|
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
|
|
“Dear Cindy, |
 |
 |
||
|
DO THESE SITUATIONS SOUND FAMILIAR TO YOU? We didn’t feel comfortable having a church wedding, but we didn’t want to invite so many of our friends and family from across the country to just a civil justice of the peace wedding either. We come from different backgrounds but we both wanted a meaningful, spiritual ceremony to start our lives together. Finding an official Celebrant who would weave our values and family expectations together in a joyous, fun, and engaging way was exactly what we wanted! Even though we could have arranged to get married in _____’s family church, we weren’t members, it was pretty far away for our friends, and it would have been awkward for my partner’s family. The option to have a completely comfortable interfaith ceremony in our own town, in our favorite park where we walk our dogs every day really made our wedding special for us. We aren’t very religious, and in fact we are both quite, well, shy, and we originally just thought the shorter the ceremony the better. Just get it over with quickly. But as we thought about the people we really wanted to be there with us, and how special and important we wanted the day to be, we realized that we really wanted a ceremony that everyone felt welcome to be at, that we felt comfortable doing in front of everyone, and that really meant something. After all, it’s our wedding that everyone is coming to see, and it’s what we want to remember forever! CEREMONY STORIES It’s 8:00 in the morning, and J. and C. have arrived early at the toystore they own. Today, they are getting married, before they open the doors to their customers. As friends gather in the back of the store, they smile at each other and prepare to join them... 
The Celebrant draws an elegant curving line in the sand as waves crash below the small group on the beach. She is creating a labyrinth. Guests are invited to form a circle around the labyrinth, and they wait in the warm air for the couple to arrive. The bride enters first, taking her time to walk the pathway in silence. The groom follows, and they meet in the middle to share their promises to each other. After the ceremony, as the couple retraces their steps out of the labyrinth side by side, they are showered with flower petals.
K. and A. were very nervous before the ceremony, but once they saw each other, both visibly relaxed and their faces broke into huge smiles. Throughout the ceremony, they held hands tightly and whispered, “I love you,” to each other over and over, grinning with excitement. A couple who met in high school invited their close group of fifteen friends to stand in a semi-circle behind them for their wedding ceremony. When it was time for the ring vows, the groom’s brother produced the rings tied with a satin bow, and spoke some words of love. Each friend then took the rings in turn and blessed them aloud, ending with the bride’s sister, who handed them to me.  A couple who met working with Outward Bound planned a weekend camping trip for friends and family, with a ceremony at the top of a mountain. They wore hiking clothes and arranged for an informal reception with all local and organic food from the area. At a backyard wedding, the groom’s giggling sisters dress him in his fiancee’s veil and flowers for a photo before the ceremony, causing much laughter all around. One of the sisters tells me later that she has never seen him so happy. She had tears of pride and love in her eyes as she spoke. The groom’s three-year old granddaughter is the ringbearer, but doesn’t want to give up her treasures! The bride and groom’s mothers step out of their seats in the non-denominational chapel to light the family unity candles. The bride’s mother reaches out and takes the hand of the groom’s mother, to her shy surprise, and they walk up and back, hand in hand, to light the candles that symbolize their love for their children and this union. A Korean bride adapts a tradition of sharing rice wine with parents during the ceremony. The couple shares a cup of wine with their parents, and receives their blessing. The bride’s father speaks in Korean, and his blessing makes her laugh out loud. When she translates, the room is full of warmth and love. As guests arrive at their white lawn chairs at the outdoor ceremony, they find a small wrapped candy on each seat. Later in the ceremony, everyone is invited to eat the candy at a certain point, celebrating the sweetness of life for the bride and groom.
PROCESSIONALS The processional tells the story, in a visible way, of how you two have arrived (both literally and metaphorically) at this moment: the start of your wedding ceremony. You have many options for how to tell your story:
PRESENTATION OF THE COUPLE [adaptation of Hindu kanyadhan (offering of bride), shakhohar (family roots union), and hathialo (couple’s joining of hands), as well as Polish tradition of parents’ blessing of the couple before the wedding] Sarah and Amar, since it is your intention to join in marriage, will you now come stand before me, facing each other? I invite you to join hands, and with your hands, your hearts. [Sarah and Amar take each other’s hands again.] I now ask Amar and Sarah’s parents to step forward and join your children. As you place your hands on theirs, I will read your blessing: Bless our children as they stand before us today, ready to take a step that will change their lives forever. May the individual strengths of each one join so that they may grow together in a strong marriage. Endow them with courage to meet the challenges that will inevitably be theirs in the coming years. May the joy and love they feel today continue to mature as they walk together down this new road they have chosen. —from Molly Strode, Wedding Blessings, by June Cotner [Everyone kisses, and parents and attendants remain up at the front by the couple, sitting in chairs facing the guests,]
(more...) |
|||
|
|||
Cindy Matchett, Celebrant .. PO Box 420, Harvard, MA 01451 .. (978) 263-5937 info@meaningfulweddings.com © 2006 Cindy Matchett | |||
| |||