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Contemporary
Maui Wedding Ceremony
The following
Contemporary Hawaii Wedding Ceremony was written by and is performed by
Rev. John Souter for our Maui wedding couples. Parts of this ceremony has
been used (by permission) of many other wedding ministers on the mainland.
You can read it for yourself to see if it fits your wedding preferences.
Maui Ceremony: Introduction
You have arrived on the romantic island
of Maui, the land of aloha, for your special day. BOB and MARY,
you’ve also arrived at that point in your relationship where
you desire a greater commitment. Today you are ready to pledge
your love in this union we call marriage.
Think for a moment of the caterpillar.
He begins life as a lowly, uninteresting little creature. But
he is transformed by an extraordinary metamorphosis—which
even the scientists do not understand—into the most exquisite
and fragile butterfly. In a similar way, your relationship is
changing today. You will no longer be, just two good friends.
Today you are being transformed into one. Marriage is the merger
of two separate individuals into a union dedicated for their
common good.
Maui Ceremony: Why Do You Love?
Have you ever thought about why you
want to get married? Take a moment, and gaze into each others
eyes. What is it that you see there that has captured your soul?
What spark, what love, what beauty have you found in those eyes
that has made you into a better person?
Do you remember when you first met?
When you first kissed? Can you recall the moment when your lover
turned your life and your heart upside down?
Now, today, you have come to bring all
of these emotions into something more. Today you stand before
these witnesses and desire to make a commitment that will last
for a lifetime of fulfillment. That is your hope, your desire
and your commitment today.
Maui Ceremony: Love is a Verb
Now we know that there will never be
a perfect marriage. As you enter into this next step in your
relationship, you should understand that it takes a lot of love
AND a lot of work to make a good marriage.
Some couples tend to think of marriage
as a 50/50 proposition. But the best relationships are usually
90/10. If you both will give 90% and take only 10—you’ll
have a formula likely to bring both of you a lifetime of happiness.
Love is a verb. It’s not just a
state of being but an ACTION verb. It’s not just how you
feel about each other, but what you DO for each other that will
keep your relationship growing and alive.
When you don’t feel like being
loving, think about how you would like to be treated. When you
sense that you are being ignored, learn how to listen to your
partner’s needs. BOB and MARY, in the Hawaiian language
ho ’oponopono means: “to put things right by family
discussion.”
When your feelings are hurt, don’t
turn inside. Instead, cultivate the great art of forgiving as
well as being able to say you’re sorry. Expect the best
from your lover even when they’ve disappointed you in the
past. Give what you want to get, and you’ll transform your
home into a castle where love can thrive.
Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Optional)
Maui Ceremony: Sandburg’s Poem
While marriages are founded and built
upon love, emotions can often fickle. Poet Carl Sandburg captured
the essence of a love which can stand the test of time when he
wrote:
“I love you. I love you for what
you are, but I love you yet more for what you are going to be.
I love you not so much for your realities as for your ideals.
I pray for your desires, that they may be great, rather than
for your satisfactions, which may be so hazardously little.
“A satisfied flower is one whose
petals are about to fall. But the most beautiful rose is one,
hardly more than a bud, wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire
are working for larger and finer growth. Not always shall you
be what you are now. You are going forward toward something great.
I am on the way with you and . . I love you.”
Maui Ceremony: HIS VOWS
BOB, please take the lei and place it
around MARY ‘s neck.
Do you BOB, take MARY, to be your wife? Will you love and cherish
her, giving her assistance in all of life’s labors? Will
you be true to her both in sickness and health, when things are
going well and when there are problems? And will you be faithful
to her as long as you both shall live? If so, you may answer,
I WILL.
BOB, let the beautiful & fragrant
flowers that you have placed on MARY remind you of the beautiful
and fragile nature of your relationship with her. Cherish her
always treating her as your princess.
Maui Ceremony: HER VOWS
MARY, take this lei and place it around
BOB ‘s neck.
Do you, MARY, take BOB, to be your husband?
Will you love and cherish him, and giving him assistance in all
of life’s labors? Will you be true to him both in sickness
and health, both when things are going well and when there are
problems? And will you be faithful to him as long as you both
shall live? If so, you may answer, I WILL.
MARY, let the beauty & fragrance
of these flowers which you have placed on BOB remind you always
of this day when you committed yourself to be his bride. Cherish
him always treating him as your prince.
Maui Ceremony: HER RING
BOB, may I have the ring that is the
lasting symbol of your vows to MARY?
This ring is gold and it has been subjected
to tremendous heat so that the waste could be removed and the
metal purified; it is a fit token of your commitment of love.
BOB, let this ring symbolize your willingness to build your character
as you love MARY.
Place the ring on the third finger of
BOB ’S left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows
to MARY:
“From this day on,
I BOB,
take
you MARY
to be my wife.
I will love you,
I will cherish you,
I will be true to you,
no matter what comes into our lives
whether
we are rich or poor,
whether there is sickness or health,
I’m
committed to stay with you
for as long as we both shall live,
and
with this ring
as a symbol of my love
I now marry you.”
Maui Ceremony: HIS RING
MARY, may I have the ring that’s
the lasting symbol of your vows to BOB?
The ring is a circle. A circle has no
ending so it symbolizes an enduring love. MARY, let this ring
remind you of this lifetime commitment you are making to BOB
today.
Place the ring on the third finger of
BOB ’s left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows
to him:
“From this day on,
I MARY,
take
you BOB
to be my husband.
I will love you,
I will cherish you,
I will be true to you,
no matter what comes into our lives
—whether we are rich or poor,
whether there is sickness or health,
I’m
committed to stay with you
for as long as we both shall live,
and
with this ring
as a symbol of my love
I now marry you.”
Maui Ceremony: PROCLAMATION
Now that you BOB and MARY have openly
declared your wish to be united in marriage, and as you have
made these promises to each other before these witnesses, and
have given each other rings to confirm your vows;
I, John Souter, by the power and authority
given to me as a minister, according to the laws of the County
of Maui as well as the State of Hawaii, do now pronounce you
to be: Husband and wife! You may kiss your bride.
Call Toll FREE Maui Weddings at
1-800-856-3270
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Maui Me
(R),
Inc.
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120 Peahi Road, Haiku, Maui, HI 96708
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USA Toll Free Number: 1-800-856-3270
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Toll Free from Canada: 1-800-920-0611
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Local Maui Number:1-808-575-2002
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Fax Number: 1-808-575-9744
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