Better and Beautiful Weddings!

Other weddings are listed on the deposit page and those prices are not affected.  They are booked according to location, time, and date.

 

The selections below may be customized to your specifications and requirements.  Take the liberty of adding your own vows and make any changes (except Christian ceremony 1) to your final choices that you may desire.  

 

THE APACHE WEDDING BLESSING

Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness, For each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is only one life before you.
Go, now, to your dwelling place, to enter into the place of your togetherness,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

FROM THE PROPHET, BY KAHLIL GIBRAN

You shall be together forevermore.
You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.
You shall be together even in the silent memory of God.
Let there be spaces in your togetherness,
and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond love;
let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup, but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread, but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
even as the strings of a lute are alone,
though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
for the pillars of the

Temple

stand apart,
and the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

A READING FROM THE BOOK OF RUTH

Do not press me to leave you, and to stop going with you, for wherever you go, I shall go, wherever you live, I shall live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I shall die.

MARRIAGE IS A PROMISE OF LOVE, By Edmund O'NEILL

Marriage is a commitment for life-to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal, a joining that is promised for a lifetime.  Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships.  A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.  Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger; even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.  Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit  unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is  a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.

THE ART OF A GOOD MARRIAGE, By Wilfred Arlan Peterson

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.

In marriage, the little things are the big things.
I is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I Love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.

It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding, and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal.
 

SELECTIONS

SELECTION 1 (FAMILIES AND FRIENDS)

MINISTER: Would the immediate families of (Bride) and (Groom) please rise? (PAUSE) This is an important day for the families of (Bride) and (Groom). And so, I ask you: Do you bless them as they are married to each other?

RESPONSE: WE DO

MINISTER: Will the other family members and friends of (Bride) and (Groom) please rise? (PAUSE) You are here today to witness this marriage. And so, I ask you: Will you encourage them and support them in their marriage?

RESPONSE: WE WILL

MINISTER: Let us pray for the families of (Bride) and (Groom) who have given their blessing to this union: LET US PRAY! O God our Father, who in infinite wisdom has provided families as the protecting and nurturing units of our natural existence, We thank you for the families (Bride) and (Groom), for the strength, character, and joy which they have shared with them through the years. Thank you also for such good friends, whose love and friendship has mutually enriched each others' lives. IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN!

MINISTER: THANK YOU; PLEASE BE SEATED!

SELECTION 2 (MINOR CHILDREN STILL LIVING AT HOME)

MINISTER: (To the new step-parent) (Name), will you promise to guide, nurture, and love (names of children) with unfaltering devotion? Will you care for (him/her/them) as your own from this day forward?

RESPONSE: I WILL

MINISTER: (To the natural/present parent) (Name), will you share the joys and responsibilities of (names of children) with (spouse)? Will you trust (his/her) sincerity, and accept (his/her) love for (names of children)?

RESPONSE: I WILL

MINISTER: (addressing children from previous relationships) (Names of Children), You are entering a new family! Will you give to this new family, your trust, love, and affection?

RESPONSE: (I/WE) WILL

MINISTER: Let us pray for (this/these) (child/children) who (is/are) entering this new family life: LET US PRAY! O God, Father of us all, we ask you to bless with your great love (this/these) wonderful (child/children_____________________________________________________________).  They deserve the warmth, security, and environment of a loving family. Give to this new family unit, the peace and power and love which you have promised to all of us, Your Children! IN YOUR NAME WE PRAY, AMEN!

SELECTION 3 (ADULT CHILDREN)

MINISTER: (Groom), Is there anything else special you would like to promise (Bride)?

GROOM: (Bride), As I pledge you my love and promise to be a good husband, I also promise to love and support (names of children), and to treat them as if they were my own. I welcome (names of children) into my heart and my home.

MINISTER: (Bride), Is there anything else special you would like to promise (Groom)?

BRIDE: (Groom), As I pledge you my love and promise to be a good wife, I also promise to love and support (names of children), and to treat them as if they were my own. I welcome (names of children) into my heart and my home.

 

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

1. WEDDING ARCH

2. AISLE RUNNER (INFORM MINISTER IF RUNNER WILL BE USED)

3. CULTURAL AND ETHNIC TRADITIONS

4. RELEASE OF BUTTERFLIES OR DOVES

5. CEREMONIAL WASHING OF HANDS

6. HANDFASTING CEREMONY

7. COMMUNION (CHRISTIAN ORDINANCE)
 

 

(1)Christian:  (Ceremony 1 and 2 may not be altered in any form, it must be performed exactly as written.  Thank you for your understanding)

 

Dearly Beloved,  We are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of this congregation, to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony, which is an honorable estate instituted of God in paradise, in the time of man's innocence, signifying unto us the mystical union that is between Christ and his Church; which holy esstate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of the apostle Paul to be honorable among all men.  Therefore, marriage is not taken unadvisedly, lightly, or wantonly, but reverently, dicreetly, advisedly, soberly, and in the fear of God, duly considering the causes for which it is ordained.

 

One cause is the procreation of children, to be brought up in the fear and admonition of the Lord, the praise of God, and a remedy against all sin.  Secondly, that such persons keep themselves undefiled members of Christ's body.  Thirdly, for mutual society, to help and comfort, that the one ought to have the other, both in prosperity and adversity.  Into such a union these two persons now come to be joined. 

 

If anyone can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.

 

I require and charge you if you know of any impediments that ye confess it.

 

To the Groom:Wilt thou have this woman to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony?  Wilt thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health?  And forsaking all others keep thee only to her as long as you both shall live?

 

Groom says:  I will

 

To the Bride:  Wilt thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance, in the holy estate of matrimony?  Wilt though obey him, serve him, love, honorour and keep him in sickness and health?  And forsaking all others keep thee only to him, so long as you both shall live?

 

Bride:  I will.

 

Minister:  Who giveth his woman to be married to this man?

 

(Groom takes the bride by the hands)

 

Groom:  I _____ take thee _______ to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in icknes, and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part, according to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I plight thee my troth.

 

Bride:  I _____ take thee _____ to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better , for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickne, and in health, to love, cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinanace, and thereto I give thee my troth.

 

Ring Ceremony:  The rings are handed to the minister.

The Rings have alway been a token of the eternal and binding nature of the marriage ceremony.  As the rings have no end, so shall your love and commitment to this marriage have no end.

 

Groom (followed by the bride)

With this ring, I thee wed; and with all my wordly goods I thee endow.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

 

Prayer:

 

Eternal God, creator and preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, the author of everlasting life, end thy blessing now upon these thy servants, this man and this woman, whom we bless in thy name, that as Isaac and Rebecca lived faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them made, whereupon the ring is given, received, is a token and pledge, and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together and live according to thy law, through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.

 

Foramuch as _____ and ____ have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed the same here before God and this company; and thereto have given and pledged their troth either to other, and have declared the same by giving and receiving of rings, the joining of hands:  I pronounce that they be man and wife together.  In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.  Amen.

 

Blessing of the Couple for Offspring (omitted if couple requests)

 

O merciful Lord, and heavenly Father, by whose gracious gift mankind is increased:  we beseech thee assist with thy blessing these two persons, that they may both be fruitful in procreation of children, and also live together so long in godly love and honesty, that they may see their children's children, unto the third and fourth eneration, unto thy praise and honour; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Our Father, which are in heaven, hallowed be thy name.  Thy kingdom come.  Thy will be done in earth as it is heaven.  Give us this day our daily bread.  And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that tresspass against us.  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

 

(2) Brief Religious Ceremony: (May not be altered)

 

Friends we are gathered here to celebrate the love of ___________ and _______________ .  Marriage is a joyous occasion.  It is connected in our thoughts with the charm of home and with all that is pleasant and attractive in the tenderest and most sacred relations of life.  When celebrated in Cana of Galilee, it was sanctioned and cheered by the presence of the Lord himself; and is declared by an inspired Apostle to be honorable in all. 

 

And now, if you _______________ and __________________ have at present appeared for the purpose of being joined in legal wedlock, you will please signify your intention by uniting your hands. 

To the Groom:

 

Do you take the woman whom you now hold by the hand to be your lawful and wedded wife?

Answer, "I Do, or yes"

Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sicknesss and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or wore, and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her as long as you both shall live?

 

Answer, "I Do, or yes"

 

To the Bride:

 

Do you take the man who now stands by your side and who holds your hand to be your lawful and wedded husband?

 

Answer,  "I Do, or yes"

Do you promise, to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or wore, and forsaking all others, keep thee only unto him, so long as you both shall live?

 

Answer, "I Do, or yes"

 

You mutually promise in the presence of God and before all assembled here that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as husband and wife?

