Hawaiian ~ Japanese Wedding Ceremony
(Approx. 20
minutes)
Rev. Dard Aller & Rev. Penei Aller
Music
Blowing of the
Pu (Conch shell)
Processional with Hawaiian Chant
Greeting
and Give Away of the Bride
Dearly
beloved family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness and to
celebrate the union of (Bride and Groom) in marriage.
Who
gives this woman to this man?
Father: “I do.”
Dard:
Congratulations, (Bride and Groom), on your marriage. You have chosen one of
the most beautiful places in the world. But we are here today to celebrate a
different kind of beauty, your love for each other.
Lei Exchange
A
Hawaiian wedding often begins as it does today with the exchange of leis.
We do this for several reasons. One is that the lei is an unbroken
circle, like the rings that soon will be blessed and exchanged, representing
the eternal commitment of your hearts together. Also, as each flower
is brought into the circle, it loses none of its individual beauty, reminding
us that in the unity of your love, you have lost none of your unique
individuality. In fact, the loving care and nurturing support of
your relationship helps you grow even more fully into that special person with
whom your partner fell in love.
Dard hands a Lei to Groom.
(Groom),
please place this Lei around the neck of your
beautiful bride.
And likewise,
(Bride), place this
Lei around (Goom’s) neck.
Penei: "Lei Pikake" sung A Capella as
the couple exchanges leis.
Hawaiian
Marriage
The Hawaiians
have always have had a sensitivity to the sacredness of special times and
places. This is true of you as well. When you think of all the places you
could have chosen, I believe you were guided to be right here today, and this
becomes a sacred place because of your love and the vows that you will soon
share. I selected a lava rock from this place to perform a short blessing at
the end of this ceremony to honor this special time and place.
There is an additional
significance. We see only the surface of
the land. Below, unseen, is the power
and depth of A’ina. So too, many others will
see the outer expression of your love for each other, but only the two of you
know the true and unseen depth of you inner union, that profound place in the
heart where you have been strengthened and enriched by love.
This can be
compared to the beauty of the
I
want to speak of one final element to conclude this portion of the ceremony. If
we mention A’ina and Sea, let’s include as well a
reference to the beautiful mountains that surround us; the Kohalas
to the North of us, with Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea to the east and Hualalai to
the South. Even Haleakala of Maui is often visible to
the West. Telescopes are looking outward and upward, making new discoveries
there every day. I have been talking about your inner love. These
mountains suggests the importance of looking outward to the circle of
family and friends that surround you. The Hawaiians call this your Ohana, and one tradition says that at a wedding the
stirring of the wind represents those absent loved ones who join you now in
this joyous celebration. We are the ones blessed to be present, but we
give thanks and express appreciation for those others who have been such an
important part of bringing you to this moment of your joy in marriage.
Continue
to celebrate your love. Occasionally step aside from the busy-ness of
your lives to enhance the intimacy of your relationship.
May these Leis
remind you of the dynamics of a healthy relationship, a giving and receiving of
a gift from the heart. Sometimes the simple gift
of a flower says how much you mean to each other, that you want your
relationship to continue to blossom, to be fragrant, to
grow.
Vows
Watakushi
(Groom) wa ima
(Bride) anata no
Otto to narimasu
Yutaka na toki mo
Mazushii toki mo
Kenkoh na
toki mo
Yamai no toki mo
Watakushitachi ga
Ikiru kagiri
Anata no Otto de
Arukoto o
Chichaimasu
Watakushi (Bride) wa
ima
(Groom) anata no
Tsuma to narimasu
Yutaka na toki mo
Mazushii toki mo
Kenkoh na
toki mo
Yamai no toki mo
Watakushitachi ga
Ikiru kagiri
Anata no Tsuma de
Arukoto o
Chichaimasu
If in English:
I (Groom),
take you, (Bride), to be my wife ,
and I do promise to be your loving and faithful husband, for richer or poorer, in joy and in sorrow,
in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
I (Bride),
take you, (Goom) as my husband, and I do promise to be your loving and
faithful wife, for richer or poorer, in
joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we both shall live.
Hawaiian
Love Song
Koa Bowl
and Ti Leaf Blessing of Rings.
Dard
hands a Koa bowl to (Groom).
A few moments
before this service I dipped this Koa wood bowl into the Pacific Ocean in order
to perform a Hawaiian blessing over these rings. Koa is one of the most
valuable Hawaiian hardwoods and has been used over the centuries to build the
outrigger canoes and utensils. It has come to represent integrity and strength, foundational
qualities of your relationship. Marriage is more than just the beautiful
passion and tender emotion of love. It is a covenant enduring all of life's
changes, based on faith, hope and love.
The Ti leaf
represents prosperity, purification, and blessing of body, mind and spirit.
Dard
dips a Ti leaf in the bowl, sprinkles the rings three times and chants:
“Eia iha no ka maluhia
o na lani
me kakou a pau”
"May
blessings from above rest upon you and remain with you now and forever."
“Kami sama,
Kono yubiwa o Shukufuki shite kudasai. O futari ni,
KAMI no, heiwa ga arimasu yoni”
The
water has a double significance. One is a washing back into the Pacific of any
hindrance to relationship, disappointment or hurt from the past. In Hawaiian
this is called Ho’oponopono or reconciliation, a healing by grace and aloha so
that the second aspect of the water may be profoundly true for
the two of you today: it represents a brand new beginning as husband and wife.
(Groom),
as you take this ring and place it upon your wife’s finger, please repeat after
me:
”(Bride), with
this ring I marry you.”
And
likewise (handing the ring to Bride) If in
Japanese:
Kono Yubiwa wa
Anata o eien ni
Aisuru shirushi desu
Hawaiian
Wedding Song
Ti leaf and
Lava Rock
As I mentioned
at the beginning of the service, I now take this lava rock and Ti leaf to
perform the final blessing. The rock represents this moment and place of your
marriage - made sacred by your love. Wrapped in the leaf it is a traditional
Hawaiian offering, prayer and blessing. You are to place it anywhere you choose
on the island before you leave. It remains here. Your rings are with you
everywhere you go, a reminder of your marriage and love. The rock marks your
entrance into a promised land, that of marriage, full of rich promise and
unlimited potential. May the joy of your many years together far exceed even
your greatest expectation.
Pronunciation
We have had a
very special honor here today to witness your love and aloha expressed through
your exchange of leis, vows, and rings. And now by the authority that has been
entrusted to me by the State of
Kiss
Penei with
blessing chant: (Kumu Tis’a Kalili, Kahula o ka Moana Pakipika),
A
- Aloha Mai May
you always be surrounded with love
E
- Ea Ea Every breath you
take is sweet and good
I
- Ike Pono See, Know, Recognize Goodness in You -
Others - Everything
O
- Ola Mau Loa May your lives Be Long
U
- Uwehe E Be free from harm
Ha'awi Loko Mai ka'i
Wishes Given from Goodness Within
Loa'a Mai Loko Maika'i
Received from Goodness Within
“I Ho’okahi kahi ke aloha ua
mau.”
Be united as one, in love forever.
Presentation
Dard: It is now an
honor for me to present to you, (Groom and Bride), Husband and Wife!
Recessional
Signing
of the certificate
.