Danielle McCarty Cook

Ceremony begins:

Today we stand upon this holy Earth and in this sacred space to witness the rite of matrimony between Zyquece and Lillian. Just as we come together as family and friends, so we ask God and Allah. May the sacred union of this Ceremony be filled with their Holy Presence. In the name of God is Love declared, and in the name of Allah is Peace declared. In the name of the Ancestors whose traditions we honor and in the name of those who gave us life, we are united here in Love. Let the Bride and Groom approach.

Wedding Processional.

[Officiator to guests] Standing before us are Zyquece and Lillian whom we bid hail and welcome.

[To bride] Are you Lillian Carlson?

[Bride answers] Yes [or I am].

[Officiator] What is your desire?

[Bride] To be joined with Zyquece Oster in the presence of Allah, our friends, and our family.

[Officiator] I welcome you with joy.

[Officiator, to groom] Are you Zyquece Oster?

[Groom] Yes [or I am].

[Officiator] What is your desire?

[Groom] To be joined with Lillian Carlson in the presence of God, our friends, and our family.

[Officiator] I welcome you with joy.

[Officiator, to the parents] Let the father of Lillian come forth.

[Officiator hands blade to bride’s father] Take this symbol of your protection and care through the years of this life so you may release this responsibility to the one she has chosen.

[Parent] I bring you Zyquece, my child and my treasure. Take this blade and remember that you must always be ready in service to protect your bride.

[Officiator, to groom] Take the blade and make your vow.

[Groom] I do vow this before God and Allah

Officiator takes blade from groom.

[Groom, facing Altar] Before God and Allah do I pledge to love and honor this woman, that we be in the image of the Divine, two who are one.

[Bride, facing Altar] Before God and Allah do I pledge to love and honor this man, that we be in the image of the Divine, two who are one.

[Officiator, to guests] Does anyone here know of any just reason why these two should not be wed?

[Pause; deal with any objection as required]. Then nothing may stand in their way.

[Officiator] In Nature all things are circular. Night becomes day, day becomes night, night becomes day again. The Moon waxes and wanes, and waxes again. There is Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and then the Spring returns. These things are part of the Great Mysteries. Did you bring your symbols of these mysteries of life?

Rings are brought forward.

Officiator holds up rings, one before each partner:

[Officiator, to bride] Place the ring on the finger of your chosen, and say after me [pause after each phrase for bride to repeat] I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it remind you always, as it circles your finger, of my eternal love, surrounding you and enfolding you day and night. By life and by love, in the Name of Allah, I take you to my hand, my heart, and my spirit. We shall be One, as long as love shall last.

[Officiator, to groom] I give you this ring as a symbol of my love for you. Let it remind you always, as it circles your finger, of my eternal love, surrounding you and enfolding you day and night. By life and by love, in the Name of God, I take you to my hand, my heart, and my spirit. We shall be One, as long as love shall last.

[Officiator, to bride and groom] With love in your heart, do you both pledge yourselves one unto the other in the bonds of matrimony?

[Bride and groom] We do.

[Officiator, to bride and groom] And do you vow to bring the light of love and joy to the union, and maintain these vows in freedom for as long as love shall last?

[Bride and groom] We do.

[Officiator, to both] Then let there always be joy between you as you live together in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.

These two souls have prepared pledges of the heart. Words to bind themselves in promise to one another.

[Bride]

[Groom]

[Officiator, to couple] With these symbols of love and honor, you are bound to one another and may now seal your promise with a kiss.

Couple kiss.

Officiator to assemblage: Let those assembled here bear witness that Zyquece and Lillian are joined in love. May their love partake of the beauty, majesty, and power of the Divine, and may they grow together in wisdom, joy, and harmony. My own blessings and the blessings of all those assembled be with you. [Pause, then state firmly] In the presence of God, Allah, your ancestors, your families, and your friends, it is my privilege and legal right, to now pronounce you husband and wife.

[Officiator, to bride and groom] The blessings of the Divine and of the Ancestors be with you and with all that grows from your union.

Rose Ceremony

Officiant: After the exchanging of rings, your first gift to each other, as husband and wife. The rose is a symbol of love and so it shall be your gift given.

Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.

As you give each other these roses, remember how they have changed. They began as tiny tightly closed buds that blossomed into these perfect roses. As they opened with the warmth of the sun, so too has your love for each other grown in the warmth of your souls.

Officiant: Zyquece and Lillian, in remembrance of this day, as a reaffirmation of your love and of the vows you have spoken here today please give each other a single rose each year on your anniversary. In the best of marriages there are difficult times. There are times of hurtful words, times of neglect, times when we must wait patiently to be together again. Marriage is the most difficult and trying endeavor either of you will ever face. Those difficult times show us the truth of our relationships. How we overcome them is important. Those hurtful words are not only born from anger but also from passion. When the screaming and the tears stop, remember that passion is the most powerful force in our world. When we stop fighting is when we no longer see something worth fighting for. Those may be times when the words you really need to speak are difficult. I ask that you remember this moment and that when words fail you, that you place a single rose on your love’s pillow as a way to say, “I remember our vow,” and “I love you”. Let this exchanging of roses be the beginning of a lifelong tradition of unspoken love.