Contemporary Maui Wedding Ceremony

The following Contemporary Hawaii Wedding Ceremony was written by and is performed by Rev. John Souter for our Maui wedding couples. Parts of this ceremony has been used (by permission) of many other wedding ministers on the mainland. You can read it for yourself to see if it fits your wedding preferences.

Maui Ceremony: Introduction

You have arrived on the romantic island of Maui, the land of aloha, for your special day. BOB and MARY, you’ve also arrived at that point in your relationship where you desire a greater commitment. Today you are ready to pledge your love in this union we call marriage.

Think for a moment of the caterpillar. He begins life as a lowly, uninteresting little creature. But he is transformed by an extraordinary metamorphosis—which even the scientists do not understand—into the most exquisite and fragile butterfly. In a similar way, your relationship is changing today. You will no longer be, just two good friends. Today you are being transformed into one. Marriage is the merger of two separate individuals into a union dedicated for their common good.

Maui Ceremony: Why Do You Love?

Have you ever thought about why you want to get married? Take a moment, and gaze into each others eyes. What is it that you see there that has captured your soul? What spark, what love, what beauty have you found in those eyes that has made you into a better person?

Do you remember when you first met? When you first kissed? Can you recall the moment when your lover turned your life and your heart upside down?

Now, today, you have come to bring all of these emotions into something more. Today you stand before these witnesses and desire to make a commitment that will last for a lifetime of fulfillment. That is your hope, your desire and your commitment today.

Maui Ceremony: Love is a Verb

Now we know that there will never be a perfect marriage. As you enter into this next step in your relationship, you should understand that it takes a lot of love AND a lot of work to make a good marriage.

Some couples tend to think of marriage as a 50/50 proposition. But the best relationships are usually 90/10. If you both will give 90% and take only 10—you’ll have a formula likely to bring both of you a lifetime of happiness.

Love is a verb. It’s not just a state of being but an ACTION verb. It’s not just how you feel about each other, but what you DO for each other that will keep your relationship growing and alive.

When you don’t feel like being loving, think about how you would like to be treated. When you sense that you are being ignored, learn how to listen to your partner’s needs. BOB and MARY, in the Hawaiian language ho ’oponopono means: “to put things right by family discussion.”

When your feelings are hurt, don’t turn inside. Instead, cultivate the great art of forgiving as well as being able to say you’re sorry. Expect the best from your lover even when they’ve disappointed you in the past. Give what you want to get, and you’ll transform your home into a castle where love can thrive.

Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Optional)

Maui Ceremony: Sandburg’s Poem

While marriages are founded and built upon love, emotions can often fickle. Poet Carl Sandburg captured the essence of a love which can stand the test of time when he wrote:

“I love you. I love you for what you are, but I love you yet more for what you are going to be. I love you not so much for your realities as for your ideals. I pray for your desires, that they may be great, rather than for your satisfactions, which may be so hazardously little.

“A satisfied flower is one whose petals are about to fall. But the most beautiful rose is one, hardly more than a bud, wherein the pangs and ecstasies of desire are working for larger and finer growth. Not always shall you be what you are now. You are going forward toward something great. I am on the way with you and . . I love you.”

Maui Ceremony: HIS VOWS

BOB, please take the lei and place it around MARY ‘s neck.
Do you BOB, take MARY, to be your wife? Will you love and cherish her, giving her assistance in all of life’s labors? Will you be true to her both in sickness and health, when things are going well and when there are problems? And will you be faithful to her as long as you both shall live? If so, you may answer, I WILL.

BOB, let the beautiful & fragrant flowers that you have placed on MARY remind you of the beautiful and fragile nature of your relationship with her. Cherish her always treating her as your princess.

Maui Ceremony: HER VOWS

MARY, take this lei and place it around BOB ‘s neck.

Do you, MARY, take BOB, to be your husband? Will you love and cherish him, and giving him assistance in all of life’s labors? Will you be true to him both in sickness and health, both when things are going well and when there are problems? And will you be faithful to him as long as you both shall live? If so, you may answer, I WILL.

MARY, let the beauty & fragrance of these flowers which you have placed on BOB remind you always of this day when you committed yourself to be his bride. Cherish him always treating him as your prince.

Maui Ceremony: HER RING

BOB, may I have the ring that is the lasting symbol of your vows to MARY?

This ring is gold and it has been subjected to tremendous heat so that the waste could be removed and the metal purified; it is a fit token of your commitment of love. BOB, let this ring symbolize your willingness to build your character as you love MARY.

Place the ring on the third finger of BOB ’S left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows to MARY:

“From this day on,
I BOB,
take you MARY
to be my wife.
I will love you,
I will cherish you,
I will be true to you,
no matter what comes into our lives
whether we are rich or poor,
whether there is sickness or health,
I’m committed to stay with you
for as long as we both shall live,
and with this ring
as a symbol of my love
I now marry you.”

Maui Ceremony: HIS RING

MARY, may I have the ring that’s the lasting symbol of your vows to BOB?

The ring is a circle. A circle has no ending so it symbolizes an enduring love. MARY, let this ring remind you of this lifetime commitment you are making to BOB today.

Place the ring on the third finger of BOB ’s left hand and repeat after me as you make these vows to him:

“From this day on,
I MARY,
take you BOB
to be my husband.
I will love you,
I will cherish you,
I will be true to you,
no matter what comes into our lives
—whether we are rich or poor,
whether there is sickness or health,
I’m committed to stay with you
for as long as we both shall live,
and with this ring
as a symbol of my love
I now marry you.”

Maui Ceremony: PROCLAMATION

Now that you BOB and MARY have openly declared your wish to be united in marriage, and as you have made these promises to each other before these witnesses, and have given each other rings to confirm your vows;

I, John Souter, by the power and authority given to me as a minister, according to the laws of the County of Maui as well as the State of Hawaii, do now pronounce you to be: Husband and wife! You may kiss your bride.

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