We're honored that you are considering the Church of the Green Wood to officiate your ceremony. Please browse the following vows and links for ideas while planning your ritual. There's quite a bit more to planning a wedding ceremony it than just picking readings. This page and the other ceremonies on this website are shared as a resoure for couples to create ceremonies as unique and wonderful as they themselves are! I hope you enjoy what we have so far and we look forward to bringing you more!

If you look on the the "Weddings What to Say and How" and "Including your Children" pages you will find more ideas and links to sample ceremonies. This page that you're on now is a work in progress. We are here to help you create a ritual that will express your intentions and share the love in your hearts with your dear friends and family. Congratulations! Please email rev@churchofthegreenwood.org for more information or to schedule your ceremony.

Some things to think about are...
What kind of tone do you want to set?
Formal? Semi-Formal? Conversational? Friendly? Participatory?
Which and how much religion, if any, do you want?
How much speaking do you want to do?
How much actual writing do you want to do?
Would you rather describe what your heart would say and then have your celebrant write it for you?
Is there something important in your life that you want included?
And the big one....
What do you need to promise to one another to live a long and happy life together?
This is a very personal thing. The traditional vows are extremely powerful to some couples and totally redundant to others. Your marriage - your choice!
As we write new and interesting things with our couples,
this is the place that we shall share them with you!

What, we may ask, is an authentic marriage? It is a mystery in which two bodies become one flesh; it is not a negotiation in which two bank accounts merge into one.
Joseph Campbell, Thou Art That: Transforming Religious Metaphor

~ Sample Ceremonies ~

Maguy and Rizkallah
December 13th, 2003
Preamble
“ Good afternoon and welcome! As we will be beginning shortly I would ask that those of you with telecommunications devices, Cell phones, beepers and such, if you will please turn them off or switch them to vibrate at this time.
The Bride and Groom enter together
as they shall be from this day forward

Opening Prayer
“ Almighty and Infinite God,
Whose presence is the happiness of every condition
and sanctifies every relationship,
bless us today in the uniting of these two souls.
Give them a larger understanding as befits their new estate;
grant unto them Thy grace,
so that they may enjoy the comforts and pleasures,
undergo courageously the cares, endure the trials
and faithfully perform the duties
of the new life they are undertaking together.
Lift up their hearts and minds now,
that they may fully appreciate the power of this occasion
and the primary spiritual basis of their union.”
“ Amen.”

Welcoming of the Guests
“ Amid the hectic pace of today’s world it is easy lose site of the important things in life. This is not so for Maguy and Rizkallah, family and family life are very important to them. Although I’m sure that you are all very happy to be here with them, they wanted very much to express how deeply grateful they are to have you both here today and in their lives. All of you are those nearest and dearest to them. You all supply them with different aspects of that which they will need to accomplish their goal of living a long and happy life together. Those of you who have the wisdom of age, it is from you whom they can seek council in times of difficulty. In the children here, they see the embodiment of their hopes and dreams for the future. And the rest of you... You are like the personal record keepers of times and places and events in their lives. Without all of you and the sharing of these events our memories would lose the scents and colors and the flavor and emotion that keeps them vibrant and alive. Without all of you the past would fade to black and white over time, so please remember that your presence here is a vital part in this celebration."

“ In the brief conversations leading up to today, I must say that I was overjoyed to hear the way in which Maguy and Rizkallah spoke of one another and of their relationship. There was a kindness of disposition and a tone of admiration in their voices that led me to believe that they are already at a place in their lives that many couples aspire to. Maguy related how she feels that she already has a new family here. And Rizcalla spoke with sound resolution in his voice, that there was no doubt in his mind that Maguy was the one for him. They have been blessed to have known one another for the last 10 years and they share a common background and history. Yet marriage is a serious commitment, and even for those as blessed as themselves it will require work. Marriage is a promise that takes a lifetime to fulfill. There is not a choice that a couple makes somewhere among the years, whether their journey shall be one of obligation and duty, or one of fun and joy and excitement. For the perfect balance there is an aspect of all these things yet they are guided by love, mutual respect, and the deepest of desires for the happiness and well being of the one whom you each love most in the world. I was recently at a wedding where the father of the bride told the young couple that “Marriage is not a give and take relationship. It is a give and give relationship, for if both people give whole heartedly to each other and to the spirit of their marriage, there is never a reason to take, because all ones needs have already been met.” This seems to be a truth that Maguy and Rizkallah have already found and embrace.