 

Both answer I do.

 

You will love, cherish, respect, comfort, and abide with one another till death do you part.

 

Both Answer I do.

 

Please receive your rings which symbols of the eternal nature of your union, the circle being unending so shall your love have no end. 

Each places the ring on the others finger

 

Groom:  With this ring, I thee wed. 

Bride:  With this ring, I thee wed

 

Reunite your hands

 

Having taken these pledg es of your affection and vows of fidelity, I do therefore, by authority of the laws of this State, sanctioned by divine authority, pronounce you husband and wife.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit Amen.

 

What therefore, God has joined together, let no one put asunder.

 

Prayer: 

O God our heavenly Father, who by thy mighty power hast made all things and set in order thy creation, and created man after thine own image and woman of similitude, grant now that they shall be forever be entwined in faithfulness, hope, and love.  Remove O God any spirit which may at this time or any the future which may strive to destroy what thou hast consecrated and made one.  You have made matrimony a marvelous and excellent mystery, that in it is signified and represented the spiritual marriage and unity between Christ and his Church.  Look mercifully upon these thy servants, that this man may love his wife according to thy word, as Christ did love his spouse the church, who gave his life for it, loving and cherishing it even as his own flesh, and also that this woman may be loving and amiable to her husband, faithful, in sobriety, and in peace, as a follower of holiness and godliness.  O Lord bless them both, and grant them to inherit thy everlasting kingdom.  Through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen

 

__________________________________________
CEREMONY A:   CIVIL/NON-RELIGIOUS
Who brings this woman to marry this man? (Dad generally says "her mother and I", or "I do").

(Groom) and (Bride), this is the time you have chosen to become husband and wife. We are here not only to witness your commitment to each other, but also to wish you both every happiness in your future life together. Within its framework of commitment and loyalty, marriage enables the establishment of a home, where through trust, patience, and respect, the love and affection which you have for each other may develop into a deep and lasting relationship. We who are witnessing your marriage, hope that despite the stresses inevitable in any life; Your Love, Respect for each other, Your Trust and Understanding of each other, will increase your contentment and heighten your joy in living. Everyday you live, learn how to receive love with as much understanding as you give it. Find things within yourself, then you can share them with each other. Do not fear this love! Have an open heart and a sincere mind! Be sincerely interested in each other's happiness! Be constant and consistent in your Love! From this comes security and strength. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us on this day of your marriage! Try to commit yourselves fully and freely to each other!

(Groom and Bride), before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the serious and binding nature of the relationship you are now about to enter! I shall now ask you to make your marriage vows!

(Groom), do you take (Bride) to be your lawful wife? Do you promise to love her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her for as long as you both shall live? (Response: "I do")

(Bride), do you take (Groom) to be your lawful husband? Do you promise to love him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him for as long as you both shall live? (Response: "I do")

RING VOWS

Groom: (Bride), With this ring, I thee wed.

Bride: (Groom), With this ring, I thee wed.

(Groom and Bride), As you have consented together to be bound to one another in lawful marriage, and have made special promises to each other which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows, and by the giving and receiving of rings, and by the authority vested in me, according to the laws of the __________ of __________, I now pronounce you husband and wife! YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)
 

CEREMONY B:   SEMI-RELIGIOUS

INTRODUCTION (OPTIONAL)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome each of you, the friends and family of (Groom and Bride) here to this ___________(WRITE IN DESIRED WORDING) to celebrate their love and witness their marriage!

Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Dad says "her mother and I", or "I do").

OPENING

(Groom and Bride), You are here to pledge to each other to be loving friends and partners in marriage; To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another; to respect and cherish each other's uniqueness; and to support, comfort, and strengthen each other through life's joys and sorrows. You must promise to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams, as you build your lives together. May your lives be ever intertwined; your love keeping you together!

(Groom and Bride), Will you now face each other and join both hands?

Do you (Groom) take (Bride) to be your wife? To join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond; a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new? (RESPONSE: " I DO".)

Do you (Bride) take (Groom) to be your husband? To join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, a commitment made in love, kept in faith, and eternally made new? (RESPONSE: "I DO".)

RING VOWS

(Groom and Bride), please receive your rings! As the rings have no end, so your love should have no end! They are a perfect circle representing the eternal nature of God.

GROOM REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: (BRIDE) I promise to love you, in good times and bad, with all I have to give, and all I feel inside, in the only way I know how, completely and forever. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home.

BRIDE REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: (GROOM) I promise to love you, in good times and bad, with all I have to give, and all I feel inside, in the only way I know how, completely and forever. From this day forward, you shall not walk alone. My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home.

PRONOUNCEMENT

(Groom and Bride), May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitement marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding, May you always need one another-not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence-no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another. Marriage is not only the beginning of a relationship, but also the end of a life-long search for the other half of your soul. By the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you, for the first time as husband and wife: Mr. and Mrs. (GROOM'S FULL NAME).

 

CEREMONY C:   SEMI-RELIGIOUS

INTRODUCTION / WELCOME (OPTIONAL)

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to welcome each of you, the friends and family of (Groom and Bride), here to this __________ (WRITE IN DESIRED WORDING), to celebrate their love and witness their marriage!

Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (Dad says "her mother and I" or "I do".)

(Groom and Bride), You are here to pledge to each other to be loving friends and partners in marriage. To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another; to respect and cherish each other's uniqueness; and to support, comfort, and strengthen each other through life's joys and sorrows. You must promise to share hopes, thoughts, and dreams as you build your lives together. May your lives be ever intertwined, your love keeping you together. You will build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honor for others and each other. May your home be forever filled with peace, happiness, and love.

CONSECRATION

LET US PRAY:

In joining you lives may God grant you both...
LOVE...to afford each other a special quality of time together.
JOY...in the accomplishments of one another.
UNDERSTANDING...that your interests and desires will not always be the same.
FRIENDSHIP...based on mutual trust.
COURAGE...to speak of a misunderstanding, and to work on a solution before the setting of the sun.
COMPASSION...to comfort each other in pain and sorrow.
FORESIGHT...to realize rainbows follow rainy days.
IMAGINATION...to keep with you part of the child you used to be.
MIRTH...from your sense of humor.
AWARENESS...to live each day with the knowledge that there is no promise of tomorrow.
May God Bless You and Keep You in the palm of His Hand. AMEN!

(Groom and Bride), will you now face each other and join both hands?

Do you (Groom), take (Bride), as your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part? (Response: "I Do")

Do you (Bride), take (Groom), as you lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do you part? (Response: "I Do")

RING VOWS

(Groom and Bride), please receive your rings! As the rings have no end, so your love should have no end. They are a perfect circle, representing the eternal nature of God!

GROOM REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: From this day forward, You shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home. With this ring, I thee wed.

BRIDE REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: I promise to love you, in good times and bad, with all I have to give, and all I feel inside, in the only way I know how, completely and forever. With this ring, I thee wed.

PRONOUNCEMENT

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years.
May happiness be your companion, and your days together be good and long upon the earth.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulties, and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives-remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if both of you take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

PRONOUNCEMENT

The greatest pleasure of life is love! God has joined you together-let no one tear you apart! "May the Lord Bless You and Keep You; May His Face Shine Upon You; May He Be Gracious to You and give you Peace, Forever!" By the authority vested in me, according to the laws of the __________ of __________, I now pronounce you husband and wife! YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)

Ladies and Gentlemen, before God we have all witnessed __________ and __________ pledge their love for each other; it is my honor to present to you, for the first time as husband and wife: Mr. and Mrs. (GROOM'S FULL NAME)
 

CEREMONY D:   CHRISTIAN

WELCOME TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS (OPTIONAL)

In the eyes of God, and each other, we are here today to celebrate (Groom and Bride) being joined together in Holy Matrimony. Marriage is a most honorable estate, created and instituted by God, signifying unto us the spiritual union, which also exists between Christ and the Church; so too may this marriage be adorned by true and abiding love!

Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (Response: "Her mother and I", or "I Do")

OPENING

(Groom and Bride) in the days ahead of you, there will be times of difficulty and conflict. When you find yourselves in these situations, I ask you to reflect on this marriage advice:

Let your love be stronger than your anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend than to break.
Look for the best in your beloved rather than the worst.
Confide in your partner, and ask for help when you need it.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.
Give your spouse the same courtesies and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.
Say "I Love You" every day!

And I ask you to remember what 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us of love: "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love is never-ending."

(Groom and Bride), will you now face each other and join both hands?

