Wedding Ceremony of

Groom and Bride

Maui Hawaii

Date

Optional: Conch shell blow, here and at end of your ceremony.

Oli Aloha Optional: Goes nicely with conch blow.

Onaona I ka hala me ka lehua

Fragrant with the breath of hala and lehua

He hale lehua noʻia na ka noe

This is the sight I long to see

O kaʻu noʻia eʻanoʻi nei

Of this, my present desire

E liʻa nei hoʻi o ka hiki mai

Your coming fills me with eagerness

A hiki mai noʻoe oukou

Now that you have come

A hiki pū no me ke aloha

Love comes with you

Aloha e, Aloha e, Aloha e

Greetings, greetings, greetings

(Translation)

The Oli Aloha is a chant, which offers a word of greeting.

It says in part: This is the sight for which you have longed.

Now that you have come, love has come with you.

Today we meet by the sea as the two of you become one.

Here where the earth meets this constant and unlimited force. And as are these waters,

may the love you share be limitless, flowing and ever changing.

LEI EXCHANGE – Optional

For those of us who call Hawaii home, the flower lei is a symbol of love.

Here in the Islands a wedding often begins as it does today with the exchange of leis and

a kiss. We do this for several reasons. One is that the lei is an unbroken circle, like the

rings that soon will be blessed and exchanged, representing the eternal commitment of

your hearts together.

Also, as each flower is brought into the circle, it loses none of its individual beauty,

reminding us that in the unity of your love, you have lost none of your unique

individuality. In fact, the loving care and nurturing security of your relationship helps you

grow even more fully into that special person with whom your partner fell in love.

As you exchange these leis you now will begin to weave your own lei of life. And now,

with loving Aloha please present your leis to one another. “E honi aku” (give her/him a

kiss)

Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love of Groom and Bride, as

they make their pledges of marriage before God and before this company.

Jesus Christ was once asked, “What is the greatest Law that mankind must follow?” And

he answered them by saying that we must love God with all our hearts, and love our

neighbors as our selves.

I think that when he said these words, he touched upon something we all feel very deeply

in our hearts, and that is that love is the greatest gift we can offer one another.

And that is what makes marriage so very special and such a cause of joy and celebration

for all of us who have come here today to share in this event.

Marriage is an act of faith and ever-deepening commitment, as well as a loving union

between God’s children.

It has been described as the best and the most important relationship that two people can

share, the creation of a single growing energy of spiritual life.

Marriage can be a lifelong unfolding of loving kindness, backed by the will to make it

last.

There is no limit to the knowing of another's soul, and when you learn to love one person,

you grow in love for all of humanity.

We hope that the words and spirit of our gathering may be filled with a truth that will

deepen with the passing years.

We hope too that the meaning of the vows that Bride and Groom are about to share with

one another will deepen as well, as they discover the endless possibilities of this life

together.

We ask that the vision that you have of one another be always informed by that Radiant

Power which first brought you together.

Love is stronger than your conflicts, bigger than life’s changes, the miracle always

inviting you to learn, to blossom and to expand.

It is to Love that you must always return.

INTRODUCTION TO VOWS

The ceremony of marriage in which you come to be united is one of the first and oldest

ceremonies in all the world, celebrated in the beginning in the presence of God himself.

Marriage is a gift in that we give ourselves totally to one another.

I believe that marriage is a gift given to comfort the sorrows of life and to magnify life's

joys.

Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of two hearts, the union of two lives into

one and your marriage must stand, not by the authority of the state, nor by the seal on

your wedding certificate, but by the strength and power of the faith and love you have in

God and in one another.

A vast, unknown future stretches out before you.

That future, with its hopes and its challenges, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your

eyes.

But it is a great tribute to your belief in each other and in God that you are willing to

share that life together.

May the pure, simple love with which you join hearts and hands today only grow deeper

and stronger and more certain with every year you spend together.

Bride and Groom we are here to remember and rejoice with you and to recount with one

another that it is love that guides us on our path; and to celebrate as you begin this

journey together.

It is in this spirit that you have come here today to exchange these vows.

