Ceremonies by Title

Welcome/Intro

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, the joining of two hearts and to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite this couple in marriage.

The Question

Who Gives this Bride today to be married to Groom (optional)

To the Guests

Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives. For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding. A good marriage must be created. It is never being too old to hold hands. It’s remembering to say I love you every day and it is not just marrying the right person its being the right partner.

Vows

I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.

Or

I Do’s
GROOM/BRIDE do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your HUSBAND/WIFE? (“I do”) Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto him/her? (“I do”)
GROOM/BRIDE do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your HUSBAND/WIFE? (“I do”) Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto him/her? (“I do”)

Rings

Wedding rings are an unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this couple in marriage.”
GROOM/BRIDE, This ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed.
GROOM/BRIDE, This ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. And with this ring, I thee wed.

Pronouncement

By the power vested in me I now pronounce you …

Kiss

You may kiss your GROOM/BRIDE.

Documents

Presentation

I present to you our happy couple

_____ and _____ welcome you, their family and friends. Each of you has given something of yourself into their lives.
It is fitting then that you share in this celebration of their commitment to each other and to their lives joined in
marriage.

(Groom)
Do you _____, choose to marry _____? To speak the words that will join you with her as your wife for the rest of the
days of your life?
Answer: I do.
(Bride)
Do you _____, choose to marry _____? To speak the words that will join you with him as your husband for the rest of
the days of your life?
Answer: I do.

(Groom)
_____ take _____ ‘s right hand and repeat after me.

_____, I choose you to be my wife.
I promise freely from this day forward
To be worthy of your trust and deserving of your confidence;
To be generous with my time, my energy and my love;
To be patient with you and with myself,
To trust you;
To be devoted to you and our life together.
These things I pledge before you, our friends, and our family.
(Bride)
_____ take _____ ‘s right hand and repeat after me.
_____, I choose you to be my husband.
I promise freely from this day forward
To be worthy of your trust and deserving of your confidence;
To be generous with my time, my energy and my love;
To be patient with you and with myself,
To trust you;
To be devoted to you and our life together.
These things I pledge before you, our friends, and our family.
What pledge do you offer in symbol of these vows?
Answer: “These rings”
“May these rings remind us well of our vows to each other.”
(Groom)
_____ ,place the ring on _____ ‘s left hand and repeat after me.

_____, I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity, love, respect and trust.

(Bride)
_____ ,place the ring on _____ ‘s left hand and repeat after me.

_____, I give you this ring to wear upon your hand as a symbol of our unity, love, respect and trust.

_____ and _____, you have exchanged vows and rings, and consented to marry in the presence of this company .
By the authority vested in me by the State of New York, I pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now kiss the bride.
Now that the ceremony is over and the experience of living day by day is about to begin, go and meet it gladly.

It is my great pleasure to present to you this newly united couple, ___________ and _______ May we all continue to
support and honor their union, I wish you all continued peace and joy.

Dear family and friends -we are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of ________ and ___________.

Since time immemorial, people have performed ceremonies to mark a transition, a change of status.

Today we gather for the happiest of ceremonies – the change of status from single individuals to a married couple.
Traditionally, that change is indicated by passing the brides hand from her family to her husband-to-be.

Who brings this bride to be married today?

Today is the day that ____________ and _____________ will formally and publicly make their promises to one
another. Although this is indeed a high point, marriage is a journey not a destination. Marriage is more than any one
single event or promise. It is a series of decisions that have been made, and will continue to be made over and over
again, every day, that shows each of their care and concern for the one whom they each love most in the world.
Marriage is a promise that is renewed daily through a couples actions and a responsibility taken on in the spirit of
faith, and hope, and love, that brings comfort in times of sadness and heightens our greatest joy.

Declaration of Intent

________ and ___________ may the promises you make this day live always in your hearts and in your home so that all which you share now deepen and grow through the years, leading you through a lifetime of happiness.

A wedding is more than a celebration of the Love which lives in our Bride and Groom’s hearts today. It reaches into
the future and proclaims their intentions for that which tomorrow shall hold. A couple who wed are joined not only by
the mutual affection and love they share, but also by their hopes, dreams and by their promises of what will be… The
promises and vows they make this day shall guide them into their common future. I will ask you now if you are
prepared to make these promises.

