Religious Wedding Ceremony

RELIGIOUS WEDDING SCRIPT MINISTER: REV. CHARLES NAHALE

GROOM AND BRIDE, WE ARE HERE TO CELEBRATE YOUR MARRIAGE. THIS DAY YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO AFFIRM YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER WITH SPOKEN WORDS, WITH PRAYER, AND WITH THE SHARING OF SYMBOLS.

MARRIAGE IS A COMMITMENT TO LIFE,.TO THE BEST THAT TWO PEOPLE CAN FIND AND BRING OUT EACH OTHER . IT OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES FOR SHARING AND GROWTH NO OTHER HUMAN RELATIONSHIP CAN EQUAL, A PHYSICAL AND EMOTIONAL JOINING THAT IS PROMISED FOR A LIFETIME.

WITHIN THE CIRCLE OF IT'S 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 A STEADFASTNESS TO THE STURDY FOUNDATION THAT ALLOWS THE MARRIAGE COVENANT TO BE ESTABLISHED.

MARRIAGE DEEPENS AND ENRICHES EVERY FACET OF LIFE. HAPPINESS IS FULLER; MEMORIES ARE FRESHER; COMMITMENT IS STRONGER.

MARRIAGE UNDERSTANDS AND FORGIVES THE MISTAKES LIFE IS UNABLE TO AVOID, AND YET IT ENCOURAGES AND NURTURES NEW LIFE, NEW EXPERIENCES, AND NEW WAYS OF EXPRESSING LOVE THROUGH THE SEASONS OF LIFE.

WHEN TWO PEOPLE PLEDGE TO LOVE AND CARE FOR TEACH OTHER IN MARRIAGE; THEY SEEM TO CREATE A SPIRIT UNIQUE TO THEMSELVES, WHICH BINDS THEM CLOSER THAN ANY SPOKEN OR WRITTEN WORD. MARRIAGE IS A PROMISE, MADE IN THE HEARTS OF TWO PEOPLE WHO LOVE EACH OTHER, AND THIS WILL TAKE A LIFETIME TO FULFILL.

SHARING OF LEIS:

FOR THOSE OF US WHO CALL HAWAII OUR HOME, THE FLOWER LEI IS A SYMBOL OF LOVE. ITS IS ALSO A SYMBOL OF THINGS THAT ARE FRAGILE AND TEMPORAL. A FLOWER LEI WILL LAST A DAY OR TWO AND THEN IT IS GONE. OUR LIVES ARE LIKE THE LEI WITHIN THE SPAN OF ETERNITY; THEREFORE, LIVE WITH TENDER CONSIDERATION FOR EACH OTHER, CONTINUE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, AND YOUR MARRIAGE WILL LAST. MAY THE LEIS YOU NOW OFFER EACH OTHER BE RECOGNIZED FOR THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR ONE ANOTHER. (THE HAWAIIANS HAVE A TRADITIONAL SAYING, 'HONI KA WAHA'; KISS HIM/HER ON THE MOUTH) HONI KA WAHA!

DECLARATION OF INTENTION:

GROOM: DO YOU WISH FOR BRIDE, TO BE KNOWN AS YOU WIFE? IF SO, PLEASE SAY, I DO.

BRIDE: DO YOU WISH FOR GROOM, TO BE KNOWN AS YOUR HUSBAND? IF SO, PLEASE SAY, I DO.

GROOM AND BRIDE, DO YOU PROMISE TO LET YOUR LOVE FOR EACH OTHER GROW, AS IT WILL, AND AS IT MUST, SO THAT IN THE YEARS TO COME, YOU WILL RENEW YOUR ACCEPTANCE, YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND YOUR TRUST FOR ONE ANOTHER? IF SO, PLEASE SAY, 'WE PROMISE'.

MARRIAGE VOWS:

I, GROOM, TAKE YOU BRIDE, TO BE MY WIFE. I PROMISE TO LOVE YOU, HONOR YOU, AND CHERISH YOU. I WILL BE YOUR COMPANION. I WILL SHARE MY STRENGTHS AND MY ACHIEVEMENTS. I PROMISE TO RESPECT YOU AND BE YOUR FRIEND. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER; IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.

I, BRIDE, TAKE YOU GROOM, TO BE MY HUSBAND. I PROMISE TO LOVE YOU, HONOR YOU, AND CHERISH YOU. I WILL BE YOUR COMPANION. I WILL SHARE MY STRENGTHS AND MY ACHIEVEMENTS. I PROMISE TO RESPECT YOU AND BE YOUR FRIEND. FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE, FOR RICHER OR FOR POORER; IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.

RING CEREMONY:

THE WEDDING RINGS ARE A SYMBOL OF LONGEVITY IN THE MARRIAGE COVENANT. THE CIRCLE OF THE RING SYMBOLIZES THE NEVER ENDING CIRCLE OF LOVE AND COMMITMENT THAT YOU ARE MAKING. ALWAYS SEE THE BEST IN EACH OTHER AND EACH DAY THAT YOU ARE TOGETHER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BEAUTY OF THESE RINGS; REMEMBER THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE FOR EACH OTHER, IS FOREVER.

GROOM, REPEAT AFTER ME YOUR RING CEREMONY: BRIDE, I GIVE THIS RING TO YOU AS A SIGN OF MY LOVE. I GIVE MYSELF TO YOU TO BE YOUR HUSBAND. FROM THIS DAY FORWARD YOU SHALL NOT WALK ALONE. I FEEL SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU AS MY WIFE. I VOW TO LOVE YOU AND SUSTAIN YOU IN THE COVENANT OF OUR MARRIAGE, FOR AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.

BRIDE, REPEAT AFTER ME YOUR RING CEREMONY: GROOM, I GIVE THIS RING TO YOU AS A SIGN OF MY LOVE. I GIVE MYSELF TO YOU TO BE YOUR WIFE. FROM THIS DAY FORWARD YOU SHALL NOT WALK ALONE. I FEEL SO HONORED TO HAVE YOU AS MY HUSBAND. I VOW TO LOVE YOU AND SUSTAIN YOU IN THE COVENANT OF OUR MARRIAGE, FOR AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LIVE.

PRONOUNCEMENT:

WE HAVE BEEN WITNESSES TO THIS SPECIAL DAY. THEREFORE, I AND THOSE OF US HERE WITH YOU RECOGNIZE THAT YOU HAVE BECOME HUSBAND AND WIFE, AND WE AND ALL OF YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS SHALL HONOR YOU AS THE SAME FROM THIS DAY FORWARD.

PRAYER OF BLESSING IN HAWAIIAN AND THEN INTERPRETATION:

IMAU AKU KALOKO MAIKA'I O KA HAKU O IESU CRISTO ME KEALOHA O KEAKUA A MEKALAUNA PUANA O KA'UHANE HEMOLELE ME KA KO APA'U.