Sean Kell’i Aquino Vows

Procession

Blow Conch Shell (1x)- Start procession Blow Conch Shell (1x)- Arrival of the bride… everyone please stand for the arrival of the bride. Who has the honor of present this beautiful bride this day? Dad/parents I/we do. Guest, you may be seated.

Oli Aloha (Optional)

Onaona I ka hala me ka lehua                                 Fragrant with Hala and Lehua

He hale lehua nō ia na ka noe                                 A house of lehua for the mist

‘O ka’u nō ia ne ‘ano’i a nei                                      It is mine to cherish

E halia nei ho’i o ka hiki mai                                    Longing for your arrival

A hiki mai nō oukou                                                    For when you/you folks/we come

A hiki pu nō me ke aloha                                           Love comes with you

 Aloha ē... Aloha ē... Aloha ē...

The blowing of the pu symbolizes the arrival of those to be honored and the oli aloha is a chant which offers a word of greeting. It says, in part, this is the sight for which I have longed and now that you are here love has come. So, Aloha and welcome!

Lei Ceremony (Optional) For those of us who call Hawaii home, we present leis to honor guests celebrating a special occasion such as this. It was an offering to express sincere love and aloha with open hearts for one another. We all want to wish you both nothing but happiness and good fortune in your marriage from this day forward. You may now present each other with the leis. And in Hawaii its always followed by a traditional Honi Ka Waha or “A kiss on the cheek”.

Welcome

This afternoon Bride & Groom have invited you all their family and friends to be a part of and to be a witness to this wonderful occasion here in Location, Maui as they have chosen to join their two individual lives binding them together so that after today amongst your family, your friends and in society you will be known as a married couple. And we are all here to celebrate your love and to congratulate you as you make that decision. The fact that you all have travelled a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support that you all have for the couple. Many of you have given them much happiness, warmth, and guidance throughout the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their wedding day. A special acknowledgement also goes out to friends and family who were not able to be here today. We know their hearts and thoughts are with you always. Welcome everyone!

So, as we start, I would like to ask you both to take a deep breath in. Take a good look at each other, the beautiful surroundings and think of all the loved ones that are supporting the both of you. And just take this moment in because this time, this place, and this beautiful day. Will forever be one of the most cherished memories that the both of you will share together. So, we all hope that this will be the beginning of a lifetime of joy, of building memories and of bringing your two families together to form one.

Bride and Grooms Love Story (optional)

Sharing on Love & Marriage

 Option 1: It was a pure language of the world. It required no explanation, just as the universe needs none as it travels through endless time. What Groom felt at that moment was that he was in the presence of the only woman in his life, and that with no need for words Bride recognized the same thing… It was love. You see, they were more certain of it than of anything in the world. You both have come to an understanding of the universal language. Because, when you know that language, it’s easy to understand that someone in the world awaits you, whether it’s in the middle of the desert or in some great city. When two such people encounter each other, and their eyes meet, the past and the future become unimportant. There is only that moment, and the incredible certainty that everything under the sun has been written by one hand only. It’s the hand that evokes love and creates a twin soul for every person in the world. Without such love, one’s dreams would have no meaning.

Option 2: Marriage is a commitment to life… to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal. It’s both a physical and emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. The love that you both have for each other is one that began to grow from the day you both first met. And today you will pledge your love for each other in marriage. For within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships. A wife and husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, and listener. There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other brings healing and steadfastness to the sturdy foundation which allows the marriage covenant to be established upon. Marriage also understands and forgives the mistakes that life is unable to avoid. Yet, it encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing your love for each other through the seasons of life. Here in Hawaii, we have saying “pilialoha” and your pilialoha is a special kind of love. A love that binds two people together. And so, when two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage they create a spirit unique to themselves, binding them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a promise made in the hearts of two people who love each other, and this will take a lifetime to fulfill.

Option 3: Love Poem- Over the years, many things have been written about love and I’d like to share a poem with the both of you that expresses perhaps how you both feel about each other. And it says:

I love you, not for only for what you are, but what I am, when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. And I love you for the part of me that only you can bring out. I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the frivolous and weak things that you cannot help but find there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful and radiant things that no one else has looked quite far enough to find. I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy. And you have done all of this without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it simply by being yourself. Perhaps that is what love means after all. … OR it can be all together OR Neither

Declaration of Intention

Bride & Groom, Today you say “I love you” to your best friend as you give yourselves to each other in marriage. Do you promise to encourage and inspire each other, to laugh with each other and comfort each other in times of sorrow and struggle? Do you promise to love each other in the good times as well as the bad? When life is easy but also when it is hard? And when your love for each other is simple like it is right now, but also on days where it may take a little bit more effort? And lastly, do you promise to cherish each other and to always hold each other in the highest of regard? Bride/Groom, do you promise to give all these things to Groom/Bride as his/her wife/husband, today… and all the days of your life, if so say “I DO”.