The Lover's Cup Wedding
The Wedding of Jay and Hadia
We are gathered here today in friendship and happiness to witness Jay and Hadia pledge their love.
We begin this ceremony with the beautiful words of Kahlil Gibran from The Prophet:
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.
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.”
The reality is that everyone's life is limited to only a certain amount of time.
As Robert G. Ingersoll said, "The time to be happy is now.
The place to be happy is here."
Take the time to make your partner feel special. Never take each other for granted.
Take the time to listen and to share.
Give each other the benefit of the doubt because communication will be different at times and misunderstandings are inevitable.
It takes time, effort, courage, and commitment to make a successful marriage.
Take the time to negotiate, to talk about your fears, failures, and disappointments.
Talk about each other's expectations, hopes, and dreams.
Be flexible and willing to adapt well to changes and new circumstances.
Above all, take the time to tell each other what you want.
Take the risk of being vulnerable with each other.
And now, I will pour a small portion of champagne in the lover’s cup.
The champagne will be shared between Jay and Hadia symbolizing their union and the promise of the continuation of their intoxicating romance.
Jay and Hadia, take each other by the hand and exchange your vows.
Jay, please repeat after me:
As your husband and your friend -
I promise that I will stand by you -
In sickness and in health -
For better and for worse -
For richer and for poorer -
For as long as we both shall live -
Do you, Jay take Hadia to be your wife and pledge to her your respect and faithful love from this day forward?
(Jay says, "I do.")
Please place Haida's ring on her finger.
Hadia, please repeat after me:
As your wife and your friend -
I promise that I will stand by you -
In sickness and in health -
For better and for worse -
For richer and for poorer -
For as long as we both shall live -
Do you Hadia, take Jay to be your husband and pledge to him your respect and faithful love from this day forward?
(Hadia says, "I do.")
Please place Jay's ring on his finger.
You will be reminded each day of your commitment to this marriage with the wearing of your wedding ring.
Jay and Hadia, you have formalized in our presence the existence of the bond of love between you - vowing to be loyal and loving toward one another.
In expressing your affirmations, you have pronounced yourself husband and wife.
I now pronounce Jay and Hadia to be husband and wife.
Please embrace and kiss for the first time as husband and wife.
I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Tolson.