VOWS

Now, will you please turn and face one another and join hands to express your vows of

love and devotion each to the other.

Groom will you please repeat this vow to Bride, saying after me:

I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my 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, in sadness and in joy,

I promise to love and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

Bride, will you please repeat this vow to Groom saying after me:

I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my 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, in sadness and in joy,

I promise to love and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.

The word of God tells us what love is like and what love does:

Love is patient, love is kind, love is not jealous;

love does not brag and is not arrogant, it does not act

unbecomingly;

it does not seek its own, it is not provoked,

and it does not take into account a wrong suffered,

it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;

for love bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, and endures all things,

but above all, love never fails. 1Corithians 13:4-8

RING EXCHANGE

Having this kind of love in your hearts for one another, you have chosen to exchange

rings as the sign and seal of the promises you are making to one another today.

May God bless these rings as a symbol of this affectionate unity.

Rings are very large in their significance.

They are made of a precious metal and precious stone and that reminds us that love is

neither cheap nor common; but indeed, love is very valuable and dear to us.

These rings are also made in a circle and their design tells us that we must keep love

continuous throughout our whole lives just as the circle of the ring is continuous.

As you wear these rings, whether you are together or apart for even just a moment, may

these rings be a constant reminder of the promises you are making to one another this

day.

To Groom: Groom, will you please take this ring and place it upon Bride’s left ring

finger, and holding her hand in yours, please repeat this promise to Bride, saying after

me:

With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving husband,

as God is my witness.

To Bride: Bride, will you please take this ring and place it upon Groom’s left ring finger,

and holding his hand in yours please repeat this promise to Groom, saying after me:

With this ring, I seal my promise, to be your faithful and loving wife,

as God is my witness.

PRAYER

Let us pray.

O thou Eternal God, who art our Father and our Friend, as You have heard these words of

promise just spoken, may the Holy Spirit deepen in the mind of this man and this woman

the sense of the sacred and binding power of their vows.

And as in Thy Name these words were spoken to make these two lives one, may your

rich Blessing be added.

Give them your grace and guidance, that they may loyally fulfill the vows that they have

taken.

When selfishness shows itself, grant generosity; when mistrust is a temptation, give

moral strength; when there is misunderstanding, give patience and gentleness; if suffering

becomes a part of their lives, give them a strong faith and an abiding Love.

May your joy abide with them always, that thus they may be a blessing to each other and

to those about them. Amen

May this shining hour be an open door through which Bride and Groom will go forth to

build that dearest of all relationships, a happy marriage.

May the years deal gently with them; walking together may they find far more in life than

either would have found alone.

BLESSING - Optional

A Wedding Blessing

for

Groom and Bride

In joining your lives together, may God grant you both…

Love… to afford each other a special quality of time together

Joy… in the accomplishments of one another

Understanding… that your interests and desires

will not always be the same

Friendship… based on mutual trust

Courage… to speak of a misunderstanding

and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun

Compassion… to comfort each other in pain and sorrow

Foresight… to realize rainbows follow rainy days

Imagination… to keep with you part of the child you used to be

Mirth… from your sense of humor

Awareness… to live each day with the knowledge

that there is no promise of tomorrow.

May God bless you both and keep you in the palm of His hand.

PRONOUNCEMENT

Groom and Bride, you have come here today before all of us and before God and have

expressed your desire to become husband and wife.

You have shown your love and affection by joining hands and have made promises of

faith and devotion, each to the other and have sealed these promises by the giving and the

receiving of rings.

Therefore, it is my privilege to pronounce that you are husband and wife together.

Groom, you may kiss your bride!

Wedding Ceremony of

Groom and Bride

Maui Hawaii

Date

OPTIONAL: Conch shell blow, here and at end of your ceremony.

Oli Aloha Optional: Goes nicely with conch blow.

