Fun Halloween Themed Ceremony With Goth Style Handfasting
The greeting:
Officiant: I address the couple & the guests:
Dearly Beloved and distinguished guests, the damned and the cursed
The holy and the blessed
As we witness ____ and _____ their souls and their very beings,
To be united on this hallows haunted day,
A sacred vow forever their love to stay,
For true love is like a ghost, often mentioned but rarely seen.
Charge to Bride and Groom (the charge is addressed to the Bride and Groom. It is a preparation for the vows you are about to take)
Officiant:
Dear Ones, it’s now the haunting time, the moon so luminous will shine
with stars embedded in the sky ye shall rise up from yonder nigh.
As you journey together for a lifetime on earth beware, for below your feet is Hades turf.
Forever and ever as you marry on this day and united together your souls will stay.
The Pledge or Betrothal
Officiant:
To groom: ______ , will you have _____ to be your wife, to live with her, respect her, to love her, and to haunt and howl at the moon together as long as you both shall live?
Groom Responds: I will
Officiant:
To Bride:________ , will you have ______ to be your husband, to live with him, respect him, and to haunt and howl at the moon together as long as you both shall live?
Bride responds: I will.
Vows:
Officiant:
Now that you have declared your ghastly intentions, I invite you to share your vows with one another
_______, repeat to ______ after me these words:
I will stand by your side,
(Groom says): I will stand by your side
Hunt at your back
(Groom says): hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
(Groom says) and fly within your Soul
I will stand between you
(Groom says) I will stand between you
And all which would harm you
(Groom says) And all which would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
(Groom says) I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you,
(Groom says) I will never betray you
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
(Groom says) For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
You take me as your husband
(Groom says) You take me as your husband
And I take you as my wife
(Groom says) And I take you as my wife
Officiant: _____ repeat to _____ after me these words:
I will stand by your side,
(Bride says): I will stand by your side
Hunt at your back
(Bride says): hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
(Bride says) and fly within your Soul
I will stand between you
(Bride says) I will stand between you
And all which would harm you
(Bride says) And all which would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
(Bride says) I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you,
(Bride says) I will never betray you
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
(Bride says) For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
I take you as my husband
(Bride says) I take you as my husband
And you take me as your wife
(Bride says) And you take me as your wife
Officiant: I address the couple & the guests:
Dearly Beloved and distinguished guests, the damned and the cursed
The holy and the blessed
As we witness ____ and _____ their souls and their very beings,
To be united on this hallows haunted day,
A sacred vow forever their love to stay,
For true love is like a ghost, often mentioned but rarely seen.
Charge to Bride and Groom (the charge is addressed to the Bride and Groom. It is a preparation for the vows you are about to take)
Officiant:
Dear Ones, it’s now the haunting time, the moon so luminous will shine
with stars embedded in the sky ye shall rise up from yonder nigh.
As you journey together for a lifetime on earth beware, for below your feet is Hades turf.
Forever and ever as you marry on this day and united together your souls will stay.
The Pledge or Betrothal
Officiant:
To groom: ______ , will you have _____ to be your wife, to live with her, respect her, to love her, and to haunt and howl at the moon together as long as you both shall live?
Groom Responds: I will
Officiant:
To Bride:________ , will you have ______ to be your husband, to live with him, respect him, and to haunt and howl at the moon together as long as you both shall live?
Bride responds: I will.
Vows:
Officiant:
Now that you have declared your ghastly intentions, I invite you to share your vows with one another
_______, repeat to ______ after me these words:
I will stand by your side,
(Groom says): I will stand by your side
Hunt at your back
(Groom says): hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
(Groom says) and fly within your Soul
I will stand between you
(Groom says) I will stand between you
And all which would harm you
(Groom says) And all which would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
(Groom says) I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you,
(Groom says) I will never betray you
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
(Groom says) For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
You take me as your husband
(Groom says) You take me as your husband
And I take you as my wife
(Groom says) And I take you as my wife
Officiant: _____ repeat to _____ after me these words:
I will stand by your side,
(Bride says): I will stand by your side
Hunt at your back
(Bride says): hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
(Bride says) and fly within your Soul
I will stand between you
(Bride says) I will stand between you
And all which would harm you
(Bride says) And all which would harm you.
