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Sample Ceremonies


EXAMPLE OF CEREMONY FORMAT
All ceremonies follow this general format:

Opening Statement
Opening Affirmation
Affirmation of Love For a Marriage
The Promises (The I Do's)
Vow Exchange
Ring Blessing
Ring Exchange
Closing Affirmation or Prayer
Closing Statements
Presentation of Husband and Wife

When putting your ceremony together you want to keep in mind that much of the content of your ceremony should be pleasing visually and verbally for everyone in attendance. This will help keep your guest attentive and feel connected to your ceremony. However the commitment that you make to each other is really the essence of your ceremony!

Upon confirmation of your booking, we will send you a ceremony that many couples use, as is. But the ceremony we send you can also be a starting point for modification and customization. We encourage you to make any changes you wish, so that the ceremony we use on your special day reflects the love and commitment you have for each other. All of our Officiants are skilled and caring professionals who will spend the time assisting you in crafting the ceremony of your dreams.

Ceremony Readings

Anything that suites your values and taste is usually acceptable in a wedding, especially readings! The longer we conduct ceremonies the more convinced we are that much of the ceremony is for the benefit of the people in attendance! If this is so then readings in your ceremony can be a touching ingredient, appreciated by all.

Gathering or Opening Words  (1)
Gathering or Opening Words (2)
Gathering or Opening Words (3)

We have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of ________and________.

They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together.

The ability and desire for one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift that has been entrusted to us. It is an all- consuming task, a lifelong endeavor. It is a journey we have been preparing for all our lives.

Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become for the sake of the other. It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges humans to become all we are meant to be.

As they join in marriage today, ______and _______ are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that challenge.


____________ and ____________

This is the time you have chosen to become husband and wife. We are here, not only to witness your commitment to each other, but also to wish you both every happiness in your future life together. I believe that those qualities which have attracted you both to each other, will be best developed during a life spent together!

Within its framework…marriage enables the establishment of a home, where through trust, patience, respect, forgiveness, and understanding…the love and affection which you now have for each other may develop into a deep and lasting relationship to last for all time.
TODAY WE GATHER HERE TOGETHER TO WITNESS THE JOINING TOGETHER OF ____ AND  ____ IN MARRIAGE.  

THE CEREMONY OF MARRIAGE IS THE FIRST AND OLDEST CEREMONY IN THE WORLD, CELEBRATED IN THE BEGINNING IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD HIMSELF.

MARRIAGE IS A GIFT OF GOD, GIVEN TO COMFORT THE SORROWS OF LIFE AND TO MAGNIFY ITS JOYS.

MARRIAGE IS DEALING WITH ONE ANOTHER'S GOOD AND BAD DAYS. IT'S CRYING AND LAUGHING TOGETHER. PLANNING TOGETHER. TAKING A JOURNEY TOGETHER THAT CAN BE MORE EXCITING THAN YOU COULD EVER IMAGINE. BUT IT TAKES INTENTION. IT TAKES DEVOTION. CONNECTION. FUN. SEX. RISK.


Support of Family & Friends  (1)
~~~ READING TWO LIVES ~~~
~~~ Reading~~~  

The marriage of ________and ________is more than just the union of two people in love, It's also the joining of two families, of two sets of friends and of two patterns of life.

Who stands with this woman in support and blessing of this marriage?

Father of the bride: "Her mother and I do."

Who stands with this man in support and blessing of this marriage?

Father of the groom: "His mother and I do"

As these two people join together in marriage, they ask for the support and love of their families and friends.


Two lives, two people, very different, yet so similar. Together you stand as one, sharing your future as it comes. Buds are yet to blossom, with care and trust, the best is yet to be revealed. Honesty and kindness, are the fruits of love. Bless this day and always to enrich __________ and __________ so their love will never end.


Everyday you live, learn how to receive love with as much understanding as you give it. Find things within yourself, then you can share them with each other. Do not fear this love. Have an open heart and a sincere mind. Be sincerely interested in each other's happiness. Be constant and consistent in your love. From this comes security and strength. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us on this day of your marriage. Try to commit yourselves fully and freely to each other.

Charge to Couple  (1)
Charge to Couple (2)
Charge to Couple (3)

This is a new beginning for both of you and I'd like to offer some gentle reminders to ease your life-long task of living and growing together. Be kind to each other. And when you disagree, do it respectfully.

Be gentle and forgiving with each other. When you forgive, your hearts make room for a little more love, a little more understanding, and a little more compassion.

Communicate with each other. Share the joy that's in your heart and the sorrow that burdens your soul. Open your hearts to each other and find love.


Everyday you live, learn how to receive love with as much understanding as you give it. Find things within yourself, then you can share them with each other. Do not fear this love. Have an open heart and a sincere mind. Be sincerely interested in each other's happiness. Be constant and consistent in your love. From this comes security and strength. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us on this day of your marriage. Try to commit yourselves fully and freely to each other.

Before you (Groom and Brides Name) are joined in marriage in my presence of these your family, friends and witnesses, I am to remind you of the serious and binding nature of the relationship you are now about to enter.


