Ceremony of Marriage Between Bride & Groom
Processional
(Unity and commemorative candles should be set and wines, glasses and
carafe should be ready and sitting on nearby tables for Unity
ceremonies following the exchange of vows.)
(Guests are seated.)
Opening Remarks
We
come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize
a bond that already exists. This marriage is one expression of the
many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are
infinite.
Presentation of Bride:
Although we go forth from the homes of our childhood, we never outgrow the special love and support of our parents.
When
a father presents his daughter in marriage, he is honoring the covenant
into which she is entering and gives his and her mother’s promise of
loving support.
With that understanding, I ask,
"Who presents this woman to be married to this man"?
Response: “Her mother and I do”
Greeting
Family and Friends, we are gathered here in the presence of God and of
this company to join in holy matrimony Bride and Groom and to bear
witness to the transforming power of love.
Love is a quality
of spirit and an attitude of the emotions, but a marriage is a life’s
work, a spiritual art form. Therefore, this is an occasion of both
profound joy and great responsibility, and we who partake in it bind
ourselves as witnesses to the labor of love that Bride and Groom are
undertaking here.
In acknowledgment of this holy purpose and of the power of this occasion, let us pray...
The Invocation
Heavenly Father, who gives us the longing for love and the capability
of loving, we give you thanks for Bride and Groom, for their open
hearts and willing spirits, and for the example of love that they
embody here in our presence.
Be with them on this joyous
occasion of showing their love and making their vows; and be with us,
their witnesses, that we may all be changed by what is said and
witnessed here today.
Amen
Commemoration - Lighting of the Commemorative candle
(The couple will light the commemorative candle, then retake their place in front of Rev. Nagy)
It is at this time we would remember those who have passed to spirit, most especially: names.
Although death has separated them from us physically…faith and love
will always bind them to family and friends, and continue through the
rich legacy that Bride and Groom begin today.
With these thoughts, I say these words:
Though we cannot see you, we know you are here.
Though we cannot touch you, we feel the warmth of your smile, as we begin a new chapter in our lives.
Today we pause to reflect upon those who have shaped our character, molded our spirits and touched our hearts.
Father in Heaven we give you thanks, Amen
READING To be read by:
The Art of Marriage
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In 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.
Address
A
true marriage is more than the joining of two persons in the bonds of
matrimony. Marriage is the uniting of two souls that are already
attuned to each other. This acknowledgement is the prime objective of
this gathering and this ceremony. Your families and friends are here
to bear witness to your entering into the intimate and hallowed
relationship of husband and wife, and to celebrate with you in this joy.
True
and spiritually consecrated unions are among life’s highest joys. The
two of you were led by God to meet each other. Bride, you love Groom’s
kindness and his sense of humor. You appreciate his ability to
persevere in times of turmoil. You find it to so wonderful that the
two of you always have a good time together, no matter what you do.
Groom,
you were drawn to bride’s great ability to love. You admire her
honesty, her sincerity and how she is always there for you even in the
roughest of times. She always demonstrates her understanding and love
for you. Now the love you share leads you to take these holy vows.
One of earth’s most meaningful rites is the forging of two souls in
cooperation. May God bless you as you experience more deeply giving
and receiving through the marriage bond.
I would now like to
remind all of you that you have been invited here for a holy purpose,
not just to witness, but to fully participate with your thoughts and
prayers, asking God to bless this couple and their married life. You
are here because this couple feels close to you and asks that you join
them in this dedication of sacred purpose.
You represent
symbolically all the people in the world who will be touched in any way
by the life of this couple. You represent their friends and family now
and forever. They have chosen this act of marriage and this public,
holy ceremony in which to proclaim it. Together we all thank God who
brought them together and ask Him always to guide their way in that
most noble and meaningful state of being, Unconditional Love.
All
of us have been inspired when observing the beauty of a relationship
that occurs when a man and a woman regard each other highly and
respectfully. Bride and Groom, remember, that as a moral force,
commitments of marriage are only as binding as each partner grants them
to be. Love does not consist of gazing only into each other’s eyes,
but in looking together in the same direction.
As mature adults,
you know that nothing is easier than saying words, and nothing is
harder than living them day-by-day. Love is not total absorption in
each other, it is growing together.
Love makes burdens lighter, because you divide them.
Love makes joys more intense, because you share them.
