Secular Celtic Wedding Ceremony

Processional

Opening Words

Welcome! We are gathered here to join in marriage Bride's Full Name and Groom's Full Name.

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, and may peace be with you always.

Expression of Intent

{Now, Groom & Bride will make public their intention to marry.}

Groom, do you here in the presence of these witnesses declare your commitment to Bride and choose her as the one with whom you wish to spend your life? Do you give yourself to her and accept the gift of self which she gives to you? Do you pledge to endure all of the difficulties which life may offer, even as you look forward to sharing the joys to be experienced together?

Groom: I do!

Bride, do you here in the presence of these witnesses declare your commitment to Groom and choose him as the one with whom you wish to spend your life? Do you give yourself to him and accept the gift of self which he gives to you? Do you pledge to endure all of the difficulties which life may offer, even as you look forward to sharing the joys to be experienced together?

Bride: I do!

Reading

On this joyous day, we celebrate the Celtic spirit of Anam Cara. Anam Cara is translated from the Gaelic as "soul friend." By entering into a partnership with you're Anam Cara, you are joined in an ancient and eternal way with this person whom you cherish. In everyone's life there is a soul mate whose love embraces us. We recognize today the soul mate that Groom and Bride have found in each other. They will now recite their wedding vows in this spirit.

Vows

Groom, please repeat after me...

I, Groom, take thee Bride to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us depart.

Bride, please repeat after me...

I, Bride, take thee Groom to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us depart.

Blessing of the Rings

A circle is the symbol of the sun, the earth, and the universe. It is a symbol of wholeness and of perfection and of peace. In these rings it is the symbol of unity, in which your lives are now joined in one unbroken circle, in which, wherever you go, you will always return to one another and to your togetherness.

Exchange Of The Rings

{And now, Groom & Bride will exchange their wedding rings}

Groom, please repeat after me...

Just as this circle is without end, my love for you has no end. Just as the ring endures, my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

Bride, please repeat after me...

Handbinding Ritual

{Now, we are going to perform a ritual called a Handbinding. In ancient Celtic culture, couples announced their marriage through what is called a Handbinding. When a couple joins hands and takes on a new life together, their destinies are tied into one future. This tradition includes a cord to symbolize that as husband and wife, Groom and Bride will be bound together as one family.}

[Celebrant holds Ribbon up so Guests can see it]

Groom and Bride have chosen to unite their hands and hearts into one life.

[Celebrant ties Hands in a Bow with Ribbon]

Notice that each person is still an individual but now they are working together.

Groom and Bride, as your hands are bound together now, so your lives are joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars your love should be a constant source of light, and the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.

[Celebrant Unties Hands]

Pronouncement of Marriage

{At this time we come to the Pronouncement of Marriage. The Pronouncement is my public, and legal, proclamation that Bride and Groom are married. It is the exact moment of Marriage...}

Groom and Bride, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by your vows, the joining of your hands, and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be husband and wife.

Permission to Kiss

You may kiss the bride!

Good Wishes

May the road rise to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields.

May green be the grass you walk on,

May blue be the skies above you,

May pure be the joys that surround you,

May true be the hearts that love you.

May you see your children's children.