____ AND ____ , YOUR MARRIAGE MUST STAND, NOT BY THE AUTHORITY OF THE STATE NOR BY THE SEAL ON YOUR WEDDING CERTIFICATE, BUT BY THE STRENGTH OF YOUR LOVE…EACH FOR THE OTHER.
MARRIAGE IS  MORE THAN JUST A RITUAL TO FULFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF CIVIL LAW. IT IS GOD'S PINNACLE IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS. YOU WILL HAVE A MARRIAGE TO BE ENVIED IF YOU RECOGNIZE GOD'S GIFTS OF ROMANCE AND LOVE AND AFFECTION.

    THIS IS WHY WE ARE TO CONSIDER MARRIAGE AS HOLY, JOYFUL, AND PERMANENT, BECAUSE CHRIST'S RELATIONSHIP TO HIS OWN IS HOLY, JOYFUL, AND PERMANENT. AND IT IS IN THIS LIGHT OF GOD'S HOLY WORD THAT WE UNITE ERIC AND KIM TODAY.
Consent (1)
Consent (2)
Consent (3)
_________, do you here, in the presence of family, declare your love for and commitment to _________, choosing her as your life partner and soul mate? Do you freely offer yourself to her and willingly accept the gift of self she offers to you?

Groom: "I do!"

_________, do you here, in the presence of family, declare your love for and commitment to _________, choosing him as your life partner and soul mate? Do you freely offer yourself to him and willingly accept the gift of self he offers to you?

Bride: "I do!"



By performing this marriage you are both making a public statement about your private thoughts and commitments to each other.



AND NOW,____ --ARE YOU READY?

____ ), WILL YOU HAVE ____ TO BE YOUR WIFE, TO LIVE TOGETHER IN THE HOLY COVENANT OF MARRIAGE? WILL YOU LOVE HER, COMFORT HER, HONOR AND KEEP HER, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, AND, FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, BE FAITHFUL TO HER SO LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE?
    IF SO, ANSWER, "I WILL."

AND NOW ____ . KIM, WILL YOU HAVE ____ TO BE YOUR HUSBAND, TO LIVE TOGETHER IN THE HOLY COVENANT OF MARRIAGE? WILL YOU LOVE HIM, COMFORT HIM, HONOR AND KEEP HIM, IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH, AND, FORSAKING ALL OTHERS, BE FAITHFUL TO HIM SO LONG AS YOU BOTH SHALL LIVE?
    IF SO, ANSWER, "I WILL."

AND WILL ALL OF YOU GATHERED HERE TODAY WITNESSING THESE PROMISES DO ALL IN YOUR POWER TO UPHOLD THESE TWO PERSONS IN THEIR MARRIAGE?
    IF SO, ANSWER, "WE WILL."
Vows (1)
Vows (2)
Vows (3)
Please repeat after me:

Groom: I, ________, take you, _________, to be my wife: to love you when you drive me crazy, to respect you when we disagree, to support you if bad times come our way, and to always remember how grateful I am to have you by my side.

Bride: I, ________, take you, _________, to be my husband: to love you when you drive me crazy, to respect you when we disagree, to support you if bad times come our way, and to always remember how grateful I am to have you by my side.


Here you may choose to write your own vows

Minister: (Grooms Name) will you take (Brides Name) to be your lawful wife, will you love her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live.

Response: I will.

Minister: (Brides Name) will you take (Grooms Name) to be your lawful husband, will you love him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him so long as you both shall live.

Response: I will.
____ AND ____ , PLEASE FACE EACH OTHER.
____ ,WILL YOU REPEAT THIS VOW TO ____ ,SAYING AFTER ME,

    I ____ , TAKE YOU,____ , TO BE MY WIFE, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD; FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE; FOR RICHER, FOR POORER; IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH; TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH UNTIL WE ARE SEPARATED BY DEATH; AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I GIVE YOU MY PROMISE.

AND ____ ,WILL YOU REPEAT THIS VOW TO ____ ,SAYING AFTER ME,

    I KIM, TAKE YOU, ____ , TO BE MY HUSBAND, TO HAVE AND TO HOLD, FROM THIS DAY FORWARD; FOR BETTER, FOR WORSE; FOR RICHER, FOR POORER; IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH; TO LOVE AND TO CHERISH UNTIL WE ARE SEPARATED BY DEATH; AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I GIVE YOU MY PROMISE.
Ring Blessing  (1)
Ring Blessing  (2)
Ring Blessing  (3)
The ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle, for love that is given comes back 'round again.

Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your com- mitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you've been, and where you're going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are as a couple.
Minister:Please join with me silently in this blessing for the rings you are about to exchange:

May your love be like these rings, without beginning and without end
May it remain forever unchanging and pure,
It is affirmed your love inspires you both to encircle one another in love,  as do these rings.
Yet may you each make allowance
for your separateness and individual nature.
From this day forth, these rings become an important symbol to all the world
 of your love and commitment in marriage.

TO GROOM
____ , WHAT SYMBOL DO YOU GIVE TO ____ AS A SEAL OF THE VOWS YOU HAVE MADE THIS DAY? ("A RING.")
    THE SYMBOL OF A RING IS OF GREAT SIGNIFICANCE. MADE OF PRECIOUS METAL, IT REMINDS US THAT LOVE IS NOT CHEAP OR COMMON. MADE IN A CIRCLE, IT TELLS US THAT THE LOVE EXPRESSED HERE TODAY MUST NEVER COME TO AN END.
Ring Exchange (1)
Ring Exchange (2)
Ring Exchange (3)
______, as you place the ring on ______'s finger, please repeat after me:

"You are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend."

