Convocation:
Welcome! We are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join together ______ and _____ in the sacred union of Marriage. We, their families and friends, form a community of love that together we may support and encourage them with our abundance of prayers and blessings on this day and for all of their lives.
Invocation:
At this time I ask that you all join me in a wish and
blessing for _____ and _____ as they begin the journey
on their path of togetherness.
Our hope and wish for Bride and Groom is a long and
loving lifetime of joy, peace and happiness. May their
unconditional love, compassion and caring for each other
continue to be the strength that they will hold fast to for
all their days together.
We would also like to honor all those that could not be
here with us today in body, but we know that they are here
in spirit with us, to shower their blessings upon Bride and
Groom today and for all the of their days together.
1st Reading :
Love is the reason why this day was chosen by you both to begin your lives together and love is the reason why you both will give with all hearts for the good of each other. Love is the reason that together you will become one; one in hope; one in believing in life; one in sharing the coming years.
Address:
We come here today in a celebration and expression of
love! Love is perhaps the greatest gift that God has given
us. It is the one thing that all human being need to survive
and grow. Love drives us and gives us hope. Love is our
greatest teacher, for through love we can learn the deepest
levels of ourselves. Love helps us grow, and allow us to
move forward in this life with security, safety, and
nurturing.
_______ and _____ have found the gift of love in each
other, they have found in each other that special person
who provides them with peace, love and comfort and who
will support each other and share all of life. They come
here today before all of you who are their families and
friends; you who hold their memories, their history, their
pasts, their present, and now again they ask you to share
and bare witness to a new chapter of their lives, as they
share with you this gift of love they have found and the
brilliant future that it holds for them.
_____ and ____ wish to express and honor the important
role that their families play in their lives today and
everyday. They would like to send out their heartfelt
thanks to their families and friends for their continued
love, support, and encouragement
throughout their lives.
_______ and _____ have created a love that is simple,
effortless, and real, a love which allows them to truly be
themselves; they accept all parts of each other with
unconditional love and understanding. Their relationship
which has become a constant source of comfort, support,
and love has evolved through the joys, changes and
challenges of life into this beautiful loving partnership
that you see here today as they stand before you so very
much in love and ready to join their hearts together as
one.
_____ and ______share many of the same traits that
they endeared in other. Their kindness and consideration
for their partner, their attentiveness to each others needs,
their admiration for each others strength and
independence, and the ease with which they can
communicate. Together they are best friends, and they
compliment each other perfectly! They share generous
and caring spirits, a strong sense of family values, a
mutual respect, love and commitment to each other that is
immeasurable, and of course equally important, their
shared sense of humor and the ability to always make each
other laugh!
_____ and ____ come here at this moment to share with
you the celebration, joy, and happiness that is in their
hearts today as they take their relationship to a deeper
level of commitment, by making this passage into
marriage, and I am reminded of a passage from “Union”
by Robert Fulghum, that I would like to share with you.
(optional)
"You have known each other from the first glance of
acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point,
you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this
moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises
and agreements in an informal way. All those
conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal
or during long walks - all those sentences that began with
“When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you
will and we will”- those late night talks that included
“someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”- and all those
promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these
common things, and more, are the real process of a
wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make
are a way of saying to one another, “ You know all those
things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed- well, I
meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and
remember this moment in time. Before this moment you
have been many things to one another- acquaintance,
friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even
teacher, for you have learned much from one another in
these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that
take you across a threshold of life, and things will never
quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you
shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife"
Consecration:
Marriage is the most sacred and intimate of human experiences. It is the joining of body, mind, spirit and lives. It is a foundation that is based on honesty, love, commitment and communication. This is not something that should be entered into without much thought and consideration. Into this most sacred union these two people come to be joined .
Today ____ and _____ you going to make promises and commitments to each other that you will carry with you throughout your lives together. Through the day to day challenges and celebrations of life these vows that you will now exchange will be the values that you will cling to everyday. If you keep your vows close to your hearts and honor the commitment you have made to each other to share life , to love, to listen, to learn and to grow together, your life will be all that you dream of . For this is my wish and prayer for you!
Expression of Intent:
In the presence of family and friends, I ask you to state your intentions.
_____ and ____, have you come here freely and without
reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?
Will you love and honor each other as husband and wife
for the rest of your lives?
respond: I will.
Vows:
Traditional vows:
Do you ____, take _____ to be your wife. Do you promise
to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and
in health. Will you love her and honor her all the days of
your life.
response : I will
Do you _____, take _____ to be your husband. Do you
promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in
sickness and in health. Will you love him and honor him
all the days of your life.
response: I will
or
Contemporary vows:
Do you ____, take ____ to be you wife, your partner, your
love and your best friend. Do you promise this day to
share your life with her, to respect her, honor her, support
her and love her, through life’s challenges and
celebrations will you stand by her side from this day and
for all the days of your life?
Response: I will
repeat for Bride
Rings:
These rings that you will now exchange are a symbol of all that you shared in your hearts today. All the promises that you will hold tightly to throughout your lives. When you look to these rings you will remember these promises. The circle of these rings which is constant and continuing, with no beginning and no end, an unbroken circle which represents the returning always to these promises, that will carry you through your life together. I bless these rings that the wearers will forever remember this gift of love that they share and that there life will be filled with grace and love.
Exchanging of rings:
Groom: _____, I give you this ring as a sign of my love.
Bride: _____, I give you this ring as a sign of my love.
Hand Ceremony:
______ please face _____, 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 strong
and vibrant with love, that are holding your hands on your
wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his
life.
These are the hands that will work along side yours, as
together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as
you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
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 the
tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in times of
challenge or doubt, and hold you when you are sad.
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.
____ please hold ______’s 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 your hands 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 you tight, as you
struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will comfort and console you
when life brings you challenges.
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 give you support as she
encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a
team everything you wish for can be realized.
May all of life 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 through storms of unrest and
stress. Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each
other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to
continue building a relationship founded in grace, rich in
caring and respect. Remind them often what brought them
together and that tenderness, gentleness and compassion
with each other, are of the utmost precedence. When
frustrations and challenges arise help them to remember to
focus on the good things. And allow ____ and ____ to
each take responsibility for the quality of their life
together, so that it will be marked by abundance and
delight.
Pronouncement:
Now that you Groom, and you, Bride, have promised to give yourselves to one another and to love each other through your sacred vows and through the giving and receiving of these rings, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
The Kiss :
You may now begin your life together with a kiss