Onaona I ka hala me ka lehua

Fragrant with the breath of hala and lehua

He hale lehua noʻia na ka noe

This is the sight I long to see

O kaʻu noʻia eʻanoʻi nei

Of this, my present desire

E liʻa nei hoʻi o ka hiki mai

Your coming fills me with eagerness

A hiki mai noʻoe oukou

Now that you have come

A hiki pū no me ke aloha

Love comes with you

Aloha e, Aloha e, Aloha e

Greetings, greetings, greetings

(Translation)

The Oli Aloha is a chant, which offers a word of greeting.

It says in part: This is the sight for which you have longed.

Now that you have come, love has come with you.

Today we meet by the sea as the two of you become one.

Here where the earth meets this constant and unlimited force. And as are these waters, may the

love you share be limitless, flowing and ever changing.

2

LEI EXCHANGE Optional – If it’s in your package and you want to of course !

For those of us who call Hawaii home, the flower lei is a symbol of love.

Here in the Islands a wedding often begins as it does today with the exchange of leis and a

kiss. We do this for several reasons. One is that the lei is an unbroken circle, like the rings that

soon will be blessed and exchanged, representing the eternal commitment of your hearts

together.

Also, as each flower is brought into the circle, it loses none of its individual beauty, reminding us

that in the unity of your love, you have lost none of your unique individuality. In fact, the loving

care and nurturing security of your relationship helps you grow even more fully into that special

person with whom your partner fell in love.

As you exchange these leis you now will begin to weave your own lei of life. And now, with

loving Aloha please present your leis to one another. “E honi aku” (give her/him a kiss)

Aloha and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Groom and Bride in marriage.

We gather here today to celebrate their union, and to honor their commitment, to not just gazing

at one another, but to looking outward in the same direction.

Today Bride and Groom proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with and for them.

As we celebrate their love that is so obvious on their faces, let us remember that we experience it

in our own hearts as well.

It is a love that is universal which kindles our souls with hope and which is our true home, our

true meeting place.

In marriage we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in

doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift.

But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and

family members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship.

All of you are Groom and Bride’s family, community and each of you has played some part in

bringing them to this moment.

This is why gathering as we have today is such an important part of a wedding ceremony.

Because Bride and Groom are now taking a new form as a married couple and in this form they

become part of their family, their ‘ohana in a new way.

3

INTRODUCTION TO VOWS

Groom and Bride, you realize that in a greater sense no other person or officiant can truly marry

you.

Only you can marry yourselves.

By your commitment to love each other, to work with all your hearts toward creating an

atmosphere of care and respect, and by your willingness to face together the fears and

uncertainty that underlie human life; you marry yourselves more surely than any document we

will put our signatures on today.

Your love for one another and your willingness to accept each other’s strengths and frailties with

understanding and compassion will cement the foundation for a life together that will last.

Today you commit yourselves to honoring and protecting one another above your separate

selves, and to valuing your union above your own interests.

In so doing, you will find a wealth of love and peace not otherwise attainable.

But with this joy comes a profound responsibility to protect the bond you share. For it is only

with continual care that your love is truly secure in the face of life's inevitable tests.

Please... regard each other with the deepest respect.

Appreciate each other's talents, foster each other's dreams, and be ever mindful of the many gifts

each offers the other.

Inspire and encourage one another.

For by strengthening your partner, you strengthen your marriage.

Bring out the very best in each other. Be sparing in criticism and generous in praise for things

well done.

In communication, be honest and open. For the heart that communicates truth without hesitation

earns trust and builds a secure home.

Without truth there is no respect, and without respect there is no love.

Accept your marriage as a work-in-progress that will hereafter consume your attention, yet never

be completed.

Because a lifelong love requires a lifetime of hard work.

But it is a joyous labor, whose fruits are the very richest.

4

A vast, unknown future stretches out before you.

That future, with its hopes and its challenges, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes.

But it is a great tribute to your belief in each other that you are willing to share that life together.

May the pure, simple love with which you join hearts and hands today only grow deeper and

stronger and more certain with every year you spend together.

Bride and Groom, we are here to remember and rejoice with you and to recount with one another

that it is love that guides us on our path; and to celebrate as you begin this journey together.

It is in this spirit that you have come here today to exchange these vows.

VOWS

Groom, repeat after me:

I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife.

