Wedding ceremony finished
Hello again!

I just wanted to thank everyone for the help offered on here, in my efforts to write a wedding ceremony for my friend who is a Heathen. In case anyone is interested, or just curious, I thought I'd share the ceremony with you. If you're so inclined, any comments or questions that you may have on it are also welcome!

The Wedding Ceremony
(Priestess blesses both bride and groom before the ceremony. Cleansing and consecration of space and self will most likely be during "setup" before the "ceremony" begins. No one has to know if I mentally sweep the area, and do no more "mysterious" preparations for the ceremony than a priest would.)

Processional
* Seating of the Parents
The processional music begins with the seating of the honored guests:
o Seating of the Groom's grandmother
o Seating of the Groom's mother
o Seating of the Bride's grandmother

* Bridal Processional Begins
o Minister and Groom enter usually from stage right, but in our case, Priestess will already be at the altar.
o Bridesmaids enter, usually down the center aisle, one at a time. Groomsmen are escorting the Bridesmaids.
o Maid or Matron of Honor enters. If she is being escorted by the Best Man, they enter together.
o Flower Girl and Ring Bearer enter.

* Wedding March Begins
The Bride and her father enter. Typically the Bride's mother will stand as a signal for all of the guests to stand. Sometimes the Minister will announce, "All rise for the Bride." (only if needed)


Opening Remarks - "The Call to Worship" (summons)
We gather today to witness, celebrate, and honor the blending of two lives and families into one. Let all of us be here of our own free will, with open hearts and joyous spirits.


The Opening Prayer (invocations)
Here we stand, upon the Mother Earth, lifting our hearts to the Gods above. We come to celebrate a love as boundless the windswept sky, as warm as the summer sun, as deep as the vast ocean, and as strong as the towering mountains, that hold firm against the tides of life. Let the Gods and the Ancestors smile upon this love, as it joins together these two people and their families.

Presentation of the Bride
Who presents this woman tonight, who chooses to be joined with this man? (Opa says "Her family and I do.", or some such)

Congregation is Seated

The Charges
As in ancient times, we honor Thor, the Great Advocate of the people, and thank him for his presence in these procedings. We also thank the people who have come to witness this rite. Does anyone here know of any reason that these two should not be joined in marriage? (Presumably, no one will.) Then we all can lend our support to them, in their new life together.

We also honor Tyr, the Lord of Honor and Sacrifice. He reminds us that while marriage is a joyous occaison, it also a serious change in our lives.
Are you prepared to make the solumn committment to honor and support each other in all things, and to uphold each other in difficult times? Are you ready to celebrate the joys of your lives together, and to protect each other from the perils of our world?
(couple says, "I am.")

Are you prepared to sacrifice involvement with others, keeping yourselves only to each other? Are you also prepared to sacrifice your lives as only individuals and make way for the beginning of your life as one?
(couple says, "I am.")

The Pledge
Then we shall next honor Frigga, Lady of joy, love and marriage. She and her handmaidens, Sjofn and Lofn, have nurtured this love, from a tiny seed, and we hope they are pleased to see how it has grown and blossmed. As in ancient times, the bride presents the groom with a sword, to protect and sanctify their home, and the groom presents the bride with the keys to his home, trusting her to help him make wise decisions for the good of their entire household.

(Priestess takes the sword from the altar, presents it to the bride, and says:)
Tanya, Sjofn has ignited the spark between you and John, so powerful a love that you both felt the need to pursue it, despite any difficulties. Do you now acknowledge her blessing and accept this man to be your husband?
(Bride says, "I do." Priestess hands the sword to the bride, and the bride says:)
John, I present this blade to you, a symbol of our committment to protect our home, to make it a place of security and peace.
(Groom takes the sword from the bride. He either sheaths it or puts it back on the altar.)

(Priestess takes the keys from the altar, presents them to the groom and says:)
John, Lofn has blessed your relationship with Tanya, indeed. It was not an easy road that the two of you had to walk, to come together, and be able to stay that way. Do you now honor her effort and take this woman to be your wife?
(Groom says, "I do." Priestess hands the keys to the groom, and the groom says:)
Tanya, I present these keys to you, a symbol of our committment to make our home a place of beauty, love, and prosperity.
(Bride either takes the keys from the groom and puts them back on the altar, or groom puts them on her wrist, as a bracelet.)


