The Handfasting of
John Wayne Little and Nicole Jane LeBoeuf

Seven-Thirty in the Evening of Saturday, June 20, 1998
in City Park, New Orleans, LA

Initial Invocations

[Groom:]
Hail to the East, Powers of Air,
Isis and Hermes who shine with the dawn;
Stand witness to our rite,
And lend us your understanding.
By the wind that is our breath,
Hail, and Blessed Be!

[All respond:] Hail, and Blessed Be!

[Priestess:]
Hail to the South, Powers of Fire,
Brigit and Baldur, who blaze at mid-day;
Stand witness to our rite,
And lend us your strength of passion.
By the flame that burns in our heart,
Hail, and Blessed Be!

[All respond:] Hail, and Blessed Be!

[Bride's Witness]
Hail to the West, Powers of Water,
Oshun and Danballah, who shine in the twilight;
Stand witness to our rite,
And lend us your fluid grace.
By the sea that is our blood,
Hail, and Blessed Be!

[All respond:] Hail, and Blessed Be!

[Bride:]
Hail to the North, Powers of Earth,
Cernunnos and Gaia, who hold us through the night;
Stand witness to our rite,
And lend us your mountainous strength.
By the earth that is our body,
Hail,and Blessed Be!

[All respond:] Hail, and Blessed Be!

Opening Words and Welcome

[High Priestess (HPS):] We are witnessing today an important event in the lives of these two friends. Marriage is a religious ceremony in every culture, and each religion does it differently, reflecting the differences in faith. This is a wedding performed in the contemporary Wiccan tradition.

I welcome you to this special event in which Niki and John declare before you their commitment to one another.

Knots and Blessings

[HPS:] In our tradition, we honor those who have come before us, those we call our Elders. We respect them for the wisdom and knowledge they have acquired during their journey through life. At this time, we ask that the parents and grandparents of John and Niki come forward, to offer their blessings.

[As each Elder offers their blessings and advice, they tie a knot in the handfasting cord. Each knot represents a prayer for the couple's future life. This tradition, we are told, or one like it, is the origin of the Catholic rosary.]

Vows

[HPS:] Your marriage is intended to join you in a relationship so intimate and personal that it will change your whole beings. It offers you hope and indeed a promise of love that is true and mature, and a home that is a place of peace. To attain such love, you must commit yourselves freely and gladly.

Niki, will you love this man,
And accept his love,
Lean on him and uphold him,
Share his sorrow and joy,
Grow with him and learn from him?
He will be as the God to you.
Will you respect and honor him as such?

[Bride:] All of this, I swear.

[HPS:] For how long?

[Bride:] For a year and a day,
for evermore,
and as long as love shall last.

[HPS:] So mote it be.

[All respond:] So mote it be.

[HPS:] And you, John, will you love this woman,
And accept her love,
Lean on her and uphold her,
Share her sorrow and joy,
Grow with her and learn from her?
She will be as the Goddess to you.
Will you respect and honor her as such?

[Bridegroom:] All of this, I swear.

[HPS:] For how long?

[Bridegroom:] For a year and a day,
for evermore,
and as long as love shall last.

[HPS:] So mote it be.

[All respond:] So mote it be.

Exchange of Names

[HPS, to Bride:] What is your name?

[Bride:] Nicole Jane LeBoeuf, may the Gods hear.

[HPS:] Again, what name?

[Bride:] Nicole Jane LeBoeuf, may those around me hear.

[HPS:] Thrice: what is your name?

[Bride:] Nicole Jane LeBoeuf -- [to Bridegroom] and I give it to you.

[HPS, to Bridegroom:] What is your name?

[Bridegroom:] John Wayne Little, may the Gods hear.

[HPS:] Again, what name?

[Bridegroom:] John Wayne Little, may those around me hear.

[HPS:] Thrice: what is your name?

[Bridegroom:] John Wayne Little -- [to Bride] and I give it to you.

Rings

[HPS:] The circle is the symbol of the wheel of the year, the Sun, the Earth, and the Universe. It is the symbol of the Holiness, perfection and peace. These rings represent your unity in which your two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle, an enduring symbol of the promises which have been made.

[Bride and Groom, one after the other, give each other their rings, and say:]

In all our lives,
May we be reborn in the same time,
And at the same place,
That we may meet and know,
And remember,
And love again.

The Handfasting

[The couple's right hands are bound together by a "love knot," using a yellow braid of ribbon.]

[Priestess:] A handfasting is a promise made by two people to be bound to each other through the tribulations of life. The tying of the sacred knot symbolizes their commitment to their union. The cord symbolizes the continuity of life: Two ends, each with its own character, are actually one. When they come together to be joined, they formally show us that they are committed to their love and friendship.

Let us pray: Gentle Goddess, Powerful God, attest the marriage of your children, sorrow for sorrow, and joy for joy. Bless them as they take one another to hand and heart at the setting of the sun and rising of the stars. As they join their hands, may they betroth their souls.

Cakes and Ale

[On the altar are a cake (made by a neighbor), a cake knife (given by the bride's grandmother), and two chalices (made by the bridegroom's mother) filled with red and white wine (given by the bride's parents). HPS explains to the audience the use and meaning of the athame, or ritual knife, in Wiccan practice, and declares the cake knife to be an athame for the duration of this ceremony.

[HPS brings the athame to point downward into the chalice bearing red wine, and says,] As the athame is to the chalice, so is man to woman, and so are you to each other: blessed in union of mind and heart, body and soul.

[Bride gives the Groom to drink of the white wine, and says,]
May your life be filled with sweetness.

[Groom holds the red wine to the Bride's lips, and says,]
May your life be filled with passion.

[One after the other, Bride and Groom feed each other a bit of cake and indulge in a bit of silliness. This is a great moment for cameras.]

The Marriage

[HPS:] I, on behalf of this company, in the presence of your friends and generations of your families here and beyond, do hereby state what cannot be by anyone granted: that you are now, in fact, Husband and Wife.

[Bride, Groom, and Witnesses sign the marriage license and certificate. Of course the Bride and Groom kiss.]

Closing Words and Prayer

[HPS:] No single event marks a marriage. A marriage is the freely chosen union of two persons. You have exchanged promises of love and visible symbols of your covenant. You have joined yourselves in a shared destiny.

We, your family and friends, have had the pleasure of accompanying you on the journey here. You arrived as two and leave as one. May you never want for light, love, plenty, or happiness. May you always find your way with each other.

Let us pray: Divine Mother, Resurrected Lord, send you blessings on Niki and John. May their home be a place of peace and may their days be good and long together. Blessed be.

Closing Invocations

[Groom:]
Hail to the East, Powers of Air.
We thank you for your presence and all that it brings.
Our rite is ended.
Go now, and may we meet again.

[Priestess:]
Hail to the South, Powers of Fire.
We thank you for your presence and all that it brings.
Our rite is ended.
Go now, and may we meet again.

[Bride's Witness:]
Hail to the West, Powers of Water.
We thank you for your presence and all that it brings.
Our rite is ended.
Go now, and may we meet again.

[Bride:]
Hail to the East, Powers of Air.
We thank you for your presence and all that it brings.
Our rite is ended.
Go now, and may we meet again.

[Couple finish off the ritual wine. Company adjourns for photos, congratulations, and a party on the other side of the bayou.]