______, as you place the ring on ______'s finger, please repeat after me:

"You are the love of my life, and you are my very best friend."

May these rings remind you that your love, like the sun, warms all that it touches. Like the moon, it brightens up the night. And, like the eye, it is a gateway to your innermost soul. And your love, like the arms that embrace you, makes everything right in the world.

Groom: (Brides Name); with this ring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of all we shall share together

Bride: (Grooms Name); with this ring I thee wed. Take it and wear it as a symbol of all we shall share together


TO GROOM
____ , PLEASE PLACE THE RING ON ____  FINGER, AND REPEAT THIS PROMISE AFTER ME:

*WITH THIS RING, I SEAL MY PROMISE, TO BE YOUR FAITHFUL AND LOVING HUSBAND, AS GOD IS MY WITNESS.

TO BRIDE:

AND ____, WHAT SYMBOL DO YOU GIVE TO ____ AS A SEAL OF THE VOWS YOU HAVE MADE THIS DAY? ("A RING.")

____, PLEASE PLACE THE RING ON ____ FINGER, AND REPEAT THIS PROMISE AFTER ME:

    *WITH THIS RING, I SEAL MY PROMISE, TO BE YOUR FAITHFUL AND LOVING WIFE, AS GOD IS MY WITNESS.
Closing Affirmation or Prayer  (1)
LIGHTING OF UNITY CANDLE
LIGHTING OF UNITY CANDLE
May your love be based on freedom. For though our hands may touch, it's our hearts that hold.

When you hold love within your heart, you radiate a light which shall brighten all the days of your life and beyond.

Everything we truly love becomes a part of us forever. So, take your time with each other. Let your love's seed grow and mature with the seasons to provide you with warmth, serenity, joy and acceptance throughout all the years of your marriage.


Celebrant:

This wedding ceremony represents more than just the joining of a couple, we are also witnessing the creation of a new family.  I invite Ray's and Jeannine's children to join their parents at the table here in the center.

 Ray, Jeannine, Chris, Lisa, Amy and Cory, to symbolize your unity as a family, you will now join in lighting the Family Unity Candle.  You will each dip your taper candle into the already-lit votive candle.  Then, you will join your flames together to light the Family Candle in the center.

Music Selection/Candle Lighting:  Piano Selection

Celebrant:

As you join your candles together to light the single Family Candle, the flame flares higher than before.  The united flame is a strong symbol.  It symbolizes the unity of family, and how all of your lives will be richer because of your common bond of love.

 From this moment forward may the light of life shine bright for you all.
PLEASE FACE ME.

 ____ AND ____WILL NOW LIGHT THE UNITY CANDLE. THE TWO OUTSIDE CANDLES SYMBOLIZE YOUR LIVES BEFORE THIS SPECIAL DAY--TWO LIVES, SEPARATE FROM ONE ANOTHER. BUT AS YOU LIGHT THE CANDLE IN THE CENTER, IT SIGNIFIES YOUR LIVES JOINED TOGETHER IN MARRIAGE AND IN CHRIST. NO LONGER TWO BUT ONE--ONE TO SHARE THE JOYS AND BLESSINGS OF MARRIAGE. EVEN AS GOD SAID TO ADAM AND EVE IN THE GARDEN, "THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH."


    (LIGHT CANDLES, COME BACK)
    *SPECIAL MUSIC*
Presentation of Couple  (1)
Presentation of Couple  (2)
Presentation of Couple  (3)

Love is not a wall, it is a bridge. Love does not confine, it sets you free. It leads as a pathway, winding, to places unknown and mysterious. With love to light the way, you can meet any challenge together.

By the power vested in me by the state of Arizona, I now pronounce you man and wife. _________, you may kiss your bride.

And now, to all the family who has come to celebrate this marriage, I would like to present, for the first time anywhere,

MR & MRS

 RECESSIONAL
Celebrant:

____ and ____have declared before us that they will live together in marriage and promise to include God in their life, which will help them to provide a loving home for their children. They have made special promises to each other and to their children. They have symbolized their union by joining hands and taking vows, and bestowing gifts.  

 Therefore, on behalf of the community, I now declare ____ and ____ to be husband and wife.  I am honored to introduce you to Mr. & Mrs.

 You may now kiss each other!

 RECESSIONAL

____ AND ____, YOU HAVE COME BEFORE GOD AND BEFORE US AND HAVE EXPRESSED YOUR DESIRE TO BE HUSBAND AND WIFE. YOU HAVE SHOWN YOUR LOVE BY MAKING PROMISES OF FAITH AND DEVOTION TO ONE ANOTHER, AND HAVE SEALED THESE PROMISES BY THE GIVING AND RECEIVING OF RINGS.

    I THEREFORE PRONOUNCE YOU HUSBAND AND WIFE. MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU AND GIVE YOU HIS PEACE.

