Combined Segments – Option Six
Welcome to this beautiful place where you’ve come to celebrate this very meaningful time of your life. I am honored to officiate this day, and I invite you to focus carefully and thoughtfully on the words to follow.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the natural beauty around us, to listen to the surf, to feel the warmth of the sun and to see the incredible colors of the earth, sea and sky.
Let us breathe in this beauty, let us fill our hearts with this majestic place and the spirit of love that surrounds us…so we may appreciate the love we are here to celebrate.
Nature has always inspired a feeling of connection to something larger than ourselves. There is a pattern, a purpose, cycles of ebb and flow and parallels to our own growth.
The wisdom of the ancient Hawaiians offers a unique word for marriage – Ho’ao. The meanings of this word are:
To experience a partnership, to take care of, and to teach, and to illuminate and bring the light of spiritual insight to all problems and challenges. May your marriage in the spirit of “Ho’ao” continually reflect the light of truth, honor, respect, and unconditional love.
Within the circle of love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, lover, confidant, teacher, listener, and encourager. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. It is intended for the mutual happiness of the couple and creates a stable environment for new life, new hopes and new dreams to emerge. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, and commitment is stronger. Marriage symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives — yet a sharing that does not diminish, but rather enhances the uniqueness of each partner.
As large and enduring as love is, it is also fragile, and can’t be treated recklessly, but gently and tenderly, in order to be everlasting.
True love is selfless, faithful…accepting and forgiving. This is not always an easy task and often requires a great deal of courage.
Through marriage, each partner is made stronger by the encouragement and enthusiasm of the other, to achieve their life goals and aspirations. It is a special relationship, chosen by two individuals, that creates a natural and comfortable “us” where each can rely on the other, and support each other through life’s challenges and triumphs.
You each have various strengths, talents and priorities for your energies. Embrace those qualities in each other that may not be your own strong points, accept help when you need it, and offer it freely when needed by your partner.
Throughout your marriage, there will be peaks and valleys, rain and sunshine, storms and calm. Your path may sometimes be clouded with uncertainty. But keep in constant communication with each other, so that neither gets too far off the course of your togetherness, your mutual passions, dreams and ideals of contentment.