Addressing the Couple
Today is the public affirmation and acknowledgment of all that you are to each other. Seemingly your relationship will be as it has always been, yet there is a power in the spoken word. May that power bring you all the warmth & closeness, security & comfort, joy & happiness that this world has to offer.”

Invocation
“ Heavenly Father,
Bless this couple who stand before us now.
As they commit their love
and their lives to one another in marriage,
so do they mirror your unconditional love.
Continue to be with them in their thoughts,
their words, and their deeds.
Bless their lives with health and happiness,
with peace and prosperity,
and with a love which continues to grow,
and endure, and inspire.
We give thanks for your blessings
which already grace their union
and look forward to all the rewards yet to come.”
“ Amen”

The Rings
“ May I have the rings please?”
“ You are about to present a ring to each other. The wedding ring, a complete circle, is the symbol of the completeness a husband and wife find in a marriage relationship. The ring has no beginning and no end, just as true love is never-ending. The ring also is made of precious metals, just as true love is a precious treasure. As you place the wedding ring on each other’s hand, may it not only remind you of the endless love you possess for one another, but may it also be a reminder of the precious gift God has given you to make you complete.”

Ring Vows
“ Rizkallah, in committing yourself to Maguy,
you must promise to continue to be sensitive to her needs
and to listen when she explains their nature.
You must promise to be there when she needs you
and to do everything in your power to insure
her security, happiness and peace of mind.
You must promise to share with her your joy of living
and be a loving companion.
Do you so promise?”
Rizkallah: “I do.”
“ Will you then place this ring upon your beloved’s finger and repeat after me please.....
“ I, Rizkallah, take you Maguy,
to be my lawful wedded wife,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
“ Maguy, in committing yourself to Rizkallah,
you must promise to continue to be sensitive to his needs and to listen when he explains their nature.
You must promise to be there when he needs you
and to do everything in your power to insure
his security, happiness and peace of mind.
You must promise to share with him your joy of living
and be a loving companion.
Do you so promise?”
Maguy: “I do.”
“ Will you then place this ring upon your beloved’s finger and repeat after me please.....
“ I, Maguy, take you Rizkallah,
to be my lawful wedded husband,
to have and to hold, from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and health, until death do us part.”
“ You are now as your hearts have always known:
Husband and Wife. You may kiss the Bride!”

Closing Prayer
“ May God bless and guard you.
May you have many joys,
and be the light of each other’s days.
May all that you are, always be in love;
And may all that is love, always be in you.
May you always see and encourage the best in each other.
May the challenges that life brings your way
make your marriage grow stronger.
May you always be each other’s best friend
and greatest love.
And may you forever recognize the light of God‘s love
in every soulful moment that you share.”
?Presentation of the Bride and Groom
“ Ladies and gentlemen may I present
Mr. and Mrs. Rizkallah and Maguy Kassir!”
Bride and Groom kiss again are greeted by their guests!

Sybrina and Michael
They were the first couple to book the Historical Chapel, even though they first saw it while the restoration was still in progress! Their ceremony blended an African Presentation of the Gifts with an offering of Celtic Cakes and Ale.

Jessie & Paul
November 9th 2003
Moment of Reflection
“ It is Jessie and Paul’s wish that before we get started today you all join with them in a moment of reflection.
You may begin, by closing your eyes, and allowing yourself to feel all the love and joy that radiates from each of you, and fills this place. Immerse yourself in it. Let it penetrate, down to the core of your being, and fill your heart. Know that this feeling is not ours alone. It extends itself to all those who have gone before, and all those yet to come. For the veil does not sever the ties that bind, and the greatest bond of all is that of love. Remember now, the loved ones, who could not be with us today. See them in your minds eye, sitting among us in their rightful places, beaming with pride, rejoicing for that which Jessie and Paul have found in each other and sharing in the love and joy that is this day. Secure in the knowledge that they are all loved and remembered.”
Bride and Groom step forward and light the memory candles
then return to place

