TAMPA WEDDING OFFICIANTS

           FREE CONSULTATION WITHOUT OBLIGATION

                                                    Established 1990

                                         727 - 871 - 9900

      PARSONAGE:  882 Lucas Lane      Oldsmar, FL 34677

 NON-CHRISTIAN WEDDING PRAYERS:       (for civil & non-denominational weddings)

 The Elements of Love

May your love be like the earth,

Rich, natural, and deeply rooted

Strong as rock yet soft as sand

Always growing and always patient

May your love be like fire

Passionate, intense and energetic

A flame that never dies

As radiant as the morning sun

And as warm as an evening enbrace

May your love be like water

Moving, constantly changing

Never still, never stagnant

As vast as the ocean

And as fresh as a spring's rain

May your love be like air

The sharing of dreams, thoughts and emotions

Always fragrant, always carefree

Found in the breeze of a whisper

Or in the breath of a kiss

May your love be like all four elements

Physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually intertwined

And to create the perfect ribbon

For to bind these two hearts into one.

 PLANNING A NON-DENOMINATIONAL CEREMONY

A SAMPLE WEDDING CEREMONY AND ORDER OF SERVICE:

Many couples today are choosing to have a non-religious wedding ceremony.  An important role is that the Officiant is to give you guidance in crafting your ceremony, often following a predetermined format.  If you are leaning towards the "Do-it-yourself route, I will offer advice  on creating a memorable and personal ceremony. 

Please go to:  http://weddings.about.com/od/yourweddingceremony/a/SampleCeremony.htm.  Put your arrow cursor onto that segment of the ceremony that interests you.  If you want to see everything in the natural order of the ceremony, then simply follow each line where it is marked in a blue link.  Each link will follow the contents of any wedding service and some links will offer you various choices to a particular item that you may want to add to your ceremony.

A LOVELY READING TO ADD TO YOUR CEREMONY:

" THE BLESSING OF THE HANDS"

(B)___________________, please hold (G)____________________ hands, palms up, so that you may see the gift that they are to you.  Theswe are the hands of your best friend, young and strong, and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.   These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future as you laugh and cry and share your innermost secrets and dreams.  These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch,  will comfort you like no other.  These are the hands that will comfort you in illness and when grief or fear fills your mind.   These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes;  tears of sorrow and tears of joy.   These are the hands that will tenderly lift your cheek and brush your cheeks as they raise your face to look into his eyes;  eyes that filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.   And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled with age, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

 MORE READINGS:      (CAN BE USED FOR ANY STYLE CEREMONY)

OJIBWA WEDDING PRAYER

Spouse 1:  Today we give thanks for our many blessings

Spouse 2:  We give thanks to the sky above and the earth below

Spouse 1:  We give thanks for the rising of the sun and the moon

Spouse 2:  We give thanks for the beauty of our surroundings

Spouse 1:  We give thanks to our parents who brought us into this world and taught us life

Spouse 2:  We give thanks for our brothers and sisters who shared our childhood with us

Spouse 1:  We give thanks for our friends who have journeyed along life's path with us

Spouse 2:  We give thanks for the laughter of the children

Together:  And we give thanks for the love in our hearts

ANOTHER VERSION OF THE APACHE INDIAN BLESSING:

Now we feel no rain, for each of us will be shelter to the other.  Now we feel no cold, for each of us will be warmth to the other.  Now there is no lonliness, for each of us will be a companion to the other.   We are two bodies, but there is one life before us and one home.   When evening falls, I'll look up and there you will be.  I'll  take your hand;  you'll take mine and we'll turn together to look at the road we traveled to reach this --- the hour of our happiness.  It stretches behind us, 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.

THE BLESSINGS OF THE APACHE         (ORIGINAL VERSION)

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be warmth to the other.   Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.  Now there will be no lonliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.   Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.   May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.   May happiness be your companion and your days together be good and long upon the earth. 

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