Buddhist Wedding Ceremony Script with Mindfulness Meditation

PROCESSION / PROCESSIONAL 

• Ceremony begins, wedding party enters. 

Officiant to guests

Dear Community, please enjoy your breathing as we rise in honor of our (bride/ groom/ couple).

welcome & mindfulness meditation 

Officiant to guests

Please be seated. 

Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh advises, “The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.”

• The Officiant is invited to slow down the pace of their speaking, to a meditative but clear cadence.
• Breathe silently between each bell for at least six or seven breaths, ten is even better if the group is comfortable with lengthy pauses of appreciation. If not, or if many of the guests are unfamiliar with meditation practices, adapt the length of each pause to the comfort of participants

We bring our hearts and minds together, to be truly available for these unfolding moments, knowing we are blessed to be here. The couple invites you to please take a few moments together to sit up straight, with spine relaxed and to look around, allowing your eyes to rest on the many expressions of beauty: the flowers, the handsome attire: colors, textures, adornments, loved ones and friends. 

(BELL)

We extend gratitude for all the many hands, those known and unknown, that prepared and brought this ceremony to fruition. 

(BELL)

Touching appreciation for this land, the stable earth and blue sky above, the solid Pines and sounds of birds (adapt this according to outside or inside environment)—all the many beings sharing this moment, surrounding us with inspiration.

(BELL)

• For this next section, the officiant will want to learn about the various ways in which connections have formed in this couple’s family and community before the ceremony, and then modify this section to suit them. For example, did the couple meet most of their guests in school? At work? At a local temple? Include the most common and meaningful examples.

Please bring your attention now, to this beautiful couple, (Partner A) and (Partner B). As you look at them, recall the first time you met each of them. We have engaged in their lives across many ages and milestones. Perhaps you met your loved one as a newborn baby, welcoming them into the embrace of family, maybe on the playground or in the office. How blessed we are to know them and be part of this deepening commitment. We participate with our whole being, knowing we are called to celebrate, nourish and love this couple.   

(BELL)

Please close your eyes, allow your eyelids to drape like silk over the orbs of your eyes... Take in the sounds, smells, sensations, the pleasures of this moment… Allow hearts to soften and open towards this couple… 

Closing our eyes, we give (Partner A) and (Partner B) the privacy to look at one another, gaze at their beloved, as we offer the silent support of our love. 

(BELL, BELL, BELL)

DECLARATION OF INTENT & VOW EXCHANGE

Officiant to the couple

(Partner A) and (Partner B), you are loved, embraced, and supported by beloved community as you declare a deepening of your relationship and commitment to one another in marriage. 

• The officiant will share a short story about how the couple met and how their love and connection deepened over time. This might include shared values and adventures, family history, difficulties the couple has triumphed over together, how they work together, their strengths as a couple, and insights into their loving relationship. The officiant may also say a few words about what the couple wishes for in the future.
• The Officiant will then instruct the couple to exchange personal written vows or love letters. For example, "(Partner A), please read the words you've written for (Partner B) as a vow to him/her/them on this day."
• The couple exchanges personal vows or reads their love letters aloud.

PRONOUNCEMENT

Officiant to the couple

(Partner A) and (Partner B), you have declared your intention and vows before this gathering of your loved ones. May you go forward and be a refuge to one another, your marriage union a source of happiness that is always available to you no matter the hardship. May your solidity enlarge your capacity for compassion and understanding, not only for one another but for your family, friends, and everyone you meet.  

May the spirit of joy and peace that lives in and around us guide you on your path, fill your hearts and bless your life together.

Along with the support of your loved ones, it gives me great honor to pronounce for the first time as a married couple. (Partner A) and (Partner B), please seal your marriage with a kiss!

• the couple kisses, guests applaud and rejoice

RECESSION

Officiant to guests and the couple

Soak it up, breathe and smile!
 

• Ceremony ends, wedding party and couple exit