Sample Ceremonies

Hawaiian | Religious Traditional | Contemporary Spiritual | Vow Renewal | Civil Non-Religious

Hawaiian Ceremony

Welcome
O Ke Aloha Ke Kuleana O Kahi Malahini “Love is the host in this land”.
He Pilikani Kakaou Apau Ma Hawaii Nei “Here in Hawaii we are all family”.
Aloha Komo Mai “Welcome with Love”

Introduction
We have come together here this day ________________ to share with you ______ and ______ a most important moment in your lives, that moment in which you publicly declare your desire to share your lives, one with the other. In truth, no person or agency has the right or the power to unite you, as this act took place when your hearts came together and agreed to be involved in a committed and loving relationship. We have the honor therefore, to witness that which has already taken place in spirit, now being declared in the physical. ______ and ______, you have come to this beautiful island and presented yourselves in the presence of these witnesses and all we call Divine to be joined together in matrimony.

Lei Blessing
A lei is given in a spirit of thankfulness. Each blossom is picked from the Earth, then strung one by one so each will shine at it’s most brilliant. It is a symbol of beauty, made with care and given with love. A lei is a circle of beauty, without beginning, without end. A lei encircles the head and touches the heart. A lei delights the senses and inspires wonder. A lei is as fragile as today, as enduring as memory. A lei is a Divine expression of the universe, fashioned by human hands.

In ancient Hawaii, when two people exchanged leis, they touched noses, like Eskimos kiss. And the reason they did this was to share the breath of God—Aloha. Aloha actually means the breath of God: Alo, meaning Spirit, and Ha, being the breath. Aloha. And as you give these leis to each other, recognize that you are in the presence of that which is Divine, and touch noses with each other as you place the lei around the neck. And share the breath of God. May the attributes of these Leis inspire your lives. They were offered in the spirit of Aloha.

To the Bride and the Groom
There are no human ties so sweet and tender as those you are about to assume. There are no vows so solemn as those you are about to make. And no institution on Earth is so sacred as that of the home you will share together. True marriage is the holiest of all earthly unions. It is to be entered into reverently, thoughtfully, with full understanding of its sacredness. And, marriage to be complete must first be spiritual; an inner state of conscious unity in thought and purpose, in plan and action, brings an outer state that corresponds with it. This allows the outer to be like the inner—peaceful and harmonious.

On this day of your marriage you stand somewhat apart from all other human beings, for you stand within the charmed circle of your love for each other. This love is not your possession. It is a source of common energy that flows freely through each of you and gives you the courage to live your lives more fully.

You stand before me now in the true spirit of Aloha. Aloha recognizes a bonding of all people and expresses that bonding through love, affection, compassion and kindness. Aloha acknowledges the value and worth of all people. For your desire to integrate the spirit of Aloha within the framework of a meaningful life together, you deserve great respect. You also deserve to experience love that will continually bring you joy and make both of you better people—a love that will give you the strength to face the responsibilities of married life, for there will be many. And, you deserve a home, but not just a place like you have now that’s made of stone and wood. Rather, allow your home to be an island, a sanctuary of serenity, where the values of your lives are generated and upheld. So that finally, when you come to the end of your lives together, I know you will be able to say these two things to each other: Because you have loved me, I have faith in myself, and because I have seen the good in you, I have faith in all humanity.

The state of matrimony is true marriage when based upon a deep spiritual communion of two souls who find satisfaction in each other. Do you understand this?

Marriage is composed of two separate beings, each of them different, seeking life’s fulfillment together. Today, as husband and wife, you open the doors to the endless possibilities to your future, and to the opportunity to love as you have never loved before. Will you______ and ______ bring to this new life, each for the sake of the other, the very best that you have?

Invitation to Commitment
Please face each other and join your right hands. ______ do you take _____ whose hand you hold, choosing her alone to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her at all times, and forgetting all others remain faithful to her alone? (Repeat using husband/him.)