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
(Bride says) I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you,
(Bride says) I will never betray you
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
(Bride says) For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
I take you as my husband
(Bride says) I take you as my husband
And you take me as your wife
(Bride says) And you take me as your wife
Exchange of Rings
Officiant:
May we now have the rings.
Officiant:
These rings you take are not to bind but to show that you are of same like mind
To have and hold from this night on In madness and in raging fun.
Take these now and show the throng how love of each other has made you strong.
To Groom: ________will you take this ring and place it upon the left bone of _____’s hand, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
_____ I give you this ring
As a symbol of our linked hearts
And the covenant of undying faithfulness
Which we make today and seal with our vows.
Officiant:
To Bride: _____ will you take this ring and place it upon the left bone of _____’s hand, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
_____ I give you this ring
As a symbol of our linked hearts
And the covenant of undying faithfulness
Which we make today and seal with our vows.
Handfasting
(Goth style for Halloween Ceremony, traditionally cloth or cord is used, chain, or plastic faux chain can be used for a Halloween or Goth look)
Officiant:
_______ And _______ Have chosen to seal their union traditional handfasting and wine ceremony
Now, I bid you look into one another's eyes and hearts. I ask you now to cross your hands over each other, and take one another's hands.
Stars shine like eyes, the black night sighs.
From the night we come, to the night we go.
Cursed or blessed to walk the Moonlight alone.
Sometimes another soul walks our path,
then two become one, in love everlasting.
Within each other, these two are found,
bear witness as their souls are bound.
The Officiant binds the couple's left wrists together with the chain or cloth. The binding takes place over a goblet of red wine.
Officiant:
Stand now as ye will stand forever,
Like this chain your hearts are tethered,
This goblet's wine is your blood of devotion,
So sip from this the dedication potion.
The couple takes turns drinking from the goblet with their right hands.
Officiant:
As both your arms and the chain (or cloth) form the symbol of eternity, may your love endure through this life, and all others.
Officiant:
May we now have the rings.
Officiant:
These rings you take are not to bind but to show that you are of same like mind
To have and hold from this night on In madness and in raging fun.
Take these now and show the throng how love of each other has made you strong.
To Groom: ________will you take this ring and place it upon the left bone of _____’s hand, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
_____ I give you this ring
As a symbol of our linked hearts
And the covenant of undying faithfulness
Which we make today and seal with our vows.
Officiant:
To Bride: _____ will you take this ring and place it upon the left bone of _____’s hand, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
_____ I give you this ring
As a symbol of our linked hearts
And the covenant of undying faithfulness
Which we make today and seal with our vows.
Handfasting
(Goth style for Halloween Ceremony, traditionally cloth or cord is used, chain, or plastic faux chain can be used for a Halloween or Goth look)
Officiant:
_______ And _______ Have chosen to seal their union traditional handfasting and wine ceremony
Now, I bid you look into one another's eyes and hearts. I ask you now to cross your hands over each other, and take one another's hands.
Stars shine like eyes, the black night sighs.
From the night we come, to the night we go.
Cursed or blessed to walk the Moonlight alone.
Sometimes another soul walks our path,
then two become one, in love everlasting.
Within each other, these two are found,
bear witness as their souls are bound.
The Officiant binds the couple's left wrists together with the chain or cloth. The binding takes place over a goblet of red wine.
Officiant:
Stand now as ye will stand forever,
Like this chain your hearts are tethered,
This goblet's wine is your blood of devotion,
So sip from this the dedication potion.
The couple takes turns drinking from the goblet with their right hands.
Officiant:
As both your arms and the chain (or cloth) form the symbol of eternity, may your love endure through this life, and all others.
Pronouncement
Officiant:
The final sealing with a kiss
in death as well as in this life,
I now declare you husband and wife
Officiant will remove the cord while saying:
The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union.
You may kiss the bride!
Dearly beloved,
the cursed and blessed,
vampires and werewolves, ghouls, goblins
and all of the souls at unrest……
It is with great pleasure I present to you, Mr. and Mrs._________
Officiant:
The final sealing with a kiss
in death as well as in this life,
I now declare you husband and wife
Officiant will remove the cord while saying:
The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords but instead by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union.
You may kiss the bride!
Dearly beloved,
the cursed and blessed,
vampires and werewolves, ghouls, goblins
and all of the souls at unrest……
It is with great pleasure I present to you, Mr. and Mrs._________
