EXTRAS FOR WEDDING VOWS YOU CAN ADD IN

The following info is provided by
African Wedding Guide

Broom Jumping has become one of the most popular African traditions at weddings - traditional and African-centered. According to Harriette Cole in her book, "Jumping the Broom." The ritual itself was created by our ancestors during slavery.

Because slaves could not legally marry, they created their own rituals to honor their unions. Some say broom jumping comes from an African tribal marriage ritual of placing sticks on the ground representing the couple's new home.

The jumping of the broom is a symbol of sweeping away of the old and welcoming the new, or a symbol of a new beginning.

Today the ceremony can be performed at the wedding after the minister pronounces the couple man and wife or at the reception just after the bridal party enters the reception

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How to perform a broom jumping ceremony?

Supplies: Broom, Ribbon
A fully decorated broom can be purchased at ethnic stores, or a regular household broom will suffice. Broom sizes will vary, but it doesn't matter which you choose. If you decide to use your own broom and decorate it yourself, be sure it coordinates with your wedding colors. Using your own broom can also be a great bonding activity for the bridesmaids, perhaps the night, or week before the wedding.

Feel free to use bows, flowers (artificial or real), or other trinkets to make it unique. But don't overdo it. You'll probably want this for a keepsake in your home. Another idea is to have a basket full of ribbon pieces at the wedding or reception and allow guests to tie ribbons around the broom before you begin the ceremony. This allows the audience to participate, which is in keeping with the African tradition of community involvement.

The Ceremony
Have your host ask guests to form a circle around the couple as they stand in front of the broom on the floor.

The host should discuss the symbolism behind the broom as it relates to the joining of the couple and the combining of two families, and the need for the community to support the couple. Meanwhile have the couple hold the broom handle together and sweep around in a circle until the host or designated person is finished talking.

The groom should then place the broom on the floor and hold the bride's hand.

Have everyone count 1, 2, 3... Jump!

Breaking of the Glass

The breaking of the Glass is a Jewish Tradition with many meanings.
It is a s symbol of the distruction of the Temple in Jerusalem, a representation of the fragility of relationships, and a riminder that marriage changes the lives of individuals forever.

After the couple is pronounced Husband & Wife, the glass, or lightbulb, which usually is wrapped in a cloth or placed in a silk bag is then laid by the grooms left foot.

Verbage said by officiant:

We conclude this ceremony with the Breaking of the Glass. In Jewish tradition, the Breaking of the Glass at a wedding is a symbolic prayer and hope that your love for one another will remain until the pieces of the glass come together again, or in other words, that your love will last forever. The fragile nature of the glass also suggests the frailty of human relationships. Even the strongest of relationships is subject to disintegration. The glass then, is broken to "PROTECT" the marriage with the implied prayer - MAY your bond of love be as difficult to break as it wouild be to put together the pieces of this glass.

the groom then stomps on the glass with his foot and everyone shouts
Mazel Tov! which means "Good Luck and congratulations"!

VESSEL & ROSE CEREMONY

The Marriage Vessel and the Rose ceremonly may be used as an alternative the UNITY CANDLE especially for the outdoor type weddings. You will need a table for the vessel and the rose. Filling the vessel with water is only necessary if you use the second version below. The officiant begins by explaining the significance of the ceremony.
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B___ & G_____ have chosen to share two gifts, The Marriage Vessel and the Rose to symbolize their ever growing life-long commitment to each other. The spiritual roots of the The Marriage Vessel and the Rose grow out of an understanding of God as the Potter, or Creator of life -(holding the vessel to the crowd & God as the Gardener, or sustainer of life holding up the rose

The vessel of clay, lovingly shaped by the Potter, is a symbol of love's strngth and endurance. The miracle of the vessel is that it not only protects, but is enriched by that which it holds, "the rose".

