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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Coin Ceremony


The Coin Ceremony
The groom gives the bride 13 coins, or arrhae, blessed by the Minister, as a sign of his dedication to his wife's well being and the welfare of their future children. Either an attendant or an especially designated extra member of the wedding party carries the coins. After the ring exchange, the Groom is given the coins, which he then gives to the Bride. The Bride gives them in turn to her Maid of Honor. The symbolism, which may be explained by the wedding celebrant, is that the Groom recognizes his responsibility as a provider.

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The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training  As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Wedding Ceremony Poetry


The Perfect Love, The Perfect Friend - Renee Duvall
Because you are my love... I know the joy that comes from feeling closer to someone than I've ever felt before.
Because you are my love... I know the passion of wanting to share everything I have, everything I am with you and only you.
Because you are my friend... I know that I can count on you to hold my hand through the rough times and to be there to share the good times too.
Because you are my friend... I'll always have someone to make me smile just when I need it most, and to encourage me when I'm feeling confused or doubtful.
I know that I must be one of the luckiest people in the world to have someone like you.
The perfect love, the perfect friend.


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The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training  As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Buddhist Ceremony

There are no hard and fast rules for conducting a Buddhist wedding. Some things, however, are often practiced, but Buddha wanted this to be a social event, with the happenings decided by those who were celebrating . For example, some in Japan it choose to have a Western-style wedding, complete with a minister regardless of what religion the young couple might practice.

Keep this in mind if you are helping plan a Buddhist wedding: the ceremony is decided by the preferences of couple and their families. Since Buddhism is so widely practiced throughout the world, there are many styles of Buddhist weddings, each with its own cultural significance and standards.  The following are general guidelines and commonly practiced traditions, which may or may not be followed by the parties involved.

Wedding Dress

Since this is a non-religious affair, the bride and groom's attire is determined mostly by their region: silk gowns in China and much of south Asia, saris in India, and yukatas in Japan. The bride's gown is generally red, since it is considered by most Eastern cultures to be a lucky color. In Japan, couples often wear Western clothes for the ceremony, but have photos made of themselves in traditional yukatas for their wedding album.

The Wedding

When following tradition, a wedding is held at a temple, but today it may just as likely take place at a banquet hall. Not all Buddhist temples perform marriages, and the use of lamas in the ceremony is a relatively recent tradition.

A Buddhist marriage is less about joining of two people for a lifetime, but rather as a partnership between two people to help each other reach Nirvana.

The couple walks down the aisle holding a juju, strings of 21 beads representing Buddha, themselves, and their families. The couple bow in front of either a Buddha image or a lama, and recite prayers and chants they feel are significant, lighting incense and candles in front of the Buddha. The Buddha's sermon at Rajagaha, verses 19-22 is a popular choice, as it deals with marriage in relation to spiritual enlightenment.

Either the parents of the couple or the lama places a loop of strings on their heads to connect them, symbolizing a tying together of their lives and minds. The couple then make an offering, which can be anything from food to medicine. Sometimes offerings of flowers are made to the parents, and a donation of money is made to the temple.

If lamas are present, they also wear loops of string, and recite blessings for the bride and groom. Finally, red paste is applied to the foreheads of the couple.

After the Wedding

Like the ceremony, the reception is also a matter of personal choice. Indian practitioners will have a procession line, in which guests tie strings around the wrists of the couple and offer advice.

After the celebration, the newlyweds go to their new home rather than traveling for their honeymoon. If the ceremony didn't take place at a temple, the new couple may visit one afterward to make an offering of food.

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The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training.

As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary.
Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Irish Blessing


Irish Blessing (Traditional)
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
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
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune, Rich in blessings,
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.


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The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training  As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

The Veil and the Cord/Lasso Ceremony

The Veil and the Cord/Lasso Ceremony
 
The Veil and and the Cord/Lasso are both associated with a wedding prayer during the ceremony. Special additional members of the wedding party are in charge of draping a white veil over the bride's head and the groom's shoulders. Then the yugal (a decorative silk cord) in a figure-eight shape--to symbolize everlasting fidelity--is placed over the shoulders of the kneeling Bride and Groom. Thus symbolically tied together and clothed as one, the couple remains kneeling for the prayer. After the prayer and before either attempt to rise, the same people who put it on remove the the Cord/ Lasso and then the Veil

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The Universal Life Church offers handfasting ceremonies, funeral ceremonies and free minister training  As a long time member of ULC, Rev. Long created the seminary site to help train our ministers. We also have a huge catalog of Universal Life Church materials.  I've been ordained with the Universal Life Church for many years and it's Seminary since the beginning and have loved watching the continual growth of the seminary. Try our new free toolbar at: ULC Toolbar.