Wedding Ceremony Text .~. Images of Family/Friends .~. Images of Ceremony .~. Wedding Decorations .~. More Ceremony/Reception Pics .~.
Setting: A small table, with wand, athame, pentacle, chalices,
and cauldron filled with flowers. Minister stands next to them.
Behind the minister and altar are four chairs for the parents of the bride and groom.
On the ground a ring of flowers surrounds the assembled.
Minister:We are gathered here today in public affirmation of the union of
love, trust and intent that exists between Lorin Geitner and Terri Kennedy.
For any true union does not and cannot come from a mere ceremony,
but must start and end in the hearts of the persons involved.
Terri and Lorin are already connected by bonds of love, trust and intent.
And You are here as representatives of the wider community to bear witness
to their public acknowledgement of their love for each other.
However, a marriage is not merely a union between two people,
but between two families as well, which is why, at this point,
I ask the parents of the bride and the groom to conduct them forth from among you.
(Bride and Groom are conducted up to the front by their parents.
Bride and Groom remain standing before the minister,
the parents are seated in place of honor.)
Minister : Unity is balance and balance is unity.
[picks up wand]
This wand is the symbol of Air, the element of Life, of intelligence,
of the inspiration which moves us onwards,
and represents the power of Mind.
[puts down want, picks up athame]
The athame that I hold is the symbol of Fire.
This is the element of Light, of energy,
of the vigour which runs through our veins.
This sword of Fire, signifies the power of Will.
[lays down the athame and raises the chalice]
The chalice that I hold is the symbol of water,
the element of Love, growth, and the fruitfulness of the Earth.
It represents the strength, depth and enduring quality of your love.
[Lay down chalice, raise the pentacle]
The pentacle that I hold is the symbol of the Earth.
This is the element of Law, endurance,
and of the understanding which cannot be shaken.
By this pentacle of Earth,
we acknowledge the strength of steadfastness and resolve.
[To Assembled] The bride and groom will not be exchanging wedding rings as a political and personal statement:. The timeworn concept of bride as chattal, and the symbolism of an object as comparatively valueless as gems and metal, which conduct neither warmth nor light, cannot quantify their love for one another
[To Groom, phrase by phrase] Repeat after me:
By seed and root, by bud and stem,
by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love,
I, Lorin, take thee, Terri, to my hand, my heart and my spirit,
at the setting of the sun and the precession of the stars.
Nor shall death part us
because in coming to know the essential truth of each other
and hence of ourselves,
we shall know that there is within us that which,
beyond space and beyond time, has always been unified.
[To Bride, phrase by phrase] Repeat after me
By seed and root, by bud and stem,
by leaf and flower and fruit, by life and love,
I, Terri, take thee, Lorin, to my hand, my heart and my spirit,
at the setting of the sun and the presession of the stars.
Nor shall death part us
because in coming to know the essential truth of each other
and hence of ourselves,
we shall know that there is within us that which,
beyond space and beyond time, has always been unified.
Invocation: [Holding up Chalice]
This sacred place, within the circle’s center
Lies within their conjoined spirits in infinite space
Let it be ever thus, the nexus within the Circle
Opening the pathway of intelligence, of passion and of companionship
Beyond the gates of night and day and the crossroads of the bitter and the sweet
Here where the Lance and Grail unite,
as the athame is to the male so the cup is to the female
and conjoined they become one in truth.
[lowers athame into wine]
[Bride give chalice to groom to drink.
He drinks, and gives the chalice to her to drink
Minister draws the Invoking Pentagram of Earth
in the air above cakes with athame]
Nourish us with these crescent cakes,
bestowing health, success, strength, joy and peace,
and that fulfilment of love which is perfect happiness
[Groom offers cakes to Bride. She partakes.
Bride offers cake to Groom. He partakes.]
You are to be united, nevermore to be divided.
Wherefore take hope and joy, as I join your hands, your spirits are bound as one. The tying of the hanfasting knot that will join you, Lorin and Terri in marriage, binds two lovers' hands together, and represents their sincere and hopeful intention to make an indissoluble union.
[Bride and Groom join left hands, Minister ties their hands together.]
Minister: These ribbons carry the powers of the four elements, air, fire, water, and earth.
Now raise your hands together, so that all may see.
Made to measure, wrought to bind, blessed be these lives entwined!
Oh gentle yet powerful intelligence of earth and forces of nature, attest to the betrothal of these two hearts.
While the forms are unique and individual ,
may the souls cling together, sorrow within sorrow and joy with joy.
O stars may no danger molest, no malice disturb, but over their union, shine in peace.
So long as as we exist within space and time, you must own and acknowledge
the truth of the essential unity that exists but cannot be fully manifest except in death.
[Couple swear this oath to each other over the broomstick.]
Lorin: Let us join our hands, hearts, minds and spirits,
Terri: together in the great cosmic cycle
Lorin: that spans the rising and setting of the sun,
Terri: the precession of the stars,
Lorin: the waxing and waning of the moon,
Terri: the flowering of spring and the great sleep of winter.
[broomstick is laid on ground, couple jumps over.
Minister sweeps away negative energy behind.]
By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss...
Minster: May you be blessed with health, prosperity and fruitfulness, from this day forth and forevermore.
The minister stands before the bride and groom as they kiss.
Minster to assembly: Your role until this point has been passive to represent the greater community before whom Terri and Lorin are attesting their love.
But, for any relationship to flourish, it must be supported by those around it. Therefore, at this point we request that as the community gathered here,
you now stand and arrange the chairs in circles of four or five to to represent the union that we have just witnessed and facilitate conversation during the reception.
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