I promise above all else to live in truth with you,

and to communicate fully and fearlessly.

I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,

and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours.

Bride, repeat after me:

I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my husband.

I promise above all else to live in truth with you,

and to communicate fully and fearlessly.

I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,

and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours.

RING EXCHANGE

May these rings be blessed as a symbol of this affectionate unity.

For thousands of years, lovers have exchanged rings as a token of their vows.

These simple bands are not of great value in themselves but are made precious by our wearing of

them.

Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together.

5

Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a past, a present and a

future, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight.

Groom take Bride’s ring and put it on her left ring finger and repeat after me:

Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.

Just as it is made of indestructible substance,

my commitment to you will never fail.

With this ring, I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

Bride take Groom’s ring and put it on his left ring finger and repeat after me:

Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.

Just as it is made of indestructible substance,

my commitment to you will never fail.

With this ring, I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

May this shining hour be an open door through which Bride and Groom will go forth to build

that dearest of all relationships, a happy marriage.

May the years deal gently with them; walking together may they find far more in life than either

would have found alone; and even more fully, may they come to know this one supreme truth....

That caring is sharing....

That Living is giving....

That Life is eternal....

And that Love is its crown.

BLESSING - Optional

A Wedding Blessing

for

Groom and Bride

In joining your lives together, may you both be blessed with…

Love… to afford each other a special quality of time together

Joy… in the accomplishments of one another

Understanding… that your interests and desires

6

will not always be the same

Friendship… based on mutual trust

Courage… to speak of a misunderstanding

and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun

Compassion… to comfort each other in pain and sorrow

Foresight… to realize rainbows follow rainy days

Imagination… to keep with you part of the child you used to be

Mirth… from your sense of humor

Awareness… to live each day with the knowledge

that there is no promise of tomorrow.

PRONOUNCEMENT

Groom and Bride, although I am officiating here today to sanctify, legitimize and bless your

relationship the two of you have already done so in your own hearts.

So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other’s eyes, let it be known that you are

joined, body and soul in this lifetime; and that this bond is sacred and eternal.

Now that you have stood before all of us and have exchanged these vows and these rings, and

have agreed to be married, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are husband and wife

together.

Groom, you may kiss your bride!

Wedding Ceremony of

Groom and Bride

Maui Hawaii

Date

Optional: Conch Shell Blow: Here and at end of your ceremony.

Oli Aloha

Onaona I ka hala me ka lehua

Fragrant with the breath of hala and lehua

He hale lehua noʻia na ka noe

This is the sight I long to see

O kaʻu noʻia eʻanoʻi nei

Of this, my present desire

E liʻa nei hoʻi o ka hiki mai

Your coming fills me with eagerness

A hiki mai noʻoe oukou

Now that you have come

A hiki pū no me ke aloha

Love comes with you

Aloha e, Aloha e, Aloha e

Greetings, greetings, greetings

(Translation)

The Oli Aloha is a chant, which offers a word of greeting.

It says in part: This is the sight for which you have longed.

Now that you have come, love has come with you.

Today we meet by the sea as the two of you become one.

Here where the earth meets this constant and unlimited force. And as are these waters,

may the love you share be limitless, flowing and ever changing.

HAWAIIAN BLESSING

A o ka mea nona ka mana

E hana mai ai i na mea a pau

A kakou e noi aku ai, ‘a e manao iho ai

A nui loa aku hoi

And of the things of power….

All great and small things from above for all…

Beyond measure….

This is a very rough translation. I will explain it more fully during your ceremony, e.g.

“and of the things of power” means the power of Love, the power of Creation, the power

of the Universe…

LEI EXCHANGE Optional – If it’s in your package and you want to of course !

For those of us who call Hawaii home, the flower lei is a symbol of love.

Here in the Islands a wedding often begins as it does today with the exchange of leis and

a kiss. We do this for several reasons. One is that the lei is an unbroken circle, like the

rings that soon will be blessed and exchanged, representing the eternal commitment of

your hearts together.