YOU MAY NOW KISS YOUR BRIDE.

    *IT IS NOW WITH GREAT PLEASURE THAT I PRESENT TO YOU MR. & MRS

 RECESSIONAL

Your Wedding Vows

Your vows are the foundation for the entire wedding day. For those who do not want to write their own vows we have many others to choose from. However, if you wish to write your own vows the following samples will help you formulate and create your own. Others have used these vows and we share them with their permission. Feel free to borrow and fit into you own words. They are secular in content but all are romantic, unique and meaningful. If you decide to write your own vows it is best that you keep them brief and to the point. Vows spoken from the heart are very special and powerful. Lengthy vows often loose their romantic meaning. Your vows can either be memorized or you can bring a copy with you and repeat them after your Officiant. Finally, if you write your own vows you may want to keep a copy to frame or store with your other memorabilia.

VOW 1

(Bride's Name), I am proud to take you as my wife for all of the time we
have been together
There has always been the kind of love and understanding which is
only shared when there is true love.
You have helped me triumph over challenges presented
Encouraged my personal growth and boosted my self esteem
You have helped me become the person I am today
and with your help I will be a better man, tomorrow than I was yesterday.
I love the way you love and care for me.
I love the way you trust and totally believe in me.
I love the way you always look your very best for me.
I love you now and I love my life with you.
Today as we begin our lives as husband and wife.
I totally commit myself to you.
(Groom's Name), I take you as my husband. To say I love you is not
enough,
to try to condense the depth of my feelings into a few words is impossible.
It doesn't tell of the respect I have for you as an individual,
nor how I appreciate how tender and caring you really are
nor the joy I find in your warm laughter,
nor the tears I hold back for your pain,
nor the strength you give when I need it the most,
nor the pleasure I feel in your gentle touch.
But if to say, "I love you" means all these things.
Then let me say "I love you more each day".
______________________________________________________________________

VOW 2
I call upon these people here present to witness that I (Groom's Name)
take you (Bride's Name), as my lawfully wedded wife, to share with you
a relationship of love and of tenderness and laughter. I will stand by you
through all our tomorrows, respecting you as a person, your individuality,
your needs, your changes, and enjoy your love throughout our lives.
I call upon these people here present to witness that I (Bride's Name) take
you (Groom's Name), as my lawfully wedded husband, to share with you
a relationship of love and of tenderness and laughter. I will stand by you
through all our tomorrows, respecting you as a person, your individuality,
your needs, your changes, and enjoy your love throughout our lives.
_____________________________________________________________________

VOW 3
Groom: Today we cross an invisible line.
Bride: We leave behind our yesterdays and start our lives anew.
Groom: The past is over. We will concern ourselves only with the future.
Bride: It is a new day, a new commitment, a new life.
Groom: The vows we take today will change us forever.
Bride: I take them gladly.
Groom: I take them gladly, too.
Bride: (Groom's Name), I promise to love you, to protect you, and to be
faithful to you for all the days of my life. I will soothe your hurts and
share your delights. I will do all in my power to make you as happy as I
am today.
Groom: (Bride's Name), I promise to love you and honor you and to
always be honest with you. I will be faithful to you for all the days of my
life. I will believe only the best about you and look always for your good
qualities. I will do all in my power to make you as happy as I am today.
Bride: Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. I choose to spend
today, and all of my tomorrows, with you.
Groom: Today is the beginning of the rest of my life. I choose to spend it,
and all of my tomorrows, with you.
Groom: I love you, (Bride's Name).
Bride: I love you, (Groom's Name).
Groom: I want you for my wife, that we may share our lives with each other.
Bride: I want you for my husband, that our love may be sanctified by
this ceremony.
Groom: I promise to put you first in my life, knowing that our love is my
most precious possession.
Bride: I promise to put you first in my life, believing that all other
achievements pale beside a happy marriage.
Groom: I will share with you my joys, my sorrows, my hopes and my
dreams.
Bride: I will bring to you my accomplishments and my failures.
Groom: I will be faithful to you always.
Bride: And I will be faithful to you.
Groom: From this day forward, I will walk beside you.
When we are apart, my thoughts will be with you.
Bride: From this day forward, we stand together.
Whatever happens to either of us will be confronted by both.
Groom: I gladly make these promises. I am proud to be your husband.
Bride: I gladly make these promises. I am proud to be your wife.
Groom: Our vows are ended; our marriage has begun.
Bride: Let us go with joy into our new life together.
Groom: This is a day of rejoicing.
Bride: We rejoice in the goodness of love.
Groom: Because I love you, I promise to respect your wishes and opinions.
Bride: Because I love you, I promise to put our marriage above all else.
Groom: I will share with you my material goods, my thoughts, and my feelings.
Bride: I will share with you my material goods, my thoughts, and my feelings.
Groom: I promise to do all that I can to keep our relationship special to both of us.
Bride: I will cherish our time together. I will try to keep our home peaceful and
harmonious.
Groom: I will encourage you to grow and to become all that you are
capable of becoming.
Bride: I will urge you to meet whatever challenges you may face.
Groom: I promise to be faithful to you in thought, word, and act.
Bride: I promise to be faithful to you in thought, word, and act.
This is a day of rejoicing.
Groom: We rejoice in the goodness of love.
___________________________________________________________

