Convocation:
We are gathered here today in the presence of God, and these witnesses, to join together Bride and Groom 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 prayer and blessing for Bride and Groom as they begin the journey on their path of togetherness. May God bless them and guide them on their journey together. May divine Holy Spirit fill their hearts with unconditional love, and understanding. And may their continued kindness, compassion, trust and faith in each other and in God, be a constant example of the grace and beauty that the gift of love embodies for all of us.
(optional) 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 of their days together.
1st Reading:
(We can add readings here. You can include someone close to you here to do the readings.)
Address:
(This segment can be personalized to include information on things like how you met and what you love about each other, etc)
There is a passage by Daphne Rose Kingma, called Real Love, that I would like to share with you today as we begin the address segment of our ceremony which exemplifies the importance of love in our lives.
"For it is in loving, as well as in being loved, that we become most truly ourselves. No matter what we do, say, accomplish, or become, it is our capacity to love that ultimately defines us. In the end, nothing we do or say in this lifetime will matter as much as the way we have loved one another."
We come here today in a celebration and expression of love! Love is perhaps the greatest gift that God has given us, it is our inherent nature and our sole true purpose in life; to love one another. Love provides us with the core sustenance of life; it nourishes our spirits and fuels our souls. Love compels us, motivates us, brings joy to our hearts and truly gives us life. We can endure many things in this world but without being able to share and feel love our lives would be as an empty shell. When we are able to give and receive the gift of love, our life becomes full and energized and hopeful with unbounded possibilities, love truly is life.
These two people that you see standing here before you, their souls have made a commitment to each other to love, support, and share life.
This is not merely a verbal commitment but a promise of the heart and soul. Bride and Groom come here to share with us the gift that love is and to give us all the opportunity to experience, remember and perhaps rekindle the love that we feel for each other, for the people in our lives; our families, our partner, our spouses and our friends... Today is about love and about celebrating love’s purpose and importance in our lives.
Bride and Groom 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. Together they are best friends. They share generous, romantic and caring spirits, an endless wealth of conversation, and a mutual respect, love and commitment to each other that is immeasurable. Bride and Groom’s love has grown into a relationship that embraces all the values that create a strong and lasting Marriage.
(optional) Today not only are we joining these two beautiful spirits, but we come together in some ways as the joining of two families. One of the things that Bride and Groom impressed upon me during our time together was how important their individual families were to them, and the shared values that they carry with them into this union, values that were instilled in them by their families. They 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.
Bride and Groom 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, a symbol of their dedication to each other, which is the joining of their loving spirits in marriage.
(Here we can put in a unity candle, or sand ceremony, or a Presentation of flowers for the parents)
Consecration (optional):
Marriage is an honorable estate, instituted in antiquity and revered since all time as the noblest and most tender of human relationships. It is therefore not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently and consciously. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to be joined.
I ask you both, as you stand in the presence of your family and friends, to remember that love, loyalty and compassion alone will avail as the foundation of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those that you will now assume. If these sacred vows are honored and kept close to your hearts, and you endeavor to always live according to the best that is within each of you, your life together will be full of joy, peace and love.
Consent/Intent (optional):
In the presence of God, family and friends, I ask you to state your intentions. Bride and Groom, 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?
Bride and Groom respond: I will.
Vows:
(Bride and Groom face each other) At this time Bride and Groom will speak their vows to each other.
(Couples can also choose to include their own vows here or something they wish to say to each other)
Traditional vows:
I, Groom, take you, Bride to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will you love you and honor you all the days of your life.
I, Bride, take, you Groom to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will you love you and honor you all the days of your life.
or:
Contemporary vows:
I, Groom, take, you Bride to be my wife, my partner, my love and my best friend. I promise this day to share your life with you, to respect you, honor you, support you and love you, through life’s challenges and celebrations, I will stand by your side from this day and for all the days of your life.
Repeat for Bride.
Blessing of the Rings:
(We can add readings here. You can include someone close to you here to do the readings.)
Blessing of the Rings:
Today...this day of your wedding.. is the occasion of the shedding of your solitary journeys in favor of bonding yourselves to one another... These rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple.... Round like the sun...like the eye...like arms that embrace... circles for love that is given, comes back around again and again...may these symbols remind you ...that your love... like the sun...illuminates...that your love...like the eye...must see clearly... and that your love...like arms that embrace...is a grace upon the world.
Exchanging of Rings:
Groom: Bride take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness with all that I am and all that I will ever be. Bride: Groom take this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness with all that I am and all that I will ever be (Here we can add wine ceremony or hand ceremony)
Wedding Blessing:
(We can add readings here. You can include someone close to you here to do the readings.)
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