Also, as each flower is brought into the circle, it loses none of its individual beauty,

reminding us that in the unity of your love, you have lost none of your unique

individuality. In fact, the loving care and nurturing security of your relationship helps you

grow even more fully into that special person with whom your partner fell in love.

As you exchange these leis you now will begin to weave your own lei of life. And now,

with loving Aloha please present your leis to one another. “E honi aku” (give her/him a

kiss)

INTRODUCTION TO VOWS

If it were possible to begin this ceremony by gathering together all the wishes of

happiness for Groom and Bride from all present here…if we could gather together those

precious wishes of affection and our very fondest hopes and turn them into music, we

would be listening now to a most inspiring anthem, where it would be composed of the

most harmonious notes possible to produce.

Even though this is not possible, just speaking of it should assure Bride and Groom that

our hearts are attuned to yours in these moments so meaningful to all of us for what

greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to

strengthen each other in all labor, to comfort each other in all sorrow, to share with each

other in all gladness.

Marriage is an act of faith and a personal commitment as well as a moral and physical

union between the parties. Marriage has been described as the best and most important

relationship that can exist between two human beings; the construction of their love and

trust into a single growing energy of spiritual life.

It is a moral commitment that requires and deserves daily attention since no earthly

happiness exceeds that of a reciprocal satisfaction in the conjugal state.

Marriage should be a lifelong consecration to the ideal of loving kindness, backed with

the will to make it last.

We read in "The Prophet",

True love gives nothing but itself and takes nothing but from itself

Love does not possess, nor would it be possessed

For love is sufficient unto love.

Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself,

To awake at dawn with a winged heart and

Give thanks for another day of loving.

To rest at noon and meditate love’s ecstasy;

To return home at eventide with gratitude,

And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart

And a song of praise upon your lips.

Today you commit yourselves to honoring and protecting one another above your

separate selves, and to valuing your union above your own interests. In so doing, you will

find a wealth of love and peace not otherwise attainable.

But with this joy comes a profound responsibility to protect the bond you share. For it is

only with continual care that your love is truly secure in the face of life's inevitable tests.

Please... regard each other with the deepest respect. Appreciate each other's talents,

foster each other's dreams, and be ever mindful of the many gifts the other offers you.

Inspire and encourage one another. For by strengthening your partner, you strengthen

your marriage. Bring out the very best in each other. Be sparing in criticism and generous

in praise for things well done.

In communication, be honest and open. For the heart that communicates truth without

hesitation earns trust and builds a secure home. Without truth there is no respect, and

without respect there is no love.

Accept your marriage as a work-in-progress that will hereafter consume your attention,

yet never be completed because a lifelong love requires a lifetime of hard work. But it is

a joyous labor, whose fruits are the very richest.

A vast, unknown future stretches out before you. That future, with its hopes and its

challenges, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. But it is a great tribute to

your belief in each other that you are willing to share that life together.

May the pure, simple love with which you join hearts and hands today only grow deeper

and stronger with every year you spend together.

It is in this spirit that you have come here today to exchange these vows.

VOWS

Groom, do you take Bride to be your wedded wife, to love, to cherish, to continually

bestow upon her your heart’s deepest devotion?

Groom says: “I do.”

And Bride, do you take Groom to be your wedded husband, to love, to cherish, to

continually bestow upon him your heart’s deepest devotion?

Bride says: “I do.”

Please hold hands and repeat after me:

(To Groom)

Bride, you are consecrated to me now as my wife, from this day forward,

to love, to cherish and to have and to hold, for better or for worse,

for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health, in sadness and in joy,

to share together as long as we both shall live.

(To Bride)

Groom, you are consecrated to me now as my husband, from this day forward,

to love, to cherish and to have and to hold, for better or for worse,

for richer or for poorer in sickness and in health, in sadness and in joy,

to share together as long as we both shall live.

RING EXCHANGE

You have chosen to exchange rings as a sign and seal of the promises you are making to

one another today.

May these rings be blessed as a symbol of this affectionate unity.

These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle.

Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness.

May these two find in each other the love for which all men and women yearn.

May they grow in understanding and in compassion.