Love Letters
“ Today is a celebration of the most intimate of human experiences, the sacred space created when there is a union of souls has both a sublime quality and a part that speaks to the very core of the human experience. Jessie and Paul share a common bond with every human who has ever felt the presence of their beloved within their own spirit. They also share a moment in time with all of those who in the real tangible, physical, day to day world, have found the one person they could share it all with. The joys and the sorrows, the triumphs and the tragedies, the large and the small are all theirs together. Not only are we here for the celebration of the joining of these two wonderful people, but to get a glimpse of what this truly means from their perspective. To this end they have written to one another. I invite you now to share with them as they reveal their innermost selves both to each other and to all of you.”
Paul’s Letter to Jessie
" I have a history of running and hiding from emotions, especially from loved ones. When we met I was broken and in mourning. You helped me to heal, by offering me not only the shelter of your love but a family as well. Something I was scaired to death of losing again. I am now ready to vow by what I hold sacred, that my time of running  is past. I will be open and sharing ... not only with the happiness... But also with the pain and doubts and fears that come to all humans. I will honour and respect you as my wife, knowing that what touches me, touches you and all that we love.  I will promise you, that I will be there for you in any way that I can; I will listen when you need to talk, I will try to find the words when you need to listen. I will try to make your troubles lighter where I can, and offer what comfort and strength my presence and understanding can bring. I swear my love and devotion to you and to our family. And I thank you for bringing the sun and the light back to my days. The days I will gladly spend with you till they are no more."
Jessie’s Letter to Paul
" I want to look behind the mirror of your eyes and see the secret world,
the world that your words disguise, the birth place of your sighs. I want to know the pain of all your silent fears, and when you speak of them, the ones that no one hears, I want to taste your tears. I want to know you. I really want to know you. I want to share the dreams you've never shared before. To stand inside your soul, to unlock every door, and darling, even more.
My amazing man, there are things that I can't give you or bring to this relationship. I can't even give you my heart whole and for you alone, for Jeremy and Sally live there always. But the fact that you overlook the things in life that I struggle with and that you love my children as your own means more to me than all the gold or jewels there are in any royal treasure. And treasure you is what I shall do for the rest of my days."

Community Blessing Of The Rings
“ It is important for events such as these to be witnessed and shared with the community of friends and family, that you all represent. For it is only in such a sharing, with those we love, that the joy in our hearts can be amplified. And only with your blessings may we all truly flourish as a community. This is why, as we bless their wedding bands, Jessie and Paul now ask for your blessing upon their union. So please bring to mind all that you would wish for Jessie and Paul, for their future, for their happiness, and let your spirits rejoice, and remembering that in all that love and emotion that pours forth from each of you are the hopes and dreams, best wishes and blessings that are the true gifts that your hearts have come to bestow upon this couple today.
Sandra and Greg will you now hold out the rings entrusted to you by Jessie and Paul?  Let your hands beneath ever serve as a symbol of how Jessie and Paul and their marriage are supported upon the earth by the love of their friends and family as blessed from above.”
Sandra and Greg hold out the wedding bands in the palm of their hands
“ Divine Spirit, guardian of all that is seen and unseen,
Bless these rings and this couple who shall wear them.
Keep them safe through adversity forever supported
by your eternal blessing”
Celebrant takes rings
“ The Circle is a perfect figure, without beginning, without end, with no area of weakness. It is a symbol of the Cycle of Life, of birth, death, and rebirth. These rings shall serve as a physical reminder of your vow, and that all things begin and end and begin again, as is the nature of life itself. These rings will remind you that life goes on, that moments pass, yet your love is constant. When you are engulfed in anger or in sadness, look to your hand, and remember that the Wheel turns forever onward, and that it is love that turns the Wheel.”

Ring Vows
“ Paul, will you now place this ring upon your beloved’s finger and give voice to that which is in your heart?”
" All that I am, All that I do.
All that I shall dream shall be ours together.
I take you as my wife, my friend, my lover
From this day forth."
“ Jessie, will you now place this ring upon your beloved’s finger and give voice to that which is in your heart?”
" The I Ching Says:
When two people are at one
in their inmost hearts,
they shatter even the strength of iron or bronze.
And when two people understand each other
in their inmost hearts,
their words are sweet and strong,
like a sweet fragrance upon the wind.
This is what I offer to create with you
As I take you to be my husband."
The Day of Your Wedding
" Janice will you now come and deliver the closing reading?"
Janice steps forward
“ Together you share the joy
of a deep commitment and the sacred trust.
You have given each other the most precious gift of love.
Treasure it, nurture it, and encourage it
with all the honesty you used in creating it.
You are sharing something rare and beautiful.
Always speak the truth, and listed attentively,
so that you may understand each other’s thoughts
and intentions.
Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments.
Say ‘I love you’ often to retain the warmth between you.
Remember to laugh a lot, even when you’re angry
After all,  you’re each other’s best friend.
Stand together and for each other always:
Be content in mind and spirit.
Make each day a blessing
and a fulfillment of your dreams.”
Presentation of the Bride and Groom
“ Ladies and gentlemen may I present Mr. and Mrs. Paul and Jessie Calloway!”
Bride and Groom kiss again and exit to greet their guests!

Charlotte and Guy
Theirs was a Full Formal Wedding at Leonards of Great Neck.
They are now the proud parents of a beautiful Baby boy!