(Groom), do you take (Bride), as you lawfully wedded wife, to live together after God's holy ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health: and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for her, for as long as you both shall live? (Response: "I Do")

(Bride), do you take (Groom), as you lawfully wedded husband, to live together after God's holy ordinance in the holy estate of matrimony? Do you promise to love him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health: and forsaking all others, keep yourself only for him, for as long as you both shall live? (Response: "I Do")

(Groom and Bride), As You Know, it is a custom to exchange rings as a symbol of your love, and to seal your holy covenant. May we have the rings please?

GROOM REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: I, __________, give this ring to thee, __________, in token and pledge, of my constant faith, and abiding love, and with this ring, I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

BRIDE REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: I, __________, give this ring to thee, __________, in token and pledge, of my constant faith, and abiding love, and with this ring, I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

PRAYER OF CONSECRATION

God Bless this couple, __________ and __________, that you see before you this day! Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help them to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching for your perfection. May __________ and __________ see each other as healer, protector, shelter, and guide. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen!

PRONOUNCEMENT

__________ and __________, for as much as you have consented together in Holy Matrimony, before God and His witnesses, and have shown and pledged your love for each other, by giving and receiving rings, and by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! "What therefore God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE.

PRESENTATION (OPTIONAL)

Please allow me to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. (GROOM'S FULL NAME)
 

CEREMONY E:  CONTEMPORARY- NON-RELIGIOUS, INCLUDING SAND CEREMONY

CONVOCATION

This marriage and dedication of love has already taken place in the hearts and minds of this couple. We are here to listen to their vows for our own sake, and to help them celebrate their commitment to each other!

Who gives this woman to be married to this man? (Father of bride says; "I DO", or "HER
MOTHER AND I DO.")

INTRODUCTION

(Groom) and (Bride), every experience you have ever had, everything you have ever done, everything you have ever learned, has brought you to this moment, as you now stand before me to take each other as husband and wife. New experiences lie before you with opportunities to grow deeper in love with each other. As you walk hand in hand into the future, cherish each moment as a gift, a gift given to strengthen the bond between you!

READING

(Groom) and (Bride), The miracle of love is like the miracle of a flower. It thrives upon the sunshine of a smile. It entwines itself around the heart. Its roots are secured in the memories of yesterday. And its petals breathe the promise of joy-filled tomorrows. To be loved is to know happiness and contentment. To give love is to know the joy of sharing oneself. It is through the miracle of love that we discover the fullness of life. It is the miracle of love that brings us together this day, and the miracle of love that (Groom) and (Bride) have found in each other.

ADDRESS

This is a new beginning for both of you and I'd like to offer some gentle reminders to ease your life-long task of living and growing together. Be kind to each other. And when you disagree, do it respectfully! Be gentle and forgiving with each other. When you forgive, your hearts make room for a little more love, a little more understanding, and a little more compassion. Communicate with each other. Share the joy that's in your heart, and the sorrow that burdens your soul. Open your hearts and find your love!

EXPRESSION OF INTENT

Your marriage begins with the vows and promises you speak to one another today. The marriage vow is a promise of fidelity and honesty.

(Groom), do you love (Bride) willingly and completely, withholding nothing? Do you intend to protect her, and give consideration of her feelings, desires, and needs? (RESPONSE: I DO)

Do you intend to strive to keep your love flexible and adapt to changing circumstances in the marriage? And do you intend to be (BRIDES) counselor, helpmate, sweetheart, and lover, and her best friend, from this day forward? (RESPONSE: I DO)

(Bride), do you love (Groom) willingly and completely, withholding nothing? Do you intend to protect him, and give consideration of his feelings, desires, and needs? (RESPONSE: I DO)

Do you intend to strive to keep your love flexible, and adapt to changing circumstances in the marriage? And do you intend to be (GROOMS) counselor, helpmate, sweetheart, and lover, and his best friend, from this day forward? (RESPONSE: I DO)

CONSECRATION

May your days together be long, and may they be seasoned with love, understanding, and respect!

THE VOWS

(Groom), please repeat after me: I (Groom), take thee (Bride), to be my wife, and before these witnesses, I promise to be a faithful and true husband.

(Bride), please repeat after me: I (Bride) take thee (Groom), to be my husband, and before these witnesses, I promise to be a faithful and true wife.

THE RING SYMBOLISM

May I have the rings please?

Marriage is a state in which two people come together and create a union that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is difficult to express in words the profound relationship that is love. Since the beginning of time, the ring has been an emblem of the sincerity and permanence of a couples' love for one another in regard for their marriage. As the circle can begin anew at any point, so a good marriage can pick any point to renew itself. These rings are symbols of your eternal love. Let them always be a reminder of the vows, promises, and intentions, you made to each other today.

EXCHANGE OF RINGS

(Groom), as you place the ring on (BRIDES) finger, please repeat after me:

I give you this ring as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you: In all times, In all places, and in all ways forever.

(Bride), as you place the ring on (GROOMS) finger, please repeat after me:

I give you this ring as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you: In all times, In all places, and in all ways forever.

SAND CEREMONY

(Groom) and (Bride) have chosen to create a physical reminder of their vows on this day through a sand ceremony. Using these individual containers of sand, they will pour them into this single vessel symbolizing their union and their willingness to combine their two lives into one. Just as the grains of sand can never be separated and returned to their individual containers, so the couple is no longer two, but now one, with no willful intentions to separate from one another.

BENEDICTION AND PRONOUNCEMENT

May light and love surround both of you and always guide you to right action. May love, joy, and peace be yours in great abundance. Throughout this ceremony, you have vowed to be loyal and loving towards one another. And you have formalized your bond with words spoken, and the giving and receiving of rings. Therefore, by the power invested in me, by the __________ of __________, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

KISS

You may now seal this marriage with a kiss!

PRESENTATION

Friends, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. (GROOMS FULL NAME)
 

CEREMONY F:   CHRISTIAN INCLUDING UNITY CANDLE

WELCOME TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS

We have come here today to celebrate love. We see it in the faces of (Groom) and (Bride) who stand before us. It is a love which is spoken of in all religions and is our true home and meeting place. It kindles our souls with hope. We are grateful to them for inviting us to witness and share in this precious moment. May all who gather here as witnesses support and encourage their union and be blessed and uplifted as we celebrate with them!

Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (FATHER OF BRIDE: "I DO" or "HER MOTHER AND
I DO.")

OPENING

Marriage is a commitment for life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growing that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. As you enter into marriage today, I ask you both to reflect on this advice: Let your love be stronger than your anger. Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend than to break. Look for the best in your beloved rather than the worst. Confide in your partner and ask for help when you need it. Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship. Give your spouse the same courtesies and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.

SCRIPTURE

EPHESIANS 5:25, 28, 31, 33: Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the Church and gave himself for it. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife and they two shall be one flesh. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife respect her husband.

OPENING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, we pray that your love and your joy may flow through us and around us at this time. Shine your light upon (Groom) and (Bride) so that they may give wholly to one another in total joy. Nourish their minds with your wisdom. Enrich their hearts with your love. Feeds their souls with your peace. Bless their marriage with your presence. Give them the courage and inspiration to honor the vows they make here today! Amen.

VOWS (EITHER REPEATED AFTER MINISTER, MEMORIZED, OR READ)

I, (Groom), take you, (Bride), to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor and to cherish unconditionally. Forsaking all others, I will be faithful to you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

I, (Bride), take you, (Groom), to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to honor and to cherish unconditionally. Forsaking all others, I will be faithful to you. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

EXCHANGE OF RINGS

(Groom) and (Bride) have chosen rings as outward symbols of the commitment they share. For centuries, the ring has been a symbol of committed love. This unbroken and never-ending circle symbolizes a commitment to love that is also never ending.

(Groom), take the ring which you have selected and place it on (Brides) finger and say to her these words: I give thee this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.

(Bride), take the ring which you have selected and place it on (Grooms) finger and say to him these words: I give thee this ring in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.

UNITY CANDLE

(Groom) and (Bride), you have exchanged vows and rings expressing your desire to be united as one in a Christ-honoring marriage. As you enter marriage, may the light of his presence in your life be seen as a light in the darkness. May that truth be reflected as you now take the flames from two separate candles and blend them into the one center candle. May the Lord unite you with one faith, one hope, and one love.

CLOSING PRAYER

As we close this blessed ceremony, let's take a moment to ask for God's blessing upon (Groom) and (Bride), and their new life together. Let us pray!

