This a small sampling to help guide ideas and ceremony format. You may choose from and include any and all parts to create the perfect ceremony that works for you.
Gathering Words 1
Welcome.
A wedding is such a wonderful occasion,
filled with hopes, dreams, and excitement.
We are here today to celebrate the love
that Bride and Groom have for each other,
and to recognize and witness their decision
to journey forward in their lives
as Marriage Partners.
Gathering Words 2
Dearly beloved,
we are gathered here
in the presence of these witnesses,
to join together these two individuals
in holy matrimony;
which is an honorable estate,
revered since time immemorial
as the most profound and tender of human relationships.
It is therefore not to be entered into
unadvisedly or lightly,
but reverently and deliberately.
Into this holy estate
these two persons come now to be joined.
Gathering Words 3
Love has gathered us here today.
We are here to celebrate the love
that Bride and Groom have for each other
as well as the love that each of you has given them
throughout their lives.
As families and friends,
you are the ones
who have taught Bride and Groom how to love.
Additional options
Opening Prayers 1
Let us begin by welcoming the presence of God
within each of us.
Let us come into the quiet of prayer.
As we lift into the loving
that joins us together as one,
let us surround Bride and Groom
with our love, our prayers,
and our best wishes for them
on this, their wedding day,
and throughout their journey together
as Marriage Partners.
Opening Prayers 2
Let us lift our hearts together as one
in jubilant celebration
of the marriage union we are about to witness
between Bride and Groom.
As they enter into
the sacred and joyous covenant of marriage,
we are blessed to witness
the magnificence of their love,
their open hearts,
and their vibrant and willing spirits.
Inspired by their love,
let each of us rededicate ourselves
to the loving relationships in our own lives.
May we all be enriched
for having shared this day together.
For those wanting a prayer with no mention of God, the word “God” in the first
paragraph of Opening Prayer #1 can be replaced with the word “love.”
Another ecumenical prayer could be as follows.
Remembrances and Acknowledgments 1
At this time,
we would like to honor the memory
of Groom’s paternal grandparents,
_____ and _____,
and Bride’s father _____,
*who, while no longer with us physically,
are carried in our hearts.
*Alternatives:
a. who are here today in our hearts.
b. who, while unable to be with us here today,
are carried in our hearts.
Remembrances and Acknowledgments 2
Bride and Groom
have asked that we take a moment
to honor the memory of those loved ones
who could only be here today in spirit.
Remembrances and Acknowledgments
At this time, Bride and Groom
would like us all to remember with them
a very special person, _____,
a loving wife, mother, and great friend,
who, while unable to be here with us today,
is carried now and forever in our hearts.
Charge for the Couple 1
Bride and Groom,
you have made
a very serious and important decision
in choosing to marry each other today.
You are entering into a sacred covenant as life partners.
As in tending the flowers in a garden,
the quality of your marriage
will reflect the effort
you put into nurturing this relationship.
You have the opportunity
to go forward from this day
to create a faithful, kind, and tender relationship.
We bless you this day.
It is up to you
to keep the blessings flowing
each and every day of your lives together.
We wish for you
the wisdom, compassion, and constancy
to create a peaceful sanctuary
in which you can both grow in love.
Groom, do you understand
and accept this responsibility,
and do you promise
to do your very best each day
to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage?
Groom: Yes, I do.
Bride, do you understand
and accept this responsibility,
and do you promise
to do your very best each day
to create a loving, healthy, and happy marriage?
Bride: Yes, I do.
Declaration of Support 1
When two individuals
come together in marriage,
their families and friends are also joined together
into a larger circle of caring.
From now on,
you will know Bride and Groom
not only as individuals,
but as Marriage Partners,
and your individual lives will be linked together
as members of this community.
Mr. and Mrs. _____,
would you please come and stand behind Bride?
Mr. and Mrs. _____,
would you please come and stand behind Groom?
Mr. and Mrs. _____,
you stand before us
symbolizing the traditions and family
from which Bride comes.
Do you willingly and gladly support
Bride’s marriage to Groom?
Mr. and Mrs. _____: Yes, we do!
Mr. and Mrs. _____,
you stand before us
symbolizing the traditions and family
from which Groom comes.
Do you willingly and gladly support
Groom’s marriage to Bride?
Mr. and Mrs. _____: Yes, we do!