Vows

(Bride)
___________, Have you come here today of your own free will to take ________ to be your husband, that you may
live together as equal partners sharing all that life has to offer?”
(Answer): “I have.”

“Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him all the days of your life?”

(Answer): “I will.”

(Groom)
_________ Have you come here today of your own free will to take ___________ to be your wife, that you may live
together as equal partners sharing all that life has to offer?”

(Answer): “I have.”

“Will you love her comfort her, honor and keep her all the days of your life?”

(Answer) “I will.”

“Today is the public affirmation and acknowledgment of all that you are to each other. Seemingly your relationship
will be as it has always been, yet there is a power in the spoken word. May that power bring you all the warmth and
closeness, security and comfort, joy and happiness that this world has to offer.”

Exchange of Rings

Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a
symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for
each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.

“May I have the rings please?”

(Officiant is given the rings)

(Groom)
“__________ do you take ___________ to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you vow to love her and care for her
for as long as you both shall live? Do you accept her, with all of her faults and strengths, and offer yourself to her
with all of your own faults and strengths? Do you promise to be a faithful and loving companion and to always put the
promises you make this day above all else?”
(Answer) : “I do.”

“Will you now place the ring on your beloved’s finger and repeat after me?”

“I _________ take you __________ to be my wife. I will love and honor you, respect and cherish you all the days of
my life.”

(Bride)
“_________, do you take ___________ to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you vow to love him and care for
him for as long as you both shall live? Do you accept him, with all of his faults and strengths, and offer yourself to
him with all of your own faults and strengths? Do you promise to be a faithful and loving companion
and to always put the promises you make this day above all else?”

(Answer): “I do.”

“Will you now place the ring on your beloved’s finger and repeat after me?”

“I ________________ take you ________ to be my husband I will love and honor you, respect and cherish you
all the days of my life.”

Proclamation

You have declared before all of us that you will live together in marriage. You have made special promises to each
other, which have been symbolized by the joining of hands, taking of vows and the giving and receiving of two ring’s.
By the authority vested in me by the State of New York, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife.

With abiding confidence and affection, we send you forth on your journey of life together. May you be filled with
thanks and wonder, humour and fun, hope and perseverance so that you may grow in wisdom and grace.

Presentation

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, loved ones; it is with great pleasure that I now introduce to you for the first
time, Mr. and Mrs. _______________

You may now kiss the bride!

Opening words

Friends and family, your presence is welcome on this glorious evening. We have come to celebrate the marriage of
________ and ________________.

It is one of life’s richest surprises when the fateful meeting of two individuals leads them to proceed together along a common path. It is indeed one of life’s finest experiences when a chance relationship grows into a permanent bond of love. This meeting and this love are what bring us together today.
The uniting of these two friends to establish a new family is an important and memorable event. It brings together two separate families and backgrounds and creates a union that is a sign of hope and joy for the future.

In their love for each other, which they publicly express in this ceremony, ____________and _________
demonstrate not only their joy in the present but their commitment to share the future together. This is a time of celebration for all of you who know and love them.

Declaration of Intent

Before ____________ and ______________, are joined together in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these, your family, friends and community, I am bound to remind you publicly of the solemn, the serious and the permanent nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.
______________ and ____________,
Do you come here freely, and without reservation, to enter a marriage as companions living together as one,
enjoying equality? Do you promise to love, respect, assist and look after each other for the rest of your lives? Are
you prepared to live in harmony, and jointly strive for the welfare of your family?
(Answer) We do.