VOW 4

Officiant: Marriage is not a legal document. No pastor or priest or justice
of the peace can create a marriage because a marriage, truly, is nothing
except the promises made and kept by two individuals. Today (Groom's
Name) and (Bride's Name) stand before us to publicly declare their love
and to share with us their marriage promises. (Groom's Name), what
promises do you make?
Groom: I promise to love (Bride's Name) with all my heart and mind and
strength. I promise to be faithful to her in thought, word and act for all the
days of my life. I promise to consider her welfare and happiness before I
make any decisions and I promise to offer her comfort, encouragement
and companionship.
Officiant: ( Bride's Name), what promises do you make?
Bride: I promise to love (Groom's Name) with all my heart and mind and
strength. I promise to be faithful to him in thought, word and act for all
the days of my life. I promise to consider his welfare and happiness
before I make any decisions and I promise to offer him comfort,
encouragement and companionship.
Officiant: Do you both, before these witnesses, pledge to do all in your
power to make this a happy and enduring union?
Together the Bride and Groom say: We do.
____________________________________________________________-

VOW 5 (Rose vow)

NOTE: The Groom will need to have a rose and the Bride will need a
vase with water in it. Before the ceremony, the vase and rose should be
placed in an easily accessible spot generally behind a lectern, for example.
The best man, the Maid of Honor, or the Minister should get the rose and
the vase just prior to this part of the service.
Minister: This is a day steeped in tradition, a time when we are surrounded
by symbols: something old, something new, something borrowed,
something blue.
Today, (Bride's Name) and (Groom's Name) begin a new tradition, a
custom which now becomes uniquely their own.
Groom: (Bride Name) I give you this rose. Because it grew from a tiny
seed, becoming stronger and larger until it burst into flower, it symbolizes
the way my love for you has grown. (He gives her the rose.) Each year on
our wedding anniversary, I will give you another rose. In so doing, I'll
remember this day and renew the vows we've made.
Bride: (Groom's name), I give to you this vase of water. (He takes and
holds it.) Because water is the one element without which we would
perish, it symbolizes the importance of your love in my life. Each year on
our anniversary, I will refill this vase, offering it to you as a symbol of my
ever renewing love. (She puts the rose in the vase and they hold the vase
together.)
Groom: Without water, the rose would die.
Bride: Without the rose, the vase of water would not be beautiful.
Groom: My gift is enhanced by yours, just as my life is enhanced by ours.
Bride: My gift is lovely because of yours, just as my life is better because
of you. ( They hand the rose and vase to the Minister.)
Minister: On each anniversary, as you give and receive the rose and the
water, remember with joy this day when you pledged your love and your
lives to each other. May this be only the first of many cherished traditions
in a home filled with happiness.
________________________________________________________________________

VOW 5

Groom: Today is a new beginning. It is the start of a new way of life.
Bride: We don't know what challenges lie ahead. We know only that we
will face them together.
Groom: Because of you, I am a better person than I once was.
Bride: I promise always to see the good in you.
Groom: I will try to be worthy of your love and trust.
Bride: Because of you, I am a better person than I once was.
Groom: I promise always to see the good in you.
Bride: I will try to be worthy of your love and trust.
Groom: Before God and these witnesses, I vow to be loyal to you in every
way, to comfort you, to cherish you, and always to love you.
Bride: Before God and these witnesses, I vow to be loyal to you in every
way, to comfort you, to cherish you, and always to love you.
Groom: Today is a new beginning.
Bride: Our new life together has begun.
Groom: Love is more than an emotion. It is a way of life.
Bride: Love is more than a feeling. It is a channel through which all
feelings flow.
Groom: When I offer you my love, I offer all that is important in my life.
Bride: When I offer you my love, I let all of my deepest feelings flow
toward you.
Groom: Marriage is more than a ceremony. This service lasts less than an
hour but marriage is a lifetime of living together.
Bride: Marriage is more than a promise.
It is a promise kept; it is words translated into action.
Groom: As we begin living our promises, I pledge to you my love and
loyalty. I will share with you all that is important to me. I will encourage
peace and happiness between us.
Bride: As we begin living our promises, I pledge to you my love and
loyalty. I will share with you all that is important to me. I will encourage
peace and happiness between us.
_____________________________________________________________________

VOW 6

Bride: I, (Bride's Name), take you, (Groom's Name), to be my husband.
I promise to be true to you always, in sickness and in health, in poverty or
wealth, in my thoughts and in my speaking. I will be your dearest friend,
your lover, and the mother of your children. With these vows, I commit
myself to you.
Groom: I, (Groom's Name), take you, (Bride's Name), to be my wife. I
promise to be true to you always, in sickness and in health, in poverty or
wealth, in my thoughts and in my speaking. I will be your dearest friend,
your lover, and the father of your children. With these vows, I
commit myself to you.
________________________________________________________________________

