Wedding ceremonies come in all forms, and when you can incorporate traditions from a number of cultural, religious, or personal influences, this creates a truly unique and personalized experience for your guests and you as the couple.
A Four Directions Ceremony is a native america blessing that calls on the Four Directions (East, North, West & South) to bless a couple's journey in life.
The blessing is exclaimed as follows:
Blessed be this union with gifts of the East and of Air. From the east you receive the gift of a new beginning with the rising of each morning Sun, the dawn wind breathing into you both open of heart and purity of mind and body. May you know that each new day is an opportunity to grow in all you establish in this sacred moment.
Blessed be this union with gifts of the South and of Earth. In the south we see the earth that will feed and enrich you, helping you to build a stable home to which you may always return. May you walk upon it with respect, that it may provide sustenance, fertility and security of being, sheltering you for all of your days upon it.
Blessed be this union with gifts of the West and of Water. In the west we see the storm clouds and the oceans, the mystery of water teaching you the capacity to feel emotion through tears of sadness and of joy. May you offer absolute trust to one another, vowing to keep your hearts open and provide for each other in triumph and in strife, and travelling together into the deepest places one can travel to, trusting that everything will come together in Creator's Time.
Blessed be this union with gifts of the North and of Fire. In the north we see the northern lights, teaching us the importance of energy, passion, creativity and the warmth of a loving home. May you seek and share with one another the light that comes from the fire within, and may it guide you through the darkness; for there is no darkness without light and there is no light without darkness.
May the sun of grandfather bring you new happiness each day that you awake; May the moon of grandmother softly restore you as you dream each night when you are asleep; May the rain of our father the sky wash away your worries and the breeze of our brother the wind blow new strength into your being; May you walk gently on our mother the earth and know its beauty before, beauty behind, beauty above, beauty below and beauty all around; And may all the days of your life be blessed by the Great Spirit. Blessed be this couple.
As the officiant says this blessing, they will burn incense and blow the smoke in each of the four cardinal directions as they exclaim the corresponding portion of the blessing while lifting one arm up and holding the other palm out to receive and face the designated direction. To close the ceremony, they will walk around you three times with the burning incense, and conclude the blessing.
Meet our Modern Couple who incorporated this native american blessing into their outdoor wedding here!
Photo Credit: Danielle Holman Wedding @danielleholmanwedding
Matching His and Her Wedding Ring Sets: