Gold Coast Celebrant Eileen Fleming

Commitment of Love

 Commitment Of Love Ceremony

One Of The Attractions Of Alternative Ceremonies Is That We Are Free To Perform Them In Whichever Way We See Fit.  The Choices Of How And Where Are Ours - So Long As We Keep Within The Laws Of The Country We Live In.

Ceremonies Are Wonderful Ways To Celebrate And Remember Important Times In Your Life.  For Many Of Us, The Rites Laid Down By The State Or Church Seem Irrelevant Or Out Of Touch With The Modern World, And There Is A Growing Desire To Celebrate Life In A More Personal And Meaningful Way.

Whether We Have A Religious Belief Or Possess No Clear Spiritual Understanding, We Still, As Human Beings, Find A Deep Need To Mark The Most Important Moments Of Our Lives With Some Kind Of Ceremony.  We Call These Events ‘Rites Of Passage.’

Through Our Personalized Ceremonies We Can Articulate Our Personal Beliefs.
And That Is Exactly What This Couple Are Doing Today.

Surrounded By Family And Friends Who Are Witnessing Words Spoken Between Two People Who Wish To Commit Their Lives To Each Other.

Our Eyes Are Opened And We See Clearly The Spiritual Strength In The Immovability Of A Mountain, In A Brilliant Shaft Of Light, In The Indomitable Resilience Of A Tree, In The Power Of A Volcano.  

So We Can See The Bond Of The Two People Here Before Us.

Alone With Rocks And Sky, Sea And Rivers, Plants And Animals, The Natural World Becomes Part Of A Common Frame – Strong, Self-Sufficient And At One With Itself.


Both To Repeat After Me:

I Am This, You Are He; I Am Heaven, You Are Earth.
Let Us Commit To Each Other, Be Kind To Each Other, Friendly, With Well –Meaning Minds May We Live A Hundred Years.


Gavin Say To Jeremy:

Jeremy, I Want To Be With You Always Just As You Are.
I Choose You Above All Others To Share My Life With Me.
I Love You For Yourself,
And I Want You To Become All That You Can Be.
I Promise To Honour This Pledge As Long As I Live.

Jeremy Say To Gavin:

Gavin, I Want To Be With You Always Just As You Are.
I Choose You Above All Others To Share My Life With Me.
I Love You For Yourself,
And I Want You To Become All That You Can Be.
I Promise To Honour This Pledge As Long As I Live.

Both Take Four Steps To The North Saying:

May You Take A Step For Power,
A Step For Strength,
One For Wealth,     
One For Fortune,  
One For Children,     
One For Good Times.  
With The Seventh Step May We Be Each Other’s Friend And Lover, Be Faithful One To Another And Live Long.

They May Now Exchange Rings.

THE RING CEREMONY

Both Parties To Say:
“We Will Wear These Rings, And The World Will Know
That I Am Yours,
And You Are Mine.”

Gavin To Say:
“ I Thank You For This Beautiful Ring,
I Accept It As A Symbol That I Belong To You.
This Ring Will Remind Me Of You,
I Will Wear It With Love, All Of My Life.”

Jeremy To Say:
“ I Thank You For This Beautiful Ring,
I Accept It As A Symbol That I Belong To You.
This Ring Will Remind Me Of You,
I Will Wear It With Love, All Of My Life.”

SHARING OF WINE
Each Pours A Glass Of Wine For The Other

Celebrant:

The Glass Of Wine Is A Symbol Of The Cup Of Life.
As You Share This Wine, You Promise To Share All That The Future May Bring.
All The Sweetness The Cup Of Life May Hold For You Should Be Sweeter Because You Drink It Together;
And Whatever Drops Of Bitterness It May Contain Should Be Less Because They Are Shared.  
We Wish You All The Blessings That Life Can Bring – Joy And Gladness, Love And Companionship, Happiness And Prosperity All The Days Of Your Life.

A Close Friend To Read The Next Poem

Learn To Love         By Walter Rinder

Every Day You Live, Learn How To Love.
Take Time With Each Other,
Restore Each Other’s Soul With Loving Words.
Receive Love With As Much Understanding As You Give It.
Find That Which Is Within Yourselves,
Then You Can Share It With Each Other.

Do Not Fear This Love, And Do Not Fear This Partnership,
But Keep Open Hearts And Sincere Minds.
Be Sincerely Interested In Each Other’s Happiness;
Be, Too, Constant And Consistent In Your Love, And In Your Actions.
From This, As You Know, Comes Security And Strength.

All That We Love Deeply Becomes A Part Of Us,
So, Even Though You Retain Your Individuality,
Today In A Real Sense You Also Become One  - In A True Unity.
That This May Be Deep And Rewarding.,
Today, The Day Of Your Commitment.
Try To Commit Yourselves,
Fully And Freely And Trustingly, To Each Other, With Reservations.


Celebrant:

Today Is The Day Of Your Commitment.

This Is A Day For You To Commit Yourselves, Fully And Freely And Trustingly, To Each Other, With No Reservations.

We, Who Are Present Here Today, Hope That The Inspiration Of This Hour Will Not Be Forgotten.  

May These Two People Continue To Love One Another Forever.  

And May The Strength Of Your Love Help You To Realise Success In Your Future Lives Together.

Celebrant:

Gavin And Jeremy, You Have Freely Consented To Join Your Lives.

You Have Pledged Yourselves To Each Other By Exchanging Of Rings, Taking Vows In The Presence Of These Witnesses, And In The

In Name Of This Company, I Pronounce You Partners For Life.

Signing Of The Certificate
(Music)
Go Forward In Your Life Together With The Good Wishes Of Those Who Love You Ringing In Your Ears.
 
Go Forward To A Life Of Joy And Fulfilment, Of Tolerance And Peace, Giving To And Receiving From, Those Who Share Your Concerns And Ideals.

Remember This Day, Those Who Came To Wish You Well, The Words You Have Spoken, The Emotions You Feel, And The Rings, Which Symbolize All Of The Meaning Of This Occasion.

Above All, Be Happy.

Family And Friends, We Take This Opportunity To Congratulate The Happy Couple.

And Ask That You Share Your Thoughts And Good Wishes For This Happy Occasion By Sending Messages Of Good Luck Into The Wishing Bowl At The Front Of The Chapel, If You Have Not Done So Already.

Please Join With Me Now, In Congratulating Gavin And Jeremy