Likewise, the rose born of the tiniest of seeds, symbolizes the beauty and potential of growing in love throughout life together. Both the vessel and the rose are individually unique, yet when combined, they create an object of even greater beauty.
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CEREMONY USE:
Generaly used prior to the ring section.

option 1:
Grooom presents the rose to the bride and says:
B____ this rose represents the beauty I see in you.
I thank you for the person you are
and the person I am becoming 'because of your love for me

Bride presents the vessel to groom:
G____ This vessel represents the strenth I see in you
I thank you for the love and care you have given me
and for all we will share together in this life.

Bride then places the rose in the vessel, they hold it together and say
AS OUR GIFTS BRING BEAUTY AND PURPOSE TO EACHOTHER
MAY OUR LIVES CONTINUE TO ENRICH AND STRENGTHEN ONE ANOTHER.

Officiant:
G___ & B_____ as you share each passing day and as your days become years remember this tradition you have created. on each wedding anniversary to come place an additional rose in the mariage vessel to show your ever growing love for one another.
May the marriage vessel and the rose always be a symbol of the beauty
and strngth you bring to each other's lives.

Vessel & Rose - 2nd option

Please review the earlier post for details of meaning.

version 2:
Groom hands Bride a long stemmed rose and says

B__ take this rose as a symbol of my love.
It began as a tiny bud and blossomed
Just as my love has grown for you

Bride places rose in to vessel filled with water and says

G__ I take this rose
a symbol of your love
and I place it into water
a symbol of life.
For just as this rose cannot survive with out water
I cannot live with out you.

Groom responds by saying
In rememberance of this day
I will give you a rose each and every year on our anniversary
as a re-affirmation of my love for you
and the vows we have spoken here today.

Bride says
And I will refill this vessel with water each year
ready to receive your gift
in re-affirmation of the new life you have given me
and the vows we have spoken here today

B & G join hands around the vessel and hold it up in front of them - and say together

Just as this rose and vessel of water give beauty and life to each other
so may our love blossom and grow
through out our life together.

May I have the ring bearer come forward please

Extra's - one partner to the new children

Vows from one partner to the children of the new family
(Just for you nel hehe)

Poetic lic. comes into play here.. say what you feel from the heart about them, and what your goals are as a family. I hope this gives you some ideas though to help your creative minds. I have one example that I love, and as of yet have tried but it sounds kinda neat.

FAMILY MEDALION:
This ceremony was created by Rev. Coleman it was designed to significantly include the children of those being married in the wedding celebration itself.

The Family Medalion provides a symbol for recognizing family relationships by adding a third circle to the two "marriage circles." During this part of the ceremony, the children shall come forward and form a circle withthe bride and groom who welcome the children into the family and verbally make a commitment to them.

Officiant:
Just as G___ & B_____ gave each other rings as symbols of their love and commitment to one another, so too they would like to present EACH OF you with a special gift as a symbol of their love and commitment to you.

The Family Medallion is made up of 3 intertwining circles
two of which symbolize the union of this man and woman in marriage.
The third represents the joining of children to this union making it complete as we celebrate the new family created here today.

B & G PRESENT THE CHILDREN WITH THE FAMILY MEDALLION AND GIVE EACH A KISS

You may order a family medallion and a complete copy of the ceremony itself from the following website: Familymedallion.com or by phone - 800 237 1922

Some other ideas you may use:

Children come forward, and join hands with "mom and dad"
B & G tell the kids:
Today as we become husband and wife we welcome you into our new family
We recognize you are a precious gift from God above.
We promise to be there for you always
to comfort you and care for you
to protect you and privde for you
to guide you and listen to you
and most of all
to love you with all of our hearts
all the days of our lives

You can give a gift to each child at this point:
Gift Ideas:
Pins, rings,corded medals, medallions, family crest pins
sealed with a kiss from both parents.

You may also do a Lighting of a Family UNITY CANDLE
Grooms kids, light the Groom's candle
Brides kids, light mom's candle
Mom and Dad then take their candles, and light the center candle

Once the unity is lit mom and dad, hold child's hand with candle and light
each child's candle from the Unity flame, and place it in a candle opera

Together we light this candle in love as we become one flame, one heart, and one spirit.

Once candle is in place mom and dad kiss the child, and they stand next to the brides maids, and ushers.