Heavenly Father, it is our prayer at this moment that your presence and power shall rest upon this couple to keep them in times of difficulty, to sustain them in moments of abundance as well as in moments of poverty. I pray that you will write these vows indelibly upon their hearts, so that they may walk with you as they walk with each other. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

PRONOUNCEMENT AND KISS

(Groom) and (Bride), having witnessed your vows of marriage and by the authority vested in me, I announce with great joy that you are husband and wife. YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION

It is my honor to present for the first time as husband and wife: MR. and Mrs. (GROOMS FULL NAME)

 

 

CEREMONY G:  NON-DENOMINATIONAL INCLUDING JUMPING OF BROOM AND UNITY CANDLE

It is my pleasure to welcome each of you here to witness the joining together of (Groom) and (Bride). We have come here today to celebrate love. We see it in the faces of (Groom) and (Bride) who stand before us. It is a love which is spoken of in all religions and to this day they bring their love as a treasure to share with one another.

Who brings this woman to be this man's wife? (FATHER OF BRIDE: "I DO" or "HER MOTHER AND I")

OPENING

Marriage is a commitment for life, the best that two people find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities of sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Within its framework of commitment and loyalty, marriage enables the establishment of a home, where through trust, patience, and respect, the love and affection which you have for each other may develop into a deep and lasting relationship. May all who gather here as witnesses support and encourage their union, and be blessed and uplifted as we celebrate with them. The institution of marriage is to be honorable among all, and therefore should not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and discreetly.

FIRST READING (OPTIONAL)

VOWS

(Groom) and (Bride), will you now turn and face each other and join both hands?

(VOWS MAY BE REPEATED AFTER MINISTER, MEMORIZED, OR READ)

GROOM: (Bride), I give myself to you to be your husband. I promise to love and sustain you in the covenant of marriage, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long as we both shall live.

BRIDE: (Groom), I give myself to you to be your wife. I promise to love and sustain you in the covenant of marriage, from this day forward, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, as long as we both shall live.

SECOND READING (OPTIONAL)

RINGS

(Groom) and (Bride) have chosen rings as outward symbols of the commitment they make today. From the earliest of times, the ring has been a symbol of an unbroken and never-ending circle symbolizing a commitment to love that is also never ending. "MAY I HAVE THE RINGS PLEASE?" (RINGS ARE HANDED TO MINISTER: "WE BLESS THESE RINGS AND THIS

UNION"

GROOM REPEATS OR IS MEMORIZED: (Bride), I love you! Not only for who you are, but for who I am, when I am with you. With this ring, I thee wed.

BRIDE REPEATS OR IS MEMORIZED: (Groom), I love you! Not only for who you are, but for who I am, when I am with you. With this ring, I thee wed.

UNITY CANDLE

(Groom) and (Bride), you have exchanged vows and rings expressing your desire to be united as one in marriage. As you enter marriage, may the light in your life be seen as a light in the darkness. May that truth be reflected as you now take the flames from two separate candles and blend them into the one center candle.

PRONOUNCEMENT AND KISS

(Groom) and (Bride), having witnessed your vows of marriage, and by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

JUMPING OF THE BROOM (OPTIONAL AFRICAN-AMERICAN TRADITION)

Jumping of the Broom is a ritual, handed down from generation to generation to remind us of a time when our vows were not legally sanctioned. During slavery, our ancestors sought the legitimacy of marriage by jumping over the broom and into the bonds of domesticity. For our ancestors, this small ritual will be a legal and binding act connecting them with the heritage of the homeland, and giving legitimacy, dignity, and strength to their union. (Groom) and (Bride), you may now jump the broom!

 

 

CEREMONY H:   NON-RELIGIOUS

INTRODUCTION

We are gathered here today to celebrate the love of (Groom) and (Bride) who stand before us. It is a love we experience in our own hearts as well. It is a love of which is spoken in all religions, and is our true home, our true meeting place. It kindles our souls with hope. We are grateful to them for inviting us to witness and share in this precious moment. To this day, they bring their love as a treasure to share with one another.

Who brings this woman to be this man's wife? (FATHER OF BRIDE: "I DO" OR "HER MOTHER AND I
DO")

LOVE LETTERS

At this time, we will have the privilege of listening to the vows of (Groom) and (Bride). (Groom) and (Bride) have each meditated upon the vows that they will take this day, and have also written the words that they will share with each other. (EACH SHARES VOWS WITH THE OTHER)

RING EXCHANGE

GROOM REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: I, (Groom), give this ring to you, (Bride), in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love. And in appreciation of our unique and precious love, I give you this ring: To bind our hopes and dreams, and lives together. With this symbol of these promises, and those we have made in the past, I thee wed.

BRIDE REPEATS AFTER MINISTER: I, (Bride), give this ring to you, (Groom), in token and pledge ofmy constant faith and abiding love, And in appreciation of our unique and precious love, I give youthis ring: To bind our hopes and dreams, and lives together. With this symbol of these promises, and those we have made in the past, I thee wed.

UNITY CANDLE

(Groom) and (Bride), You have exchanged vows and rings expressing your desire to be united as one in marriage. Will you now light the unity candle symbolizing this union in faith, hope, and love?

PRONOUNCEMENT

For spirit we come, and to spirit we go: from their union the power of love will flow. The winds of reason will stir the air; and temper their quarrels with respectful care. Their bond is forged upon the fire and love will fill their hearts with steady desire. The waters of understanding will fill them up, and they will drink together from wisdom's cup. The earth and all heavens in her glory will smile upon this pair; health, harmony, and happiness
will be theirs to share. For what goes around, returns again to those who love. For the spirit of union reflects the pattern above, as these two hearts have combined like the flame of their candles, made strong by love. May the light of their love become a beacon by which they may always find one another. These children of love have lit a candle in the darkness of the world. May it always burn with a steady light, and if it should flicker or threaten to go out, may both raise a hand to guard and shield it. For the candle of their love may well assist other travelers on the road of life. For as much as (Groom) and (Bride) have agreed together according to the laws of this state, I as a minister of the gospel, declare that they are husband and wife. YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION

It is my honor and privilege to present to you for the first time as husband and wife:

Mr. and Mrs. (GROOMS FULL NAME)
 

CEREMONY I:   NON-DENOMINATIONAL INCLUDING HANDS CEREMONY

OPENING

It is my great pleasure to welcome each of you here to witness the joining together of (Groom) and (Bride). We have come here today to celebrate love. We see it in the faces (Groom) and (Bride) who stand before us. It is a love which is spoken of in all religions, and to this day, they bring their love as a treasure to share with one another. 

As we come now to join these two together in matrimony, who gives this woman to be this man's bride? (FATHER OF BRIDE: "I DO" OR "HER MOTHER AND I")

HANDS CEREMONY

(Bride), please face (Groom) and hold his hands palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.

These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within you.

These are the hands that look so large and strong, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief wrack your mind.

These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.

(Groom), please hold (Brides) hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young, and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.

These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go.

These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and back in the evenings after you've had a long hard day.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time she tells you that you are to have another child, that together you have created a new life.

These are the hands that will give you support, as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.

LET US PRAY! God, Bless these hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching for your perfection. May (Groom) and (Bride) see their four hands as healer, protector, shelter, and guide. We ask this in your name, AMEN!

PERSONAL VOWS AND RING EXCHANGE

(COUPLE SAYS OWN VOWS AND THEN EXCHANGES RINGS)

PRONOUNCEMENT

The greatest pleasure of life is love! By the authority vested in me, by the __________of_________,  I now pronounce you husband and wife!

KISS

YOU MAY KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION

Allow me to present, Mr. and Mrs. (GROOMS FULL NAME)
 

CEREMONY J:   SEMI-RELIGIOUS INCLUDING RELIGIOUS RING BLESSING AND BREAKING OF GLASS

WELCOME

Good (morning/afternoon/evening)! It is my great pleasure to welcome each of you here today to witness and celebrate an act of deep love. (Groom) and (Bride), in their devotion, respect, and love for each other wish to unite in the holy bond of marriage and to dedicate themselves to each other's happiness and well-being as life mates and partners. On behalf of them, I welcome you all!

Who giveth this woman to be married to this man? (FATHER OF BRIDE: "I DO" OR "HER MOTHER AND I DO."

Although this is their day, it is also a tribute to all of you. For knowing you and interacting with you has helped to make (Groom) and (Bride) who they needed to be to find each other. They would like to thank you all for that. All of you are the threads of which are woven the tapestry of their lives. Each one of you is an important piece in the story it tells. It is the fabric that they wrap around themselves and take comfort in when the world seems cold. And on days like today, when everything is right in their world, that tapestry is proudly spread out and displayed for everyone to see, with all the glorious colors and textures that your diversity adds. You will hold a place in their hearts reserved for those that they have chosen to call "family" and "friends" and they are deeply grateful for each and every one of you here today.