Vows

(To Groom)
___________, please take ____________’s hand while i recite these vows.
Will you _____________ offer yourself to ______________ as your wife,
Your friend, your lover and your lifelong companion.
Will you share your life with hers; build your dreams together, support her through times of trouble,
And rejoice with her in times of happiness;
Will you treat her with respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of your lives together.
This commitment is made in love, kept in faith, lived in hope, And eternally made new.
(Answer) I will

(To Bride)
___________, please take ____________’s hand while i recite these vows.
Will you _____________ offer yourself to ______________ as your husband,
Your friend, your lover and your lifelong companion.
Will you share your life with his; build your dreams together, support him through times of trouble,
And rejoice with him in times of happiness;
Will you treat him with respect, love and loyalty through all the trials and triumphs of your lives together.
This commitment is made in love, kept in faith, lived in hope, And eternally made new.
(Answer) I will

Unity Candle Ceremony

_________ and _________ have chosen to affirm their love by the lighting of a Unity Candle.
The flame of the candle represents light and spirit; and fire is often said to symbolize inspiration, aspiration, power &
passion.
By lighting a Unity Candle, they signal their desire to not only join as one in their union, but to unite two families together as one.
Will a member of the bride and groom’s families please light a side candle which represents the separate lives,
families and experiences before the wedding day?
(Family members each light a candle).
A candle has been lit for each of your families.
______ and ________, please use those candles to light the Unity Candle together.

(Bride and Groom take the side candles and use them to light the center ‘Unity’ candle.)

Prior to this moment you each walked a separate path.
With the lighting of the center candle you have now symbolically joined your once separate lives.
As two flames combined into one light, so now are your friends and family joined, through you, into one.

Exchange of Rings

From the Egyptians came the custom of placing the wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand. They believed that from this finger, a ‘vein of love’ went directly to the heart. Your rings that circle themselves are natural symbols of unending love.

To Groom

______________ please repeat these vows phrase by phrase after me.

With this ring I take you, _____________, as my wife. I offer all that I am in return,
and pledge to remember, over every day of our lives together, why we unite here today.

To Bride

______________ please repeat these vows phrase by phrase after me.

With this ring I take you, _____________, as my husband. I offer all that I am in return,
and pledge to remember, over every day of our lives together, why we unite here today.

Announcement

In a moment we will finish with the Declaration of Marriage but first _______ and _______would like me to make this announcement:
Immediately after the ceremony please allow the Couple to recesses out to the porch where you can
express your joy and congratulations to them and the family.

After the ceremony, your are invited to please come up and sign the Wedding Certificate that the couple
designed to include all of their friends and family here today.

Proclamation

And now, _____________ and _________ have declared before all of us that they will live together in marriage. They have made special promises to each other. They have symbolized it by joining hands, taking vows and exchanging
rings .
By the authority vested in me by the State of _____________, I now pronounce you to be husband and wife..
You may kiss each other!

Presentation

Therefore, on your behalf and on the behalf of the community, I introduce the newly wedded couple… _______ and ______!

(Opening words)

We are gathered here today before God, our families, and friends to celebrate the marriage of _______
and _______. We are gathered to rejoice in the gift of love that our Creator shares with us. We affirm today
that God who is both the Creator and Sustainer of life desires us to fully experience our humanity. None of
us can be an island isolated without need of community with others. We offer praise and thanks to God who
has blessed us with the wonder of life, breath, hearts, minds and souls. We rejoice in the realization that we
are most alive when we wholeheartedly embrace the gifts that God has given us, especially God’s gift of
love in all the ways that gift is bestowed.

Who brings this bride to be married today?
(Parent replies and is seated)

(Memorial Candle)

It has been said that through others, we are complete. Through marriage, we broaden our circle of family
and friends and recall those who gave us life. It is in this spirit of remembrance that _____ and
______ would like to light a memorial candle, for loved ones who are no longer among us.

(Bride and Groom together light the memorial candle).

(Declaration of Intent)

_______ and _______, to create a life together with the blessing of God requires that you honor the divine
in each other and in yourself; that you honor the many voices of the soul – the joys, the delights, the love, as
well as the anger, the fear, the illness, and the unhealed wounds; that you not ask your life partner to be any
less than a fully formed person, committed to you in love, but still possessed by that strange and sometimes
bewildering gift of freedom. We are to accept our life partners for all that they are, embracing each other in
all our complexity — in times of delight, in the fullness of dreams, in moments or sorrow, conflict, or loss. This
is both God’s blessing and charge to you: to live together with courage and honor whatever time in its
unfolding mystery may bring.

I will ask you now if you are prepared to make these promises.

