participation as witnesses that Alex and Ralph help us to renew our faith in the human capacity to love, to honor and to respect another human being- for this covenant is the essence of marriage.
The union between a husband and wife is a unity of heart, mind and body that was intended by God and is for their mutual inspiration and joy. It is a genuine quality of togetherness that gives support and comfort to one another and that can uphold their bonds and hold them close to one another through both prosperity and adversity- throughout all the situations and circumstances of human life.
Therefore, marriage is not intended to be entered into lightly, or without sufficient forethought, insight and wisdom…. It is intended to be established and upheld consciously and deliberately. The promise and vows of marriage depend on our reverence and our respect: Our reverence for God and what is holy, and our respect and caring for one another.
As a special part of this service, Ralph and Alex would first like to thank their family and their friends for traveling so far so that they could share in this happy occasion. Also, they would like to offer a special thanks to Alex’s parents who have been so gracious and so supportive, patient, and helpful in their efforts so that this day will be so memorable….
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Because a wedding service connects families and hearts in a timeless way, we also ask each person here pause for a moment in prayer to remember those who we wished could be here among us. We especially recall Scott, Alex’s brother, and Ralph and Rose, Ralph’s parents. We know that if they were with us now, they would approve of the love that we see, and the dedication and devotion that is present in the start of this new family….. AMEN
Words To The Couple:
Ralph and Alex, I believe that it was no accident that your souls have been drawn together for this lifelong sacred journey- that heartfelt pathway which is a living opportunity that your marriage can become. Marriage has within it, a special grace that can only be found in being with a loved one. This involves living each day hereafter as a joint expression of your minds, the ripening of your souls, and the deepening of your heart’s affections. Alex and Ralph, marriage is the companionship that is based on an abiding mutual trust, and it grows from an understanding of spirituality. May this companionship always serve to uplift and bless you, and be an inspiration for the children who will live with you.
The excitement of your future lives is nurtured by the mystery it holds;
And its beauty is fed by having someone to explore with and discover its answers. When you look into one another’s eyes, you see not only the love you have for one another, but you also see all your hopes and dreams for tomorrow, and the promise that you will learn to treasure every moment that you are together.
Selected Readings: ” On Loving” and “The Dance of Relationships”
As Rainer Maria Rilke put it in his Letters To A Young Poet:
“For one human being to love another, that perhaps is the hardest of all our tasks; its life’s ultimate test or proof, the work for which all other work is but preparation…. Love…. Is a high inducement to the individual to ripen, to become something in themselves, to become…. A world to him or herself, for another’s sake. Human love consists of this; that two solitude’s protect and touch and greet each other.”
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“The deep knowledge of another is not something that can be achieved in
a short time. Real understanding of the other feelings can develop fully only with years of intimacy. This wonderful knowledge of another person grows of really caring for the other, sharing not only joys and successes, but also the burden of sorrows and failures. To be known in this way is a priceless thing. While marriage is the intimate sharing of two lives, it can yet enhance the differences and individuality of each partner.
A good relationship has a pattern, like a dance, and is built on some of the same rules. The partners do not need to hold on tightly, because they move confidently in the same pattern, intricate but happy and swift and free.
To touch heavily would be to arrest the pattern, and freeze the movement;
to check the endlessly changing beauty of its unfolding. There is no place here for the clinging arm, and heavy hand; only the barest touch in passing. Now, arm in arm; now face to face; now, back to back, it does not matter which, because they know they are partners moving to the same rhythm, creating a pattern together, and being invisibly nourished by it.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh from Gifts from the Sea
Family Pledge
Before we get to the marriage vows, there is a need to establish the bonds of a new family by including each adult , and both of the children
in this new relationship. Jennifer, Scott’s daughter, and Taylor and Tory, Alex’s children will also be a part of a new family. From this day forward, there will be a bond created and shared….. I ask you now, “Will you support Alex and Ralph in their new life together? Will you love, cared for and respect each other as sisters and brother? Will you love, honor and care for each other as a new family?