FOUNDATION

Marriage is an opportunity for great personal and spiritual growth. Marriage endures through the ages of trends and fads. As long as individuals are drawn by God, marriage will be a natural unfolding of that relationship.

Feelings come alive at a wedding! Great happiness! Some sadness. Apprehension. And sometimes pure relief! There is an acute awareness that something special is about to happen. Something is gone forever and something is born and tender. Something to be nurtured and cared for, protected and cherished, challenged and strengthened-your never before created marriage.

Each of you brings gifts to the other today. Gifts of hope and laughter, focus and seriousness of purpose. Sensitivity and recognition of the beautiful and profound. But these gifts are not to be yours alone. A strong and resilient marriage is not an escape from the world, but a contribution to it. (Groom) and (Bride), may you now combine and strengthen your gifts, to be offered as a distinct and beautiful gift to the world. For the world is in need of the beautiful and the good, and nothing is better suited to evoke that than a good marriage.

And now you stand before this loving community of family and friends, ready to acknowledge to the world: THIS IS MY BELOVED, THE ONE WITH WHOM I CHOOSE TO DEVOTE THE REST OF MY LIFE.

SILENT BLESSING

(Groom) and (Bride) would like to bring to mind their loved ones who could not be here today. Though they are absent physically, we invoke, through our thoughts and prayers, their loving presence.

THE QUESTIONS

(Bride) and (Groom), if you are ready to step into the holy circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations, and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands.

Do you, (Bride), take this man, (Groom), as your husband, to love him and to honor him, to nurture, serve, and support him, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by his side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so, answer now, "I DO."

Do you, (Groom), take this woman, (Bride), as your wife, to love her and to honor her, to nurture,serve, and to support her, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by her side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so, answer now, "I DO."

RING CEREMONY

And so we come, (Bride) and (Groom), to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love.

The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and power. The sky and earth are round. The wind in its greatest power swirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end, and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God, and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. You wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: WE ARE INDIVIDUALS AND YET WE BELONG; WE ARE NOT ALONE. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are, but also the union that you are now creating. MAY I HAVE THE RINGS PLEASE? "GOD BLESS THESE RINGS AND THIS

UNION."

(Bride), place the ring on (Grooms) finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow, and always.

(Groom), place the ring on (Brides) finger and repeat after me: With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow, and always.

WEAR THESE RINGS AS THE ENCLOSING BOND OF REVERENCE AND TRUST. FULFILL THE CIRCLE OF LOVE THAT NOW MAKES YOU ONE.

BREAKING OF THE GLASS

It is a Jewish custom to end the wedding ceremony with the breaking of a glass. The exact origins of this custom are unknown. There are various interpretations of why this is done. It is seen as a reminder of the destruction of the HolyTemple in Jerusalem and the many losses suffered. It was also meant to remind us, on a happy occasion like this, that the world is full of less fortunate people. Just as a broken glass can never be reconstructed, so too is this relationship forever. As (Groom) breaks the glass, I invite everyone to shout "Mazel Tov", or GOOD LUCK.

PRONOUNCEMENT AND KISS

Forasmuch as you, (Bride) and (Groom), have openly declared your wishes to be united in marriage, and in the presence of these witnesses, have pledged your love to each other, and have confirmed the same by joining hands, exchanging rings, and declaring your vows, and I having witnessed these vows, and by the authority vested in me, now pronounce you husband and wife. YOU MAY NOW KISS THE BRIDE!

PRESENTATION

Friends, I present Mr. and Mrs. (GROOMS FULL NAME)
 

Outline of Wedding Ceremony Possibilities

Processional (optional)

Invocation (optional)

Welcoming

Foundation

Song (optional)

 

 

Reading

(optional)

Parental Honoring (optional)

Silent Blessing (optional)

Candle lighting Ceremony (optional)

The Hands Ceremony (optional)

The Questions

Ring Ceremony

The Questions/Ring Ceremony Combined (optional)

Vows

Minister’s Blessing (optional)

Prayer (optional)

Water Ceremony (optional)

Wine Ceremony (optional)

The Rose Ceremony (optional)

Pronouncement

Benediction

Conclusion

Recessional

Other Possibilities include:

Butterfly Ceremony

Releasing Of Doves

Breaking Of The Glass

Ceremony For Honoring and Recognizing Children During The Wedding Service

Honoring The Directions (optional)

Hand-Fasting Ceremony

Anything Else That You Want!

 

Sample Wedding Ceremony (choose one option only!)

Processional (optional)-the bride and the wedding party walk up the aisle to the altar, usually accompanied by music

Invocation (optional-for those who want to start with a brief prayer)

Beloved Creator, Essence of Love, and Source of Hope, Open our hearts and fill us with Your Presence. You graciously give to us the longing for love and the capability of loving, and we give you thanks for Xx and Yy, for their beautiful hearts and willing spirits, and for the example of love that they embody here today. Elevate us to an awareness of the Sacred and the Eternal, as we celebrate this miraculous moment in their lives. Be with them on this joyous occasion of showing their love and making their vows; and be with us, their witnesses, that we might all be inspired by the blessings shared today. Amen

Welcoming (Option 1)

Good evening. It is truly a blessing from heaven for two people to find one another and to love so deeply that they embrace the holy bond of marriage. That is why we are all here today, to witness and celebrate Xx and Yy’s commitment to their union. On behalf of them, I welcome you all.

Welcoming (Option 2)

Good afternoon. We gather here today to witness and celebrate an act of deep love. Xx and Yy, in their devotion, respect, and love for each other wish to unite in the holy bond of marriage, and to dedicate themselves to each other's happiness and well-being as life mates and partners. On behalf of them, I welcome you all.

Welcoming (Possible Addition to Above)

Although this is their day, it is also a tribute to all of you. For knowing you and interacting with you has helped to make our Bride and Groom who they needed to be to find each other. They would like to thank you all for that. All of you are the threads of which are woven the tapestry of their lives. Each one of you is an important piece in the story it tells. It is the fabric that they wrap around themselves and take comfort in when the world seems cold. And on days like today when everything is right in their world, that tapestry is proudly spread out and displayed for everyone to see, with all the glorious colors and textures that your diversity adds. You all hold a place in their hearts reserved for those that they have chosen to call 'Family' and “Friends” and they are deeply grateful for each and every one of you here today

 

Foundation (Option 1)

Marriage is a gift from God, a miracle. After speaking to you both, it is obvious that you already know some of the great blessings marriage has to offer. It is an opportunity to feel the joy of taking care of someone who takes care of you, to be challenged towards growth yet gently nurtured, to love deeply and receive it in return. It is about trust, friendship and having a partner to share all life has to offer. It is a commitment to participate in a process of mutual evolution, understanding and forgiveness. It is indeed a sacred union to be treated with reverence.

Marriage is not a place to hide from the world. It is a safe place to grow and become wiser. It is a place to evolve into better people; so that you can go out in the world and make a difference by spreading the joy and wisdom that you have found with each other. Together in this marriage, you shall contribute more fully, for you both shall be more full.

Xx, Yy is a gift to you from God, but he is not a gift for you alone. It is God’s will that in your love, this man might find within himself a greater sense of who he is meant to be. You are asked to see the good in this man, to accept him for who he is and who he shall be. In this way, God’s purpose shall be accomplished in this relationship. May this man find the kingdom of heaven through the love you share.

And so it is with you also Yy, that although Xx is God’s gift to you, she is not a gift intended for you alone. You are asked by God to so love this woman, that in your love she might find herself as God has created her, so beautiful and strong and brave and true, that the entire world might be blessed by the presence of a woman who shines so. May she relax in your arms as she has never relaxed before. May she know, from now on, that there is one on whose love she can depend on forever.

May you both create, with God, a piece of heaven on earth.

Foundation (Option 2)

Marriage is the beginning of a new life, a chance at fulfilling long-held dreams, and an opportunity for great personal and spiritual growth. Marriage endures through the ages of trends and fads. Marriage thrives, and continues to live as a promise of a beautiful dream come true. As long as individuals are drawn together by God, marriage will be a natural unfolding of that relationship.

Feelings come alive at a wedding. Great happiness. Some sadness. Apprehension. And sometimes pure relief!. There is an acute awareness that something special, something that goes to the very heart of life, is about to happen. Something is gone forever, and something is born, brand-new and tender. Something to be nurtured and cared for, protected and cherished, challenged and strengthened--your never-before-created marriage.