Gathering of support
I invite each of you as members of this gathering
to indicate your support for Bride and Groom
by answering “I will”
to the following question:
By God’s grace,
will each of you
do everything you can
to uphold and care for these two persons in their marriage?
Guests: I will.
I encourage you as families and friends
to always choose your loving
in your thoughts about
and interactions with Bride and Groom.
Stand beside them, not between them.
Come to them with hearts of peace, not judgment.
Honor them and yourselves as children of God.
Honor their marriage
as a sacred union with God.
Show them your kindness, your support,
and your loving hearts.
Marriage Address 1
Bride and Groom,
your marriage will, no doubt,
be filled with surprises.
Some you will welcome,
while others will test the strength and flexibility
of your bond.
Your life together will present many opportunities
to refine and deepen your love
and to explore the profound depths of your being.
May you be compassionate with each other
and nurture yourselves, each other,
and this union with tender loving care.
May your love create a safe haven for you both
on the journey that lies ahead of you.
Lead with your hearts
and take the time to do the simple things
that will nurture your love.
Deeply listen to each other—
to your dreams and to your frustrations.
Be helpmates.
Be playful in finding ways
to give your love anew to each other every day.
Let your love be an inspiration to others
to reach for what is good within us all.
May your love be so abundant
that you have plenty to share with the rest of us as well.
It is your love
that has brought us together here today.
May it grow deeper and sweeter
with each passing year.
Marriage Address 2
Marriage is a magnificent opportunity
to share one’s life with another
and to enjoy the adventures inherent
in this most intimate of human relationships.
Today, we gather here
to rejoice with and for Bride and Groom
as they embark on this voyage of discovery.
Bride and Groom,
from this day forward,
this date, _____,
will always have special meaning for you
as the day you vowed to love and to cherish each other
in all ways, always.
Each year when you come upon your anniversary
I encourage you to rededicate yourselves
to the vows you make here today.
Take stock of where you are in your marriage
and how you are doing as Marriage Partners.
Express your gratitude to each other
for the ways that you have effectively loved
and supported one another,
and forgive yourselves and each other
for any judgments that have come between you.
Show each other
that you can be trusted and counted on as a comfort
when facing difficult times,
and celebrate abundantly
the successes and joys life brings your way.
Let your love lead the way
and be more important than anything else.
Then, your lives together
will be filled with blessings and joy.
Marriage Address 3
Bride and Groom,
this bond you share is a true miracle
and a blessing from God.
Treasure it and carefully tend it each day.
You breathe life into each other
and provide a safe and sacred harbor
where you are able to shed all of your worldly illusions
while witnessing, receiving, and cherishing
the precious truth of one another.
Generously shower each other
with the gifts of your faith, strength, honesty,
beauty, and complexity.
Candle Ceremony 1
Will everyone please stand?
Now, share the blessings of your divine love
by passing the light to your guests,
bringing us all more deeply into one accord
as we stand together in celebration
of your sacred union.
As we pass the light,
let us take a moment to look into the eyes
of the one we are passing the light to.
As you receive the light,
take a moment
to silently extend your own special blessing
to Bride and Groom on their wedding day.
Candle Ceremony 2
This flame you ignite before us today
is strong and shining brightly.
May you tend it well
so that it may shine throughout your lives.
May the warmth of the love it symbolizes
forever bring you courage, reassurance, and comfort
and fill you both with strength and joy.
Wedding Vows 1
I, _____, take thee, _____,
to be my wedded wife/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 us do part,
according to God’s holy ordinance;
and thereto I pledge thee my faith.
Wedding Vows 2
I, _____, choose you, _____,
in the presence of our friends and families,
to be my wife/husband and partner
from this time forward;
to love you,
to be a comfort and safe haven in your life,
to hold you close,
to listen deeply when you speak,
to nourish you with my gentleness,
to uphold you with my strength,
to weigh the effects of the words I speak
and the things I do,
to never take you for granted,
and to always give thanks
for your presence in my life.
Wedding Vows 3
_____, I take you to be my wife/husband,
to laugh with you in joy,
to grieve with you in sorrow,
to grow with you in love,
serving mankind in peace and hope,
as long as we both shall live.
Wedding Vows 4
_____, I love you
and choose to share my life with you.
I will laugh with you in times of joy
and comfort you in times of sorrow.
I will be at your side
through all of life’s challenges.
