Halloween Themed Wedding Ceremony

Halloween Themed Wedding Ceremony

​I love a good themed ceremony! With Halloween right around the corner I thought I would share my Halloween Themed Ceremony.
 
I had the joy to perform this ceremony five years ago. It was a large wedding, and everyone came in costume. It was so much fun! I was a witch.
 
My sister, Michelle and I wrote this ceremony together. Michelle was a huge heavy metal fan back in the day and she took a few lines from a Black Sabbath or Pantera song and we built from that. 
You may also consider substituting the vows or other wording from The Nightmare before Christmas.

​Halloween Ceremony with Goth Style Handfasting Vows 
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:
_____ and ___It is believed that the veil between this world and the next is thinnest on Halloween night. This makes tonight the perfect time to join two souls in matrimony lasting not only in this life but also the next.
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, To love 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,
Hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
I will stand between you 
And all which would harm you
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you, 
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
You take me as your husband
And I take you as my wife

_____ repeat to _____ after me these words: 
I will stand by your side,
Hunt at your back
And fly within your Soul.
I will stand between you 
And all which would harm you
I will shield you from the Light of Day with my flesh.
I will never betray you, 
For you are my Heart, my Soul and my Life.
I take you as my husband
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.
 
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: (lines 1 1nd 2 are taken from lyrics to Black Sabbath/Pantera, Planet Caravan)

_______ 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._________
​

Vows from The Nightmare Before Christmas

​The vows from A Nightmare Before Christmas:
 
My dearest friend, if you don't mind,
I'd like to join you by your side.
Where we could into the stars
And sit together now and forever
For it is plain as anyone can see,
that we're simply meant to be.
And with these hands
I will lift your sorrows.
Your cup will never empty,
for I will be your wine.
I will light your way in darkness,
I will take you as you are,
And for who you are,
In sickness and in health,
for the remainder of my life.
You are my strength
I can conquer the whole world
With one hand tied behind my back
As long as the other is holding yours