Sample Hawaiian Wedding and Ceremony Vows

(Please see below for vow, prayers, blessing and reading options)

The Greeting

_________ and ________, we have come together to honor your love and commitment to one another and support your decision to become lifetime partners. May your love always be as constant and unchanging as the sea that surrounds us.

The Presentation of Bride (If applicable)

Word of Wisdom by Officiant

Poem or Reading by Officiant (Optional)

Bride & Groom given the opportunity to say something to each other and/or guests before the exchange of vows (Optional)

Vows

Groom's Part

Do you _______, take _______ to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, and forsaking all others, be true and loyal to her for now and forevermore.

I do

Bride's Part

Do you _______, take ________ to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, and forsaking all others, be true and loyal to him for now and forevermore.

I do

Exchange of Vows

_________ and _________, the vows you are about to exchange will join your lives. You both bring individual strengths and weaknesses to this marriage, and as you stand together as a married couple, may you complement each other and fulfill what each other needs as your love and commitment continue to deepen throughout your married life.

The bride passes her flowers to the Maid of Honor or the Officiant. Would you please face each other, join hands and repeat your vows after me.

Groom's Vows

I,_________, take you _________, from this day forward as my wife, partner and best friend. I promise to take you to my heart as you are and as you will be. I will walk by your side forever and grow together with you. I promise to support your dreams and to be there for you for the rest of our lives.

Bride's Vows

I,_________, take you _________, from this day forward as my husband, partner and best friend. I promise to take you to my heart as you are and as you will be. I will walk by your side forever and grow together with you. I promise to support your dreams and to be there for you for the rest of our lives.

Exchange of Leis (Optional)

The Hawaiian Lei is a symbol of Aloha. Aloha means hello, goodbye and with love which is in essence is what the two of you are doing here today.. The two of you are saying Aloha as you bid farewell to your single lives forever. You are saying Aloha as you welcome in your married life together and the two of you are doing it with love. This is your Aloha moment. You have come here today to be forever bound in Piliahola which means "in the bonds of love". Cherish it always.

To represent your desire to be bound in Piliahola I ask that you face your beloved or Ke Aloha. I will give each of you a lei starting with the kahu lio or the groom. To represent the end of your bachelorhood, your commitment to your marriage together and your love for your wahine male hou or bride, you will take the lei that I present to you and place it around your beloved or Ke Aloha's neck. As you place the lei around their neck please repeat after me.

(The repeat is done very, very slowly and very clearly so that non-Hawaiian speaking couples may say it without difficulty)

Repeat:

Nau ko'u aloha No Kau a Kau,

My love is yours for eternity,

Exchange of Rings

The wedding rings are symbols of the vows here taken, circles of unending faith and commitment, perfect in form. They represent the beginning of a long journey together filled with wonder, surprises, laughter, tears, celebration, grief and joy. May these rings seal your vows of marriage to each other.

Groom's Ring Exchange

As a symbol of your love to one another, __________ place your ring
on _________ finger and repeat after me.

__________, with this ring, I thee wed. I give you this ring as I give you my love.
It is a symbol of strength and the trust I hold in you.

Bride's Ring Exchange

As a symbol of your love to one another, _________ place your ring
on ______ finger and repeat after me.

__________, with this ring, I thee wed. I give you this ring as I give you my love.
It is a symbol of strength and the trust I hold in you.

Blessing/Prayer (Optional)

Announcement

You have just given your hearts completely to one another.
From this day forward, your lives are intertwined
and nothing will ever separate you.
May your lives be filled with Aloha.

Having witnessed the vows you have just made to each other, by the joining of your hands, exchanging of leis and the giving of your rings, by the virtue of the authority vested in me by the state of the Hawaii, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Congratulations! You may now share your first kiss as husband and wife.
It is my privilege to present Mr. and Mrs. _______________________!

Wedding Party Exit: The wedding party will exit as couples.
Bride and Groom, Flower Girl and Ring Bearer, Maid of Honor and Best Man, and Bridesmaids and Groomsmen.

See below for poems, readings, prayers and blessings.
See below for poems, readings, prayers and blessings.

Poems and Readings

May You Always

May you always feel the happiness you celebrate today.
May the sun always shine brightly on your lives.
May you be there for each other, through your journey come what may.
In your partnership as husband and wife.
May you wake up every morning with a smile on your face and
May you always find delight in every close embrace
You have finally found the love you've waited for.

Together

Together you can be yourselves; You do not have to pretend to be anything that you are not.
Together you can say and think everything you want to and you know that you will be understood.
Together you can be totally free in body and mind and you can share your deepest feelings and emotions.
Together you are filled with a love that gives you strength and happiness.
Thank each other for this and remember how strong your love is -- always.

Marriage

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger;
even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid.
It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences,
and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life.
When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage
they create a spirit unique to themselves,
which binds them closer than any spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise, a potential,
made in the hearts of two people who love,
which takes a lifetime to fulfill.

Reading from Paul's Letter to Corinthians

Love is very patient and kind.
Love is not jealous or boastful.
It is never selfish or rude.
Love does not demand on it's own way.
It is not irritable or resentful.
Love does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but finds it's joy in the truth.
Love bears all things; Believes all things; Hopes all things.
Love never ends.

The Way

The way is long - go together
The way is difficult - help each other
The way is joyful - go in love
The way grows before you - together begin

Nautical Reading

May you be each other's navigator in the course of life's voyages,
And each other's anchor in the rough seas that may lie ahead,
So that through this journey your love may have the strength of the powerful sun which can break away any dark cloud that may come your way.
And as each other's mate for life, may you be at the helm of your own and each other's destiny.
We ask for your safety and to bless you as you complete your voyage on the seas and in the course of your marriage.

Apache Prayer

Now you feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter to the other.
Now you feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.
You are two bodies, but there is only one life before you and one home.
When evening falls, look up and you will be there for each other.
Take each other's hand and turn together
To look at the road you've traveled to reach this - the hour of your happiness.
It stretches behind you, even as the future lies ahead.
A long and winding road, whose every turn means discovery.
Old hopes, new laughter, shared fears.
The adventure has just begun.

Marriage Prayer

Lord, bless this marriage, as _____________ and _____________ begin their journey down the road of life together.
May they respect each other's likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes, dreams and fears even though they may not always understand each other.
May they rest in the knowledge that no matter what happens, by holding on to each other, things will work out for the best.
Most of all, dear God, help them to keep the torch of love burning with the fire that they now share in their hearts. Amen

We Pray

Dear God, we thank you for this beautiful day and thank you for __________ and ___________.
We thank you for having brought them safely thus far on their journey.
We pray that as you joined their hand and hearts together to become husband and wife, that you will bless them.
We pray that you will give them strength and courage as they face all the tasks and decisions that lie before them.
We also pray that you bless these rings that he and she wear and may they ever bide in your peace living together in unity, love and happiness. Amen

A Blessing

May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer day.
May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor, insight, healing and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart.
May you always feel that what you have is enough.

Hawaiian Lei Exchange