A Taoist-Inspired Wedding Ceremony
Hi there. I'm Lyndal, founder of the Little Lace Flower Company. Check out my About page to learn a little more about me and my team.
I'm very excited to be writing my first blog post for Little Lace Flower Company!
I thought I'd start with what was efffectively the start of my wedding styling journey - my own wedding.
As hubby and I both practice Tai Chi, we wanted a very unique, deeply personal wedding that included a lot of the beautiful symbolism from Taoist Philosophy.
I spent many months researching Taoist-inspired weddings and then putting together a ceremony plan that included many of the very meaningful and beautiful parts of a Taoist ceremony.
I avoided the more heavily religious parts because, whilst Hubby and I are both quite spiritual, neither of us are religious. With help from our celebrant, Don Manning, we used the plan to create our gorgeous ceremony.
As the ceremony was so different, Don very wisely suggested we write a detailed Order of Service so our guests would understand what was going on. I thought I'd replicate parts of that here so that you have all that you need to create your own beautiful ceremony. For my celebrant friends, I hope this might be a useful resource:
A Taoist Marriage
"Lyndal and Chris have chosen to unite in marriage following the guidance and principals of the Tao.
Tao is a Chinese concept signifying 'way', 'path' or 'route'. The Tao is a pathway to, and destination of, living a life that is full of grace, harmony and acceptance.
A Taoist marriage is about committing to a lifetime of loving and supporting each other by making choices that promote harmony and acceptance of themselves and each other.
It is also about extending this love and support to the family, friends and colleagues that surround them".
Setting the Scene
The Bagua
"Lyndal and Chris will be married standing inside the Bagua. This is an eight-sided Chinese symbol representing unity and wholeness. Central to the Bagua is the Yin-Yang symbol representing the masculine and feminine energies that make up all things.
Surrounding the Yin-Yang are the eight forces of nature: the four Yin forces of earth, mountain, wind and water; and the four Yang forces of heavan, thunder, fire and river. Yin and Yang
"Yin and Yang can be thought of as complimentary forces. These interact to form a dynamic and balanced system in which the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. And so it is for a strong marriage."
"Within each haf of the Yin-Yang symbol there is a small circle of the opposite. Eash exists in the other and each needs the other to exist. This is the essence of a successful marriage.
According to Yin-Yang philosophy, the universe is both constant and in an ongoing and ever-changing cycle. In the same way, a stable and long-lasting love is possible only when a couple lets go of expectations and embraces change: in themselves, their partners, and in their marriage. In this way, unconditional love is unconditional acceptance."
The Ceremony
Meditation and Prayers
"A Taoist wedding traditionally starts with guests taking a moment to meditate or pray so that the room is filled with warmth and heart-felt enery and love. If you feel comfortable, Chris and Lyndal would appreciate you supporting them this way".
Candle Lighting
"Jeremy, Isabel and Maja support their parents' marriage by lighting eight candles. These will be placed by Lyndal and Chris around the Bagua".
Entering the Bagua
"Lyndal and Chris begin their wedding ceremony by 'Entering the Bagua'. They place a candle at each of the eight forces of nature that make up the Bagua. In so doing, they hope their marriage might be blessed with wholeness, unity and balance".
Readings:
1. A Taoist Wedding (Hua-Ching Ni)
Excerpt from "Workbook for Spiritual Development of All People"
2. The Key To Love (poem, author unknown)
Exchange of Vows
"In the spirit of Yin and Yang, I promise to always work towards achieving a strong and harmonious relationship with you: a relationship that allows us to grow as individuals, and at the same time, to become more than we ever could be alone. I love you unconditionally and completely. I willingly give myself to you."
Exchange of Rings
"I give you this ring as a token of the circle of affection and tenderness I will surround you with. Wear it as a symbol of all that we share together."
Water and Fire Ceremony
"The water and fire ceremony represents the coming together of Yin (water) and Yang (fire). In the same way that fire and water creates steam, so a marriage create a new entity: One that is both different and greater than the sum of the two individual parts combined."
Blessing
"Lyndal and Chris, may the love that brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives, bringing peace and inspiration to each of you and those who know you. May you meet with courage the problems which arise to challenge you. May you meet with strength the toubles that beset you. May your marriage be one of ever growing depth, meaning and perfection, because of empathy, understanding and love you give to one another, in the life you now share".
Want to know more?
I hope this has been enlightening and helpful. If you decide you'd like to create a ceremony inspired by Taoist philosophy and would like to talk through your ideas, please don't hestiate to get in touch. I'm happy to share ideas and resources, and of course it would be an honour to design the perfect ceremony setting for you. Have a look at our services page for more information.
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