Love makes you stronger, so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.
You are agreeing to be a light and a strength to each other.
You are agreeing to carry a part of each other’s responsibilities.
You are uniting your lives to grow together and to bring joy to one another.
Throughout
the years, in all testings, joys and happenings, remember that only by
working gently, kindly and helpfully to make your marriage beautiful
and enduring will it become that rare art known as a soul union.
EXPRESSION OF INTENT
Groom,
do you choose Brideas your wedded wife, to live together in sacred
marriage? Will you be honest with her always? Will you stand by her
through whatever may come? Will you make whatever adjustments are
necessary so that you can genuinely share your life with her? Will you
faithfully cherish and honor her, encourage, comfort and support her,
to attend her in sickness and in health, forswearing all others,
remaining completely loyal to her, as long as you both shall live?
Groom: I do
Bride,
do you choose Groom as your wedded husband, to live together in sacred
marriage? Will you be honest with him always? Will you stand by him
through whatever may come? Will you make whatever adjustments are
necessary so that you can genuinely share your life with him? Will you
faithfully cherish and honor him, encourage, comfort and support him,
attend him in sickness and in health, forswearing all others, remaining
completely loyal to him, as long as you both shall live?
Bride: I do
VOWS
We
invite each of you as family and friends to share this happy occasion,
to bless Bride and Groom and to add your joy to theirs as they exchange
their vows:
(Groom to Bride) Bride, I feel truly blessed to have found you.
My days with you fill me with wonder.
At times you are the mirror to my soul.
Other times you’re my perfect complement.
You enrich my life in ways you cannot imagine,
And with each day you give my life new meaning.
You are my lover, my partner, and my best friend.
As your husband I will be faithful to you always,
Life freely with you in times of joy,
And grow with you in times of sorrow.
Whatever path life lies before us, it takes us together.
I will always accept you for who you are,
wholly and without reservation.
And I ask you to accept me as I am.
Your love is my greatest treasure.
I am blessed by the love, patience and devotion you have shown me.
All that I am, I give to you in a bond that is everlasting. I pledge my love forever.
(Bride to Groom) Groom, each of us has traveled a long way to be here today, and I feel truly blessed to have found you.
Groom, to you I vow these things:
Never to forget the wonder of having found you,
Never to lose sight of the rare gift that is your love, never to take that love for granted,
And always to place our relationship first.
I vow always to be open with my heart,
To be honest, sincere, respectful and kind.
In the presence of these witnesses,
I take you to be my husband and partner,
From this day forward,
In happiness and in sorrow, in sickness and health, in good times and bad, in weakness and in strength.
All that I am, I give to you
In a bond that is everlasting.
I pledge my love forever.
EXCHANGE OF RINGS
What token do you offer of your love?
Response: A ring
For
thousands of years, men and women have exchanged rings as a token of
their wedding vows. These simple bands may not be of great value in
and of themselves, but what they stand for now and what they will come
to mean over time is beyond price. The great circle of life is
symbolized in these small circles that you are about to put upon your
fingers.
The ring is a material symbol that has been designed to
illustrate a spiritual truth. A ring has two characteristics that make
it suitable as a reminder to us of the importance of keeping faith in
our marriages.
First, the ring is a circle. Circles never end,
just as your marriage will never end. Difficult times may come but you
have committed yourselves to making your marriage last forever. The
unbroken circle of the ring is a token of the completeness of your love
and a reminder of that never-ending commitment.
Second, rings are
made from a precious metal capable of withstanding the tests of time.
Your wedding bands may bend and change shape as the years pass but they
will not break; a testament to the strength and endurance of the vows
you have taken today.
The rings you give and receive this day
are the symbols of the endless love into which you enter as husband and
wife. They are a symbol of wholeness and perfection and of peace. The
rings are symbols of unity, in which your two lives will now be joined
in one unbroken circle.
Bless, Oh God, these rings, that they
who give them, and they who wear them may abide in Thy peace -
remembering their vows unto their life’s end. Amen
Groom puts rings on Bride’s hand:
Bride, with free and unconstrained soul, I give you all I am and all I
am to become. Take this ring, and with it my promise of faith,
patience, and love, for the rest of my life.
Bride puts ring on Groom’s hand
Two flames, one light.
Groom, I offer you this ring as a sign of life, and myself as your
wife. Let us walk together always, and let us always walk towards the
light.