Each of you brings gifts to the other today. Gifts of hope and laughter, focus and seriousness of purpose. Sensitivity and recognition of the beautiful and the profound. Since childhood, you have searched for and dreamed about that special someone who would embody and express the gifts you now stand ready to give and to receive. But these gifts are not to be yours alone. A strong and resilient marriage is not an escape from the world but a contribution to it. Xx and Yy, may you now combine and strengthen your gifts, to be offered as a distinct and beautiful gift to the world. For the world is in need of the beautiful, the good and the holy and nothing is better suited to evoke that than a good marriage.

And now you stand before this loving community of family and friends, ready to acknowledge to God and to the world: this is my beloved, the one with whom I choose to create the rest of my life.

Foundation (Option 3)

Marriage is a supreme sharing, perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyful uniting of a man and a woman whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take its sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the waters of two rivers are joined when they come together to form an even greater one.

A true spiritual marriage is an act of metamorphosis, a profound mystery of creation and rebirth, as two become one. It is not a giving up or loss of oneself, but rather a giving over of oneself to something greater-a transformation of self in which each one can say, "I am no longer only I but also we." It is a process in which each can be challenged to discover new possibilities in themselves and each other.

In such a marriage, the wedding ceremony is the gateway into this mystery. For the lives the two of you have lived up until this moment are, in some sense, now truly completed and over. Together you now live within the creation of something wholly new and transcendent, something which has never existed before-your miraculous marriage-an expression that is at once public and private, precious, sacred, and truly unique to the two of you. In this act, you open yourselves to a fuller experience and expression of the great, vast miracle of love.

No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that-through love, patience, dedication, perseverance-through talking and listening and trying to understand-through helping and supporting and believing in each other-through learning to forgive, learning to respect and

appreciate your differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.

Parental Honoring (optional)

Xx and Yy want to acknowledge their parents on this occasion, ________________. Xx and Yy offer their profound gratitude to their parents for all the love and care they showed in raising them. The unconditional gifts of love and support that you have continually offered have inspired them to become who they are today, and they thank you, from the bottom of their hearts, for guiding them to this celebration of love here today. Without you, this day would not be possible.

Silent Blessing (Optional)

We now close our eyes and bring to mind any loved ones who could not be here today. Though they are absent physically, we invoke, through our thought and prayers, their loving presence. We pray that God might multiply beyond measure the blessings from these loved ones to this loving couple, and any children who might one day be a part of this union. Now, from our hearts, we ourselves visualize and sanctify all the blessings we would bestow on Xx and Yy in their lives as a couple and a family. And in our sincere desire to bless, we in turn, are blessed also. Blessed Be.

Candle Lighting Ceremony (Optional)

(Note: This ceremony can be done with 4 candles, as its written here, or can be modified to use the Unity Candle, which has 3 candle. Kindly bring candles and candleholders)

Within each human being burns the spark of the Divine. When two people love one another with devotion and freedom, they kindle the awareness of that spark in each other as nothing else quite can do. The lighted candle is symbolic of the cosmic creation and the light and truth in the human heart, mind and soul. Fire also symbolizes both purity and passion. For many, the flame means the security of home and family, the warmth of the hearth.

Take into your beings the warmth, radiance and light that the divine flame represents. Let it light your way on the journey of life that you are about to embark on.

In committing to one another today, in the spirit of being born new to one another, you kindle each other’s divine light and promise always to see that light in one another-to nurture and tend that divine flame in your partner as best you can each day-especially at the times it may be hardest to see, and the times your partner may doubt or forget the existence of that light within him-or herself.

.

Xx, take this candle now and symbolically enter the sacred trust to honor the divine spark in Yy by lighting it from this candle representing the Divine Source. (She lights candle)

Yy, take this candle now and symbolically enter the sacred trust to honor the divine spark in Xx by lighting it from this candle representing the Divine Source. (He lights candle)

If at this time you wish to affirm your free choice to unite as partners in marriage, please light the unlit candle together now. (They light unlit candle together) As you bring your individual flames together to symbolically form the new and greater flame of your marriage, never forget that the light of your union is made up of your unique, individual expressions of light and is continually sustained and renewed by your connection to the Divine Spark, the eternal light of God.

The candle you lit together symbolizes your marriage, your willingness to surrender to something greater than yourselves. May the light of your marriage, Xx and Yy, be a beacon in the night, a safe harbor from the storms of life. May your future be made infinitely brighter by the light and the love that you share.

.

The Hands Ceremony (optional)

Xx and Yy, Please face each other and take each other’s hands, so that you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

The Questions

(Optional Question-Who gives this woman to be the bride of this man? (The father/parents stand up, respond "I/We do" and then are seated))

Xx and Yy, If you are ready to step into the holy circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands.

Do you, Xx take this man, Yy as your husband, to love him and to honor him, to nurture, serve and support him, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by his side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so, answer now, "I do."(Bride answers, "I do")

Do you, Yy take this woman, Xx as your wife, to love her and to honor her, to nurture, serve and support her, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by her side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so answer now, "I do."(Groom answers, "I do")

Ring Ceremony

And so we come Xx and Yy, to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love.

The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and the power of God. The sky and the earth are round. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.

God, bless these rings and the two who exchange them. Fill them with your Holy

Presence. Keep them safe in the circle of Your protection and love.

Xx, place the ring on Yy’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow and always." or ("I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.") or (“As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you.”)

Yy, place the ring on Xx's finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, today, tomorrow and always." or ("I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine.") or (“As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you.”)

Wear these rings as the enclosing bond of reverence and trust. Fulfill the circle of love that now makes you one.

Questions/Ring Ceremony Combined

Do you have your rings? (They respond, “Yes”)

The circle has long been a symbol of God. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.

God, bless these rings and the two who exchange them. Fill them with your Holy

Presence. Keep them safe in the circle of Your protection and love.

Yy, as you place this ring on Xx, I now ask you: Do you take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife? Do you promise God, Xx and all of us here that from this point forward, your arms may be her shelter and your heart may be her guide? Do you promise to support her and nourish her and to love and respect and honor her for the rest of your days on earth? If so please answer “I do.”

 

Xx, as you place this ring on Yy, I now ask you: Do you take this man to be your lawful wedded husband? Do you promise God, Yy and all of us here that from this point forward, your arms may be his shelter and your heart may be his guide? Do you promise to support him and nourish him and to love and respect and honor him for the rest of your days on earth? If so please answer “I do.”

 

Vows (Couple can say their own prepared vows or choose from samples below. Vows may be

a) read entirely by minister;

b) read phrase by phrase by minister and repeated by wedding partners;

c) read entirely by wedding partners.)

(Vows -Option 1) –Couple writes their own vows

Xx and Yy, having thus committed themselves, now wish to declare their love for one another in words that they have written.

(Vows -Option 2)

Please join hands, look into each other's eyes, and repeat after me:

From this day forward,

I make a promise:

what ever happens,

you shall not walk alone.

I'll stand by your side,

and sleep in your arms,

I'll be the joy in your heart,

and the food for your soul,

May you feel deeply loved

for indeed you are.

Through our brightest days

and our darkest nights,

I take you,

into my heart.

May God bless us,

with a great light,

around our hearts,

and around our home.

I see your beauty,

your innocence and light.

May it shine.

May the world see how beautiful you are

as I see how beautiful you are,

but may there be a special light

that only I can see.

I give you my heart.

May we feel this joy forever.

Thank you God.

Amen

(Vows -Option 3)

From this day on

I choose you to be my beloved soul mate,

to live with you and laugh with you;

to stand by your side and sleep in your arms;

to be joy to your heart and food to your soul;

to bring out the best in you always;

to be the best I can be, just for you;

to celebrate with you in the good times;

to struggle with you in the bad;

to solace you when you are down-hearted;

to wipe your tears with my hands;

to care for you with my entire being;

to share with you everything that I have;

as we treat each other with tenderness, compassion and love.

 

(Vows Option 4-Traditional Vows)

Please join hands, look into each other’s eyes, and repeat after me:

I, Yy, take thee, Xx, for my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live.

I, Xx, take thee, Yy, for my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health as long as we both shall live.

Minister’s Blessing (Optional)

Xx and Yy, younow have the opportunity for expressing through your union and partnership, God’s glory, love and healing. How could this be? Through devotion and service to each other. Through patience, kindness, total acceptance of each other, tempered by the willingness to change. You will be tempted, as time goes by, to take for granted the love which today seems so precious and dear, to speak to and treat each other in ways that do not reflect the highest good in both of you. Resist it. Promise to always see the goodness in your partner, even when it’s especially difficult. God will provide you the way, if you are willing. He is the key to your success as a married couple. Call on Him devotedly and consistently to guide your thinking and bless your home. May this marriage be to you a heavenly sanctuary. God bless you.