VOW  7

Minister: Marriage is an act of faith. It requires great trust to pledge ones
self to a lifetime with another person. Today (Groom's Name) and
(Bride's Name) demonstrate their faith and trust by pledging their love to
each other.
(Groom's Name), what promises do you make to (Bride's Name)?
Groom: (Bride's Name), I affirm you now as my life partner. I promise to
stay with you in times of celebration and in times of mourning. I promise
to love you, honor you, and be faithful to you. I accept you, without
reservation, as my wife.
Minister: (Bride's Name), what promises do you make to
(Groom's Name)?
Bride: (Groom's Name), I affirm you now as my life partner. I promise to
stay with you in times of celebration and in times of mourning. I promise
to love you, honor you, and be faithful to you. I accept you, without
reservation, as my husband.
Minister: By the promises they've made, (Groom's Name) and (Bride's
Name) have demonstrated their belief in love, in marriage, and in each
other. They ask now for the blessing of all who have witnessed their
vows. If you believe in their love and approve their marriage, please
applaud.
_______________________________________________________________________

VOW 8

Groom: I promise to live in such a way that I will never bring dishonor
or heartache into our marriage.
Bride: I promise to keep our home a sanctuary of love, contentment
and compassionate understanding.
Groom: I pledge to you my patience, my honesty, and my faith in the
rightness of our love.
Bride: I pledge to you my patience, my honesty, and my faith in the
rightness of our love.
Groom: To the best of my ability, I will be your friend, your helpmate,
your counselor and your sweetheart.
Bride: To the best of my ability, I will be your friend, your helpmate,
your counselor and your sweetheart.
Groom: I love you and I want to be your husband.
Bride: I love you and I want to be your wife.

Vow 1

 Name, I fell in love with you for the person you are. I soon realized that I also love you for the person I now see inside of me. Now I understand that the people we are, are the people we are when we are together. Today I choose you to be my wife. Our future is only ours to live. And living it with you makes me truly believe we can overcome anything in our path. I will love you till the end of time.

Vow 9

There was darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you. Your love has given me wings, and our journey begins today. I pledge before our family and friends to be your husband/wife from this day forward. I join my life with yours. I want you for today, tomorrow, and forever.

Vow 10

I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you to love me the way you have have. I give myself to you as your wife/husband, and I promise here to cherish for all of my days the love we celebrate today. I freely offer you my total devotion and love. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day.

Vow 11

In the presence of our family and friends I choose you be my wife/husband; 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.

Vow 12

I choose you to be my wife/husband.
I promise to always believe in you;
To dream with you; to laugh with you
I promise to hold you up with respect;
To listen to you, and at the same time hear you.
Be faithful to you; and to embrace your family.
Through the best & the worst of what is to come
As long as I live I will keep these words close to my heart.
This is my solemn vow.

Vow 13

I will base my life with you on love and caring. I will be considerate of your wishes and desires, and respect your integrity and intentions. I will support your dreams and goals, and strive to keep our lives well acquainted with laughter and joy. Where there are troubles, I will stand with you; where there are storms, we will weather them together I (name), bring to you, (name), the very best person I can be, now and forever.

Vow 14

I wished for a companion who could understand me and accept me for who I was; I wished for a best friend with whom I could share both laughter and tears; I wished for a confidante who would always be ready to share hopes, dreams, and secrets. My wish came true with you. Finding and loving you has become the central event of my life.

Vow 15

I come here today, (name), secure in the knowledge that you are my partner, the one with whom I will live and grow forever. I, (name), offer myself to you and you alone as your wedded mate in the name of grateful, pure, and lasting love.

Vow 16

I take you Bride/Groom, to be my wife/husband, knowing in my heart that you will be a faithful friend, my confidant, and the mother/father of my children. I will be with you in good times and in bad for the rest of my life.

Vow17

I vow to cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. Both freed and bound by our love, I give you my hand, my heart, my soul, From this day forward as long as we both shall live. The is my solemn vow.

Vow 18

Name, I fell in love with you for the person you are. I soon realized that I also love you for the person I now see inside of me. Now I understand that the people we are, are the people we are when we are together. Today I choose you to be my wife. Our future is only ours to live. And living it with you makes me truly believe we can overcome anything in our path. I will love you till the end of time.

Vow 19

There was darkness for a long time and then there was light, and that light was you. Your love has given me wings, and our journey begins today. I pledge before our family and friends to be your husband/wife from this day forward. I join my life with yours. I want you for today, tomorrow, and forever.

Vow 20

I have dreamed my whole life of having someone as wonderful as you to love me the way you have have. I give myself to you as your wife/husband, and I promise here to cherish for all of my days the love we celebrate today. I freely offer you my total devotion and love. Let us bring together our lives and find ourselves anew each day.

Vow 21

In the presence of our family and friends I choose you be my wife/husband; 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.

Vow 22

I choose you to be my wife/husband.
I promise to always believe in you;
To dream with you; to laugh with you
I promise to hold you up with respect;
To listen to you, and at the same time hear you.
Be faithful to you; and to embrace your family.
Through the best & the worst of what is to come
As long as I live I will keep these words close to my heart.
This is my solemn vow.

Vow 23

I will base my life with you on love and caring. I will be considerate of your wishes and desires, and respect your integrity and intentions. I will support your dreams and goals, and strive to keep our lives well acquainted with laughter and joy. Where there are troubles, I will stand with you; where there are storms, we will weather them together I (name), bring to you, (name), the very best person I can be, now and forever.