Exchange of Vows
______ please repeat after me. I, ______ take you ______…to be my wife…to love and to cherish…from this day forward…and thereto…I pledge you my faith. (Repeat using husband/him.)

Hawaiian Ring Blessing and Exchange
(Rings are placed in a Hawaiian Koa Wood bowl, bride holds the bowl while the groom holds a conch shell filled with ocean water. Rev. Gary blesses rings dipping a ti leaf in the salt water.)

Your rings by their very shape are symbols of eternal unity without beginning or end. They are the emblem of the love that exists between you and characterize your devotion to one another. Let them always remind you of the commitments you make today.

______ this ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of married life. As such, you will place it on ______’s finger after repeating the following pledge:
I give you this ring…with all of my heart…let it always be to us…a symbol of our love…as a token of our faithfulness…each to the other…I place it now upon your hand. (Repeat)

Hawaiian Blessing
Ka malamalama o ke Akua e hoopuni mai oukou (The light of God surrounds you)
Ka mana o ke Akua e hoopakele mai oukou (The love of God enfolds you)
Ke alo o ke Akua e malama mai oukou (The power of God protects you)
Ma kahi pukou e hele ai he Akua no (The presence of God watches over you. Wherever you are God is.)

Pronouncement of Marriage
Having joined your hearts with the expression of your love, having promised each other all the joy of your days; by the authority vested in me by the state of Hawaii, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are now Husband and Wife.

You may seal your covenant with a kiss.

Hawaiian Blessing and Introduction of the Couple
No keia la, no keia po, a mau loa (From this day, from this night, forever more.)
Aloha e, Aloha e Aloha e

Now, I am honored to announce for the first time as husband and wife,______________________________.

Religious Traditional Ceremony, Reverend Gary Canier

wedding couple Welcome
O Ke Aloha Ke Kuleana O Kahi Malahini “Love is the host in this land”
He Pilikani Kakaou Apau Ma Hawaii Nei “Here in Hawaii we are all family”
Aloha Komo Mai “Welcome with Love”

Introduction
We have come together in the presence of God to join you ______ and you ______ in holy matrimony.

In ancient Hawaii, when two people exchanged leis, they touched noses, like Eskimos kiss. And the reason they did this was to share the breath of God—Aloha. Aloha actually means the breath of God: Alo, meaning spirit, and Ha, being the breath. Aloha. And as you give these leis to each other, recognize that you are in the presence of that which is Divine, and touch noses with each other as you place the lei around the neck. And share the breath of God.

May the attributes of these Leis inspire your lives. They were offered in the spirit of Aloha.

To the Bride and the Groom
Marriage is a gift of God, sealed by a sacred covenant. God’s gift is human love, given that as wife and husband you may know each other with mutual care and trust. God’s gift is joy, given that as wife and husband you may live life to its absolute fullest.

Marriage is an understanding, caring and wanting. It does not hurt or seek to possess. It is composed of two separate beings, each of them different, seeking life’s fulfillment together. It can become the place where two persons experience the highest reaches of love, and where genuine companionship brings forth the best of each.

I charge you both, as you stand in the presence of God, to remember that love and loyalty alone will avail as the foundation of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender, no vows more sacred than those you now assume. If these vows will be kept faithfully, and you seek to make God the center of your marriage, your life will be full of joy; and the home, which you are establishing, will abide in peace.

Today as husband and wife you open the doors to the endless possibilities of your future, and to the opportunity to love as you have never loved before.

Today your separate lives, with their individual memories, desires, and hopes, are merged as one. Will you, ______ and ______, bring to this new life, each for the sake of the other, the very best that you have?

Invitation to Commitment
Please face each other and join your right hands.

______, will you have ______ to be your wedded wife? To live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, remain faithful to ______ as long as you both shall live? (answer: I will)

______, will you have ______ to be your wedded husband? To live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, remain faithful to ______ as long as you both shall live? (answer: I will)

Exchange of Vows

______ please repeat after me.

I, ______ take you ______, to be my wife…to have and to hold… from this day forward…for better or worse…for richer or poorer …to love and to cherish…so help me God.

