Ceremonies

Aloha, I welcome you to this special event in which ______ and _______ declare before God that they have chosen each other. It is an occasion which is both solemn, as we reflect on the seriousness of their decision and festive, as we share their joy. We are witnessing an important event in their lives. Our service is based on the relationship which they share with each other and on their faith in God. It is a covenant. We affirm their love for each other as part of God’s will for them.

Let us pray for a moment…O gracious and everliving God, you have created us in your image. Look mercifully upon these two people who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make, Amen.

Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create a relationship that does not already exist and has not already been acknowledged in all the commitments you have made to each other, both large and small. A ceremony is a symbol of how far you have come together and a symbol of the promise that you will make to each other. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together. It is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection.

You are demonstrating your devotion to each other by dedicating yourselves to a life together. Today, your lives, which began on separate paths, will be joined as one. Today’s celebration is one type of moment that makes life beautiful. We are thankful for times like this, for the opportunity to celebrate this day and to make these memories.

At this time I would like to have you present leis to one another. With the presenting of these leis I (we) ask three things of each of you…

First, be constantly grateful for the presence of this precious person who has chosen to make a life with you.

Second, make each other the recipient of daily kindness. Be attentive, helpful and generous with compliments.

Last, but perhaps most importantly, make truth the unfailing bedrock of your lives together. A happy, loving marriage is built on trust and respect.

In Hawaii we exchange leis as a symbol of love and respect. Its flowers and twine are a reflection of your love and Aloha for one another.

May I have the rings?

For thousands of years, lovers have exchanged rings as a token of their vows. The promises which you have spoken to each other today are forever in your minds and hearts, but words are fleeting and so those who marry wear rings as visible symbols of their love and commitment. Let the sight of these rings always remind you of the commitments you make here today.

May your love be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as the waters touch and nourish the many shores of the earth, may your love be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Just as there will never be a morning without the ocean’s flow, there will never be a day without your love for each other. You have just sealed your relationship by giving and receiving of rings.

This beautiful union is symbolized through the combining of these two individual containers of sand. Each color represents you as individuals and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be,

Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without the need of anything else. When the two are blended together they represent an entirely new and extraordinary love relationship. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination.

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vases, so will the love and bond between the two of you render you inseparable.

(any additional readings may be read at this time)

Please face one another and join hands.

“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

These individual knots represent your past, your individual and separate lives before today. As you join your individual knots onto a single cord, you are joining your lives into a single journey. The finished pair of knots symbolizes your future and how your love and marriage will continue to be strong despite any trials life may throw your way. These “lovers knots” will only become stronger when under pressure, the rope itself will break before these knots come undone.

Lord God, our heavenly Father, we give thanks for the moment that that brings this couple together in marriage. We recognize with thanksgiving the journeys that have brought them to this time, and we celebrate with them the hopes they hold for their life together.

We ask your blessing upon them, to sustain them through the difficult and uncertain times that come to every relationship. We pray that they may continue to find in each other resources which will nurture their marriage. May they continue to grow together and may their love for one another deepen with the passing years. We give thanks for the nurture and support of family and friends. Let us, who share the circle of celebration today be renewed in our own commitments to one another. All this we ask in the spirit we have seen in Jesus Christ our Lord.

By the power vested in me by the state of Hawaii, I now pronounce you married and you may seal this with a kiss.