Garden ceremony for David and Ellen
(This ceremony is very specific to the couple getting married and the
place where the ceremony takes place. While the specifics of the
ceremony won?t likely apply to your situation, it shows the level of
intimate customization that a ceremony can have.)
Introduction
This is indeed a powerful place. When you pass onto this land your whole
being picks up something utterly compelling and magnetic. This spot
represents the essence of David’s chosen life – he fell in love with
this land and began construction of this artful home as a statement of
his very being. He created a place of quiet repose and invited Ellen in
to stay forever. Like David, Ellen’s essence, energy and passion are
here. When she is here she feels nurtured by this place and by David.
And he, by her.
This garden is a special sanctuary, not just for today but always – it
represents both beauty and fruitfulness. But today it is also our
chapel. We in attendance are joyous that we can share this most
significant of life’s passages with you, Ellen and David; knowing you is
a privilege for everybody here. Including me.
Marriage is the supreme sharing of experience, an adventure in the most
intimate of relationships. Today it is the joyous uniting of Ellen and
David who want, more than anything else, to live a life of peacefulness,
authenticity, and passion together and to keep their commitment
primary.
Recognition of Family
With great gratitude they wish to acknowledge and thank Charles,
Barbara, and Jean, their parents for all they have provided to get them
to this point; Dave for his support; and significant friends who are
gathered here, whose caring and love have made all the difference. We
thank Steve for his photographic talent, to be able to capture this
moment in an artful manner.
We remember grandfathers Partridge Smyth and Peter Donnelly, whose legacies will remain forever with Ellen.
It is through life’s experiences, both exquisite and tragic, that we
come to know and embrace the persons we are, gifted in many brilliant
ways but incomplete in others. And if we are truly lucky, we will find
our counterpart, he or she who provides us the balance we need to become
complete.
Recognition of Wedding Party
Ellen and David, you will continue to provide one another balance
through your opposites and your differing talents and gifts. The
greatest gift you have, to give one another, is the gift of yourself.
Ellen, David respects and values you for who you are. He admires your
ambitions, your zest for life and your pure view of the world. Because,
although the world is often a tumultuous place you still discover
beauty, hope, joy and fun and you make every excursion into an adventure
for him. It is through you that David achieves a higher level of being,
both mentally and spiritually. Your passion puts a smile on his face
and reassures him that there will always be more discoveries with you,
along the road less traveled.
David, your quiet, strong energy captivated Ellen from the start. You
care deeply about excellence. Your passion for the betterment of all
living forms – your deep respect for the natural world – and the manner
in which you painstakingly execute your visions into thoughtfully
conceived outcomes such as all the intricate details that abound this
property – demonstrate such character and quality. You truly live in
harmony with nature.
[Insert Name] Barrett Browning said “I love thee to the level of every
day’s most quiet need.” And it is in every day’s most quiet need where
you provide nourishment to each other and with that, enrich each other’s
lives. Your connection feels eternal.
The arts, quality food & good nutrition, a healthy lifestyle –
service to the community, the sanctity and peacefulness of water, your
commitment to family and friends – these are your day’s most quiet
needs.
Ellen and David, are you presenting yourselves here today to be joined in marriage?
Vows
David please turn toward Ellen and repeat after me:
I, David take you, Ellen, to be my wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish you forever.
I promise you this from my heart come what may.
Ellen please repeat after me:
I, Ellen take you, David, to be my husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish you forever.
I promise you this from my heart come what may.
Presentation of Rings
Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked
by the gifting of a ring. This wedding ring has a tender history. Not
only is it a symbol of the unbroken circle of love, it is a valued
family keepsake, lovely in its own right and irreplaceable for its
significance.
David, please repeat after me:
This ring, a gift for you Ellen, symbolizes my desire that you be my wife from this day forward.
Pronouncement
All of us who are here feel privileged. And I want to say, on behalf of
all of us, thank you. May Ellen continue to find in you, David, that
inner strength and high moral fiber for which her heart gives gratitude.
Thank you for Ellen. The energy that is so natural for her, may that
continue forever. May this couple always be grateful for the partnership
they have found. Together may you continue to lead lives of gentle
strength and creative passion with enough challenges to keep you tender,
and enough creative visions to keep you vibrant.
As David and Ellen have consented together in marriage before this
company of friends and family, and have pledged their faithfulness to
one another ? and declared their unity by the giving and receiving of a
ring, and shared the symbolism of the wine ceremony I pronounce you
husband and wife ? may your days be profoundly magical and long upon
this earth.
You may kiss!