” WE WILL”
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The Wedding Vows (Please turn, face one another and hold hands….)
Ralph and Alex, will you take one another as husband and wife? Will you love and respect one another? Will you trust one another, always? Will stand by one another and face whatever may come with strength, patience and love?
“WE WILL”
I, Alex, from this day forward, I choose you, Ralph, as my friend,
my confidant, my lover, to be my husband…. I give myself to you, the good with the bad, to build our lives together, and to share our future, whatever it may bring. I will cherish all the seasons of life that we will share together.
I vow to laugh with you in the good times, to grieve with you in sorrow, to share with you all that is the essence of me… And to help you to bring out the best in you through my encouragement, my understanding, trust, respect and above all else, my love.
I, Ralph, from this day forward, I choose you, Alex, as my friend,
my confidant, my lover, to be my wife…. I give myself to you, the good with the bad, to build our lives together, and to share our future, whatever it may bring.
I will cherish all the seasons of life that we will share together.
I vow to laugh with you in the good times, to grieve with you in sorrow, to share with you all that is the essence of me… And to help you to bring out the best in you through my encouragement, my understanding, trust, respect and above all else, my love.
The Exchange and Blessing of The Rings:
Q: What do you offer as your pledge of love and loyalty?
“THESE RINGS”
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A circle is the symbol fro the Sun, the Earth, and the universe. It is the image of wholeness, perfection and peace. May these rings be forever a symbol of your unbroken love. Love that is freely given has no beginning and has no end. Love that is freely given has no giver and has no receiver , for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken her tonight….
Alex: ” I offer you this ring as a sign of my enduring love, knowing that love is precious and fragile, yet strong. I ask you to take this ring and wear it, so that all might know that you are touched by my love.”
Ralph: ” I offer you this ring as a sign of my enduring love, knowing that love is precious and fragile, yet strong. I ask you to take this ring and wear it, so that all might know that you are touched by my love.” (+Blessing +)
Pronouncement:
Ralph and Alex have chosen to be married this evening in this simple setting made glorious by the presence of their family and friends. ….
They feel both the beauty of their love, and the warmth and support from each of you and are thankful. …
May Ralph and Alex’s marriage bring them peace and contentment. Security and serenity, growth and grace…. May their marriage be resilient and grow ever stronger throughout their years together, and may all who love them and live with them and share in friendship and feel mutually blessed….
Now, in the glad recognition of your desire to link your lives and hearts in true affection, I pronounce that you are husband and wife….
Ralph, you may kiss your bride!
Ladies and gentlemen… Ralph and Alex Scott! Congratulations!
A toast by Jim and Dave….
The Wedding Service for Jeffrey Speer and Kari Nelson
The Beach at Smithtown Terrace
Excelsior, Minnesota
5:00 PM June 17th, 2006
Prelude
Guitar selections played by John Anderson
Processional
Canon in D played by John Anderson
Opening Words And The Ceremony: The Rev. Peter E. Lanzillotta, Ph.D.
We are gathered this afternoon to celebrate the marriage of Jeffrey and Kari.
In this ceremony. Jeff and Kari will publicly confirm their love, their trust and ever-growing dedication to each other and share their hearts before their family and friends.
Having decided to enter into a life long commitment, Kari and Jeff have invited you here celebrate that fact that that they have found in one another, a deep, enduring verdant love.
On this day, we will celebrate their choice and the decision to live as a married couple- for love sincerely expressed is also love that is genuinely shared- for it touches each of us here today.
Kari and Jeff are grateful for the values that have flowed into them from those who have loved and nurtured them all along life’s way. And it is in the modeling of love and loyalty that a marriage gains its lasting value… Kari and Jeff also want to affirm and celebrate important role models in their lives, for today is also a celebration of Kari’s parents’ 39th Wedding Anniversary at this time! (Pete & Ethel Nelson.)
