Welcoming Words:
Dear family and friends. This is a day for celebration.
We are gathered here today to witness
the marriage of (Groom) and (Bride) as they have
invited us to share in their lifelong commitment to each other
and they ask for your blessings on this joyous day.
(Groom) and (Bride) have come before me today, because they
have reached that point in their relationship
where they desire a greater commitment.
Today they are ready to pledge their love to one another
in this union we call marriage.
(Groom) and (Bride), in the days ahead of you,
there will be times of conflict and times of joy.
Harmony will be your reward if you follow 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.
-Say "I love you" every day.
And I ask you to remember what First Corinthians,
Chapter 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.
Ceremony:
(Groom), do you take (Bride) to be your
wedded wife to live together in marriage.
Do you promise to love her, comfort her,
honor and keep her, for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health, forsaking all others
and to be faithful only to her,
so long as you both shall live?
--“I Do”
(Bride), do you take (Groom) be your
wedded husband to live together in marriage.
Do you promise to love him, comfort him,
honor and keep him, for better or worse,
for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health,
forsaking all others and to be faithful only to him,
so long as you both shall live?
--“I Do”
The Rings, Please
(Groom), take the ring which you have selected,
place it on (Bride)’s finger and say to her these words:
--As this ring / has no end / neither shall my love for you.
(Bride), take the ring which you have selected,
place it on (Groom)’s finger and say to him these words:
--As this ring / has no end / neither shall my love for you.
Challenge to the Bride and Groom:
(Groom) and (Bride), may you never take each
other's love for granted.
May your lives be filled with wisdom,
blessed with good health, and abundant with miracles.
May you eternally have your amusement
remembering how to play
sharing the kind of joy
that lights up your eyes and fills your souls.
Never forget to treat yourselves
and each other with respect
and may you always see the connection
that brought you both together.
Although I'm officiating here today,
it is not truly in my power to sanctify,
legitimize or bless your relationship in any way,
as the two of you have already done that
in your hearts.
May the sun bring you renewed energy by day.
May the moon softly restore you by night.
May the rain wash away your worries,
and may you live the days of your lives in peace,
love and happiness.
The Kiss:
You have kissed a thousand times, maybe more.
But today the feeling is new.
No longer simply partners and best friends,
you have become husband and wife
and can now seal the agreement
with a kiss.
Announcement:
And now, all present, who have come to
celebrate this union, I take great pleasure and honor,
in presenting, for the first time anywhere,
the united couple (Groom) and (Bride).
