Vows - of old friends getting married; Apache Ceremony of Love; Kahlil Gibran
Officiant:
We are joyfully gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of two lives in marriage. [NAME] and [NAME] have asked us to be with them and rejoice with them in the making of this important commitment. The essence of this commitment is the taking of another person in his or her entirety as lover, companion and friend. It is therefore a decision that is not entered into lightly, but rather undertaken with great consideration and respect.
[NAME] and [NAME] have come together in the hope that the love which brought them to this union may go beyond itself and into the lives of others. To reflect on the meaning of love we need to remember that: Love is patient and it kind. It does not envy; it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. It does not rejoice in evil, but delights only in the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Now abides faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.
Yet, [NAME] and [NAME] know it is not easy to build a deep, personal relationship, even in marriage. Thus, we ask that the promise and hopes of this union be realized. Grant these two the patience to listen, the capacity to understand, the compassion to give comfort, and the joy to laugh and simply to be. Let neither find themselves a stranger in their home. Let this marriage offer illumination and growth, and let them bask in the joy of giving and the excitement of shared discoveries.
Sample VOWS: - click here for optional Vows
SOUL MATE: For the many years we have been friends, I always knew I could depend on you when on one else was there. After many years, I realized how much you meant to me. Our friendship has grown so strong, I knew I did not want to live without you. On the day I knew I loved you, I pledged I would return to you all of the trust, all of the comfort, and all of the kindness you have given me these many years. My dearest friend is now my dearest love. I will love you forever, and on this glorious day do pledge my love and my sacred honor as I marry my best friend. I [NAME] do take you [NAME] to be my (wife/husband/soul mate - your preference).
SOUL MATE: You guided me and helped me through broken hearts and forgotten promises. You saw me at my very worst, and I did not mind. You understood me. We talked of dreams but never thought to include each other; we planned our lives and gave each other advice. One day, something was different. On that day, I knew I loved you and trusted you; and the next time I hugged you, you would know. And I think you did. My love, I do pledge now that all I learned from you I will ever hold dear. Your strength will always be my strength, and I will be as true to you as our friendship has ever been. I [NAME] do take you [NAME] to be my (wife/husband/soul mate - your preference).
RING EXCHANGE: - click here for optional Ring Exchange wording
Your rings are circles: the symbol of unity, of wholeness, and of perfection; of the sun, the earth, and the universe. These rings remain unique and individual, yet they represent a unity that has no beginning and no end. Take these rings as a symbol of your marriage, in which two unique individuals have found a bond and a unity which shall have no ending. They are tokens of the growing relationship you have come here to celebrate and to confirm.
Please join hands and repeat after me:
(Soul Mate to Soul Mate):-With this ring I thee wed. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always of this day, and that you are surrounded by my enduring love.
(Soul Mate to Soul Mate): With this ring I thee wed. Although it is but a material possession, it is a symbol of my love for you, and I ask you to wear it always to help you remember my dedication to you.
For several thousand years, men and women have exchanged rings as a token of their wedding vows. These simple gold bands are not of great value in and of themselves. But what they stand for now and what they will come to mean over time is beyond price. The great circle of Life itself is symbolized in these small circles on your fingers.
Kahlil Gibran, in his book "The Prophet" has this to say on marriage:
"You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. 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 space in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. 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 others cup but drink not from the same cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous.
Finally, listen to these words which are taken from the Apache Ceremony of Love: - or optional Tribe wording
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling,
To enter into the days of you life together
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
[NAME] and [NAME], as we celebrate the beginning of your marriage today take to heart these words:
Go in peace, as two yet one. May your unity last through all your life together, through the trials and the triumphs that lie ahead, so that at the end you may feel just as you do now - happy to be in love and married. I now pronounce you (husband and wife, husband and husband, wife and wife, soul mate and soul mate - your preference).
You may now kiss each other.
Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting for the first time: [NAME] and [NAME] [LAST NAME].