Words on Marriage
“ Marriage is a joining of souls that when embarked upon whole heartedly is the union of all that is divine within two people, the marriage of the God and Goddess within. As the Yin and the Yang share the circle of life, each with a drop of the other residing deep within, so shall you become this day. There is a concept in the Eastern Church of divine union with God during communion. When the host is taken there is for a brief and sublime moment in which there is no separation from the whole. There is an Indian greeting that takes this a step farther and includes another. The word is Namaste’. Among it’s many meanings is “All that is divine within me recognizes and honors all that is divine within you.” and another I will quote from here:
“ This simple word
uttered with a gesture of folded hands
is among the finest salutations,
mankind has ever been able to vocalize.
It simply means:
‘ I honor the place in you
In which the entire Universe dwells
That place of Love and Light
And of Truth and of Peace
When you are in that place in you
And I am in that place in me
We are One.’
It reminded me very much of this sacred union of human souls, both to each other and to the divine, that is marriage.
The Druids had a name that they called the sacred place created during a ceremony of union. It was called a “nemeton“. It was the sacred space in which the essence of two people could overlap and become one. It was the place where souls touch. Marriage is the name we give to this sacred place, the same space the ancient ones spoke of so long ago, The same place people the world over have known and revered and aspired to throughout time, the sacred space in which two become one. It is a state of being carried in the hearts of those who truly Love. May you find and keep close to your heart this place. May it comfort and hold you all the days of your journey.

Kathy and Mike
They chose to tie the knot in their new home
in front of their new fireplace!

This next one is not my writing, it was put together from one of the best resources for ceremony writing that I have seen. These bits and pieces are just a fraction of what you'll find on the website of an Ohio minister called The Marryin' Man

Opening Reading
" Marriage is dedication. You give yourself, your life and love, into the hands of the one you love. You do so trustingly and generously. By the same token, each of you receives a gift -- the life and love of the other. You receive this gift not only from the one you love, but also from the parents who brought you into the world and reared you and from the personal world of friends and family who are joined in friendship and faith in your marriage.
Mark Twain once said that "a marriage makes two fractional lives a whole. It gives to two questioning natures a reason for living. It brings a new gladness to the sunshine, and a new fragrance to the flowers, and new beauty to the earth, a new mystery to life."

The Vows & Ring Exchange
" You have come here today to enter into the rest of your lives not as two but as one. Words as creations of the material world are inherently flawed and inadequate for a time as awe inspiring as this, yet they are all we have. So I will you now to try to give voice to that which your heart would promise to your beloved."
Groom: "Because you have brought so much joy into my life and taught me the healing power of love, have shown me how to trust and feel and give the best that is in me freely and fearlessly, I pledge to you my unswerving devotion and the love which will be yours for as long as I live."
Bride: I bring with me all of my yesterdays, but also the promise of all of my tomorrows. Let me touch your life with mine but let me not stand in your shadow. Let me blend all that is me with all that is you so that we can bring new growth to one another. I promise in the midst of our families and friends that I will love and cherish you and will be faithful to you alone as long as I live."
Groom: "The vows we've made are invisible; the love we feel is invisible, too."
Bride: "Our marriage is a joining of two spirits, a merging of our innermost souls."
Groom: "(Name) and I desire to have a visible, material sign of these inward and spiritual ties. We've chosen rings as the symbols we wish to wear."
Bride: "When we give and receive these rings, we signify the giving and receiving of love."
(They exchange rings.)
Groom: "Each day, as I wear this ring, I will renew the vows I've made."
Bride: "Each day, as I wear this ring, I will renew the vows I've made."

Ceremony of the Wine Cup
The years of our lives are as a cup of wine poured out for us to drink. The cup of life contains within it the sweet wine of happiness, joy, hope, and delight. This same cup, at times, holds the bitter wine of sorrow, grief, and despair. Those who drink deeply of life invite the full range of experiences into their being. As you drink from this cup, you acknowledge to one another that your lives, until this moment separate, have become one vessel into which all your sorrows and joys, all your hopes and fears, will be poured, and from which you will receive mutual sustenance. Many days you will sit at the same table and eat and drink together. Drink now, and may the cup of your lives be full to running over.

