Sample Readings

Sweet and Simple

Welcome everyone. ____________ and ___________ have chosen you, those special and important to them, to witness and celebrate the beginning of their life together. Today, as we create this marriage, we also create a new bond and new sense of family - one that will undoubtedly include all who are present here today."

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 new 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.`

Vows and Expression of Intent

Do you, ______ take, ______ to be your wife and partner for life. Do you promise to walk by her side forever, and to love, help, and encourage her in all she does? Do you promise to take time to talk with her, to listen to her, and to care for her? Will you share her laughter, and her tears, as her partner, lover, and best friend? Do you take her as your lawfully wedded wife for now and forevermore?

Do you, ____take, ________ to be your Husband and partner for life. Do you promise to walk by his side forever, and to love, help, and encourage his in all he does? Do you promise to take time to talk with him, to listen to him, and to care for him? Will you share his laughter, and his tears, as his partner, lover and best friend? Do you take himas your lawfully wedded husband for now and forevermore?

Ceremony of the Rings

And now, seal your promises with these rings, the symbol of your life shared together.

_______ please repeat after me:

_______, this ring I give as token and pledge,

as a sign of my love and devotion.

With this ring, I thee wed.

_______ please repeat after me:

_______ this ring I give as token and pledge,

as a sign of my love and devotion.

With this ring, I thee wed.

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 & Kiss

_________&_______, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss!

Art of Marriage

Who gives this woman to this man?

(Father of the BRIDE or family member says). I Do

__________ and __________, you stand before me having requested that I marry you. Do you both do this of your own free will, with no pressure upon you from other persons?

Groom & Bride answer "We do."

With consent, we move forward 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. 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 the 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 not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner. It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

The Pledge:

_______, will you have______ to be your husband/wife, to live together as friend and mate? Will you love her/him as a person, respect her/him an an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat .

Please repeat after me.

Groom: I, ______, choose you, ______, as my best friend for life. Together, we will be better than we could be alone.

Bride:I, ______, choose you, ______, as my best friend for life. Together, we will be better than we could be alone.

Rings:

"Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today."

Groom: _______This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am"

Bride: ________This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am"

Pronouncement:

"___________ and _______, the time has come to forget all the stress of planning this day and simply enjoy your friends and family who have gathered to spend this day with you. This group of loved ones will, likely, never be together in the same place again. Through quiet reflection and nostalgia, think about how each person has touched your life and why they are here with you today."

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 kiss your bride,

Presentation:

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to present to you, for the first time as husband and wife: ____________ and ____________

Velveteen Rabbit

Who gives this woman to this man?

(Father of the BRIDE or family member says). I Do

__________ and __________, you stand before me having requested that I marry you. Do you both do this of your own free will, with no pressure upon you from other persons?

Groom & Bride answer "We do."

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.

Reading:

"What is REAL?" the Velveteen Rabbit asked the Skin Horse one day. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Velveteen Rabbit .

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand. But once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

Taking the example from The Velveteen Rabbit: Being Real sometimes hurts. The alternative to being real, however, is unimaginable.

Being Loved sometimes hurts. Although we do our utmost not to deliberately hurt the ones we love, the truth is, we inadvertently hurt the ones we love (and they hurt us), because our hearts are exposed the most to one another. What greater way is there to communicate and to exist, than to live wide openly and authentically Real with one another?

I'm not afraid of being in imperfect shape...for that means I'm not left on the shelf, untouched and unharmed.

I'm not afraid of my ears being lopsided and my eyes drooping by affectionate touches.

I'm not afraid of the seams of my edges fraying from so much caressing.

I'm not afraid of going bald because I was rubbed too vigorously (take that ANY way you want!).

I'm not afraid of my stuffing being enthusiastically squeezed out of me.

I want to endure all that Love is for the sake of being Real...the good days and bad.

I want to expose my sunshine as well as my darkness.

I want to express joy and as well as sorrow, courage and fear, peace and anxiety.

I want to be challenged when I'm wrong, encouraged when I'm scared and lovingly laughed at when I'm being ridiculous.

I want to be comforted and played with.

I want to be cherished and treasured.

I want to be needed and wanted and liked and loved.

I want to be seen, heard, felt and tasted.

I want to experience the full spectrum of Love, the entire meaning of what it means to be Real.

I always want the kind of love that makes me Real...

I want to be Real... with you!

The Pledge:

Groom: I, ______, choose you, ______, as my best friend for life. Together, we will be better than we could be alone.

Bride:I, ______, choose you, ______, as my best friend for life. Together, we will be better than we could be alone.

Rings:

Groom: _______This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am"

Bride: ________This ring is a token of my love. I marry you with this ring, with all that I have and all that I am"

Pronouncement:

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 ____________

Slightly Religious

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 BRIDE and GROOM in holy matrimony.

Who gives this woman to this man (Father of the bride or family member says). I Do

BRIDE and GROOM, 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.

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.

VOWS (face each other and hold hands)(repeat after me)

I, GROOM take you BRIDE to be my 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 honor 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, BRIDE take you GROOM to be my Husband, 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 honor 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

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.

I Do’s

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

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

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 (who has the rings) (repeat after me)

I GROOM, take thee, BRIDE to be my 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 Wife, for as long as we both shall live.

I BRIDE, take thee GROOM, to be my Husband. 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, 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 of couple as Husband and Wife.

You may kiss your Bride.

I would Like to introduce Mr. and Mrs._________________