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Thank You/Remembrance Rev. Peter
“Kari and Jeff would like to thank all of you for joining them on their special day. They are grateful that so many friends and family were able and willing to make the journey from all corners of the country and the world to be here today. They would especially like to acknowledge Jeff’s grandparents, Bill and Celeste Lytle, who traveled cross-country from New York State to witness the marriage of their first grandchild.
We would also like to reflect for a moment on the memory of those grandparents who cannot be with us here today: Leonard and Corrine Nelson; Don and Charlotte Wilcox; and Bill and Eleanor Speer.
Special memorial flowers in their honor have been placed on the guest book table.
Finally, Kari and Jeff wish to say a special thank you to their parents, whose love and commitment made today’s events possible. They deeply appreciate not only the tremendous undertaking of planning a wedding in only six months, but they will always gratefully recognize and cherish their lifelong unwavering support. Thank You!
Readings
“The Passionate Shepherd to His Love” (Christopher Marlowe)
Anna Nelson, sister of the bride
Come live with me and be my love, and we will, all the pleasures prove
That hills and valleys, dales and fields, and all the craggy mountains yields.
There we will sit upon the rocks, and see the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls, melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses with a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers and a kirtle, embroidered all with leaves of myrtle.
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A gown made of the finest wool, which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold, with buckles of the purest gold.
A belt of straw and ivy buds, with coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move, come live with me and be my love.
The shepherds’ swains shall dance and sing,
for thy delight each May morning:
If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me and be my love.
“Give All to Love” (Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Tracy Corens, friend of the bride
Give all to love; Obey thy heart;
Friends, kindred, days, Estate, good-fame, Plans, credit and the Muse… Nothing refuse.
‘Tis a brave master; Let it have scope: Follow it utterly, Hope beyond hope:
High and more high, It dives into noon, with wing unspent, untold intent;
But it is a god, knows it own path, and the outlets of the sky.
It was never for the mean; it requireth courage stout.
Souls above doubt, Valor unbending, it will reward,
They shall return, more than they were, and ever ascending . . .
Musical Selection (guitar)
“Better Together” played by Jacob Davida, friend of the groom.
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Statement of Intention Rev. Peter, Kari and Jeff
Jeff and Kari, you have made a very serious and important decision in choosing to marry each other today. You are entering into a sacred covenant as life partners. As in tending the flowers in a garden, the quality of your marriage will reflect the effort you put into nurturing this relationship. You have the opportunity to go forward from this day to create a faithful, kind, and tender relationship.
Jeff, do you understand and accept this responsibility and do you promise to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage? Jeff: Yes, I do.
Rev. Peter: Kari, do you understand and accept this responsibility and do you promise to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage?
Kari: Yes, I do.
Exchange of Vows Kari and Jeff
Jeff: Kari, as your husband I devote my life to you. I will nurture and cherish our marriage as I would a garden, whether challenged by drought or graced by gentle spring rain. This I pledge to you with every cell of my being.
Kari: Jeff, already, we have been fortunate to share so many wonderful experiences together. As your wife, I look forward to continuing to discover the world with you by my side.
I promise you a lifetime of love, laughter, and adventure. Je t’aime pour toujours.”
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Exchange of Rings Rev. Peter
Jeff and Kari… What do you offer as a symbol of your love? “THESE RINGS”
The circle is the symbol of the sun, the earth and the universe, of wholeness, perfection and peace… May these rings be forever a sign of your unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and has no end. Love freely given has no giver and has no receiver for each is the giver and the receiver . May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today.
Unity Ivy Rev. Peter
Anyone who ever visited Kari and Jeff in Madison know that plants, and to be more specific, ivy, have been a signature part of their lives. For Jeff and Kari the indoor plants that they have nurtured represent the garden that apartment dwellers cannot plant. As they have nurtured their plants, so too have they nurtured each other.
In the language of flowers and flora, ivy has long been held as a symbol of marriage and fidelity. At this point, I call upon our couple to join ivy in a symbolic repotting ceremony. Each will take a cutting from the two plants representing their families. They will unite them in a new pot, joining them with a plant from their home in Madison. These new shoots and the roots of the ivy plant already established will grow as Kari and Jeff do as a couple.”
