A Hawaiian Wedding Ceremony
Minister:
(Blowing of conch shell to open ceremony)
Message of Welcome
Ano’ai me kealoha, ma ka inoa ka Makua,
a me ka Keiki, a me ka Uhane Hemolele.
Greetings of Aloha, we honor our parents and ancestors,
we honor our children and we invoke the Holy Spirit.
Aloha ka kou. (Aloha to all)
Aloha and welcome to you both.
Now that you are here,
I invite you to observe this lovely day,
to look around you at this beautiful aina (this earth) and give thanks for all the life here
and for the fact that you have found one another to love.
Please think of the moment when you first met one another
and deeply appreciate the significance and magic of that single moment.
We are gathered here today in the spirit of love,
the spirit we know intimately in these islands as the spirit of Aloha.
It is the same spirit that brought you ______ and ______ together.
We celebrate this new and exciting moment in your life’s journey,
and embrace now the wonders of creation surrounding us.
May the blessings of the spirit surround you:
be within you to renew our hopes in one another,
around you to preserve your trust for each other,
before you to guide your path of love for one another,
behind you to help you to honor each other,
and above you to bless your love and faith in one another.
Amene.
There is so much beauty to behold here in Hawaii. Trade winds, fragrant flowers,
singing of the birds, sunsets. But I would like to take a moment to focus on the ocean. This ocean has been here a long time flowing with a sense of awe and life giving power. The ocean does so because it is alive and constantly changing.
The ocean brings life and cleanses all it touches with its ebb and flow.
So I invite you to be like the ocean. Be open to changes,
be excited about new challenges and share these moments with each other.
Exchange of Leis
In Hawaii, leis are presented at all ceremonial occasions.
The old Hawaiians used the plant materials and flowers in their surroundings
to express their appreciation and love for one another and for this precious earth.
They represent for us the joy that comes in the present moment as we celebrate the union of these two beautiful people today. In Hawaii we exchange flower leis,
signifying our open hearts and love for one another. The beautiful lei,
with all of it’s hand picked flowers, are twined and carefully bonded together with love.
A reflection of your love and aloha for each other.
As you exchange these leis, you will now begin to weave your own lei of life.
Minister to Groom:
Please turn to your bride as you hold your lei to your heart
and looking into her eyes, repeat after me:
I give you this lei of love, my beloved ____, with all the Aloha in my heart.
With this lei, I join my life with yours__. Thank you for loving me.
Minister to Bride:
Please turn to your groom as you hold your lei to your heart
and looking into his eyes, repeat after me:
“I give you this lei of love, my beloved ________, with all the Aloha in my heart.
With this lei, I join my life with yours. Thank you for loving me.
Ceremony
It is a great joy to be gathered here in this magnificent splendor of Hawaii,
to join ____and ____ in Holy Matrimony.
Love is a miraculous gift and it is your great love for one another that has brought you
to this sacred moment to embrace one another as beloved companions and friends. Therefore, this sacred vow is entered into with much consideration, love, respect and joy.
We who participate bind ourselves as witness to this vow of love that you state here today
_____ and _____,
you are here today to declare openly through marriage
the love and oneness you feel in your hearts.
May you have patience to listen and to hear,
the wisdom to understand, the capacity to support each other
and the joy to laugh and celebrate your lives together.
May your communication be loving and honest.
May your commitment to seeing and nurturing the best in each other be unwavering.
May you bask in the joy of giving.
May the brightness of your love shine so as to dissolve all obstacles to loving.
And may your love for one another insure and strengthen you
both as individuals and as partners in life.
Minister:
Now that you understand of what you are about to partake,
are you ready to make the promises of marriage?
Couple:
We are
. Minister:
Do you, _____, want to marry _____,
to happily hold her above all others and have her as your wife?
Groom:
I do. Minister:
Do you, _____, want to marry _____,
to happily hold him above all others and have him as your husband?
Bride:
I do.
Minister:
Please repeat after me: Groom:
From this day on, I choose you, my beloved _______, to be my wife,
to love and to support you and to laugh with you; to be a joy to your heart;
to bring out the best in you and to be loyal to you all the days of my life.
Aloha (I love you).