Vow 24

 I wished for a companion who could understand me and accept me for who I was; I wished for a best friend with whom I could share both laughter and tears; I wished for a confidante who would always be ready to share hopes, dreams, and secrets. My wish came true with you. Finding and loving you has become the central event of my life.

Vow 25

I come here today, (name), secure in the knowledge that you are my partner, the one with whom I will live and grow forever. I, (name), offer myself to you and you alone as your wedded mate in the name of grateful, pure, and lasting love.

Vow 26

I take you Bride/Groom, to be my wife/husband, knowing in my heart that you will be a faithful friend, my confidant, and the mother/father of my children. I will be with you in good times and in bad for the rest of my life.

Vow 27

I vow to cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. Both freed and bound by our love, I give you my hand, my heart, my soul, From this day forward as long as we both shall live. The is my solemn vow.


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Readings

Readings are also another way of personalizing your ceremony. Often readings convey in words what your heart is attempting to say to each other. But they also nudge the hearts of everyone gathered. Many in attendance once ‘stood’ and made their commitment just as you do on your very special day. Everyone will feel connected to the circle of love you are attempting to create.

READINGS 1 Everyday you live

Everyday you live, learn how to receive love with as much understanding
as you give it.
Find things within yourself, then you can share them with each other.
Do not fear this love.
Have an open heart and a sincere mind.
Be sincerely interested in each other's happiness.
Be constant and consistent in your love.
From this comes security and strength.
All that we love deeply becomes a part of us on this day of your marriage.
Try to commit yourselves fully and freely to each other.
Walter Pinder

READING 2 1 Corinthians 13 (Shortened version)

Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous.
Love is never boastful or conceited, it is never rude or selfish, it does not
take offense and is not resentful.
Love takes no pleasure in other people's faults, but delights in the truth.
It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope. It is always ready to endure
whatever comes. True love does not come to an end.

READING 3 Remember the word of Kahlil Gibran:

Love one another, but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of our souls.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same
music. Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping, for only the
hand of life can contain your hearts.
Stand together but not too near together. For the pillars of the temple
stand apart and the oak and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow.

READING 4 Marriage is love

If two are caring as they are sharing life's hopes and fears.
If the music of laughter outweighs sadness and tears.
Marriage is togetherness.
If both derive pleasure from the mere presence of each other,
yet when parted no jealousies restrict, worry or smother.
Marriage is freedom.
If achievements mean more when they benefit two
and consideration is shown with each point of view.
Marriage is respect.
And if togetherness, freedom and respect are combined
with a joy that words can never fully define, then
Marriage is love.
Gloria Matthew

READING 5 Love is the reason

Love is the reason why this day was chosen by you both to begin your
lives together and love is the reason why you both will give with all hearts
for the good of each other.
Love is the reason that together you will become one; one in hope; one in
believing in life; one in sharing the coming years.

READING 6 Two Lives

Two lives, two people, so very different, yet so similar.
Together we stand as one, sharing our future as it comes.
The past is that -- past.
Buds are yet to blossom, with care and trust, the best is yet to be revealed.
Honesty and kindness, are the fruits of love.
Lord bless this day and always to enrich us so our love will never end.

READING 7 1 Corinthians 13

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not
charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
And though I have the gift of prophecy, and all knowledge; and though I
have all faith so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing.
And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my
body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth
not itself, is not puffed up,
Doth not behave itself unseemly; seeketh not her own, is not easily
provoked, thinketh no evil;
Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all
things.
Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail;
whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it
shall vanish away.
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be
done away.
When I was a child I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as
a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
For now we see through a glass darkly; but then face to face: now I know
in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
And now abideth, faith, hope, charity, and the greatest of these is charity.

READING 8 Colossians 3:12-14

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and loved, compassion, kindness,
lowliness, meekness, and patience, fore bearing one another, and, if one
has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has
forgiven you, so you must also forgive. And bore all, put on love, which
binds everything together in perfect harmony.

READING 9 Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds.
Admit impediments; love is not love.
Which alters when it alteration finds.
Or bends with the remover to remove.
Oh no! It is an ever-fixed mark.
That looks on tempests and is never shaken.
It is the star to every wand'ring bark,
Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks
Within his bending sickle's compass come;
Love alters not with its brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved.
William Shakespeare

READING 10 There we are one

When I go to the place in me that is Love
And you go into that place in you that is Love
There we are ONE.