(Vows)
(Bride)
_______, will you have this Man to be your husband, and will you promise your life to him, in all love and
honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with him, and cherish him, according to the
ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage?

(Answer): I will

(Groom)

_______, will you have this Woman to be your wife, and will you promise your life to her in all love and
honor, in all duty and service, in all faith and tenderness, to live with her, cherish her, according to the
ordinance of God, in the holy bond of marriage?

(Answer) I will

Almighty and ever-blessed God, whose presence is the happiness of every condition, and whose favor
hallows every relation: We beseech you to be present and favorable unto these your servants, that they may
be truly joined in the honorable estate of marriage, in the covenant of their God. As you have brought them
together by your providence, sanctify them by your Spirit, giving them a new frame of heart fit for their new
estate; enrich them with all grace, whereby they may enjoy the comforts, undergo the cares, endure the
trials, and perform the duties of life together, under your guidance and protection through Jesus Christ.

Today is the public affirmation and acknowledgment of all that you are to each other. Seemingly your
relationship will be as it has always been, yet there is a power in the spoken word. May that power bring
you all the warmth and closeness, security and comfort, joy and happiness that this world has to offer.

(Reading)

_____ and _______ have chosen a biblical passage – I Corinthians 13:4-8 –which expresses their
feelings of love and grace on this wonderful day.

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails

(Exchange of Rings)

Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These
rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver
and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the
vows you have taken.

May I have the rings please?

Officiant is given the rings)

(Groom)
__________ do you take ___________ to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you vow to love her and care
for her for as long as you both shall live? Do you accept her, with all of her faults and strengths, and offer
yourself to her with all of your own faults and strengths? Do you promise to be a faithful and loving
companion and to always put the promises you make this day above all else?;

(Answer) : I do.

Will you now place the ring on your beloved’s finger and repeat after me

I _________ take you __________ to be my wife. I will love and honor you, respect and cherish you all the
days of my life.

(Bride)
_________, do you take ___________ to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you vow to love him and
care for him for as long as you both shall live? Do you accept him, with all of his faults and strengths, and
offer yourself to him with all of your own faults and strengths? Do you promise to be a faithful and loving
companion and to always put the promises you make this day above all else?

(Answer): I do.

Will you now place the ring on your beloved’s finger and repeat after me

I ________________ take you ________ to be my husband. I will love and honor you, respect and cherish
you all the days of my life.

(Proclamation)

Now that _______ and _______ have pledged themselves to each other by solemn vows with the joining of
hands and the giving and receiving of rings, by the authority vested in me by the state of New York, I
announce to you that they are husband and wife, a new family, and life’s partners in the name of God
beyond us, God within us, and God between us. Those whom God has joined together, let no one put
asunder. May the grace of Christ attend you, and the love of God surround you, the Holy Spirit keep you,
that you may live in faith, abound in hope, and grow in love, both now and forevermore..

You may now kiss the bride.

With abiding confidence and affection, we send you forth on your journey of life together. May you be filled
with thanks and wonder, humour and fun, hope and perseverance so that you may grow in wisdom and grace.

Ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, loved ones; it is with great pleasure that I now introduce to you for the
first time, Mr. and Mrs. ______________

Opening Words

We are gathered here today to take part in that most time-honoured celebration of the human family, uniting a
woman and a man in marriage.
__________ and __________ have come to witness before us, telling of their love for each other. We remember
that theirs is a love whose source is the affection of those who loved them into being. We remind them that they are
performing an act of complete faith, each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship they
create. In a world where faith often falls short of expectation, it is a tribute to these two who now join hands and
hearts in perfect faith.

______ and _______ have chosen a poem to underline their love for each other.

“Sonnet from the Portuguese” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, – I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! – and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Declaration of Intent

__________, will you receive __________ as your wife?
Will you pledge to her your love, faith and tenderness,
cherishing her with a husband’s loyalty and devotion?

(Answer): I will.

__________, will you receive __________ as your husband?
Will you pledge to him your love, faith and tenderness,
cherishing him with a wife’s loyalty and devotion?

(Answer): I will.

