Our Vows
Good afternoon! We are gathered here today, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is! We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Woo Shik and Diana and their friends and families the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place in their lives.
So let the ceremony begin!
The Celebration Of Marriage
Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. Today Woo Shik and Diana proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together.
The joy we feel now is a solemn joy, because the act of marriage has many consequences, both social and personal. Marriage requires "love," a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. We may assume that love is some rare and mystical event, when in fact it is our natural state of being.
So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: a piece of ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us.
Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together.
The secret of love and marriage is the emergence of the larger self. It is the finding of one's life by losing it. Such is the privilege of husband and wife - to be each himself, herself and yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.
To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey.
The true art of married life is in this an inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
Mingling in marriage is a mutual dedication, a cooperative venture in every sense. It is a relationship based on love, respect, and a determination by both partners to adjust to each other and support one another, in health and in sickness, in joy and in sadness, in ease and in hardship.
Through this co-operation, we give ourselves, our lives and love. into the hands of the one we love. We do so trustingly and generously. And so, each of us receives a gift: the life and love of the other. We receive this gift, not only from the one we love, but also from the parents who brought us into the world, and from our friends and families as well.
Remember that marriage is the basic foundation of family life. It provides a sense of comfort and strength; of hope and support; and most of all a sense of belonging. It is an anchor. It is a rudder. It gives new purpose, direction and added dimension to your lives.
Today, as friends and family, we are here to share with them this joy and hope, and to see them off on the path they will walk together. May it be a path of blessedness, bright with flowers of prosperity and spiritual awakening; a path of ever deepening, ever broadening love that they will travel, arm in arm, throughout eternity.
The Commitment
Woo Shik and Diana, this celebration is the outward token of your sacred and inward union of hearts. It is a union created by your loving purpose and kept by your abiding will. It is in this spirit and for this purpose that you have come here to be joined together.
The Vows
Woo Shik, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Will you promise to love, honor and cherish her from this day forward as the partner of your destiny?
I Will!
Diana, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Will you promise to love, honor and cherish him from this day forward as the partner of your destiny?
I Will!
Ceremony of the Rings
May I have the rings please? These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken and the unconditional, ever constant and never-ending love that you share.
"With this ring, I pledge my eternal love to you."
UAIKEA…. so be this known.
Pomaikai’I a me ke aloha I ke a me ka keia. (Blessings of Love to you Woo Shik and to you Diana)
Lei Exchange
“E LEI KAU, E LEI HO’OILOIKE ALOHA” Literally translated it means “love is worn like a wreath through the summers and the winters”. In other words “Love is everlasting.”
As you place these leis around each other’s shoulders, may you both be embraced by the blessing and protection of the la’i. May your union be ever protected by the mana that comes from the la’i.
Closing Statements
Woo Shik and Diana, remember to treat both yourself 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, difficulty or 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 that seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the times 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 lives together, your life together will be marked by abundance and delight.
Pronouncement
Woo Shik and Diana, you have come together on this the 3rd day of August,2002, embraced by this beautiful place on the Island of Kauai, You have pledged a vow, made a commitment, and exchanged rings to symbolize the love and devotion shared by you. Therefore, by the power vested in me by the state of Hawaii, and as an ordained minister, I now pronounce you be husband and wife.
Congratulations and you may now kiss your bride!
By Diana, Rekha Sharma, & Many Others Before Us