______ please repeat after me.

I, ______ take you ______, to be my husband…to have and to hold… from this day forward…for better or worse…for richer or poorer …to love and to cherish…so help me God.

Exchange of Rings
Bless oh God these rings, that they who give them and they who wear them abide in peace—living together in unity, and in the love that they feel for each other in this moment forever. Amen.

______, this ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of married life. As such, you will place it on ______’s finger after repeating the following pledge:

I give you this ring… with all of my heart… with all that I am…and all that I have…as a sign and symbol…of the promise I made…in the name of the Father, the Son, and of the Holy Spirit…I place it now upon your hand. (repeat)

A Scripture Reading (First Corinthians, Chapter 13)
If I speak in tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Prayer
Eternal God, source of life and love, of meaning and hope, bless this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy name; that they may strive earnestly and honestly to live out the vows they have made, and to keep bright the covenant between them. May their years together deepen that covenant, the changing stages of their human journey ever renew it, and the challenges of life enrich it with strength, beauty and grace. Amen

The Blessing Upon The Marriage
O Thou, from whom all blessings flow, grant that the love of ______ and ______ may have its full nobility. May their joys and their sorrows, their pleasures and their duties, be met in a spirit of understanding, fortitude and wisdom. May their home be a place of rich affection, and kindly actions. May it be a shelter from life’s storms, and the enduring abode of life’s deepest happiness. Amen

You may seal your covenant with a kiss.

Introduction of the Couple
Now, I am honored to announce for the first time as husband and wife, _____________________________.

Contemporary Spiritual Ceremony, Reverend Gary Canier

Introduction
We have come together here today to share with you ______ and ______ a most important moment in your lives, that moment in which you publicly declare your desire to share your lives, one with the other. In truth, no person or agency has the right or the power to unite you, as this act took place when your hearts came together and agreed to be involved in a committed and loving relationship. We have the honor therefore, to witness that which has already taken place in spirit, now being declared in the physical. ______ and ______, you have come to this beautiful island and presented yourselves in the presence of these witnesses and all we call Divine to be joined together in matrimony.

Lei Blessing

A lei is given in a spirit of thankfulness. Each blossom is picked from the Earth, then strung one by one so each will shine at it’s most brilliant. It is a symbol of beauty, made with care and given with love. A lei is a circle of beauty, without beginning, without end. A lei encircles the head and touches the heart. A lei delights the senses and inspires wonder. A lei is as fragile as today, as enduring as memory. A lei is a Divine expression of the universe, fashioned by human hands.

The state of matrimony is true marriage when based upon a deep spiritual communion of two souls who find satisfaction in each other. Do you understand this?

Invitation to Commitment
Please face each other and join your right hands.

______ do you take ______ whose hand you hold, choosing her alone to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her at all times, and forgetting all others remain faithful to her alone?

______ do you take ______ whose hand you hold, choosing him alone to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him at all times, and forgetting all others remain faithful to him alone?

Exchange of Vows

______ please repeat after me. I, ______ take you ______...to be my wife...to love and to cherish…from this day forward…and thereto…I pledge you my faith.

______ please repeat after me. I, ______ take you ______...to be my husband…to love and to cherish…from this day forward...and thereto...I pledge you my faith.

Giving of Rings
Bless oh God these rings, that they who give them and they who wear them abide in peace – living together in unity, and in the love that they feel for each other in this moment, forever. Amen.

______ this ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of married life. As such, you will place it on ______'s finger after repeating the following pledge:

I give you this ring…with all of my heart…let it always be to us…a symbol of our love…as a token of our faithfulness…each to the other…I place it now upon your hand. (Repeat)

You may seal your covenant with a kiss.

Introduction of the Couple
Now, I am honored to announce for the first time as husband and wife, ______________________________.