Songs,

Readings, Poems and Prayers (Optional) (see the last half of this package for samples)

Water Ceremony (Optional)

There is a saying in Eastern tradition that when you have love, even plain water is sweet. The clear water that you share today reflects the beauty and simplicity that is available to you both in remembering and devoting yourselves to the principal of love in your marriage. May it grow sweeter with each passing year. You may now drink from this fountain of love. (Couple gives each other a drink from the same glass)

Wine Ceremony (Optional)

In this glass are the fruits of God, Mankind and Mother Earth. The years of our lives are like a cup of wine that is poured out for the sake of labor, honor and love. Many days you will sit at the same table and eat and drink together. Many are the experiences you will share. As with a glass of wine, one of you may find it sweet, the other perhaps dry or somehow different. Let the drink you share today serve as a reminder that although you may perceive things very differently, being right is never more important than being happy. With this space that you give each other, always putting your commitment to love and honor one another first, your lives together will grow deeper, richer and greatly satisfying, like a rare and fine wine. You may now drink from this fountain of love. (Couple gives each other a drink from the same glass)

The Rose Ceremony (optional)

(Minister gives bride and groom a rose) Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other. You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.

In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose. Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife. (couple exchanges roses)

In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.

Xx and Yy, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.

In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt those who we most love. It is easiest to be hurt by those who we most love. It might be difficult some time to be able to express the words "I am sorry" or "I forgive you" or "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.

That rose says the words: "I still love you." The other should accept this rose for the words which cannot be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today.

Xx and Yy, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure.

Butterfly or Dove Ceremony (in which live, beautiful butterflies or doves are released to the Heavens)-Let us know if you are interested in this.

Pronouncement (Option 1)

Xx and Yy, in the presence of God, your family and friends today, you have spoken the words and performed the rites which unite your lives. It is my legal right as a minister and my greatest joy and privilege to declare you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride. (or “As kisses are messengers of love, please kiss now and let soul meet soul on each other’s lips.")

Pronouncement (Option 2)

Forasmuch as you, Xx and you, Yy, have openly declared your wishes to be united in marriage, and in the presence of these witnesses have pledged love to each other, and have confirmed the same by joining hands, exchanging rings and declaring your vows, I as a minister and legally authorized to do pronounce that you are now husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride. (or “As kisses are messengers of love, please kiss now and let soul meet soul on each other’s lips.")

Ceremony For Honoring and Recognizing Children During The Wedding Service

(If you would like this as part of your wedding, see the last page of this wedding package)

Benediction (Option 1)

May God’s blessings rest upon you, may God’s peace abide with you, and may God’s presence illuminate your hearts, now and forevermore. Amen.

Benediction (Option 2)

May the Peace that passes all understanding be yours now and forevermore.

Benediction (Option 3)

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

Benediction (Option 4)

The two of you are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness. May you two find in each other the love for which all men and women long. May you grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home that you establish be such a place of sanctuary that all who visit will find there a friend. And may the Lord bless you and keep you forevermore. Amen.

Benediction (option 5) The Irish Wedding Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.
And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.

Conclusion: And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. ________________.

Recessional (optional)

The End (or more truthfully, The Beginning!)

Sample

Readings, Poems and Prayers That Can Be Used Within Your Ceremony:

(Helpful Hint: For your convenience, all of the following are on our website, so you don’t need to print them out if you don’t want to.)

The Key To Love

The key to love is understanding...
The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word,
but those unspoken gestures,
the little things that say so much by themselves.

The key to love is forgiveness...
to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
without forgetting, but with remembering
what you learn from them.

The key to love is sharing...
Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together;
both conquering problems, forever searching for ways
to intensify your happiness.

The key to love is giving...
without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile,
and by giving in but never giving up.

The key to love is respect...
realising that you are two separate people, with different ideas; that you don't belong to each other,
that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.

The key to love is inside us all...
It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold;
it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work... but the rewards are more than worth the effort...
and that is the key to love.

1 Corinthians 13 (often used in Christian weddings)

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or

a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if

I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain

nothing.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful;

it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or

resentful;

it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will

cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.

For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect;

but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away.

When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child;

when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.

For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I

shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.

So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

Psalm 1 (often used in Jewish or interfaith weddings)

Blessed are the man and the woman who have grown beyond themselves and have seen through their separations. They delight in the way things are and keep their hearts open, day and night. They are like trees planted near flowing rivers, which bear fruit when they are ready. Their leaves will not fall or wither. Everything they do will succeed.

On Friendship

by Roy Croft (also called 'Love'; also called 'To my Friend')

I love you, not for what you are, but what I am, when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

I love you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart and passing over all the frivolous and weak things that you cannot help seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful and radiant things that no one else has looked quite far enough to find...

I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate could have done to make me happy.

You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign.
You have done it by being yourself.
Perhaps that is what being a friend means after all.

Apache Marriage Blessing

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

What is Love?

by Susan Polis Schutz

Love
Love is the strongest feeling known
an all -encompassing passion
an extreme strength
an overwhelming excitement

Love is trying not to hurt the other person
trying not to change the other person
trying not to dominate the other person
trying not to deceive the other person

Love is understanding each other
listening to each other
supporting each other
having fun with each other.

Love is not an excuse to stop growing
not an excuse to stop making yourself better
not an excuse to lessen one's goals
not an excuse to take the other person for granted

Love is being completely honest with each other
finding dreams to share
working towards common goals
sharing responsibilities equally

Everyone in the world wants to love
Love is not a feeling to be taken lightly
Love is a feeling to be cherished, nurtured and cared for
Love is the reason for life

From This Day Forward

From this day forward, let us laugh together, and plan together,
let us find our favorite places, and go together...
Let us enjoy the sunshine, and the rain,
being alone together, and in crowds together...
From this day forward, together,
Let us love!
Let Us Walk Together
Let us walk together yet not as one, but such that our shadows are separate and distinct, such that our souls are unbound and free.
Let us share our time, yet do not give all your time, nor take all of mine for in order to develop to the fullest, to be free, we must have solitude and individuality.

Let me wander in solitude, when I need to be alone, yet be near, when I need you.
Let us share our love.
Give freely of your love, but do not smother me, my soul must breathe a free air.
Take my love, but do not demand it, for love given of obligation, is stale and without life.
Let us share our lives.

Share my life, but do not try to shape it.
Let me share your life, but do not let it revolve around me.
Let us share ourselves.
Accept me as I am, do not attempt to change me to fit your dreams.
Respect me for what I am, not for what I was or one day may be.
Share yourself with me, but do not allow me to limit your freedom or bind your soul.
Let us share our minds, thoughts, goals, values and dreams.
Let us develop these within ourselves without restriction or loss of freedom

Thus our two free souls, may wander together as they develop in freedom.
As we share our lives, as we walk through life together, know my love is yours, but not my soul for it must be free.

From 'Letters to a Young Poet'

Rainer Maria Rilke

For one human being to love another human being: that is perhaps the most difficult task that has been entrusted to us, the ultimate task, the final test and proof, the work for which all other work is merely preparation. Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person - it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in himself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person; it is a great, demanding claim on him, something that chose him and calls him to vast distances.

From To Know Yourself, by Swami Satchidananda:

A wedding is between two reflections of God. Two pairs of eyes see one vision. They are dedicated to serve one another and the humanity at large. Two minds come together to help each other realize their true nature. Going side by side with the right partner is a good way to reach God quickly. When the husband's and the wife's love for each other blends together and becomes love of God, marriage is a divine institution.

 

The next passage is from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran.

And what of Marriage, master?

And he answered saying:

You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the white wings of death scatter your days.

Ay, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

But let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

Sing and Dance together and be joyous, but each one of you be alone.

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart, And the oak tree and the cypress grow

not in each other's shadow

Navajo Prayer

When you were children, you talked like children, But now that you've grown, you should be done with childish things and put them away. When you were children, you looked into a mirror that gave only a blurred reflection of reality. But with love and maturity, you shouldn't be afraid to look into that mirror and see each other face to face. Be swift like the wind in loving each other. Be brave like the sea in loving each other. Be gentle like the breeze in loving each other. Be patient like the sun who waits and watches the four changes of the earth in loving each other. Be wise like the roaring of the thunder clouds and lightning in loving each other. Be shining like the morning dawn in loving each other. Be proud like the tree who stands without bending in loving each other. Be brilliant like the rainbow colors in loving each other. Now, forever, forever, there will be no more loneliness because your worlds are joined together with the world. Forever, forever.