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Pronouncement
Kari and Jeff have chosen to be married here today, in God’s natural light and at the shore of the lake with its rhythmic natural surroundings. As we breathe in this moment of happiness, and the wonder of nature that attends it, may we hope that Jeff and Kari’s marriage will bring them lasting peace, harmony, and true heartfelt contentment.
Now, in the recognition our your vows, and by the power invested in me,
I gladly pronounce, that you are husband and wife.
Congratulations! You May Kiss The Bride!!!
Postlude Procession
Guitar Selections by John Anderson
The Wedding Ceremony for
Erin Marie Shekan and Edmund Read
Charlestown Landing
May 25, 2008
The Rev. Peter E. Lanzillotta, Ph.D.
Opening Words:
Good Evening, and welcome to all the family and friends of Erin Marie and Edmund who have come together from great distances to be with us here tonight…
Welcome to this celebration of love and romance. We meet here in the evening light and springtime warmth of this garden setting to witness a special event- a time when two souls will be joined as one- in the company of family, friends, in the presence of God, and in the loving regard and graces of those souls who cannot be with us.
The union of husband and wife is a unity of heart, of mind, and body, intended for their mutual inspiration and joy. It is a togetherness that gives support and comfort to one another in prosperity and adversity, in all situations and circumstances of human life. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered into lightly, or without sufficient insight and wisdom, but it is to be established, and then upheld deliberately in an abiding respect for one another.
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Edmund and Erin thank all of you for coming here tonight to share in this union. The history you bring together for this couple, as their friends and family, defines much of who they are as individuals and what they can become as a couple.
They are grateful for the enduring values that have been bestowed and examples that have been given to them from those who have loved and nurtured them along life’s way. With and through these intimate associations of the past, they have been given a solid foundation for a lasting marriage.
Readings: #1
An excerpt from “The Master Speed” by Robert Frost
Two such as you with such a master speed
Cannot be parted, nor be swept away
>From one another, once you are agreed
That life is only life forevermore,
Together, wing to wing, and oar to oar.
#2
What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together? Joined, but not restrained, in order to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the creation of silent unspoken memories.
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Words to the couple:
Erin and Edmund, you have come a long way to reach this moment. You know one another well, that is why you are here among family and friends to celebrate your marriage.
Yet you still have a long way to go, and much to discover about each other, and the forces that bind you to one another, to your families and to your friends.
I repeat, the sacred bond of marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but I think you know this. A good marriage is a relationship of love. Essentially, to love is to have another’s best interests in one’s heart always and foremost. It is to live in the life of that person, feeling his or her joys and sorrows as if they were your own.
From this day forward, you must unite. You must love, trust, and support one another but at the same time, your love should give you the strength to stand apart, to seek out your unique destiny and to make your own special contribution to our world. When love is accompanied by deep intimacy, we give rise to the highest level of human experience. Yours becomes one life together.
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Marriage Vows:
Priest: “Do you take Edmund as your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?” Bride: “I do”
Priest: “Do you take Erin as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part?” Groom: “I do”
Ring Ceremony: May I have the rings….
May these rings be forever the symbol of your unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning, and has no end. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here.
Repeat after me:
(Edmund) Erin, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow – and with all that I am and all that I have – I honor you…
(Erin) Edmund, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow – and with all that I am and that I have – I honor you…
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Pronouncement:
Erin and Edmund have chosen to be married here in God’s natural light and surroundings. As we breath this moment of happiness, let us appreciate the wonders of nature and of God.
Erin and Edmund, may your love grow always stronger, and may life together always bring peace and contentment.
You may now kiss the bride.
May I now present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Edmund Read!
Congratulations! May you live with joy and go in peace!