Vow Renewal Ceremony, Reverend Gary Canier

Welcome
O Ke Aloha Ke Kuleana O Kahi Malahini “Love is the host in this land”
He Pilikani Kakaou Apau Ma Hawaii Nei “Here in Hawaii we are all family”
Aloha Komo Mai “Welcome with Love”

Introduction
We have come together here today to share with you ______ and ______ a very special time. A time when, having examined your lives together for the past ______ years, you declare, I choose you, all over again.

In truth, no person or agency ever united you, as this act took place when your hearts came together and agreed to be involved in a committed and loving relationship. It is an honor, therefore, to witness that which was united in spirit and stood the test of time, now being re-declared in the physical. ______ and ______, you have come to this beautiful island and presented yourselves in my presence, and in the presence of God, to be rejoined in the bonds of matrimony.

May the attributes of these Leis forever inspire your lives. They were offered in the spirit of Aloha.

To the Couple
There are no ties on Earth so sweet and tender as those you now assume. There are no vows so solemn as those you are about to make. And no institution on Earth is so sacred as that of the home you have established together. True marriage is the holiest of all earthly unions. It is to be entered into reverently, thoughtfully, with full understanding of its sacredness. Today you demonstrate that you understand this.

Marriage, to be complete, must first be spiritual. An inner state of conscious unity in thought and purpose, in plan and action, will bring an outer state that corresponds with it. This allows the outer to reflect the inner, in peace and harmony.

On this day, as you marry each other once again, you stand somewhat apart from all other human beings, for you stand within the charmed circle of your love for each other. Now this love is not your possession. It is a source of common energy that moves freely through each of you, and gives you the strength to live your lives more fully.

You stand before me now in the true spirit of Aloha. Aloha recognizes a bonding of all people, and expresses that bonding through love, affection, compassion and kindness. Aloha acknowledges the value and worth of all people. And, for your desire to integrate the spirit of Aloha within the framework of a meaningful life together, you deserve great respect. You also deserve to experience love that continually brings you joy, a love that will make both of you better people, a love that will give you the courage to face the responsibilities that the future years of your marriage will hold. And, you deserve a home, but not just a place made of stone and wood; rather allow your home to be an island, a sanctuary of serenity, where the values of your lives are generated and upheld.

Then finally, when you come to the end of your lives together here on Earth, I know you will be able to say these two things to each other: Because you have loved me, I have faith in myself, and because I have seen the good in you, I have faith in all humanity.

The state of matrimony is true marriage when based upon a deep spiritual communion of two souls who find satisfaction in each other. ______ and ______ today your married lives with all your memories, desires and hopes are renewed and made stronger. Will you bring to this new commitment, each for the sake of the other, the very best that you have?

Exchange of Vows
Please face each other and join your right hands.

______ please repeat after me.

I, ______, come once again before you, ______...to renew our vows of marriage...You have been my friend and companion...the mother of my children…my life partner...I want to spend the rest of my life by your side... I promise to be strong in my love…gentle in my care…and unwavering in my affection...In the name of all we have created together…and all we are yet to become...I once again offer you my heart as your husband.

______ please repeat after me.

I, ______, come once again before you, ______...to renew our vows of marriage...You have been my friend and companion…the father of my children…my life partner...I want to spend the rest of my life by your side... I promise to be strong in my love...gentle in my care…and unwavering in my affection...In the name of all we have created together…and all we are yet to become…I once again offer you my heart as your wife.

Giving of Rings
Bless oh God these rings, that they who give them and they who wear them abide in peace—living together in unity, and in the love that they feel for each other in this moment, forever—Amen.

______ this ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of married life. It is the outward symbol of an inner Grace that unites your hearts in the mystery of Love. As such, you will place it on _______’s finger after repeating the following pledge:

I give you this ring…with all of my heart...as a sign and symbol...of the promise we have made...of the hopes that we cherish…and the love that unites us…I place it now upon your hand. (Repeat)

Prayer
Eternal God, source of life and love, of meaning and hope, bless this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy name; that they may strive earnestly and honestly to live out the vows they have made, and to keep bright the covenant between them. May their continued years together deepen that covenant, the changing stages of their human journey ever renew it, and the challenges of life enrich it with strength, beauty and grace. Amen

Pronouncement of Marriage
Having rejoined your hearts with the expression of your love, having promised each other all the joy of your days, by the authority vested in me by the state of Hawaii, it gives me great pleasure to re-pronounce that you are Husband and Wife.
You may seal your covenant with a kiss.

