Departing Blessings
1. ___ and ___, now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for you are two individuals coming from separate lives, but there is only one life before you both as a couple. May beauty surround you both in the journey and years ahead and may happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon this earth.
Addition to the Indian blessing. (Treat yourselves and each other with respect and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulties and fear assail your relationship-as they threaten all relationships at one time or another- remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives, remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.)
2. THE WAY...
The way is long-may you as a family always go together
The way is difficult-let your family always be there to help each other.
The way is joyful-let the family always share in their joys
The way is yours together-let the family always love one another
The way grows before you as a family-begin your wonderful life together.
3. IRISH WEDDING BLESSING
A. May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace. May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase. May the saddest day of your future be no worse than the happiest day of your past. May your hands be forever clasped in friendship and your hearts joined forever in love. Your lives are very special, God has touched you in many ways. May his blessings rest upon you and fill all your coming days.
B. May green be the grass you walk on, May blue be the skies above you, May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you.
C. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sun shine warm on your face and the rains fall soft upon your fields, may your heart be as warm as your hearthstone and until we meet again, may God hold you in the palm of his hand, and when you come to die may the wail of the poor be the only sorrow you'll leave behind. , May the good Lord take a liking to you- but not to soon, and may you be a long time in heaven before the devil knows you're dead.
D. May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sunshine warm on your face and the rains fall soft upon your fields, and the light of friendship guide your paths together. And until we meet again, may your see your children's children. May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings. May you know nothing but happiness from this day forward. May green be the grass you walk on. May blue be the skies above you. May pure be the joys that surround you, May true be the hearts that love you. And when eternity beckons, at the end of a life heaped high with love, may you know the hand of a friend was always near. And, today, may the Spirit of Love find a dwelling place in your hearts.
E. RINGING OF THE IRISH WEDDING BELL In furtherance of Irish tradition, this special bell is to encourage forgiveness and help build strong lasting relationships. The bell is first rung at the wedding ceremony and then in times of trouble the bell is rung when one partner is ready to "make up" and end any little quarrel that may take place. The ringing of the bell will always symbolize the joyous wedding ceremony and remind the couple of happy memories. Please join the happy couple and ring your bell for the first time to ring in the happy celebration...
4. May the two of you find happiness in your union. May you live faithfully together, your years be rich in the joys of life and your days good and long upon this earth.
5. May you always dare to dream dreams not yet dreamt. May you find constant reward and challenge as you pursue the ongoing adventure of learning who you are and where you want to go. May you both always have a special sense of your mission in life together, never tiring of the endless possibilities of exploring your shared existence. Out of this tangled world your two souls have come together, drawn by mutual love and respect. May your days and years yet unborn deepen the joy of your choice in each other made here today.
6. George Elliot described your journey of love and togetherness in this way. What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life, to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent unspeakable memories at the moment of last parting.
May your love ___ and ___ grow strong, may you love long and happily in one another’s arms.
7. The wedding is not over, it is just begun. Not once and forever, but again and again shall the mystery of two people, you ___ and you ___ together and in love, move one another and touch the world. Your marriage is not something said and done, but a promise whose fulfillment is acted out in time. Truth remains elusive, death a secret, love a challenge, life goes on neither more nor less incidentally than before, but with the love you now share each of your hands is strengthened, your way brightened and your load is made easier to bear with one another by your side.
8. ___ and ___, I wish you the courage o keep your loving hearts open to each other for the rest of your lives, and to cherish the precious love you share. May you continue to find delight in each other and your being together forever. May you love forever nourish you both and keep you strong.
9. May the Lord bless you and keep you and may your lives together be blessed with everlasting happiness through his grace.
10. Go forth joined together by the love of God. Go forth with hope and joy and a heart full of dreams, knowing that God is always with you. Continue to give and to receive and to share. For the old things have passed away and a new heaven and earth are now your dwelling place. Go in peace and with Gods grace.