READING 11 In Love Made Visible

In love are we made visible
As in a magic bath
are unpeeled
to the sharp pit
so long concealed
With love's alertness
we recognize the soundless whimper
of the soul behind the eyes
A shaft opens, and the timid thing
at last leaps to surface with full-spread wing
The fingertips of love discover more than the body's smoothness
They uncover a hidden conduit
for the transfusion
of empathy's that circumvent
the mind's intrusion
In love are we set free
Objective bone
and flesh no longer insulate us
to ourselves alone
We are released
and flow into each other's cup
Our two frail vials pierced
drink each other up
May Swenson

READING 12 A Vision

Two angels among the throng of angels
paused in the upward abyss, facing angel to angel.
Blue and green glowed the wing feathers
of one angel, from red to gold the sheen
of the other's.
These two, so far as angels may dispute, were poised
on the brink of dispute, brink of fall from angelic stature,
for these tall ones, angels whose wingspan encompasses entire
earthly villages, whose heads if their feet touched earth
would top pines or redwoods, live by their vision's harmony
which sees at one glance the dark and light of the moon.
These two hovered dazed before one another,
for one saw the sea feathered, peacock breakered
crests of the other angel's magnificence, different from his own,
and the other's eyes flickered with vision of
flame petallings, cream-gold grainfeather glitterings,
the wings of his fellow, and both in immortal danger of dwindling,
of dropping into the remote forms of a lesser being.
But as these angels, the only halted ones
among the many who passed and repassed,
trod air as swimmers tread water, each gazing on the angelic wings of
the other, the intelligence proper to great angels flew into their wings,
the intelligence called intellectual love, which,
understanding the perfection's of scarlet,
leapt up among blues and greens strong shafted,
and among amber down illumined the sapphire bloom,
so that each angel was iridescent with the strange newly-seen
hues he watched; and their discovering pause
and the speech their silent interchange of perfection was
never became a shrinking to opposites,
and they remained free in the heavenly chasm,
remained angels, but dreaming angels,
each imbued with the mysteries of the other.
Denise Levertov

READING 13 The Passionate Shepherd to His Love

Come live with me and be my love, And we will all the pleasures prove
That valleys, groves, hills, and fields, woods, or steepy mountain yields.
And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks,
By shallow rivers to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.
And I will make thee beds of roses And a thousand fragrant posies,
A cap of flowers, and a kirtle Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;
A gown made of the finest wool Which from our pretty lambs we pull;
Fair lined slippers for the cold, With buckles of the purest gold;
A belt of straw and ivy buds, With coral clasps and amber studs:
And if these pleasures may thee move, Come live with me,
and be my love.
The shepherds' swains shall dance and sing For thy delight each
May morning: If these delights thy mind may move, Then live with me
and be my love.
Christopher Marlowe

READING 14 From Sonnets from the Portuguese

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
candle-light. 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 grief's, 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.
Elizabeth Barrett Browning

READING 15 The Ivy Crown

The whole process is a lie, unless, crowned by excess,
it break forcefully, one way or another, from its confinement-
or find a deeper well
Anthony and Cleopatra were right;
they have shown the way. I love you or I do not live at all.
Daffodil time is past. This is summer, summer!
the heart says, and not even the full of it. No doubts are permitted-
though they will come and may before our time overwhelm us.
We are only mortal but being mortal can defy our fate.
We may by an outside chance even win!
We do not look to see jonquils and violets come again
but there are, still, the roses!
Romance has no part in it. The business of love is
cruelty which, by our wills, we transform
to live together. It has its seasons, for and against,
whatever the heart fumbles in the dark to assert toward the end of May.
Just as the nature of briars is to tear flesh, I have proceeded.
Keep the briars out, they say. You cannot live and keep free of briars.
Children pick flowers.
Let them.
Though having them in hand they have no further use for them
but leave them crumpled it the curb's edge.
At our age the imagination across the sorry facts
lifts us to make roses stand before thorns.
Sure love is cruel and selfish and totally obtuse-
at least, blinded by the light, young love is.
But we are older, I to love and you to be loved,
we have, no matter how,
by our wills survived to keep the jeweled prize
always at our finger tips. We will it so and so it is
past, all accident.
William Carlos Williams

READING 16 The Lord's Prayer: Traditional Version

Our Father which art in Heaven,
Hallowed be thy name,
Thy 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.
Lead us not into temptation
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen.

READING 17 The Lords Prayer Modern Version

Our Father in heaven,
Holy be your name.
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive our sins
As we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us at the time of trial
And deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory
Are yours now and ever more.
Amen.

READING 18 The Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste
And remember what peace there may be in silence.
Be yourself, especially do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity
and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass.
Be gentle with yourselves.
You are the children of the universe
No less than the trees and stars.
Be at peace with God
Whatever you conceive Him to be
And whatever your labors and aspirations.
In the noisy confusion of life
Keep peace with your souls.

READING 19 Blessing

All praise and blessing to you, God of love,
Creator of the universe,
Maker of man and woman in your likeness,
Source of blessing for married life.
All praise to you, for you have created
Courtship and marriage,
Joy and gladness,
Feasting and laughter,
Pleasure and delight.
May your blessing come in full upon
(Groom's Name) and (Bride's Name)
May they know your presence in their joys and sorrows.
May they reach old age in the company of friends
And come at last to your eternal kingdom.
Amen.

READING 20 A Reading from the New Testament

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 and 13, J.B. Philips translation
Love is slow to lose patience... It looks for a way of being constructive.
It is not possessive... It is neither anxious to impress, nor does it cherish
inflated ideas of its own importance.
Love has good manners, and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not
touchy... It does not keep account of evil, or gloat over the wickedness of
other people.
On the contrary, it is glad when truth prevails.
Love knows no limits to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its
hope.
It can outlast anything. It is in fact the one thing that still stands when all
else is fallen.
In this life we have three great lasting qualities: faith, hope and love...