Bride:
From this day on, I choose you, my beloved _______, to be my husband,
to love and to support you and to laugh with you; to be a joy to your heart;
to bring out the best in you and to be loyal to you all the days of my life.
Aloha (I love you).
Presentation of Rings
These rings are a symbol of the love, unity and devotion that exists between you. May they always evoke gratitude for and appreciation of the commitment you make here today. When you look at these rings, please remember always the fullness in your hearts at this time and the beauty of this day on Maui.
Groom:
________ , with this ring, I promise to grow with you and to build our love,
to speak openly and honestly, to listen to you and to love and cherish you
for all our days ahead. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home.
Bride:
________, with this ring, I promise to grow with you and to build our love,
to speak openly and honestly, to listen to you and to love and cherish you
for all our days ahead. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter and my arms will be your home.
Hawaii’s Legend
If you were to walk along the beaches of Hawaii
you will find some small, green bushes with little white flowers (Ocean Naupaka).
If you look more closely you will see that only half of each flower is there.
Now, if you pick one of those flowers and take it with you,
climbing up into the mountains, you will find another similar shrub
also with white, half flowers (Mountain Naupaka).
In Hawaiian legend these two flowers represent two lovers.
When you put the two half flowers together
you will see that they become one beautiful flower.
They seem to belong with each other, just as you belong with each other.
You are as one through love.
Wrapping of Hands with Maile Lei (optional)
(Couple join foreheads together)
O keia no ka la (This is the day)
Ka haku i hanai (That was created for us)
E Hauole Kakou (Let us be happy)
Ae lealea ilaila (and rejoice)
_______ and _______
in the words of an old Hawaiian marriage chant,
“This is the sight for which you have longed.
Now that you have come, love has come with you.”
“Mahalo” Na Mea Maikai loa (For all Good things)
As you stand beside the ocean tide, may your love always be as constant as these never-ending waves that pour near your feet, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea; Your love came softly upon each others heart, just as the foam comes softly upon the sand, and just as there will never be a morning without the ocean’s flow, so there will never be a day without love for each other. You have pledged yourselves on this day your love will be as dependable as the tide; as these waters nourish the earth and sustain life, may your constant devotion nourish and sustain you until the end of time.
_______ and _______,
you have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of leis and rings,
This covenant is a relationship agreement between two people
who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives.
The most beautiful example of this partnership is the marriage relationship.
You have committed here today to share the rest of your lives with each other.
Far more important than your individuality is now the reality that you are no longer two but one, never to be separated one from the other.
Minister:
_______ and _______,
we know that your life together will continue to bring you peace of mind and constant, unbounded love. May you have the power, patience, passion, understanding,
good humor, affection and courage to express and expand your love
for one another and to all.
May you nurture and strengthen one another in times of difficulty.
When differences arise,
may you be able to find in those differences deeper understanding of each other
and therefore a greater love.
In the face of challenges,
may you have the courage to reveal your inner selves to one another,
take responsibility for your own thoughts, words, actions
and to call forth what is real and true.
Namely this is that you love one another, this is very simple and mystic at the same time. May you support one another by turning sorrow to loving kindness
and obstacles to creative opportunities.
May you have fun and enjoy fully the miracle of life and the glory of marriage.
The Final Blessing:
______ and _______,
there is a wonderful life ahead of you.
Live it fully. Love its changes and choices.
Let life amaze you and bring you great joy.
Go forward in peace, recognizing that what you undertake together
will bring you great joy, and that the love you share will strengthen you in all that you do.
May you feel the love of each other forever. We say in these islands, the spirit of aloha, love is reflected in all the beauty surrounding us, but I say to you
_______ and _______,
that the beauty and spirit of aloha is reflected intimately
in the joy and happiness in your faces.
________ and ________,
you have declared your sacred vows in the presence of those gathered here,
with your eyes and hearts fully open.
And now, with the powers vested in me by the state of Hawaii,
it is my great pleasure to announce you as husband and wife.
Aloha e Aloha e Aloha e
Aloha pumehana e ho’omaika’i
You may seal your vows with a kiss.
(Blowing of conch shell to seal ceremony)
**Non-Denominational & Christian Ceremonies available upon request.