(Vows)
__________ and __________, receive each other from your fathers and mothers, who give you into each other’s
keeping, by saying now, each to the other, words which will tell of your love.
__________, please repeat after me:

I, __________, take you, __________,
to be no other than yourself,
in all the ways life may find us,
tending you in sickness
and rejoicing with you in health,
as long as we both shall live to love.

__________, please repeat after me:

I, __________, take you, __________,
to be no other than yourself,
in all the ways life may find us,
tending you in sickness
and rejoicing with you in health,
as long as we both shall live to love.

Exchange of Rings

Will you now give and receive a ring?
(Answer): We will.
May I have the rings please?

This circlet of precious metal is justly regarded as a fitting emblem of the purity and perpetuity of the Marriage
State. The ancients were reminded by the circle of eternity, as it is so fashioned as to have neither beginning nor
end; while gold is so incorruptible that it cannot be tarnished by use or time. So may the union, at this time
solemnized, be incorruptible in its purity and more lasting than time itself.

__________, please place this ring on __________’s left hand and repeat after me:

Wear this ring forever, __________,
as a symbol of love and peace
and of all that is unending.

__________, please place this ring on __________’s left hand and repeat after me:

Wear this ring forever, __________,
as a symbol of love and peace
and of all that is unending.

Proclamation

In the years which shall bring __________ and __________ into greater age and wisdom, we pray that their love
shall be ever young; that they shall be able always to recover, from moments of despair, the passionate ways of
youth. In this hope, may they keep the vows made on this day, in freedom, teaching each other who they are, what
they yet shall be, enabling them to know that in the fullness of being, they are more than themselves and more than
each other;
that they are all of us, and that together we share joyously the fruits of life.

Inasmuch as __________ and __________ have declared their love and devotion to each other before family and
friends, by the authority vested in me by the State of New York, I pronounce them to be a married couple.
I now greet them with you as husband and wife.

You may now kiss the bride!

Welcome/Intro

We are gathered here today in the sight of God, and the presence of friends and loved ones, to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments. We are here to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to the words that will unite GROOM/BRIDE and GROOM/BRIDE in holy matrimony.

The Question

Who gives (Bride) to be married to (Groom) (Optional)

To the Couple
GROOM/BRIDE, marriage is the most important of all earthly relationships. It should be entered into reverently, thoughtfully and with full understanding of its sacred nature. Your marriage must stand by the strength of your love and the power of faith in each other and in God. Just as two threads woven in opposite directions form a beautiful tapestry, so to your two lives when merged together will make a beautiful marriage.

The Word of God

1st Corinthians
Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud. Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand it’s own way. Love is not irritable or touchy. Love does not hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong. Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them.

or

John 4:7-12
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.

The Intent

GROOM/BRIDE, do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your Husband/Wife? (“I do”)
Do you promise to love, honour, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore? (“I do”)
GROOM/BRIDE, do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your Husband/Wife? (“I do”)
Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore? (“I do”)

Vows

(facing each other and holding hands)(repeat after me)
I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our
friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honour you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep
So help me God

I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my Husband/Wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honour you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep
So help me God

Rings

The ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.

Ring Exchange

(May I have the rings please) (repeat after me)
I GROOM/BRIDE, take thee, GROOM/BRIDE to be my Husband/Wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my Husband/Wife, for as long as we both shall live.

I GROOM/BRIDE, take thee GROOM/BRIDE, to be my Husband/Wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my husband/wife, for as long as we both shall live.

Wedding Prayer

Bless their marriage, O God, as they begin their journey down the road of life together. We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help them to make the best of whatever comes their way.
Help them to continue to enjoy each other as they did when they first met. Help them to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including themselves.

Help them to respect each other’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears even though they may not always understand them.
Help them to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Help them to realize that no matter what happens to them they will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.
Help them to create for their children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.

But most of all, dear God, help them to keep lit the torch of love’ that they now share so that by their loving example they may pass on the light of love to their children and to their children’s children forever. Amen

Pronouncement

As a Minister of the Gospel of Grace and by the authority/power vested in me by the province of Ontario I now pronounce you . . . . .

Kiss

You may kiss your Bride.

