CEREMONY
Subie: To all, welcome. We have been invited here today by Kevin and Cynthia to witness the first day of their marriage. On this special day, many friends and family members are meeting for the first time. From this day forward, we will all now share this same memory, and we will all now be part of each other’s family.
To Cynthia and Kevin, who will be married here today, I will ask their intent.
Will you cause each other pain?
Us: I May
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?
Us: Yes
Will you share each others’ laughter and joy in life?
Us: Yes
Will you both look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
Us: I will
Will you burden each other?
Us: I may
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you share each others’ burdens so that your spirits may grow in this union?
Us: Yes
Us: I May
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you share each other's pain and seek to ease it?
Us: Yes
Will you share each others’ laughter and joy in life?
Us: Yes
Will you both look for the brightness in life and the positive in each other?
Us: I will
Will you burden each other?
Us: I may
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you share each others’ burdens so that your spirits may grow in this union?
Us: Yes
Will you encourage each other’s dreams and aspirations?
Us: Yes
Us: Yes
Will you show each other your dreams, make them your own, and chase them together?
Us: We will
Us: We will
Will you listen to each other with your whole heart?
Us: Always
Will you cause each other anger?
Us: I may
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you use the heat of anger to temper the strength of this union?
Us: We will
Will you treat your partner with respect and kindness?
Us: I will
Will you seek never to break that respect, or to bring dishonor to your union?
Us: I will
Will you cause each other anger?
Us: I may
Is that your intention?
Us: No
Will you use the heat of anger to temper the strength of this union?
Us: We will
Will you treat your partner with respect and kindness?
Us: I will
Will you seek never to break that respect, or to bring dishonor to your union?
Us: I will
Will you promise to delight in the laughter and take serious the important?
Yes
Will you promise to love each other not only when you are being great, but also when you are not?
Yes
Will you share with each other all the days life may give you, and create the most beautiful life together that you can?
Yes
Will you promise all this, in joy and in sorrow, in plenty and in want, for all the days of your life?
Yes
Subie: I would like to read you a passage from Union by Robert Fulghum:
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will”- those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another- acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife.
What else have you to say to each other?
cynthia:
I dedicate myself
to trust you, to be genuine with you
to be strong with you, to be gentle with you
to have faith in you, to love you
and, I invite the same from you
kevin: I do.
I dedicate myself
to trust you, to be genuine with you
to be strong with you, to be gentle with you
to have faith in you, to love you
and, I invite the same from you
kevin: I do.
kevin:
I dedicate myself
to walk the edges with you
to be at home with you
to give you the freedom to explore your edges
to give you the space in my heart to come home
and, I invite the same from you
cynthia: I do.
I dedicate myself
to walk the edges with you
to be at home with you
to give you the freedom to explore your edges
to give you the space in my heart to come home
and, I invite the same from you
cynthia: I do.
cynthia: I promise to love you just as your are and are not,
kevin -- and when i wake up tomorrow i will promise this all again
cynthia -- so will I
kevin: and so on
These things you have promised to each other, before this company. May you ever be mindful and strive to keep the vows you have spoken. Will you exchange rings as tokens of your affection?
