| We gather here today, in the
presence of family and friends, with God as our witness,
to celebrate the marriage of _________________ and
__________________. Every marriage is unique and
special. But all marriages thrive on love and
understanding. When we marry, we freely give everything
we have, and in the end we get much more in return. That
quite simply, is the true definition of love.
(THIS IS A COMMON PLACE TO PUT A SCRIPTURAL READINGS OR
SPECIAL SONGS. HERE IS THE ONE THAT I COMMONLY USE.)
In his first letter to the
Corinthians Paul speak about this love when he says…
If I speak in the tongues of
men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong
or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I
have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not
love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I
deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain
nothing. 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 never ends; ... So
faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest
of these is love.
(THESE ARE THE VOWS. IF YOU
HAVE YOUR OWN VOWS YOU CAN SAY THEM HERE. I NORMALLY
HAVE THE BRIDE AND GROOM REPEAT THESE OUT LOUD)
Now I ask you to say your own
vows of love to each other.
I GROOM take you BRIDE to be my
lawfully wedded wife. I promise to love you, honor you,
and to cherish you; in sickness and in health; for
better or for worse; for as long as we both shall live.
I BRIDE take you GROOM to be my
lawfully wedded husband. I promise to love you, to honor
you, and to cherish you; in sickness and in health; for
better or for worse; for as long as we both shall live.
We use wedding rings as an
outward symbol of our eternal love for one another.
(IF YOU DO NOT WANT THE
FOLLOWING WE NORMALLY REPLACE IT WITH A SIMPLE
"WITH THIS RING - I THEE WED.")
BRIDE please hold GROOM's
hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are
to you.
These are the hands of your
best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love,
that you hold on your wedding day, as he promises to
love you all the days of his life. These are the hands
that will work along side yours, as together you build
your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your
innermost secrets and dreams. These are the hands you
will place with expectant joy against your stomach,
until he too, feels his child stir within you. These are
the hands that will work long hours for you and your new
family These are that hands that will passionately love
you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of
happiness. These are the hands that will comfort you in
illness, and hold you when fear or grief wrack your
mind. These are the hands that will tenderly lift your
chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to
look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with
his overwhelming love and desire for you.
GROOM please hold BRIDE's
hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they
are to you.
These are the hands of your
best friend, smooth, young and carefree, that you hold
on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and
commitment to you all the days of her life. These are
the hands that will hold each child in tender love,
soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and
encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it is
time to let go. These are the hands that will hold you
tight as you struggle through difficult times These are
the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or
console you when you are grieving. These are the hands
that will passionately love you and cherish you through
the years, for a lifetime of happiness. These are the
hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope,
each time she tells you that together you have created a
new life. These are the hands that will give you support
as she encourages you to chase down your dreams.
Together as a team, everything you wish for can be
realized.
Lord we thank you for bringing
GROOM and BRIDE together. We ask you to bless their
hands. May they always be held by one another. Give them
the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and
the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle
as they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help
these hands to continue building a relationship founded
in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted in reaching
for your perfection. May GROOM and BRIDE see their four
hands as healer, protector, shelter and guide. We ask
this in your name, Amen.
(SPEAKING TO THE GUESTS) You
will all share in this marriage in your own special way.
The love and support that you've shown BRIDE and GROOM
in the past will be indispensable to them in the future.
They are truly blessed to have you here today, to share
in this blessed event. GROOM, BRIDE, you have pledged
your love in the eyes of God and before this gathering
and made it clear that you wish to spend the rest of
your lives married to one another. Therefore, by the
power vested in me by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may kiss the
bride.
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