Wedding Unplugged?

Yep! And you won't find this sort of thing anywhere else!

We all just love weddings! There is no greater potential to experience and share in such powerful feelings of love. But many weddings get remembered for what went wrong-  remembered for the negatives rather than the positives.

Love often gets replaced by tension.

Our wedding ceremonies reflect respect for the power of love, human dignity, welfare, and a strong commitment to honor and integrity. The intimate and loving relationship of two human beings is the central feature of marriage, and it lies right at the heart of our beliefs.

What is "Wedding Unplugged" ?

"Wedding unplugged" is a very different  ceremony option; a ceremony absolutely loaded with love, peace, and genuine feelings that will knock your socks off! (And who needs socks on the beach anyway?) It's a very personal and visceral experience, sitting down together on a beach blanket instead of the traditional walking down the "isle": standing there while the crusty old beach minister "performs" your ceremony for you. Now this sort of departure from tradition might seem strange at first thought, but consider... for a small an intimate wedding, (and especially for an elopement), by sitting down on the beach on a blanket  and forming a circle, we can let go of the formality, the stiffness, and the obvious fact to all within view that a wedding ceremony is taking place! We can relax and be our true selves, relating to one another in a completely different context. The words will be quiet and peaceful, for quiet and peaceful is the language of love. We can  play some quiet music as a backdrop, or have the simple sounds of surf and sea birds as a backdrop. Your guests (if you have any) can sit in a circle around us. 

This will be an unstructured ceremony, and most likely very different than anything you've ever seen! It will be unscripted and informal, and we will talk about how you first met, what your lives were like then, how your proposal happened, and how the love of that special "other"  has changed your lives forever!

 You can write each other's names in the sand and then scoop them up for a sand ceremony. You can speak your hearts to each other, read your own prepared words, make them up on the fly, or use vows that I offer you. It will be relaxed, sweet and personal. It will be fun and human. And very spiritual...

I will open with a small reading that captures the essence of emotional honesty... relating this to the ocean of course, and asking you both some sweet and gentle questions... a quiet give and take that just might be the first time you and your beloved have ever expressed these feelings in quite this way! Below you'll find the general format that I will be using. All I ask is that the couple partaking in this ceremony be prepared to participate fully, letting your true feelings be known, letting go of pretense and immersing yourselves in a flow of love that is  "as unique as a seashell, as deep as the sea, as eternal as the waves, a love that's meant to be."

The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions, the more you become a lover of what is.
    Baruch Spinoza

Minister says:

"Marriage is a letting go, a plunge into the deep

No one need the currents fear, nor hesitate to leap  

~You may your spirits keep ~

More is gained by giving up and less by taking in

Remember that to dwell in joy,

You must make room within"

The Beginnings

What did you learn about love from your parents or family?

First Flutterings; Love’s Awakenings

When did you know you were first in love?

Who did you share the secret with? Special things about each other that sparked the attraction

Minister says:

"Close to your hearts is the time of beginning, for this was the time when all your dreams were born.

In your earliest youth, you recognized love, were drawn to it by its very nature, for care was and still is the very language of the soul."

Then came love; Two souls, one heart

Parallels in your lives; Shared truths and passions

Love’s Awakenings

Lessons learned through heartache shared

Minister says:

"It is important to your hearts to shed your armor, to remove your masks and to let the radiance of your inner self shine through. Only then do you discover the authenticity of yourself: Only then can your spirit dance freely enough to behold the depth of beauty that your eyes can rarely see; the true and special person seen only through the eyes of your beloved!"

The looking Glass

Who do you see now when you look in the mirror? How has that vision been changed by this relationship? 

A closer view

What do you like most about who you now are? What do you like least?

Private conversations

What are your questions, fears, and anxieties about entering this marriage? 

With Myself

The Partner I hope to be. What I need to let go of, and where I hope to grow 

Passion

Your first kiss, your first night together, your first morning after

Minister says:

"Blessed are you for this special person who has made such a difference in your life, and in your world.

You have opened each other’s hearts to feelings and visions that were beyond imagining. Be forever grateful for this friendship and gift of love. Your are each other’s true soul-mates, teachers, confidants, and best friends in the garden of life."

Laughter and Tears: life’s Tapestry

Special moments, one funny and one awkward

True friends

The things you have taught each other.

Answer the question: "What I learned about my self through your eyes?"

Minister says:

"And in that one instant, something inside of you knew. It wasn’t the tinkling of a bell, nor a bright flash of light, or even fireworks. It was love’s calm and wondrous moment of complete recognition. Your soul-mate had finally found its way home."

 Love’s dance

Answer the question: "How I feel when I look at you."

 Thankful to you

What I wish I could say If this was our last moment on earth together

(This can be a powerful experience! For the brave... let your feelings flow!) 

Life’s promises:

Your Vows to each other 

(couple speaks their own vows to each other. These are the words that will connect you to this other human being for all of your life's journey together!)

Ring Passages and Exchange  

The ring has come to symbolize marriage in our society. This is appropriate. For the ring is a perfect circle. In that it has no end, it symbolizes the eternal nature of this bonding. In that it is made of metal, it symbolizes the strength of the bond between -- and --.  And in that they are made of a precious material, it symbolizes the priceless nature of what this couple shares. 

I could write your name in the sand, but the waves would wash it away. I could write your name in the sky, but the wind would blow it away. So I wrote it in my heart, and that’s where it will stay.

With this ring I give you my heart, for I have no greater gift to give. (Groom places the ring on bride’s finger)

I could write your name in the sand, but the waves would wash it away. I could write your name in the sky, but the wind would blow it away. So I wrote it in my heart, and that’s where it will stay.

With this ring I’ll carry your heart……I’ll carry it in my heart!   (Bride places the ring on groom’s finger)

Sand Ceremony 

Closing

Minister says:

"The heart’s capacity for love could fill the entire space between heaven and earth, and the magnitude of it’s brilliance can only be measured by the stars in the sky. Now that you have found true love, may you share it with the world, and leave behind a sprinkling of stardust so that others may know and feel and believe in the miracle.. the legacy of your love! Love is the holding of memories that only the heart can see. May your lives be filled with love forever…." 

And now, with the blessing of all the love in the universe, and as creations of that all powerful love, I pronounce you both to be married to one another, shipmates and soul-mates of the grandest journey imaginable: Marriage!"

You may kiss each other!