Excerpts from Hannah’s book, THE WEDDING JOURNEY
- 17, Jan 2013
- By: Hannah Desmond
- No Comments
- General, Wedding Resources
Excerpt from THE WEDDING JOURNEY
, A Guide to Your Ceremony, Personal Vows and Joyful Marriage
Part 1, The Components of the Ceremony
Page 3
Your wedding is the foundation of your marriage. The most important component of the ceremony is the exchange of your marriage vows. The second most important part is the decree of marriage by the celebrant, making the sacred union legal. The rest of the ceremony provides an opportunity for the creative expression of your love for one another, the statement of your intentions for your life together, gratitude to family and friends, spiritual blessings, poetry, music and cultural traditions.
YOUR WEDDING DAY, YOUR WAY
Part 1, excerpts from page 12-13
…As the bride and groom begin to create their ceremony, the questions are: “What have you always dreamed your wedding ceremony would be like? What components do you want to include? Do you have a certain song, poem or cultural tradition you want to include? What words or sentiments have you dreamed of expressing to your beloved?” Incorporating your authentic selves and expressing your love in your own words, creates a ceremony that is powerful, deeply meaningful and memorable….
Traditional weddings are beautiful, but which traditions have meaning to you? Create your wedding filled with the people, words, songs and rituals that are meaningful to you. Each couple is unique and your ceremony should reflect your personalities and beliefs…
No matter what your budget, no matter where you are having your wedding, the key ingredient is loving relaxation. As the Beatles said, “Let it be.” Enjoy the event as it unfolds and embrace the day, savoring every minute. The minutes add up to memories you will enjoy and share with your children and grandchildren….
part 1, page 16,
A DEEPER LOOK: HEART CENTERED LIVING AND YOUR WEDDING VOWS
The exchange of vows is the heart of the wedding ceremony. The words you speak to one another on your wedding day are the expression of your deepest feelings. When you are speaking from your heart, your true voice is accessed. Your true voice carries creative potential which gives energy to your beliefs and the dreams and visions you intend to manifest in your married life…
…As we move into the new paradigm of thought in the 21st century the way we live and think is shifting to an awareness and responsibility for the thoughts and words we incorporate in the creation of our lives. This same awareness is an important factor in the ongoing co-creative work of marriage. Recognize the emotions that arise from your heart as you think different thoughts, use different words and give attention to the actions that follow.
THE UNITY RITUALS
part 3, page 85
The Planting Ritual
……A decorative shallow planter with some soil in it is placed on a table near the wedding site. Surrounding the planter are small plants which have been removed from their containers and placed on paper napkins surrounding the planter. A small trowel is placed next to each plant. Plants can be chosen for the traits they symbolize such as; sage for wisdom, rosemary for remembrance, thyme for steadfastness and fern for undying love. The bride and groom, their parents or any other friends or family they wish to include, gather around the table after the celebrants address or invocation. This is in the middle of the ceremony before the vows and ring exchange, or it can be added after the ring exchange. Each person places a plant in the planter takes the trowel puts the soil around it. As each person places a plant, they can choose to make a statement of support for the couple. The celebrant may state the attributes of each plant and explain briefly that the family is creating a unity planter which the bride and groom will nurture as it grows. Another option is to have a small tree to plant. The bride and groom participate in this ritual in which they plant a small tree in a container. The tree may already be planted and the bride and groom can water it together.