_____, I will love you forever.
Ring Exchange – Prelude by the Officiant
Here are some samples of Preludes to the Ring Exchange. Some couples like to mix and match the sentiments.
Prelude 1
Just as we bear witness to a written covenant
with our signature,
so, too, do we exchange wedding rings
to seal the vows of marriage.
Wedding rings are enduring symbols
that remind us of the pledges we have made to each other
and of our responsibility to honor each other
by honoring our promises.
Prelude 2
These rings are symbols of the love
that joins you spirit to spirit.
They represent the oneness, eternity, and renewal
inherent in the marriage union.
May these rings serve you
and those who see them upon your fingers
as reminders of the vows you have made here today
and of our need to be faithful in all our relationships.
Ring Exchange by the Couple
The actual exchange of rings by the Couple is typically accompanied by a statement of the symbolic meaning of the rings or a simple statement pledging one’s love to their partner.
Ring Exchange 1
Officiant:
_____, do you take _____
to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband,
to love and to cherish
from this day forward?
Groom/Bride: I do.
(The Officiant hands them the rings to place on their partner’s finger.)
Ring Exchange 2
_____, I give you this ring
in token and pledge of my abiding love for you.
_____, with this ring, I thee wed,
in the name of the Father, and the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Ring Exchange
As a sign of my love
and my knowledge that in marrying you,
I am becoming much more than I am,
I give you this ring
with the promise that I will love you
and keep my heart open to you
all the days of my life.
Ring Exchange 3
I give you this ring
as a sign that I choose you
to be my lover, my partner,
and my best friend
today, tomorrow, and always.
Ring Exchange 4
_____, from the moment we met,
I knew I wanted to spend my life with you.
With this ring,
I pledge myself to you,
to our marriage,
and to our everlasting love.
Final Blessings 1
Bride and Groom,
on behalf of your loved ones
who are here with you today,
I would like to mention some of the things
we wish for you:
First, we wish for you a love
that is rich, deep, and powerful enough
to inspire others and to support you both
in bringing forth the best that is within you.
May you lavishly love one another
and love being loved by one another
today, tomorrow, and always.
Second, may you sustain a deep and abiding friendship
in which you are considerate of each other,
kind, thoughtful, and so much more.
Third, we wish for you the kind of home
that will be a sanctuary for you both,
a place of peace, freedom, vitality, growth, and humor.
And in this home,
we hope that you are blessed
with a healthy and happy family.
Finally, we wish that at the end of your lives
you will be able to look back
and smile upon the life that you have shared together,
pleased, satisfied, and fulfilled beyond your wildest dreams.
And now, by the power vested in me by the State of _____,
it is my great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.
Mr. and Mrs. _____,
you may now kiss as husband and wife for the first time.
Congratulations and God bless you!
Final Blessing 2
Bride and Groom,
our best wishes go forward from this day with you.
We wish for you a fulfilling life,
rich in caring and in happiness.
We wish for you a gentle and peaceful life
that nurtures and comforts you.
We wish for you a noble life,
which reflects your honesty, kindness, and integrity.
We wish for you an adventuresome life,
exploring the fullness of your own and each other’s true selves.
Bride and Groom,
there is a wonderful life ahead of you.
Live it fully.
Love its changes and choices.
Let life amaze you and bring you great joy.
And now, by the power vested in me by the ______ church
and by the State of _____,
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now kiss!
Final Blessing 3
Now that Bride and Groom
have joined themselves to each other by solemn vows,
and by the giving and receiving of rings,
I do now,
by virtue of the authority vested in me,
pronounce that they are Partners in Marriage.
Final Blessing 4
Now, because you have chosen one another
and pledged to love each other
for all the days of your lives,
before God
and before this loving community of family and friends,
it gives me great joy to pronounce that you are now married.
Benediction 1
And now in our going,
may the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord be gracious unto you.
Let us rejoice and be glad.
Amen.
Benediction 2
The Lord bless you and keep you.
The Lord look kindly upon you
and be gracious to you.
The Lord bestow favor upon you
and give you peace.
Amen.
Benediction 3
May your feet be firmly rooted in the earth.
May the air you breathe be sweet and fresh.
May your lives flow together like two streams into a graceful river.
May the flame of spirit burn strong within you.
May you know God’s presence in your lives.
And may God bless your life together.
Remember that your ceremony should be personalized to you and your situation, each is unique to you as a Couple and your special day.
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