The Blessing Ceremony for
Neil David Jenkins and Cynthia Ellen Tenhouse
Sullivan Island, SC
June 20, 2008
Opening: Solistice Poem by the Unitarian, e.e. cummings
i thank you god for most this amazing day:
for the leaping greenly spirits of trees, and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything which is natural,
which is infinite, which is yes
i who have died, am alive again today, and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth day of life and love, (now the ears of my ears awake and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)
Neil & Cynthia — many paths have led you to this destination, this place where you know you belong. Your journey has brought you here, to the beginning of the rest of your life together.
This public declaration of your love is neither an end, nor a beginning, but rather a momentary pause celebrating what has already occurred. It is a blessing upon the love, spirit, and commitment that already exists in your hearts, souls, and minds.
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Marriage symbolizes the giving of a gift to one another.
It is a gift of oneself as a companion for life; someone who will listen and not judge; someone who will offer support and unconditional love. It is the gift of someone who will share your dreams and disappointments, your achievements and defeats. Marriage is a growing together – it is the task of making a strong, secure couple out of the best that each person can be. Marriage combines the unifying forces and independent wills of two people who choose to live together, and then together, reach further into the future than either could attain separately.
Words of Appreciation
At this time, Neil and Cynthia wish to thank all of you for being here tonight to share in this special celebration with them. The history you bring together for them defines much of who they are as individuals and what they can become as a couple. You have helped them arrive here today as happy, healthy, and loving people, willing and ready to share their lives together. From you, they have learned love, and for this they are forever grateful.
With your blessing tonight, they feel complete.
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Words to the Couple
Neil and Cynthia, the spiritual capacity to grow closer together is before you tonight. One of the greatest blessings you can give to one another is the willingness to support each other’s growth; growth in values, in character, and in service to one another and to our world. A vital part of this commitment is the willingness to forgive and to accept that each of you is an unfinished, growing person.
Cynthia and Neil, the excitement of the future lies in the mystery it holds, and its beauty is in having someone with whom to explore and discover it.
When you look into each other’s eyes, may you not only see the love that you have for one another, but also all your hopes and dreams of tomorrow … and may you find something to treasure in every moment you are together.
By the mutual commitment to love each other, and to work toward creating an atmosphere of caring, consideration, and respect, each day will become a new discovery of love, of life, and of your future.
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Let both the independence and desire to love that brought each of you here remain an essential part of your marriage. In creating that faithfulness and fortitude, that interdependence that serves and preserves your marriage, you will learn many powerful things. Let the good times be joyous, and allow the difficult times to weave their meaning into your hearts. These lessons will add depth and breadth to your feelings for one another. These experiences will color your lives and texture your life. Together you will design a world of life and love.
Selected Reading: “The Prophet” by Kahlil Gibran
In your life together, be reminded of the words of Lebanese Christian poet, Kahlil Gibran and the importance of finding space in your togetherness.
You were born together, and together you shall be for evermore. You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
Aye, you shall be together, even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, And let the winds of heavens dance between you.
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Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone, Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
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.
Exchange of Rings: (Peter invites parents Neil’s father, David Jenkins, & Cynthia’s mother, Helen Tenhouse to come up to present the rings.)
Blessing: Love is eternal, like the circle of a ring. The circle is the symbol for the Sun, the Earth, and the Universe. It has no beginning and no end. It is the image of wholeness, perfection, and peace. Love freely given has no giver and no receiver. May these rings be forever a symbol of the unbroken circle of your love.
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Lighting of the Chalice
Light represents life, spirit, and hope. This flame represents the life that has been passed to you. It symbolizes the spirit of your love for one another. It represents the bright hope of a shared tomorrow, and the spark of new beginnings. Neil and Cynthia, may the light of this chalice and all it represents, stay lit in your hearts forever.
Listen now to this prayer of togetherness:
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter to the other… Now you will feel no cold, for each shall be warmth to the other… Now there will be no loneliness, for each shall be companion to the other… Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth.
The Kiss- With a single kiss, you seal this bond. Congratulations! Live, love, and laugh with each other, and be at peace. Amen…So Be It!
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