Beth B Sundman

Ceremony for Nicole and Kyle

Hello everyone. My name is Beth. I have the privilege of officiating today. Welcome to this space. The bride and groom has asked me to announce that this ceremony will be performed totally unplugged. As we honor the couple’s request, please silence your phone, and do not use it for photos during the ceremony. They ask that you simply be present in these moments to witness the closest thing to magic most of us will ever see.

Processional: piano/recordings/stand for the bride gesture

Invocation

Welcome again family, friends, and loved ones! We gather on this All Saints’ Day, the traditional holy day following Samhain, marking the end of harvest time and the beginning of a new year in the ancient calendar. It symbolizes the cyclical nature of life and death, similar to how we honor New Years in January as a fresh start.

A fresh start together is exactly what we are here to witness and celebrate. A union of souls who will face the cycles of life, the give and take of the seasons, and the dark and the light of events yet to happen.

Nicole and Kyle have chosen this day for a reason. The veil between worlds is thin right now. We are present here in this space, but so are those who have gone before us and now watch over this ceremony. Love is woven forward but also supported from behind as Nicole and Kyle move on as one. Let us all take a moment to take a deep breath and become truly present in this moment.

Blessing

We are now going to ask for a blessing over this ceremony and the new life that Nicole and Kyle are creating from this day forward.

Oh Great Spirit of the North, we come to you and ask for the strength and the power to bear what is cold and harsh in life. Whatever is cold and uncertain in our life, we ask you to give us the strength to bear it. Do not let the winter blow us away. Oh Spirit of Life and Spirit of the North, we ask you for strength and for warmth.

Oh Great Spirit of the East, we turn to you where the sun comes up, from where the power of light and refreshment come. Everything that is born comes up in this direction the birth of babies, the birth of the puppies, the birth of ideas and the birth of friendship. Let there be the light. Oh Spirit of the East, let the color of fresh rising in our life be glory to you.

Oh Great Spirit of the South, spirit of all that is warm and gentle and refreshing, we ask you to give us this spirit of growth, of fertility, of gentleness. Caress us with a cool breeze when the days are hot. Give us seeds that the flowers, trees and fruits of the earth may grow. Give us the warmth of good friendships. Oh Spirit of the South, send the warmth and the growth of your blessings.

Oh Great Spirit of the West, where the sun goes down each day to come up the next, we turn to you in praise of sunsets and in thanksgiving for changes. You are the great colored sunset of the red west, which illuminates us. You are the powerful cycle, which pulls us to transformation. We ask for the blessings of the sunset. Keep us open to life’s changes.

Declaration of Intent

Handfasting is a tradition in many cultures but is most known for being done in England & Scotland as far back as the 12th century. It is where the phrase “tying the knot” is derived. For some, it marked a couple as engaged. For others, it was to show a couple’s commitment to be married and live as such until the next time a priest came to the village to visit.

Today, Nicole and Kyle will bind their hands in a handfasting to celebrate their unbreakable bond. From one season to the next, this cord will symbolize their pledge to respect and adore one another as well as to establish a life of joy and thankfulness.

Please join your hands and, with your hands, your hearts.

[ Join hands so that right hands together and left hands together]

[Officiant tying the handfasting knot]

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future through the seasons that come.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. Through the times of the dark and the light, these are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in today, tears of joy.

These are the hands that will help you to hold your new family together as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

To Kyle: What is your name? and he responds

Kyle, do you come here with the intention to be joined with Nicole? If so say, "I do, for she is the beloved of my heart." Kyle responds.

To Nicole: What is your name? and she responds

Nicole, do you come here with the intention to be joined with Kyle? If so say, "I do, for he is the beloved of my heart." Nicole responds

As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound.

Woven into this cord are all the hopes of your family and friends and of yourselves, for your new life journey together.

With the forming of this knot, I tie all the dreams, desires, love, and happiness wished here in this setting to your lives for as long as your love shall last.

In the joining of hands and the formation of a knot, your lives are now bound to one another.

Exchange of Vows

Nicole and Kyle, I invite you to share your marital vows at this time. Please face each other and recite your vows to your partner before all gathered here today.

Kyle, you may go first.

I, Kyle, choose you, Nicole, in this lifetime or any other we may pass through. It is your soul that I’ll search to find. I know your heart is meant for me.

Nicole, you may now share your vow.

I, Nicole, choose you, Kyle, in this lifetime or any other we may pass through. It is always your soul that I’ll search to find. I know your heart is meant for me.

Exchange of rings

Now, Kyle and Nicole will exchange rings as a symbol of their commitment. May we have the rings?

Salt has a symbolic association with purity, protection, and preservation. A protective circle or line of salt is cast across a threshold, like a doorway or window, to prevent evil spirits from entering. In some families, salt water is used to mop floors, and salt baths are taken to remove negative energy. Salt is often used in rituals to purify spaces and dispel negativity.

At their request, I will sprinkle salt over the rings before the exchange.

(salt sprinkle)

You've both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning.

The stones were formed a long time ago deep within the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace, molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements.

Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a balance of chance and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It's the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You've created something invaluable. I'm confident you'll protect the commitments you've made to one another today.

Kyle, as you place this ring on Nicole’s finger, please repeat after me. “I give you this ring/ as a sign of my faithful devotion/. I will always love you/, cherish you/, and honor the vows spoken here today.” Kyle repeats

Nicole, as you place this ring on Kyle’s finger, please repeat after me. “I give you this ring/ as a sign of my faithful devotion/. I will always love you/, cherish you/, and honor the vows spoken here today.” Nicole repeats.

Pronouncement

Nicole and Kyle shared with me that they share the same astrological sign. As I prepared for today, I learned that Leo men and women are passionate, loyal, and full of life. When two Leos come together in marriage, the relationship will be one that is full of life. Both partners are warm, charming, and eager to perform great acts for each other, thus making their relationship passionate and thrilling. May all this be true and be imparted with intention on this relationship.

Kyle and Nicole, on this day, celebrating new starts and remembering loved ones, you’ve vowed to honor each other as equals as you walk through life together. Best friends, lovers, and partners, at every step in the cycles and seasons of Life.

Again, we thank all the family, friends, and departed loved ones who are here with us today. And so, in the presence of this gathering, and with the power given to me by American Marriage Ministries and the State of Illinois, I now declare you married! May your love be a blessing on each day! You may kiss!

Family, friends, and guests, when the wedding party has recessed, you are invited to go to the 3rd floor for cocktails.

Recessional (music?)