Ceremonies
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Your Values Your Voice Your Ceremony |
Weddings
In our culture the milestone of marriage
is the one that is most celebrated.
Marriage is a transition from one stage
of life to another. Even if you don’t
marry until your thirties or later, you are
still leaving your birth family to form a
new family. Your status has changed.
You have met the love of your life and
you want to share your joy with your
community of family and friends.
The ceremony is the most important
part of your wedding. If your ceremony
feels personal and meaningful to you,
something will happen during the
ceremony that will take your
relationship to a deeper level. If it is a
good ceremony it should act as part of
the foundation upon which you build
your marriage. If your ceremony is
personal and expresses joy, the
reception that follows will be all the
more joyous.
To achieve this goal I work with you to
find the readings and vows that best
represent who you are and what you
want to say to each other and to your
community.
Instead of delivering a “sermon" or
"homily,” I talk about you, your
relationship, and the special love you
have found for each other. If you wish
to include religious or cultural traditions
in your ceremony. I help you find those
that best express your wishes, and I
incorporate your choices into a
memorable, meaningful, and unique
ceremony that is just for you.
To guarantee that what I say represents
your values and beliefs I send you a
“first draft” via email and you are able to
make comments, corrections, additions
or deletions. After I have incorporated
your edits and suggestions, I send you
the “final copy” so that you know
exactly what will be said at your
ceremony. Remember, it is your
ceremony and it really should be all
about the two of you.
In our culture the milestone of marriage
is the one that is most celebrated.
Marriage is a transition from one stage
of life to another. Even if you don’t
marry until your thirties or later, you are
still leaving your birth family to form a
new family. Your status has changed.
You have met the love of your life and
you want to share your joy with your
community of family and friends.
The ceremony is the most important
part of your wedding. If your ceremony
feels personal and meaningful to you,
something will happen during the
ceremony that will take your
relationship to a deeper level. If it is a
good ceremony it should act as part of
the foundation upon which you build
your marriage. If your ceremony is
personal and expresses joy, the
reception that follows will be all the
more joyous.
To achieve this goal I work with you to
find the readings and vows that best
represent who you are and what you
want to say to each other and to your
community.
Instead of delivering a “sermon" or
"homily,” I talk about you, your
relationship, and the special love you
have found for each other. If you wish
to include religious or cultural traditions
in your ceremony. I help you find those
that best express your wishes, and I
incorporate your choices into a
memorable, meaningful, and unique
ceremony that is just for you.
To guarantee that what I say represents
your values and beliefs I send you a
“first draft” via email and you are able to
make comments, corrections, additions
or deletions. After I have incorporated
your edits and suggestions, I send you
the “final copy” so that you know
exactly what will be said at your
ceremony. Remember, it is your
ceremony and it really should be all
about the two of you.
Funerals, Memorials and End-of-Life Tributes
For a loved one who does not belong to a church or a
particular faith, I can help you and your family
remember and honor your friend or family member
with a personalized ceremony that treats his or her
life with reverence and respect. To make this
end-of-life ceremony meaningful, I interview family
members and special friends so that I can speak
about the unique life your loved one led and invoke
what they held most sacred and dear. I can also
create a space for others to voice their feelings, tell
stories, and share their memories of what is most
meaningful to them.
For a loved one who does not belong to a church or a
particular faith, I can help you and your family
remember and honor your friend or family member
with a personalized ceremony that treats his or her
life with reverence and respect. To make this
end-of-life ceremony meaningful, I interview family
members and special friends so that I can speak
about the unique life your loved one led and invoke
what they held most sacred and dear. I can also
create a space for others to voice their feelings, tell
stories, and share their memories of what is most
meaningful to them.
Divorce Ceremonies
Divorce marks the end of a marriage and
the beginning of new lives as single
individuals. Often there are many
lingering feelings left after the papers are
signed and the possessions divided up.
A ceremony can help both of you find
closure for a time in your lives that held
many good times before you grew apart.*
A ceremony can help release the past and
embrace the future.
* If you are not on good terms with your
former spouse, I can assist you in creating
a ceremony that will help you move on
and look forward to your new life.
Divorce marks the end of a marriage and
the beginning of new lives as single
individuals. Often there are many
lingering feelings left after the papers are
signed and the possessions divided up.
A ceremony can help both of you find
closure for a time in your lives that held
many good times before you grew apart.*
A ceremony can help release the past and
embrace the future.
* If you are not on good terms with your
former spouse, I can assist you in creating
a ceremony that will help you move on
and look forward to your new life.
Healing/Recovery Ceremonies
Weather you are a survivor of a life
threatening disease or you are in
recovery from an addiction, sharing
your joy and achievement with
your family and friends can be a
liberating experience. I can help
you create a ceremony that
recognizes where you have been
and celebrates where you are
going.
Weather you are a survivor of a life
threatening disease or you are in
recovery from an addiction, sharing
your joy and achievement with
your family and friends can be a
liberating experience. I can help
you create a ceremony that
recognizes where you have been
and celebrates where you are
going.
Wise Woman or Croning Ceremonies
"For millennia women's wisdom was
honored; crones were revered. Today
women are reclaiming the identity and
status of the ancient crone."
Croning is the process of becoming a
woman who trusts her internal wisdom and
shares it with her younger sisters. A
croning ceremony honors you as you enter
into your post-menopausal years. It is a
very positive spin on getting older and
feeling comfortable with your new status.
(The quote is from Bayla Bower's website,
www.croning.org.)
"For millennia women's wisdom was
honored; crones were revered. Today
women are reclaiming the identity and
status of the ancient crone."