Acknowledgement
Bride and Groom, it is time
to acknowledge the importance of the events of daily life you will
encounter in your new life. Ponder now your new state of life, that
you may live it well.
May every word you speak and every
breath you take in each other’s presence, be twice blessed, in truth
and joy, and may you walk together in strength each holy day of your
lives, recognizing that what you undertake together will bring you
continuous joy.
Know that the love you share can truly help to change the world.
Let us pray.
Heavenly
Father, we ask Thy blessings upon Bride and Groom as they blend
together in their marital union. Give them beauty, closeness, and the
tender passion of deep friendship as they embrace the future. Bless
them deeply and give them growth and joy as they walk this life
together.
Join me now in “The Lord’s Prayer.”
Our Father, who art in Heaven
Hallowed by thy name,
They 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,
Forever.
Amen
Lighting of the Unity Candle (with Children)
Will Groom’s children, names, please come forward to light the individual tapers.
The
Unity flame has traditionally been thought of as a symbol of the
spirit. Bride and Groom, you have learned much in your individual
lives. This being a second marriage for both of you, you see the wisdom
of bringing the true spirit of unity to your family. The children are
here to bless your marriage, and it is fitting that they have lit the
two individual candles you see here. Your other family members and
friends, many of whom are here with you today, have all been a part of
your individual lives, and have shared with you your hopes, your
dreams, your triumphs, your sufferings. But at some point the two of
you met one another, and something started growing with that special
love you feel for one another.
That Love continued to grow,
bringing you to this moment, when you are committing your love to one
another, and building a life together. Just as the flame you are about
to light is not created solely by either candle, so too is your love
not the sole possession or creation of either of you. As a symbol of
the spirit of love that has grown between you, I would like to ask you
to light the Unity Candle at this time.
Bride and Groom, please take the candles that have been lit by your family, and together light your Unity candle…
As
you light this candle, may you both commit your hearts to greater
rapport as together you invoke the bonds of love to strengthen with
each year. May God bless, illumine and enrich you in the companionship
and partnership of sacred marriage; that your union will provide you
with enduring love and peace throughout this life and in the life to
come.
Unity Wine Ceremony
Bride and Groom, you
have just unified your relationship by the lighting of the Unity
candle. You will now further partake in a covenant pledge agreeing you
will commit yourselves to one another throughout your lives, truly
becoming one in spirit. Today, this relationship is symbolized through
the blending of these two individual containers of wine.
The
red wine symbolizes the physical. It represents the blood of the body,
as well as the red clay of the earth. It also represents the emotions
we as human beings express while we are alive in the physical world.
The
white wine symbolizes the spiritual. It represents the purity of
hearts and minds and the holiness of our relationship with God.
In
blending the two wines together, then partaking of the newly made wine,
you demonstrate your intention of bringing together both your physical
body and the holiness of your souls to this marriage; bringing all that
you are and all you can hope to be into a special relationship; one
blessed by God.
Bride and Groom, as you partake of the wine,
please know that just as the wine cannot ever be separated and poured
back into the individual containers, your marriage now represents the
same.
Congregational Envisionment
(Bride and Groom turn and face the congregation)
As
families and friends, you form the community of support that surrounds
Bride and Groom. Each of you, by your presence here today, is being
called upon to uphold them in honoring and loving each other.
Always
stand beside them, never between them. Offer them your love and
support, not your judgment. Encourage them with your kindness and
loving hearts, and honor this marriage into which they have come to be
joined today.
Is it in this spirit and for this purpose that you have come here to witness today?
Response: Yes, it is.
Pronouncement of Marriage
Benediction
Because you can rest in the comfort of knowing that you have chosen
through one another to serve the highest purposes of love, depart in
peace, dear ones, for God has given you the greatest of all gifts, true
love, love embodied, love promised and sworn, love twined to itself
till God, and God alone, parts you.
Forasmuch as Bride and
Groom have agreed to progress together in sacred marriage, and have
expressed their intentions before God and this assembly by their solemn
vows each to the other and by the exchange of rings, I now pronounce
that they are husband and wife through the power of God.
What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.
THE KISS
Please exchange a kiss as a seal upon your union.
PRESENTATION
Ladies and Gentlemen, May I present Mr. and Mrs. Groom Last Name!
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