Basic Wedding Ceremony

Wedding Ceremony

of

Bride’s Name,

and

Groom’s Name

Month, Day,  Year

Time of Ceremony.

Friends, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love of Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name, as they make their pledges of marriage before God and before this company. Marriage is God’s creation and is meant to be honored by all people.  It is not something to be entered into lightly.  Marriage must be entered into honestly, respectfully, advisedly, and in reverence to God.

      Into this holy estate, these two people now desire to be joined in Christian marriage.

      Who gives this woman to be wed to this Man?

            _____________________ replies, “I do” and takes his seat.

It says in 1 John 4:8,  “God is love.”   This is a pure, simple description of God.  As marriage is based on God, it is also based on love.  Love is the greatest gift we can offer one another, and that is what makes marriage so very special, and such a cause of joy and celebration for all of us who have come here today to share in this event.

It is my personal prayer and hope that those of you who have already taken the vows of marriage will witness the love of these two people, and as you hear them share their vows, perhaps it will strengthen for you the memory of your happy day, and remind you of the meaning of the vows you yourselves once took. Perhaps it will even strengthen just a little bit the bonds of love that have been growing between you. If any of this should happen, it would certainly be the greatest gift that Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name could offer all of us on their wedding day.

Marriage is an act of faith and ever-deepening commitment, as well as a loving union between a man and a woman. It has been described as the best and the most important relationship that two people can share, the creation of a single growing energy of spiritual life. Marriage can be a lifelong unfolding of loving kindness, backed by the will to make it last. There is no limit to the knowing of another’s soul, and when you learn to love one person, then you grow in love for all of humanity.

Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name,  God expects you both to be affectionate, kind, understanding,  patient,  forgiving and respectful of each other.  God requires you to love and support each other more than any other person or thing on this earth.  Not even your responsibility to parents, job, friends, children, or any other person on the face of the earth can be allowed to interfere with you relationship to one another.  Your responsibility is to see that you are the help-meets that God intends for you to be to each other.  My prayer for you both is that you will honor God in this holy state of matrimony.

Bride’s Name  and Groom’s Name, I charge you by the love of God, and by the love you have for each other, to seek after each other.  Strive to know each other intimately;  each other’s thoughts, each other’s emotions,  each other’s motives.  Learn what is important to each other.  Learn also what is hurtful to each other so those things can be avoided.  Show your love for each other in ways that the other will recognize as expressions of love.  Seek to honor and to serve one another to make each of you complete.  Work with each other in love.  “Love is patient, love is kind, and is not jealous;  love does not brag and is not arrogant.  Does not act unbecomingly;  it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.  Love never fails.”  (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

Groom’s Name, take Bride’s Name right hand in your right hand, turn and face one another, please.

Do you, Groom’s Name,  before God and before these witnesses, with all your heart and determination, promise to love and honor, respect and protect this woman, Bride’s Name ,  who’s right hand you now hold?  (“I do.”)  Do you promise to take care of her in sickness and in health, and denying all others to keep yourself only to her as long as you both shall live?  (“I do”)  Do you take her to be your lawful wedded wife?  (“I do”)  Repeat after me please: 

Bride’s Name, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to be faithful and true to you. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

Do you, Bride’s Name ,  before God and before these witnesses, with all your heart and determination, promise to love and honor, respect and protect this man, Groom’s Name,  who’s right hand you now hold?  (“I do.”)  Do you promise to take care of him in sickness and in health, and denying all others to keep yourself only to him as long as you both shall live?  (“I do”)  Do you take him to be your lawful wedded husband?  (“I do”)  Repeat after me please:

Groom’s Name, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to be faithful and true to you. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life.

May God bless you both.  Now please turn and face me.

Groom’s Name,  do you have a token that expresses your love for Bride’s Name ?  (“Yes,  I do.”)

Groom’s Name, this beautiful ring symbolizes and expresses your love, your commitment and your friendship to your wife, Bride’s Name .  Let this ring , as you present it to her today, be the outward  and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond that unites your two lives and grows every day.  May this ring never be tarnished or soiled by unfaithfulness to she who wears your ring.  Take the ring and place it part way on her finger, and holding it there, repeat after me, please: Bride’s Name ,  this ring I place on your finger is a true symbol of my love and friendship for you.  As you wear this ring daily, may it always remind you of my commitment to you in marriage, for with this ring, and before God and these witnesses, my beloved, my friend, I love you and make you mine.

Bride’s Name , finish placing the ring on your finger, and holding his hand, repeat after me please; Groom’s Name,  I accept your ring joyfully.  I will honor it with all of my heart as long as I live.  (You may give him a light kiss in thanksgiving for the ring.)

Bride’s Name ,  do you have a token that expresses your love for Groom’s Name?  (“Yes,  I do.”)

Bride’s Name , this beautiful ring symbolizes and expresses your love,  your commitment and your friendship to your husband, Groom’s Name.  Let this ring , as you present it to him today, be the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond that unites your two lives and grows every day.  May this ring never be tarnished or soiled by unfaithfulness to he who wears your ring.  Take the ring and place it part way on his finger, and holding it there, repeat after  me please: Groom’s Name ,  this ring I place on your finger is a true symbol of my love and friendship for you.  As you wear this ring daily, may it always remind you of my commitment to you in marriage, for with this ring, and before God and these witnesses, my beloved, my friend, I love you and make you mine.

Groom’s Name, finish placing the ring on your finger, and holding her hand, repeat after me please; Bride’s Name ,  I accept your ring joyfully.  I will honor it with all of my as long as I live.  (You may give her a light kiss in thanksgiving for the ring.)

Apache Wedding Prayer

(Read by _____________________)

Now you will feel no rain…

For each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold…

For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no more loneliness…

For each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies…

But there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness…

And may your days be good and long upon the earth!

May I now have your hands for a closing prayer.

Let us all pray together.  Holy Father, we pray your rich blessings upon this couple and their family.  Help them to be strong in their devotion to you and to each other.  Help them to grow strong in love and to make their marriage into something that is in full accordance with all of your intentions for husbands and wives.  We pray that this relationship will bring praise and glory to you.  Amen.

Bride’s Name and Groom’s Name, you have now completed presenting your vows to one another.  You have expressed them by the joining of your hands in love and affection.  You have sealed your vows by the gift of a ring.  Therefore,  by the authority invested in me as a minister of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, I now pronounce you husband and wife.  May God bless you both and give you peace.  You may kiss the bride!

Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Groom’s Name!

    Witnessing and solemnizing the exchange of these vows:

  _______________________

          Name -  Minister

Witnessed by:

  _______________________  _______________________

Maid of Honor     Best Man