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Welcome to family
and friends:
We are gathered
here today to celebrate
one of life's greatest
moments, to give
recognition to the worth
and beauty of love, and
to cherish the words
which shall unite
____________ and
____________ in
marriage.
Opening:
____________ and
____________, in the
days ahead of you, there
will be times of
difficulty and conflict.
When you find yourselves
in these situations, I
ask you to reflect on
this marriage 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.
You may wish to add a
reading or song here.
Vows:
____________ and
____________, I remind
you that marriage is a
precious gift; a
lifelong dedication to
love and a daily
challenge to love one
another more fully and
more freely.
With this understanding,
do you ____________,
take ____________ to be
your beloved wife?
Do you promise to be a
tender, faithful
husband?
Do you promise to love
and cherish her, in
sickness and in health,
for richer for poorer,
for better for worse,
and keep yourself only
unto her?
With this understanding,
do you ____________,
take ____________ to be
your beloved husband?
Do you promise to be a
tender, faithful wife?
Do you promise to love
and cherish him, in
sickness and in health,
for richer for poorer,
for better for worse,
and keep yourself only
unto him?
You may wish to add a
reading or song here.
Rings:
____________ and
____________ have chosen
rings as outward symbols
of the commitment they
make today.
From earliest times, the
ring has been a symbol
of wedded love. An
unbroken and
never-ending circle
symbolizes a commitment
to love that is also
never ending.
____________, take the
ring which you have
selected, place it on
____________'s finger,
and say to her these
words.
This ring, a gift for
you, symbolizes my
desire that you be my
wife from this day
forward.
____________, take the
ring which you have
selected, place it on
____________'s finger,
and say to him these
words.
This ring, a gift for
you, symbolizes my
desire that you be my
wife from this day
forward.
Let these rings serve
not as locks binding you
together, but as keys,
unlocking the secrets of
your hearts for each
other to know, and thus
bringing you closer
together forever.
Unity Candle
(Optional)
This candle you are
about to light is a
candle of Marriage. Its
fire is magical because
it represents the light
of two people in love.
This candle before you
is a candle of
Commitment because it
takes two people working
together to keep it
aflame.
This candle is also a
candle of Unity because
both must come together,
giving a spark of
themselves, to create
the new light.
Would you both now light
the candle?
As you light this candle
today, may the
brightness of the flame
shine throughout your
lives. May it give you
courage and reassurance
in darkness. Warmth and
safety in the cold. And
strength and joy in your
bodies, minds and
spirits. May your union
be forever blessed.
Closing:
May the sun bring you
new 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.
Pronouncement:
____________ and
____________, having
witnessed your vows for
marriage with all who
are assembled here, and
by the authority vested
in me, I announce with
great joy that you are
husband and wife.
Kiss:
You may seal your vows
with a kiss.
Presentation:
Ladies and gentlemen, it
is my honor to present
to you, for the first
time as husband and
wife: ____________ and
____________
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