Documents

Presentation

It is my honour to introduce to you for the first time as husband and wife… the happy couple…

Welcome/Intro

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, the joining of two hearts. In this ceremony today we will witness the joining GROOM/BRIDE and GROOM/BRIDE in marriage.
If there is anyone present who has just cause why this couple should not be united let them speak now or forever hold their peace.

The Question

Who gives bride to be married today to Groom? (Optional)

To the Couple

You have come together today so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of God and this community. Christ abundantly blesses your love, he strengthens you so that you may assume the duties of marriage in mutual and lasting fidelity, and so… in the presence of this community.
GROOM/BRIDE AND GROOM/BRIDE I would ask that you always treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together today.
Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage – as they do to every relationship at one time or another – focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong.
This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and happiness.

To the Guests

Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives. For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding Today. Romance is fun, but true love is something far more and it is their desire to love each other for life and that is what we are celebrating here today.

A good marriage must be created.
In 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 standing together and facing the world.
It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right person — it is being the right partner

The Word of God

1st Corinthians
Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud. Love is never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand it’s own way. Love is not irritable or touchy. Love does not hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong. Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground in defending them.

The Intent

GROOM/BRIDE, do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your Husband/Wife? (“I do”)
Do you promise to love, honour, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore? (“I do”)

GROOM/BRIDE, do you take GROOM/BRIDE to be your Husband/Wife? (“I do”)
Do you promise to love, honour, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore? (“I do”)

Vows

(face each other and hold hands)(repeat after me)
I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honour you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep

I, GROOM/BRIDE take you GROOM/BRIDE to be my Husband/Wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honour you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep

Prayers for the Faithful

(call and response)
Let us pray for peace, happiness and joy in everyone’s life, both here at home, and around the world. Response: Lord, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for the new additions to our families, that God looks over them, and that they are always surrounded by love and caring.
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us pray for those in our lives who are sick and healing, may their road to recovery be blessed. Response: Lord, hear our prayer.
Let us pray for those who have traveled this road with us, but could not join us here today. We know that those people are close to us in spirit.
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us pause for a moment to add our own special intentions.
Response: Lord, hear our prayer.

Ring Exchange

(who has the rings) (repeat after me)
The ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.
I GROOM/BRIDE, take thee, GROOM/BRIDE to be my Husband/Wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit.
I GROOM/BRIDE, take thee GROOM/BRIDE, to be my Husband/Wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. Take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity in the name of the father, and of the son, and of the holy spirit.

Lord, bless and consecrate this groom and bride in their love for each other. May these rings be a symbol of their true faith in each other, and always remind them of their love through the Christ to God.

Wedding Prayer

Bless their marriage, O God, as they begin their journey down the road of life together.
We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help them to make the best of whatever comes their way.
Help them to continue to enjoy each other as they did when they first met. Help them to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including themselves.
Help them to respect each other’s likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears even though they may not always understand them.
Help them to learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

Help them to realize that no matter what happens to them they will hold on to each other and know that things have a way of working out for the good.
Help them to create for their children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.

But most of all, dear God, help them to keep lit the torch of love’ that they now share so that by their loving example they may pass on the light of love to their children and to their children’s children forever. Amen

The Pronouncement

By the power vested in me I now pronounce you…

Kiss

You may kiss your Groom/Bride.

Documents

Closing Comments

To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today.
It will take trust, to know, that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other.
It will take dedication, to stay open to one another – and to learn and grow together.
It will take faith, to go forward together, without knowing exactly what the future brings.
And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both have pledged to today.

My dear friends, let us turn to the lord and pray
that he will bless GROOM/BRIDE & GROOM/BRIDE united them in true marriage today. Father you
have made the union of husband and wife so holy as it symbolizes the marriage of
two humans through Christ to God.

Look with love upon GROOM/BRIDE & GROOM/BRIDE Fill them both with love for each other, both honoring and respecting each other and always
seeing their love as a gift to be treasured. May the commitment
which they are making be sacred not only
for today but for the rest of their lives.
We ask this blessing for them in the name of the father and the son and the holy spirit.

Presentation

I would like to introduce the happy couple

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