Wedding Blog: The Big Day (Part 5) - Ceremony

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Rabbi Messing:
[On behalf of Chris and Mikaela, we welcome their families and friends to the joyous occasion of their marriage. As all of you can see, we are standing beneath the chuppah. This wedding canopy symbolizes the home which Chris and Mikaela will create in order to sustain the love, warmth and traditions which are so precious to them and which their two faiths sustain. You will observe that the chuppah is open on all sides. It means that this beautiful couple's home will be open to all who choose to come to them for safety and shelter; it symbolizes their hospitality and their love for all humanity.]
As Chris and Mikaela contribute their link to the ancient marital chain through this ceremony, they requested that we all take a moment to honor and remember those they love who are no longer physically here with us, yet whose spirit is still present and adds greater meaning to this joyous occasion.

Rabbi Messing:
Our God and God of our fathers and mothers, bestow Your blessings upon Chris and Mikaela as they unite their lives. Cause them to thrive in their life together. Teach them to share life's joys and trials and to grow in understanding and devotion. May love and companionship abide within their home. May they grow together in health and contentment, ever grateful to You for the union of their lives. They come into Your presence with precious gifts: their youth, their love, their hopes and dreams, their faith in each other and their trust in You. As they consecrate these gifts to Your service, we pray that they may find life's deepest meaning and richest happiness. Bind their lives together, O God, in sanctity and in devotion. Teach them to ennoble life as they share their love together. O God supremely blessed, supreme in might and glory, guide and bless this bridegroom and this bride.

Rabbi Messing:
From the book, The Prophet, On Marriage— by Khalil Gibran
And what of marriage? You were born together,
And together you shall be forever more.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days. Ay, you shall be together
Even in the silent memory of god.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness.
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, But make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between
The shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup, but drink not exclusively from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
But let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone
Though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping,
For only the hand of life can contain your hearts.
And stand together—yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress
Grow not in each other's shadow.

Rabbi's Remarks

To the groom
Do you, Chris, take Mikaela to be your wife, to love her with all your heart, with loyalty and passion, understanding and compassion; to be at her side in sorrow and in joy; to bring out the best in her always, and for her to be the best that you can? And do you promise this, Chris, for all the days of your life; and, if God wills, do you vow your love eternal?

To the bride
Do you, Mikaela, take Chris to be your husband, to love him with all your heart, with loyalty and passion, understanding and compassion; to be at his side in sorrow and in joy; to bring out the best in him always, and for him to be the best that you can? And do you promise this, Mikaela, for all the days of your life; and, if God wills, do you vow your love eternal?

Rabbi Messing:
In keeping with the declaration you have made, you give and you receive these rings. They are a token of your union, a symbol of enduring loyalty. May they ever remind you that your lives are bound together by devotion and faithfulness.

To the groom
As you, Chris, place this ring upon the finger of your bride, speak to her these words:
With this ring, be consecrated unto me, as my wife, in joy and in love.

To the bride
And as you, Mikaela, place this ring upon your bridegroom's finger, say to him these words:
With this ring, be consecrated unto me, as my husband, in joy and in love.

We praise You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who hallows us with commandments and consecrates this marriage. We praise You Lord, who sanctifies us through the sacred rite of marriage.

THE SEVEN TRADITIONAL BLESSINGS
And now, we recite the seven wedding blessings, praying that God will grant you fulfillment and joy.
We praise You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has created all things for Your glory.
We praise You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of man and woman.
We praise You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who has fashioned us in Your own image and has established marriage for the fulfillment and perpetuation of life in accordance with Your holy purpose.
We praise You, O Lord, Creator of man and woman.
We praise You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, source of all gladness and joy. Through Your grace we attain affection, companionship, and peace. Grant that the love that unites this bridegroom and bride may gladden their souls. May their family life be ennobled through their devotion to their faiths. May there be peace in their home, quietness and confidence in their hearts. May they be sustained by Your comforting presence in the midst of their people, and by the promise of salvation for all humanity.
We praise You, O Lord our God, who unites bridegroom and bride in holy joy.

The Sharing of the Wine
As you share this cup of wine, you undertake to share all that the future may bring. May whatever bitterness it contains be less bitter because you share it together. May all the sweetness that it holds for you be the sweeter because you taste it together.

HEBREW BLESSING OVER THE WINE
We praise You, O Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.
The wine is offered to the groom and bride

Rabbi Messing
In the presence of this company as witness, you have spoken the words and performed the rites that unite your lives. I therefore pronounce you, Chris and Mikaela, husband and wife, married in keeping with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and according to our mutual, shared traditions.

APACHE WEDDING BLESSING
Now you will feel no rain
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there are three lives before you:
His life, her life, and your life together.
Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.
May happiness be your companion to the place where the river meets the sun,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.


The Threefold Benediction
HEBREW
May God bless you and keep you.
HEBREW
May God's presence shine upon you and be gracious to you.
HEBREW
May God's presence be with you and give you peace.

Glass is broken

Bride and groom kiss

Recessional