HANDFASTING (WEDDING)
Ryan Hunter

[The following wedding ceremony was written to provide for Pagans who must of
necessity be wed in the presence of the uninitiated who are not pagan and are
perhaps unaware that the bride and groom are pagan. Replace the words Bride
and Groom below with the names of the happy couple. This ceremony was used by
both my wife and myself and by my sister and her husband. They modified the
text at the point below where it says "loving each other wholly and
completely" to add the phrase "forsaking all others" as they are into
monogamy. Either version works beautifully, I recommend the participants
rewrite where necessary to form a legal contract that they can and will keep.
It is easy to avoid being an oathbreaker if you only swear to that you will
keep and avoid swearing to something just because the other party wants it or
because it might be "expected" by the family. Notice: parts of this ritual
were cribbed from the writings of others. I apologize in advance for failure
to reference sources but after the fifteenth rewrite we had forgotten where
we got the text and what was and what was not original to us. I doubt if
there are quotes from other sources longer than paragraph length and thus
should not be a copyright problem. If you see something that is yours, please
send me mail and I will reference you in the future. Our thanks to those who
paved the way.
--Ryan Hunter]

[PRIEST]
We have come together here in celebration of the joining together of
____bride______ and ____groom______. There are many things to say about
marriage. Much wisdom concerning the joining together of two souls,has come
our way through all paths of belief, and from many cultures. With each union,
more knowledge is gained and more wisdom gathered. Though we are unable to
give all this knowledge to these two, who stand before us, we can hope to
leave with them the knowledge of love and its strengths and the anticipation
of the wisdom that comes with time. The law of life is love unto all beings.
Without love, life is nothing, without love, death has no redemption. Love is
anterior to Life, posterior to Death, initial of Creation and the exponent of
Earth. If we learn no more in life, let it be this.
Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and
reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its
downs, its trials and its triumphs. With full understanding of this, Groom
and Bride have come here today to be joined as one in marriage.
Others would ask, at this time, who gives the bride in marriage, but, as
a woman is not property to be bought and sold, given and taken, I ask simply
if she comes of her own will and if she has her family's blessing.
Bride, is it true that you come of your own free will and accord?

[BRIDE]
Yes, it is true.

[PRIEST]
With whom do you come and whose blessings accompany you.

[FATHER]
She comes with me, her father, and is accompanied by all of her family's
blessings.

[PRIEST]
Please join hands with your betrothed and listen to that which I am about
to say.
Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time doth pass,
remember...
Like a stone should your love be firm like a star should your love be
constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your
marriage, let the strength of your wills bind you together, let the power of
love and desire make you happy, and the strength of your dedication make you
inseparable. Be close, but not too close. Possess one another, yet be
understanding. Have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they
will pass quickly.
Be free in giving affection and warmth. Have no fear and let not the ways
of the unenlightened give you unease, for God is with you always.
Groom, I have not the right to bind thee to Bride, only you have this
right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in her
hand.

[GROOM]
It is my wish.

[PRIEST]
Bride, if it be your wish for Groom to be bound to you, place the ring on
his finger. (places ring on Groom's left ring finger)
Bride I have not the right to bind thee to Groom only you have this
right. If it be your wish, say so at this time and place your ring in his
hand.

[BRIDE]
It is my wish.

[PRIEST]
Groom, if it be your wish for Bride to be bound to you, place the ring on
her finger.(places ring on Bride's left ring finger)
(to Groom)
Repeat after me: I, (grooms full name), in the name of the spirit of God
that resides within us all, by the life that courses within my blood and the
love that resides within my heart, take thee (bride's full name) to my hand,
my heart, and my spirit, to be my chosen one. To desire thee and be desired
by thee, to possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for
naught can exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee
wholly and completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty
and in poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love
again. I shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy
beliefs, thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.
(to Bride)
I (bride's full name), in the name of the spirit of God that resides
within us all, by the life that courses within my blood, and the love that
resides within my heart, take thee, (Groom's full name) to my hand, my heart,
and my spirit to be my chosen one. To desire and be desired by thee, to
possess thee, and be possessed by thee, without sin or shame, for naught can
exist in the purity of my love for thee. I promise to love thee wholly and
completely without restraint, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in
poverty, in life and beyond, where we shall meet, remember, and love again. I
shall not seek to change thee in any way. I shall respect thee, thy beliefs,
thy people, and thy ways as I respect myself.

[PRIEST]
(hands chalice to the groom, saying:) May you drink your fill from the
cup of love.

(Groom holds chalice to bride while she sips then bride takes chalice and
holds it to groom while he sips. The chalice is then handed back to the
Priest who sets it on the table. Next the Priest takes the plate of bread,
giving it to the groom. Same procedure repeated with bread, groom feeding
bride and bride feeding groom.)

By the power vested in me by God and the State of Alabama, I now
pronounce you husband and wife. May your love so endure that its flame
remains a guiding light unto you.