Anne Morrow Lindburgh:

“When you love someone you do not love them all the time, in exactly the same way, from moment to moment. It is an impossibility. The only continuity possible, in life as in love, is in growth, in fluidity, in freedom, in the sense that dancers are free, barely touching as they pass, but partners in the same pattern.

The only real security is not in owning or possessing, not in demanding or expecting, not in hoping even. Security in a relationship lies neither in looking back to what was in nostalgia, nor forward to what might be in dread or anticipation, but living in the present relationship and accepting it as it is now. One must accept the security of the winged life, of ebb and flow, of intermittency.”

 

Blessing For A Marriage ~ James Dillet Freeman ~

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.

May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.

May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.

If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.

May you enter into the mystery, which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side-by-side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.


 

Excerpt from The Bridge Across Forever (Richard Bach)

A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.

Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love

-By Edmund O'Neill

Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.

Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. And there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.

Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique unto themselves, which binds them, closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.

On Love~ By Thomas Kempis ~

Love is a mighty power,
a great and complete good.
Love alone lightens every burden, and makes rough places smooth.
It bears every hardship as though it were nothing, and renders
all bitterness sweet and acceptable.

Nothing is sweeter than love,
Nothing stronger,
Nothing higher,
Nothing wider,
Nothing more pleasant,
Nothing fuller or better in heaven or earth; for love is born of God.

Love flies, runs and leaps for joy.
It is free and unrestrained.
Love knows no limits, but ardently transcends all bounds.
Love feels no burden, takes no account of toil,
attempts things beyond its strength.

Love sees nothing as impossible,
for it feels able to achieve all things.
It is strange and effective,
while those who lack love faint and fail.

Love is not fickle and sentimental,
nor is it intent on vanities.
Like a living flame and a burning torch,
it surges upward and surely surmounts every obstacle.

What Is Love? ~ Author Unknown ~

Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. For love is the creator of our favorite memories and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all - one known only by those who love.

True Love -Author Unknown

True love is a sacred flame
That burns eternally,
And none can dim its special glow
Or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones
And hears with gentle ear,
True love gives with open heart
And true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands
It neither rules nor binds,
And true love holds with gentle hands
The hearts that it entwines.

The Art of Marriage
The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and
the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

Prayers

Prayer (Option 1)

Let us Pray: Dear God, thank you for this joyous day. Thank you for Your Light that has entered Xx and Yy’s life. Thank you for all the miracles and blessings. Please bless this union. Help Xx and Yy find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish. Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them. May all their future creations be blessed. God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace. Amen.

Prayer (Option 2)

Father of mankind, whose nature is love, look with favor upon this woman and this man who desire to make their vows before you. We are grateful for the providence that has led to this union. Grant this to be more than an outward union, but also the blending of hearts and spirits and purposes. Bless each with the inward qualities of integrity, trust, cooperation and forgiveness, that they may live together in love and peace. Amen.

Prayer (option 3)-adapted from Illuminata by Marianne Williamson

Dear God, Please make of this relationship a great and holy adventure. May their joining be a sacred space. May the two of them find rest here, a haven for their souls. Remove from them any temptation to judge themselves or each other or to direct each other. May they surrender to You their conflicts and their burdens. We know You are their Answer and their rock. Help them not forget. Bring them together in heart and mind as well as body and guide them in the ways of holiness. May this relationship be a burst of light. May it be a fount of love and wisdom for them, for their family, for their community, and for their world. May this bond be a channel for Your love and healing, a vehicle of Your grace and power. As lessons come and challenges grow, let them not be tempted to forsake each other. Let them always remember that in each other they have the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful man, the strongest one, the sacred one in whose arms we are repaired. May they remain young in this relationship. May they grow wise in this relationship. Bring them what You desire for them. And show them how you would have them be. Thank You, dear God.

The Lords’ Prayer (Option 4)

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallow be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.) Amen

Prayer (option 5)

Gracious God, spirit of life and love, we ask all blessings upon Yy and Xx in their life together. May they be blessed with patience, to see them through times of tensions or conflict. May they be blessed with kindness, to enable them to nurture and care for one another in times of pain or sorrow. May they be blessed with a spirit of play and joyfulness, that they may participate fully in the beauties and pleasures of creation. May they be blessed, finally, with a knowledge of the ever-flowing presence of love in the world, that they may be channels of this love to one another and to all whom they meet in their life’s journey. Amen.

Honoring The Directions (used in earth honoring traditions)

In many ancient religious traditions, it is customary to bring a service of worship or celebration by calling on the four directions. This is a way of symbolically inviting all of creation to be present and take part in the festivities. This morning, we, too, want to invite the whole of creation to be with us here and now.

Oh Great Spirit of the North, we come to you and ask for the strength and the power to bear what is cold and harsh in life. We come like the buffalo ready to receive the winds that truly can be overwhelming at times. Whatever is cold and uncertain in our life, we ask you to give us the strength to bear it. Do not let the winter blow us away. Oh Spirit of Life and Spirit of the North, we ask you for strength and for warmth.

Oh Great Spirit of the East, we turn to you where the sun comes up, from where the power of light and refreshment come. Everything that is born comes up in this direction the birth of babies, the birth of the puppies, the birth of ideas and the birth of friendship. Let there be the light. Oh Spirit of the East, let the color of fresh rising in our life be glory to you.

Oh Great Spirit of the South, spirit of all that is warm and gentle and refreshing, we ask you to give us this spirit of growth, of fertility, of gentleness. Caress us with a cool breeze when the days are hot. Give us seeds that the flowers, trees and fruits of the earth may grow. Give us the warmth of good friendships. Oh Spirit of the South, send the warmth and the growth of your blessings.

Oh Great Spirit of the West, where the sun goes down each day to come up the next, we turn to you in praise of sunsets and in thanksgiving for changes. You are the great colored sunset of the red west, which illuminates us. You are the powerful cycle, which pulls us to transformation. We ask for the blessings of the sunset. Keep us open to life's changes.

Ceremony For Honoring Children During The Wedding

(Note: Below you will find the Family Medallion ceremony which can be modified however you like to fit your particular situation and preferences. Instead of medallions, you can give your child/children flowers, jewelry, hugs or anything else. The important part is to make the child/children feel like they are a part of the festivities.)

Often marriage is viewed as the union of two individuals. In reality, however, marriage is much broader. As we give thanks to God for the love that brings _________ and ___________ together, so too we recognize the merging of families taking place and the additional love and responsibility that family and friends bring to this relationship.

We are, in fact, all members of one family, of Gods family, a relationship emphasized in the scriptures. And it was a happy day for God when we received our new lives, through the truth of God's work and we become, as it were, the first children in God's new family.

As part of the family nature of God's creation we recognize _______________________ and the significant role he/she/they play(s) in this marriage today celebrated. (Child/children may be brought forward by grandparents or others if they are too young to stand as members of the wedding party.)

Presentation of Medallions (or any other suitable object such as a rose, flower or piece of jewelry)

____________ and ___________ present to ______________ this/these Family Medallion(s) created as a symbol for new family relationship and in recognition of the hope and joy made visible through this marriage.

(Addressing child/children), ___________________, In the placing of this/these medallion(s) ______________pledge to you their continuing love even as they surround him/her now with their arms of support and protection.

 

Reading

Our children are gifts entrusted to us not as objects to be controlled but as human beings, each unique in their own personality, each separate in their own identity. Consider the words from The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran:

You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for they dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you. For life goest not backward not tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

Prayer For the Family

Creator God, you have made us in your own image, male and female, that together, we may live as members of your one family. As you surround us with never-ending love, strengthen us that we, too, might reflect your love, becoming ever supportive of one another in times of sorrow, forgiving of one in other in times of anger, patient in those moments when we seek to rebuild.

We give thanks, O Lord, for the relationship here celebrated. In your presence we are humbled by the recognition that, today, we face a new future, one which love has unfolded and is unfolding before our very eyes. May we ever respect the sanctity of this gift.

As you have filled our cup with joy, may we share the strength of our deepening love for one another. Amen.

Go forth bound together by the love of God. Go forth with hope and joy and a heart full of dreams, knowing that God is always with you. Amen

Introduction of the Family (could use at the end of the ceremony or not)

It is my pleasure to present to you ______ and ______ in their new relationship as husband and wife and their son/daughter/children _____________.


 

P.S. Remember Xx and Yy: This is your wedding ceremony on your special day. We are here to help you make it into something beautiful and unique so that it reflects the two of you and your one-of-a-kind love. We promise to be here for you and to put our whole heart and soul into making your wedding ceremony the greatest happening of your life. May your union be blessed with peace, love and joy forever.