A Labyrinth of Love

Getting married on a labyrinth is a unique and meaningful experience. Here's how to do it.

BY: An interview with Helen Curry

Helen Post Curry, president of The Labyrinth Society, responds to frequently asked questions about labyrinth weddings.

Is a labyrinth the same thing as a maze? Why would someone want to get lost at their own wedding?

A labyrinth is different from a maze. A labyrinth is a single pathway that you can follow into the center and back out again. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth never forces you to make choices, and there are no blind alleys or wrong turns. Because there is only one pathway to follow in a labyrinth, you cannot get lost in it.

Can people of all religious traditions have a labyrinth wedding?
Yes, because the image of going into the center and coming back out again is so simple and so universal, it works with any religious or spiritual tradition. A Christian couple might design the ceremony using the service from the Book of Common Prayer, just as a wedding canopy, or chuppah, could be built in the center of the labyrinth, for example, at a Jewish wedding. A labyrinth can also work particularly well for couples who do not have a traditional religious background, as it can be the framework of a ceremony that the couple create themselves. The labyrinth is a clear space for whatever we wish to bring to it--traditional, nontraditional, or anything in between.

How can I find an officiant who is willing to perform a ceremony on a labyrinth?
It is possible that your own priest, minister, rabbi, or spiritual director is already familiar with the practice of using labyrinths for walking meditation, which is becoming more popular and more well known all the time. If they are not open to the possibility of incorporating the labyrinth into your wedding service, then you must decide if having a labyrinth wedding is more important to you than having that individual perform the service. If the labyrinth ceremony is your priority, you will need to look further to find someone either by networking, word of mouth, or maybe even through the internet. We are blessed in this country with countless religious traditions to choose from and people within them who range from the most conservative to the most liberal.

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