May the home which you have established together be such a place of sanctuary that

many will find there a friend.

May these rings, on your fingers, symbolize the touch of the spirit of love in your hearts.

(hand ring to Groom) Groom, in placing this ring on Bride’s finger repeat after me:

Bride, I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our unity.

(hand ring to Bride) Bride, in placing this ring on Groom’s finger, repeat after me:

Groom, I give you this ring as the pledge of my love and as the symbol of our

unity.

May this shining hour be an open door through which Bride and Groom will go forth to

build that dearest of all relationships, a happy marriage.

May the years deal gently with you; walking together may you find far more in life than

either would have found alone.

BLESSING - OPTIONAL

A Wedding Blessing

for

Groom and Bride

In joining your lives together, may you both be blessed with…

Love… to afford each other a special quality of time together

Joy… in the accomplishments of one another

Understanding… that your interests and desires

will not always be the same

Friendship… based on mutual trust

Courage… to speak of a misunderstanding

and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun

Compassion… to comfort each other in pain and sorrow

Foresight… to realize rainbows follow rainy days

Imagination… to keep with you part of the child you used to be

Mirth… from your sense of humor

Awareness… to live each day with the knowledge

that there is no promise of tomorrow.

PRONOUNCEMENT

In as much as Groom and Bride have consented together in marriage before this

company; have pledged their faith and declared their unity by each giving and receiving a

ring and are now joined in mutual esteem and devotion.

As an ordained Minister, it is my privilege to pronounce that they are husband and wife

together.

Groom, you may kiss your bride!Description text goes here

Wedding Ceremony

of

Groom and Bride

Maui Hawaii

Date

Optional: Conch Shell Blow: Here and at end of your ceremony.

Oli Aloha Optional: Goes nicely with conch blow.

Onaona I ka hala me ka lehua

Fragrant with the breath of hala and lehua

He hale lehua noʻia na ka noe

This is the sight I long to see

O kaʻu noʻia eʻanoʻi nei

Of this, my present desire

E liʻa nei hoʻi o ka hiki mai

Your coming fills me with eagerness

A hiki mai noʻoe oukou

Now that you have come

A hiki pū no me ke aloha

Love comes with you

Aloha e, Aloha e, Aloha e

Greetings, greetings, greetings

(Translation)

The Oli Aloha is a chant, which offers a word of greeting.

It says in part: This is the sight for which you have longed.

Now that you have come, love has come with you.

Today we meet by the sea as the two of you become one.

2

Here where the earth meets this constant and unlimited force. And as are these waters, may the

love you share be limitless, flowing and ever changing.

LEI EXCHANGE Optional – If it’s in your package and you want to of course !

For those of us who call Hawaii home, the flower lei is a symbol of love.

Here in the Islands a wedding often begins as it does today with the exchange of leis and a

kiss. We do this for several reasons. One is that the lei is an unbroken circle, like the rings that

soon will be blessed and exchanged, representing the eternal commitment of your hearts

together.

Also, as each flower is brought into the circle, it loses none of its individual beauty, reminding us

that in the unity of your love, you have lost none of your unique individuality. In fact, the loving

care and nurturing security of your relationship helps you grow even more fully into that special

person with whom your partner fell in love.

As you exchange these leis you now will begin to weave your own lei of life. And now, with

loving Aloha please present your leis to one another. “E honi aku” (give her/him a kiss)

Aloha and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Groom and Bride in marriage.

We gather here today to celebrate their union, and to honor their commitment, to not just gazing

at one another, but to looking outward in the same direction.

Today Bride and Groom proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with and for them.

As we celebrate their love that is so obvious on their faces, let us remember that we experience it

in our own hearts as well.

It is a love that is universal which kindles our souls with hope and which is our true home, our

true meeting place.

In marriage we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in

doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift.

But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and

family members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship.

All of you are Groom and Bride’s family, community and each of you has played some part in

bringing them to this moment.

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This is why gathering as we have today is such an important part of a wedding ceremony,

because Bride and Groom are now taking a new form as a married couple and in this form they

become part of their family, their ‘ohana in a new way.

INTRODUCTION TO VOWS

Groom and Bride, you realize that in a greater sense no other person or officiant can truly marry

you.

Only you can marry yourselves.

By your commitment to love each other, to work with all your hearts toward creating an

atmosphere of care and respect, and by your willingness to face together the fears and

uncertainty that underlie human life; you marry yourselves more surely than any document we

will put our signatures on today.

Your love for one another and your willingness to accept each other’s strengths and frailties with

understanding and compassion will cement the foundation for a life together that will last.

Today you commit yourselves to honoring and protecting one another above your separate

selves, and to valuing your union above your own interests.

In so doing, you will find a wealth of love and peace not otherwise attainable.

But with this joy comes a profound responsibility to protect the bond you share. For it is only

with continual care that your love is truly secure in the face of life's inevitable tests.

Please... regard each other with the deepest respect.

Appreciate each other's talents, foster each other's dreams, and be ever mindful of the many gifts

each offers the other.

Inspire and encourage one another.

For by strengthening your partner, you strengthen your marriage.

Bring out the very best in each other. Be sparing in criticism and generous in praise for things

well done.

In communication, be honest and open. For the heart that communicates truth without hesitation

earns trust and builds a secure home.

Without truth there is no respect, and without respect there is no love.

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Accept your marriage as a work-in-progress that will hereafter consume your attention, yet never

be completed, because a lifelong love requires a lifetime of hard work.

But it is a joyous labor, whose fruits are the very richest.

A vast, unknown future stretches out before you.

That future, with its hopes and its challenges, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes.

But it is a great tribute to your belief in each other that you are willing to share that life together.

May the pure, simple love with which you join hearts and hands today only grow deeper and

stronger and more certain with every year you spend together.

Bride and Groom, we are here to remember and rejoice with you and to recount with one another

that it is love that guides us on our path; and to celebrate as you begin this journey together.

It is in this spirit that you have come here today to exchange these vows.

VOWS

Groom, repeat after me:

I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife.

I promise above all else to live in truth with you,

and to communicate fully and fearlessly.

I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,

and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours.

Bride, repeat after me:

I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my husband.

I promise above all else to live in truth with you,

and to communicate fully and fearlessly.

I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,

and pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours.

RING EXCHANGE

You have chosen to exchange rings as a sign and seal of the promises you are making to one

another today.

May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity.

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These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle.

Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness.

May these two find in each other the love for which all men and women yearn.

May they grow in understanding and in compassion.

May the home which you have established together be such a place of sanctuary that many will

find there a friend.

May these rings, on your fingers, symbolize the touch of the spirit of love in your hearts.

Groom take Bride’s ring and put it on her left ring finger and repeat after me:

Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.

With this ring, I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

Bride take Groom’s ring and put it on his left ring finger and repeat after me:

Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.

With this ring, I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

May this shining hour be an open door through which Bride and Groom will go forth to build

that dearest of all relationships, a happy marriage.

May the years deal gently with them; walking together may they find far more in life than either

would have found alone.

BLESSING - OPTIONAL

A Wedding Blessing

for

Groom and Bride

In joining your lives together, may you both be blessed with…

Love… to afford each other a special quality of time together

Joy… in the accomplishments of one another

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Understanding… that your interests and desires

will not always be the same

Friendship… based on mutual trust

Courage… to speak of a misunderstanding

and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun

Compassion… to comfort each other in pain and sorrow

Foresight… to realize rainbows follow rainy days

Imagination… to keep with you part of the child you used to be

Mirth… from your sense of humor

Awareness… to live each day with the knowledge

that there is no promise of tomorrow.

PRONOUNCEMENT

Groom and Bride, although I am officiating here today to sanctify, legitimize and bless your

relationship the two of you have already done so in your own hearts.

So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other’s eyes, let it be known that you are

joined, body and soul in this lifetime; and that this bond is sacred and eternal.

Now that you have stood before all of us and have exchanged these vows and these rings, and

have agreed to be married, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are husband and wife

together.

Groom, you may kiss your bride!