Closing & Pronouncement
The vows you have taken, pledging love, mean far more than mere words ever can. May their gentle spirit move in you. May your years fulfill the beauty of the feelings expressed today. And may you always put these vows above the things that make life smaller. And now, by power of the authority vested in me and having heard you make these pledges of affection, I pronounce you husband and wife. Congratulations, you may now share your first kiss as Husband and Wife!
Bride and Groom Kiss and exit to greet guests

Jennifer and William
Declaration of Intent
" A wedding is more than a celebration of the Love which lives in our Bride and Groom's hearts today. It reaches into the future and proclaims their intentions for that which tomorrow shall hold. A couple who wed are joined not only by the mutual affection and love they share, but also by their hopes, dreams and by their promises of what will be... the promises and vows that shall guide them into their common future."
" I ask you now if you are prepared to make these promises."
" William, Have you come here today of your own free will to take Jennifer to be your wife, that you may live together as equal partners sharing all that life has to offer?
William: "I have."
Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her all the days of your journey?"
William: "I will."
" Jennifer, Have you come here today of your own free will to take William to be your husband, that you may live together as equal partners sharing all that life has to offer?
Jennifer: "I have."
" Will you love him comfort him, honor and keep him all the days of your journey?"
Jennifer: "I will."
Jennifer and William
" As we enter the season of the harvest, I can’t think a more appropriate time that you could have chosen for your wedding day. For in the same way that the harvest is the time in which we remember to take back for ourselves, it is the perfect time in which to acknowledge that of all the wondrous blessings poured forth upon the earth, you have chosen to take unto your selves eachother above all else......
Plato once said that "Love is one soul inhabiting two bodies." It is among the greatest wonders of life, when two souls recognize the light each within the other and join together as one. It is a quest that shall last a lifetime. Remembering always that the key to the longevity of the heart lies in the friendship of the soul, shall not only guide you to this goal but ensure a bond which will endure the test of time and eternity.
Today is the day that you will look into eachothers eyes and give voice to that which is in your hearts. It is the day you will finally be able to call each other husband and wife. Seemingly your relationship will be as it has always been, yet there is a power in the spoken word. May that power bring you all the warmth & closeness, security & comfort, joy & happiness that this world has to offer."

The Rings
" May I have the rings please?"
" There are no words to accurately describe the depth of the bond of marriage. There are no words to accurately describe the depths of love shared by two who would be wed. For all of our reference points lie here in the material world while love transcends all that we know. The spiritual bond and connection shared by this couple and those who have gone before them can only be understood as a metaphor. This is why the wedding band, symbol of eternity, with no end and no beginning, has withstood the test of time.

The Ring Vows
" William, will you place this ring on the finger of your beautiful Bride, and give voice to that which is in your heart?"
" Today I take you, to be my wife.
I promise to support you, and comfort you,
To empower and encourage you, all the days of our lives.
In times of celebration and in times of sadness,
I pledge to you, that as this ring encircles your finger,
So shall my love forever encircle you.
In times of sickness and in times of health,
Whenever you look at this ring, know that I am with you,
And that I love you always."

" Jennifer, will you now do the same for William so that from this day forth you may call husband?"
" Today I take you to be my husband.
I promise to support you, and comfort you,
To empower and encourage you, all the days of our lives.
In times of celebration and in times of sadness,
I pledge to you, that as this ring encircles your finger,
So shall my love forever encircle you.
In times of sickness and in times of health,
Whenever you look at this ring, know that I am with you,
And that I love you always."

The Wedding Vows
" Although our Bride and Groom wrote these vows themselves, they have chosen the "I do." style of question and response."
" William, do you vow ever to treat Jennifer as you would be treated, remembering  that should you anger or hurt one another that it was never your intent?"
Groom: "I do."
" Jennifer, Do you vow that you shall ever feel William's joys and sorrows as your own, and share yours with him, remembering always that all in your life is maintained by your love?"
Bride: "I do."
" William, Do you vow that firm and constant shall be your love and support of Jennifer as you grow and change through time?"
Groom: "I do."
" Jennifer, Do you vow that abundant shall be your love of William, ever searching for new ways for you to grow, both together, and as individuals, so that you both may flourish?"
Bride: "I do."
" William, Do you vow that no matter how difficult at times, you will always speak to Jennifer of your heart, and listen to her with your heart?"
Groom: "I do."
" Jennifer, Do you vow that no matter how difficult at times, you shall never allow words, or the lack of them, to to cause a silence to dwell between you and William that your love cannot bridge?"
Bride: "I do."
" William, Do you vow to ever share with Jennifer all that sparks the passions of your soul, that you may together enjoy all that makes life worth living?"
Groom: "I Do."
" Jennifer, Do you vow to ever nurture the sacred flame which burns within each of you only for the other?"
Bride: "I do."
" You are now as your hearts have always known:
Husband and Wife. You may kiss the Bride!"