Radiant Wedding

The Radiant Wedding is a secret and sacred marriage rite conducted by the Sacred Church of Hikari. It is a beautiful and intimate ceremony in which two souls are recognized as radiant lights, shining together as they step onto a shared path.
During the rite, the god Hikari is invoked to bind the couple’s destinies, illuminating their union and guiding them forward. Rather than focusing on spectacle, the Radiant Wedding emphasizes spiritual harmony, mutual devotion, and the promise of walking side by side under Hikari’s light.

Execution

Trial of Self-Honesty

Before a Radiant Wedding may be scheduled or planned, the couple must first undertake the Trial of Self-Honesty, a sacred rite intended to open the soul and reveal truth without deception.
A priest or priestess of the Sacred Church of Hikari leads the couple into a prepared chamber marked with a consecrated magical circle. Within the circle rest two yellow cushions, placed opposite one another. The couple sits facing each other, while the clergy takes their place at the northern point of the circle.
Once all are seated, the clergy speaks:
“Are you prepared to reveal yourselves to Lord Hikari and to one another?
The light Hikari grants this day will allow your souls to speak honestly and without veil.
Only by knowing one another in truth may your paths be joined as one.”
This moment marks the final opportunity to withdraw. If either individual chooses to step away, the ritual ends without judgment.
If both affirm their readiness, the clergy offers a prayer to Hikari, asking that his light bless the two souls revealing all truths and showing whether their paths are meant to walk together or diverge.
At the prayer’s end, the circle ignites with a warm, brilliant yellow glow. The couple feels Hikari’s presence as gentle radiance and quiet pressure upon the soul. While within the circle, falsehood becomes impossible. Thoughts, emotions, memories, and intentions rise naturally to the surface as the pair begins to ask one another questions.
The clergy does not interfere, remaining only as silent witnesses.
The trial may last hours or even an entire day, ending only when both souls have spoken fully and no further questions remain. Some couples emerge with deeper understanding and renewed devotion; others discover truths that drive them apart.
When the exchange is complete, the clergy offers thanks to Hikari for revealing the couple’s true path, and the light of the circle slowly fades.
Afterward, the couple is asked a final question:
Are you prepared to continue with the Radiant Wedding?
Responses vary some depart in anger or sorrow, calling off the union entirely. Others leave hand in hand, closer than ever, ready to walk forward together beneath Hikari’s light.

The Soul Connection Pendants

As part of the preparations for the Radiant Wedding beyond setting a date, inviting witnesses, and fulfilling the customs of one’s society the couple must commission a pair of ceremonial pendants.
These Soul Connection Pendants are crafted specifically for the wedding rite and must be custom-designed and made by an artisan. They serve a vital role in the ceremony, as each partner will exchange half of their pendant with the other, symbolizing trust, vulnerability, and the sharing of one’s path.
The design of each pendant reflects something deeply meaningful to the individual commonly motifs such as the sun, heart, or other symbols significant to the couple’s bond. While the artisan oversees the technical construction and gem-setting, each pendant’s design is guided by the individual wearer, representing who they are before the union.
Each pendant must be created in two interlocking halves:
One half retained by the creator
One half given to their partner during the ceremony
The halves must be able to securely lock together, whether joined with their original counterpart or with their partner’s pendant. This dual compatibility symbolizes both individuality and unity.
The finished pendants are designed to be worn on a chain, cord, ribbon, or other chosen necklace style, according to the couple’s preference. Once exchanged, the pendants are worn as lasting symbols of the bond formed during the Radiant Wedding.

The Radiant Wedding Ceremony

The Radiant Wedding may be held within a temple of the Sacred Church of Hikari or at any location deemed suitable, provided it allows ample natural light through windows, open ceilings, or wide apertures. Regardless of location, one rule is absolute:
The ceremony must begin at noon, when the sun stands at its highest point in the sky, allowing the blessings of Hikari to fall directly upon the couple.
The bride and groom wear formal garments of white or yellow, trimmed with accents of their personal colors rendered in soft, pastel hues. Each wears their ceremonial necklace, bearing the Soul Connection Pendant halves prepared for this rite.
At the stroke of noon, the couple walks forward together, meeting at the altar side by side rather than separately. The clergy opens the ceremony by reciting sacred verses chosen specifically for the couple, addressing both them and the gathered witnesses.
As the light intensifies, the clergy invokes Hikari’s presence. A gentle radiance washes over the couple, and with a touch upon each, a fragment of Hikari’s divine light settles within their Soul Connection Pendant marking the moment of binding.
The clergy then proclaims:
“It is time for these two souls to walk a single path.
Give now of yourselves your truth, your hearts, and your light.”
Traditionally, the bride speaks first, offering her vows. These words are deeply personal, revealing truths she wishes her partner, Lord Hikari, and all present to hear. When finished, she unlocks half of her pendant, holding it in her right hand.
The groom then speaks his vows, likewise offering his truth and devotion. Upon completion, he unlocks his half of the pendant, holding it in his right hand.
The clergy concludes:
“You have given your vows, your truths, your hearts, and your light to one another.
Now, share them.
Let the light of Hikari blend your paths into one.”
The couple exchanges the pendant halves, fastening them onto one another’s necklaces. As the pieces lock into place, the light surrounding them flares briefly—then settles into a warm, steady glow.
Finally, the newly bound pair turns to face the gathered witnesses, no longer two separate paths, but one radiant journey, walking forward together as husband and wife beneath Hikari’s blessing.

Blessed Soul Connection Pendants

After the Radiant Wedding, the pendants carry a fragment of Hikari’s divine blessing. This blessing allows the bonded pair to find one another in times of true need.
How the blessing functions is not fully understood. In some cases, the pendant itself grows warm, glows faintly, or tugs its wearer in a particular direction. In other cases, the pull seems to guide the person directly, even when the pendant is lost or damaged. No scholar or priest has been able to determine exactly why the blessing chooses one method over another.
There are many recorded stories. In one, a mother gave her child her own pendant half, and it led the child unerringly to their missing father. In another, a pendant guided a wife through wilderness and ruin to find her husband—gravely injured, his own pendant long lost.
The Church of Hikari teaches that the blessing does not respond to desire, fear, or convenience. Instead, Hikari knows when the light is needed, and more importantly, who must be found. When the moment comes, the blessing awakens—quietly, purposefully, and without mistake.

Related Organizations

• Sacred Church of Hikari