Civil Non-Religious Ceremony, Reverend Gary Canier

Introduction
We have come together here today to share with you, __________ and _________, a most important moment in your lives, that moment in which you publicly declare your desire to share your lives, one with the other. In truth, no person or agency has the right or the power to unite you, as this act took place when your hearts came together and agreed to be involved in a committed and loving relationship. We have the honor therefore, to witness that which has already taken place, now being declared in the physical.

Lei Blessing
A lei is given in a spirit of thankfulness. Each blossom is picked from the Earth; then strung one by one so each will shine at it’s most brilliant. It is a symbol of beauty, made with care and given with love. A lei is a circle of beauty, without beginning, without end.A lei encircles the head and touches the heart.A lei delights the senses and inspires wonder.A lei is as fragile as today, as enduring as memory. As you exchange these leis, you will begin to weave your lei in life together with love. And now, with aloha, in the island style…please present your leis to one another with a smile and a kiss upon both cheeks. May the attributes of these Leis inspire your lives. They were offered in the spirit of Aloha.

“What is Marriage”
What is Marriage?
Marriage is giving...not giving up or giving in, but giving love and being loved.
Marriage is not the loss of identity; it is the birth of a more beautiful identity,
A special identity that only the two of you will really know.
Marriage is soft, not weak. Strong, but not insensitive.
Brave, but not without wisdom.
Together, but not at the expense of one another.
Marriage is young and new each day, tender and reflective each night.
Marriage knows not years as we count time…marriage is for the heart.
Marriage is love finding its home.

To the Bride and the Groom
There are no human ties so sweet and tender as those you are about to assume. There are no vows so solemn as those you are about to make.

For your desire to integrate the spirit of Aloha within the framework of a meaningful life together, you deserve great respect. You also deserve to experience love that will continually bring you joy and make both of you better people—a love that will give you the strength to face the responsibilities of married life, for there will be many. And, you deserve a home, but not just a place like you have now that’s made of stone and wood. Rather, allow your home to be an island, an oasis of serenity, where the values of your lives are generated and upheld.

So that finally, when you come to the end of your lives together, I know you will be able to say these two things to each other: Because you have loved me, I have faith in myself; and because I have seen the good in you, I have faith in all humanity.

Will you, ________ and _________, bring to this new life, each for the sake of the other, the very best that you have?

Invitation to Commitment
Please face each other and join your right hands.

_________, do you take ________, whose hand you hold, choosing her alone to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her at all times, and forgetting all others remain faithful to her alone?

_________, do you take _________, whose hand you hold, choosing him alone to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him at all times, and forgetting all others remain faithful to him alone?

Exchange of Vows

_________, please repeat after me.

I, _________, take you _________to be my wife…I pledge to share my life openly with you…to speak the truth to you in love…I promise to honor and tenderly care for you...to cherish and encourage…your own fulfillment as an individual...through all the changes of our lives.

_________, please repeat after me.

I, _________, take you _________to be my husband…I pledge to share my life openly with you…to speak the truth to you in love...I promise to honor and tenderly care for you…to cherish and encourage…your own fulfillment as an individual...through all the changes of our lives.

Giving of Rings

_________, this ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of married life. As such, you will place it on _________’s finger after repeating the following pledge:

I give you this ring...with all of my heart...let it always be to us...a symbol of our love...as a token of our faithfulness...each to the other...I place it now upon your hand.
(Repeat)

Pronouncement of Marriage
Having joined your hearts with the expression of your love, having promised each other all the joy of your days, by the authority vested in me by the state of Hawaii, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are now Husband and Wife. You may seal your union with a kiss.

For further information e-mail Rev. Gary at: gary@reverendgary.com or phone (808) 283-0539.