11 May there be truth and understanding between you. May you enjoy length of days, fulfillment of hopes, and peace and contentment of mind. And now may the blessings of God Almighty remain with you on life's journey. May your path be covered with flowers and lead you to the pinnacles of everlasting peace. May God's grace be with you on you wonderful journey ahead.
12. May the words of Ruth go with you forevermore. "Entreat me not to leave you, or to keep me from following after you, for where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people and your God will be my God. And where you die I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.
13. God bless you both. May the wings of angels uphold you both through all the life of your love, may you live forever in happiness with one another. May your hearts be full, may your lips stay sweet. May your love grow strong; may you love long and happily forever in one another's arms.
14. ____ and ____, you have declared your intention and vows before God and this gathering of your families and friends. May the grace of this day carry forward with you all the days of your lives. May you find delight in each other and may your love continue to grow and to nurture you throughout your lives. I wish you the strength to be true to the vows you have made here today. May you always have the wisdom to cherish the precious love you share. May you abide by the laws of spirit, nurturing yourselves and this marriage with acceptance, understanding, cooperation and loving. May the life you share be peaceful, healthy, and filled with blessings and joy.
15. CALM PRAYER OF UNITY
We ask the maker of the sky, of the earth, of the water, to encircle this couple. May our maker surround them with His love and protect them this day and every day as they stand together in lifetime unity.
16. ___ and ___, you have now affirmed before your families and friends your love and your caring for each other. You have come from different backgrounds. You have walked different paths. You are different individuals. Your love has transcended these differences. In the years before you may the richness of the traditions that have nurtured you enhance and brighten your lives as you help to create and shape the future. May the challenges of your life together be met with courage and optimism. May you learn from your failures and grow in your achievements. May life bless you with children, friends and family in a wide network of mutual support and enjoyment. May you face pain, toll and trouble with a stout heart. May you share with others the radiance of your seasons of joy and pleasure. May you always remember that laughter is the medicine of the gods. May the spirit of love be ever a part of your lives so that the union we celebrate this day be worthy of continued celebration tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.
17. CHEROKEE PRAYER
God in heaven above please protect the ones we love. We honor all that you have created as ___ and ___ pledge their hearts and lives together. We honor mother earth...and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow stronger through the seasons. We honor fire...and ask that their marriage be warm and glowing with love in their hearts. We honor wind... and ask that they sail through life safely and calmly as in our father's arms. We honor water...to cleanse and soothe their relationship that it may never thirst for love. With all the forces of the universe you have created, we pray for harmony and true happiness as they forever grow young together.
18. May your home be bright with the laughter of family and friends. May it be a source of peace and strength for all who gather there. May it be the one place in all the world that you most want to be.
19. Marriage is the joining of two people the union of two hearts. It lives on the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day...Marriage is love. May you always be blessed in your hearts with the wonder of this special day. May you always be able to talk things over, to confide in each other, to laugh with each other, to enjoy life together, and to share moments of quiet and peace when the day is done. May you both be blessed with a lifetime of happiness.
20. The miracle of love is like the miracle of a flower, it thrives upon the sunshine of a smile, it entwines itself around the heart. Its roots are secured in the memories of yesterday and its petals breathe the promise of joy-filled tomorrows. To be loved is to know happiness and contentment. To give love is to know the joy of sharing oneself. It is through the miracle of love that we discover the fullness of life.
21. May you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all-important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. Look for things to praise, often say 'I love you' and take no notice of small faults. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love and may you find it in loving one another throughout all the days of your lives.
22. Remember that the first step begins any journey...setting the course, mapping out your future, choosing the direction you will follow as husband and wife. Remember that each road, no matter how straight it seems, has bumps and detours. No matter how perfect your plans are laid, the course can change when you least expect it. But whatever bump, hill or detour you experience on your journey it will only enhance the trip. Do not be stopped by a change in plans. Remember that a delay can offer a chance to explore territory you might not otherwise have see. The best part of the trip is the journey not the destination. So with the keys to each other's heart in hand may your road to happiness and a successful life together begin and may every road you follow lead you to another shared memory.
