Let
us take a moment to mediate on the sacrament of marriage, open our hearts to our
Creator to enter this ceremony, and give thanks for the beauty that surrounds
us.
(Names)
we are about to experience a miracle. This miracle is the joining of two lives
in peace which becomes this inspiration that forms a family.
All
of your moments together have led up to this exchange of vows and have prepared
you as you promise to be each other's lifetime partner. This is a most special
gift which you are about to share, which has been carefully nurtured and
polished to give to one another. This gift cannot be bought in a store or found
under a tree. This is the gift of love that can only be shared in marriage. May
its radiance never diminish, even as the sea around us.
We
are joyfully gathered today to witness and to celebrate the joining of two lives
in marriage, Let us rejoice with each other in the making of this important
covenant. The essence of this covenant is the taking of each other in entirety,
as an everlasting lover, friend and companion. It is, therefore, a decision
which has not been entered into lightly but rather undertaken with great
consideration and respect for one another.
We
have come together in the hope that the love which has brought you both to this
union may go out beyond itself into the lives of others. Thus, we ask that your
promises and hopes be realized. We ask that you both be granted the patience to
listen, the capacity to understand, the compassion to give comfort and the joy
to laugh and just to be together.. Most importantly, let your marriage make a
home where neither person is a stranger, and, remember, it is just as important
to be the right partner as it is to choose the right partner.
Let
your marriage offer illumination and growth. Bask in the joy of shared
discoveries. Let your union be strong enough to endure the darkness of all
things. May silence and despair never separate you; may you always return to
each other.
The
Exchange of Vows
(To
be spoken to each other)
I,
(name), will share my life openly with you, (name).
I will walk hand in hand with you.
I will grow with you, not away from you, in each of our discoveries.
I will support your strengths with love and honesty and protect you,
as we go forth together into this world as two yet one.
The
Exchange of Rings
(Minister
holds rings)
Let
these rings which you are about to exchange, serve to remind us that a
circle is a symbol of the sun, the earth and the universe, of wholeness, peace
and unity. Your rings are circles which have no beginning and no ending. They
are tokens of this growing relationship you have come here today to celebrate
and confirm, emblems of eternity which can never be tarnished, and which are
without end, to show how imperishable is the faith that you have now mutually
pledged before witness and to God.
As
a symbol of your faithfulness, and then to the other, place the rings on each
other's finger and repeat after me, "I accept you (name), as my partner, as
my friend, and as my (husband/wife), through all of the experiences life holds
for us, in abiding faith and love."
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OUR
WEDDING BLESSING
Be
together in harmony and let the winds of the heavens dance between
you. Empower each other and allow your relationship to evolve to its
highest purpose. Nourish each others possibilities and lift up each
others spirits. Care for one another, share your love openly and let
it be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Sing and dance
together and be joyful. Share your lives with each other and unite
your love with our Creator. May your union last through all of your
moments together, so that in the triumphs and the trials that lie
ahead, you will feel just as you do now - happy to be in love and
married to one another. Go then, in peace, and live more and more in
the present, which is beautiful and stretches away beyond the limits
of the past and towards the horizons of the future.
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Having
witnessed the vows you have just made to each other, surrounded by your love,
(and by the sand, the sun and the sea of the Virgin Islands), by the loving
grace of our Highest Power and by the authority vested in me, upheld by the laws
of the U.S. Virgin Islands, I now pronounce you husband and wife,
Mr.
and Mrs. _____________
Optional
Nautical Reading for marriages on sailboats, yachts and cruise ships.
May
you be each other's navigator in the course of life's voyages, and each other's
anchor in the rough seas that may lie ahead, so that through this journey your
love may have the strength of the powerful sun which can break away any dark
cloud that may come your way. And as each other's mate for life, may you be at
the helm of your own and each other's destiny.
We
ask our Creator now for your safety and to bless you as you complete your voyage
on the seas and in the course of your marriage.
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© Fantasia Occasions Enterprises, Inc.;
All Rights Reserved ®
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