Wedding Vows
(Priestess says:)
And now, Tanya and John shall recite their vows of love to each other in their own words.
(Bride, then groom, say their vows, then turn back to the priestess)


The Bindrune
(Priestess makes the sign of the bindrune over the couple and speaks it aloud:)
tiwaz jera berkana
(Bride repeats:)
tiwaz jera berkana
(Groom repeats:)
tiwaz jera berkana
(Priestess says:)
Thus are you bound, one to the other.


Exchanging of the Rings
Tanya and John have chosen to symbolize their marriage with a small token of esteem for each other. May I please have the rings? (Priestess retrieves the rings from ring bearer, best man, or whoever is carrying them, then continues:)
The ring is often used as a symbol of marriage because of its shape. It is unending, unbroken, like the love it represents. It is also the rune Othala, which is the rune used to sanctify oaths, such as the oath these two make today.

(Priestess gives the bride's ring to the groom and says:) John, present your token and repeat after me (which the groom does, line by line):
I present this ring
as a daily reminder
of the oath I make tonight,
and my devotion to you
for the rest of our lives.

(Repeat with the bride.)


The Blot
Let us now prepare the blot, a sacred toast to celebrate the marriage.

(Bride and Groom pick up their cups from the altar. Priestess picks up the center cup and says:)
This is the cup of Frigga, sacred Lady of love. But there can be no enduring love, without two people working together to fill it. Both must add their own spirit, time, and effort to keep love alive. (Bride and groom empty their own cups into the center, which the priestess is holding. Priestess raises the goblet she holds, while the couple set down their goblets.)
May the Gods taste of this union of spirits and be pleased. (Priestess pours some into an offering bowl.)
May the Ancestors look fondly upon this union of kin. (Priestess pours offering again. Priestess drinks a sip, hands it to the bride, who gives the groom a sip, then hands it to the groom, who gives the bride a sip, then hands it back to the priestess, who puts it back on the altar. While they are sipping, priestess says:)
Ye who drink from this cup shall never thirst and your lives will never be empty, for your spirits will be quenched by this love that you share.

(Priestess places the cup back on the altar and picks up the plate of bread with the hammer on it.)
This plate of bread bears the Hammer of Thor, who, as told in ancient legends, sanctifies the vows of men and of women. May he, and all the Gods be pleased to receive this offering, and bless the couple with prosperity. (Priestess places a bit of bread in the offering bowl.)
May the Ancestors be pleased with this offering, and bless the couple with health. (Priestess places another bit of bread in the offering bowl. Priestess takes a bite, then hands the plate to the groom, who holds the plate at chest level. He feeds a piece to the bride, then hands the plate to her. Bride holds the plate at womb level, and feeds a piece of bread to the groom. She then hands the plate back to the priestess, who puts it back on the altar. While they are exchanging bites, priestess says:)
Ye who eat from this plate are joining both households and lives. Your home will never lack for comfort and joy, for your love will sustain each other.


The Closing Prayer and Pronouncement (thanking, releasing)
In the name of the Gods, the kith and kin that stand with us, our ancestors who have gone before, and the family that has not yet set foot upon this earth, I bless you both, and the life that you shall now live together. We thank Frigga for her blessings of love, Tyr, for giving you both strength in adversity, and Thor, for overseeing this ceremony.
May your love have the strength of the earth beneath your feet. May your sorrows be carried away by the tides of life. May you always be able to see the flame of desire for each other in your eyes. And may the winds carry your combined laughter throughout the ages.
Before your kith and kin, before the Gods and the Ancestors, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

John, you may kiss your bride!

It is my privilege to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. John and Tanja Berengue!


Recessional
The wedding party exits the platform, typically in the following order:
o Bride and Groom
o Maid or Matron of Honor and Best Man
o Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
o Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
o The Ushers return for the honored guests who are escorted out in reverse order of their entrance.
o Ushers may then dismiss the remaining guests, either all at once, or one row at a time.
The wedding party normally lines up for the receiving line after this.
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Thanks again!