Croning is the process of becoming a
woman who trusts her internal wisdom and
shares it with her younger sisters. A
croning ceremony honors you as you enter
into your post-menopausal years. It is a
very positive spin on getting older and
feeling comfortable with your new status.
(The quote is from Bayla Bower's website,
www.croning.org.)
Special Birthdays
Birthdays can be a time to look at where we
have been and where we are going as we
enter a new decade in our lives. I can help
you or your family member mark this
transition with a meaningful and fun
ceremony that will help you reflect on your
past and visualize your future.
Birthdays can be a time to look at where we
have been and where we are going as we
enter a new decade in our lives. I can help
you or your family member mark this
transition with a meaningful and fun
ceremony that will help you reflect on your
past and visualize your future.
Coming-of-Age Ceremonies
It is hard to know when a child really
becomes an adult in our culture. They
can drive at 16,vote at 18 but can’t drink
until 21. We lack ceremonies that usher
our youth into the status of full speaking
members of our “tribe.” A coming-of-age
ceremony can mark this important
milestone with real meaning for the youth
who is transitioning into adulthood and
for their parents as well as for the entire
family.
It is hard to know when a child really
becomes an adult in our culture. They
can drive at 16,vote at 18 but can’t drink
until 21. We lack ceremonies that usher
our youth into the status of full speaking
members of our “tribe.” A coming-of-age
ceremony can mark this important
milestone with real meaning for the youth
who is transitioning into adulthood and
for their parents as well as for the entire
family.
Honoring the Mother To Be or Blessingways
A Blessingway honors the pregnant woman and the
life force within her body. It is a time to share wisdom
and give blessings and best wishes for an easy save
labor and delivery.
This ceremony could easily take place as part of the
“Baby Shower.”
A Blessingway honors the pregnant woman and the
life force within her body. It is a time to share wisdom
and give blessings and best wishes for an easy save
labor and delivery.
This ceremony could easily take place as part of the
“Baby Shower.”
New Baby Ceremonies/
Adoption Ceremonies
Experiencing the birth or
adoption of each and every
child is one of the most thrilling
times in our lives. Creating a
ceremony that welcomes your
baby into the loving circle of
your family and friends can be a
joyous time for you as parents,
the grandparents, siblings and
other relatives and family
friends. I can help you create a
ceremony that will mark this
milestone with love and joy.
Adoption Ceremonies
Experiencing the birth or
adoption of each and every
child is one of the most thrilling
times in our lives. Creating a
ceremony that welcomes your
baby into the loving circle of
your family and friends can be a
joyous time for you as parents,
the grandparents, siblings and
other relatives and family
friends. I can help you create a
ceremony that will mark this
milestone with love and joy.
Same Sex Commitment
Ceremonies
You have found the person with
whom you want to share your
life, and you deserve as
meaningful and as memorable a
ceremony as heterosexuals do.
To achieve this goal I treat your
ceremony like the marriage of
two souls that it is. Basically I
treat these ceremonies the same
as a wedding ceremony -- the
difference being only in the
legalistic name. I look forward
to this type of union being
recognized legally for what it
really is, a marriage.
Ceremonies
You have found the person with
whom you want to share your
life, and you deserve as
meaningful and as memorable a
ceremony as heterosexuals do.
To achieve this goal I treat your
ceremony like the marriage of
two souls that it is. Basically I
treat these ceremonies the same
as a wedding ceremony -- the
difference being only in the
legalistic name. I look forward
to this type of union being
recognized legally for what it
really is, a marriage.
Blended Family Ceremonies
Marriage is often viewed as the
union of just two individuals;
marriage, however, is much
broader as it is the foundation
upon which new families are
formed. If you are about to enter
into a marriage that involves
children from other relationships, I
can help you include the children in
a simple yet meaningful ceremony.
It is important to recognize that
your children's lives also change
when you marry. A family
ceremony as part of your wedding
ceremony can emphasize the
importance of each unique member
of your newly formed family.
Marriage is often viewed as the
union of just two individuals;
marriage, however, is much
broader as it is the foundation
upon which new families are
formed. If you are about to enter
into a marriage that involves
children from other relationships, I
can help you include the children in
a simple yet meaningful ceremony.
It is important to recognize that
your children's lives also change
when you marry. A family
ceremony as part of your wedding
ceremony can emphasize the
importance of each unique member
of your newly formed family.
Ceremonies
From our earliest beginnings we humans have had a
need to share our joy and our grief with the people of
our clan or our tribe. Although most of us no longer
live in tribes or clans we do have a group of people we
consider to be our community of family and friends.
Many members of this community have known us
since we were born and have been a part of other
ceremonies and milestones that we have reached in
our lives. As we all know, life has a rhythm and a flow
unto itself. We are born, we marry, we have children,
and we die. Each of these milestones are enhanced by
bringing our community of family and friends together
to share in our joy or our grief by participating in
ceremonies that resonate meaningfully with our values
and beliefs.
From our earliest beginnings we humans have had a
need to share our joy and our grief with the people of
our clan or our tribe. Although most of us no longer
live in tribes or clans we do have a group of people we
consider to be our community of family and friends.
Many members of this community have known us
since we were born and have been a part of other
ceremonies and milestones that we have reached in
our lives. As we all know, life has a rhythm and a flow
unto itself. We are born, we marry, we have children,
and we die. Each of these milestones are enhanced by
bringing our community of family and friends together
to share in our joy or our grief by participating in
ceremonies that resonate meaningfully with our values
and beliefs.
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| Creative Ceremonies by Virginia Moore |