We are joyfully gathered here today to witness and celebrate the joining of two lives in marriage. [NAME] and [NAME] have asked us to be with them and rejoice with them in the making of this important commitment. The essence of this commitment is the taking of another person in his or her entirety as lover, companion and friend. It is therefore a decision that is not entered into lightly, but rather undertaken with great consideration and respect.
[NAME] and [NAME] have come together in the hope that the love which brought them to this union may go beyond itself and into the lives of others. To reflect on the meaning of love we need to remember that: Love is patient and it kind. It does not envy; it is not proud. Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered. Love keeps no record of wrongs. It does not rejoice in evil, but delights only in the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. Now abides faith, hope and love; but the greatest of these is love.
Yet, [NAME] and [NAME] know it is not easy to build a deep, personal relationship, even in marriage. Thus, we ask that the promise and hopes of this union be realized. Grant these two the patience to listen, the capacity to understand, the compassion to give comfort, and the joy to laugh and simply to be. Let neither find themselves a stranger in their home. Let this marriage offer illumination and growth, and let them bask in the joy of giving and the excitement of shared discoveries.
Sample VOWS: - click here for optional Vows
SOUL MATE: For the many years we have been friends, I always knew I could depend on you when on one else was there. After many years, I realized how much you meant to me. Our friendship has grown so strong, I knew I did not want to live without you. On the day I knew I loved you, I pledged I would return to you all of the trust, all of the comfort, and all of the kindness you have given me these many years. My dearest friend is now my dearest love. I will love you forever, and on this glorious day do pledge my love and my sacred honor as I marry my best friend. I [NAME] do take you [NAME] to be my (wife/husband/soul mate - your preference).
SOUL MATE: You guided me and helped me through broken hearts and forgotten promises. You saw me at my very worst, and I did not mind. You understood me. We talked of dreams but never thought to include each other; we planned our lives and gave each other advice. One day, something was different. On that day, I knew I loved you and trusted you; and the next time I hugged you, you would know. And I think you did. My love, I do pledge now that all I learned from you I will ever hold dear. Your strength will always be my strength, and I will be as true to you as our friendship has ever been. I [NAME] do take you [NAME] to be my (wife/husband/soul mate - your preference).
RING EXCHANGE: - click here for optional Ring Exchange wording
Your rings are circles: the symbol of unity, of wholeness, and of perfection; of the sun, the earth, and the universe. These rings remain unique and individual, yet they represent a unity that has no beginning and no end. Take these rings as a symbol of your marriage, in which two unique individuals have found a bond and a unity which shall have no ending. They are tokens of the growing relationship you have come here to celebrate and to confirm.
Please join hands and repeat after me:
(Soul Mate to Soul Mate):-With this ring I thee wed. As it encircles your finger, may it remind you always of this day, and that you are surrounded by my enduring love.
(Soul Mate to Soul Mate): With this ring I thee wed. Although it is but a material possession, it is a symbol of my love for you, and I ask you to wear it always to help you remember my dedication to you.
For several thousand years, men and women have exchanged rings as a token of their wedding vows. These simple gold bands are not of great value in and of themselves. But what they stand for now and what they will come to mean over time is beyond price. The great circle of Life itself is symbolized in these small circles on your fingers.
Kahlil Gibran, in his book "The Prophet" has this to say on marriage:
"You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore. 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 space in your togetherness, and let the winds of the heavens dance between you. 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 others cup but drink not from the same cup. Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf. Sing and dance together and be joyous.
Finally, listen to these words which are taken from the Apache Ceremony of Love: - or optional Tribe wording
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling,
To enter into the days of you life together
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
[NAME] and [NAME], as we celebrate the beginning of your marriage today take to heart these words:
Go in peace, as two yet one. May your unity last through all your life together, through the trials and the triumphs that lie ahead, so that at the end you may feel just as you do now - happy to be in love and married. I now pronounce you (husband and wife, husband and husband, wife and wife, soul mate and soul mate - your preference).
You may now kiss each other.
Ladies and Gentlemen, presenting for the first time: [NAME] and [NAME] [LAST NAME].