Traditional non-denominational
Sample 19
Opening Words
We are gathered here in the presence of God, family and friends to join
in holy matrimony ______ and _____ and to bear witness to the love they
have for one another. Marriage is an honorable estate, and
therefore it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently,
discreetly, advisedly, soberly, and with God’s blessing. Today
you will receive God’s greatest gift; another person to share life’s
blessings with, care for, learn with, trust in, change with and to
discover the greatness of God’s glory.
On behalf of this bride and groom, I would like to take a moment to
thank all of the special people who have traveled from near and far to
celebrate with ____ and ____ and to shower them with love and blessings.
Opening Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father, God of Peace and Light, Father of Jesus
Christ, who gives us the longing for love and the capability to love,
we give you thanks for _______ and ________ for their open hearts and
willing spirits, and for the example of love that they embody here in
our presence. Be with them on this joyous occasion as they share
their love and say their vows; and be with us their witnesses that we
may support them always and be blessed by what is said and seen here
today. May the home they are creating today truly be a place of love,
harmony and thanksgiving, where your Spirit is always present. We
ask these things in Jesus name; Amen
“Psalm 1”
- Blessed are the man and the woman,
Who have grown beyond themselves,
And have seen through their separations.
- They delight in the way things are,
And keep their hearts open, day and night.
- They are like trees planted near flowing rivers,
Which bear fruit when they are ready.
- Their leaves will not fall or wither,
Everything they do will succeed!
Presentation of the Bride
Who gives/presents ________ to be united in holy matrimony to _______?
The Address
We are gathered here to celebrate a marriage, which is a spiritual
union between two people. Your friends and family have all come
to share their love and to bless you in your new union and the creation
of a brand new family. As you enter into this union together it
is important to reflect upon what has brought you to this point in your
lives. A desire to elevate your relationship above just the
ordinary and to transcend your own limitations as you build a life and
a home that is filled with love, peace, happiness and joy with your
spiritual mate.
Base your relationship on friendship, because when we are truly friends
with someone we want to spend quality time with them. We care
when they are sick, sad or in despair. We listen to their
hopes, fears, and dreams as we seek a deeper understanding of their
spirit. We show them sympathy when things go wrong. We
share laughter and lighthearted moments together. We go out of
our way to communicate with them so that we are “on the same page”,
because being so is the only true way to experience happiness,
unconditional love and joy in life. To achieve true friendship
takes commitment, communication, and hard work, and through this
process you will achieve peace in mind, body, and spirit.
Seek God’s love and blessings, praying together often. Love is
God’s greatest gift to us and should not be taken for granted.
Love is believing, sharing, caring and dreaming. Love is honesty,
friendship, companionship and selflessness. Love is the desire to
be intimate physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Love is
devotion, celebration, understanding, forgiveness and sacrifice.
Love is strong, yet can be fragile. Love is inspiration, support and
the only true way to know God. John tells us that “Whoever does
not love does not know God, because God is love.” God’s love is
called agape love and the Apostle Paul describes this kind of true love
in 1st Corinthians. This is the kind of love that God want’s
between husband and wife.
Reading “1st Corinthians 13: 1-13”
If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am
only a resounding gong or clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of
prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have
a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I
give all I posses to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but
have not love, I am nothing. Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not
rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no
record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices
with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
and always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there
are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be
stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know
in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the
imperfect disappears. Now these three remain; faith, hope and
love, but the greatest of these is love.
Expression of Intent
Now that you have heard the high calling of marriage, do you ______
choose _____ to be your honored and cherished wife/husband, to live
with her/him in the consecrated state of marriage?
Answer: I do choose to marry her/him.
Vows
In the name of God, I _______ take you ______, to be my wife/husband,
To have and to hold from this day onward,
For better for worse, for richer for poorer,
In sickness and in health, To love and to cherish,
Until we are parted by death.
Ring Blessing
Dear God of Peace and Light, bless these rings to be a sign and a
visual reminder of the vows by which ______ and ______ have bound
themselves to one another. Let these rings represent an unbroken
circle of love, which will withstand the tests of time. In thy name of
the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, amen.
Exchanging of Rings
Repeated after Pastor
This ring is my sacred gift, with my promise that I will always love
you, cherish you and honor you all the days of my life. ______ with
this ring, I thee wed.
Congregation/Family Support Vow:
Now that you have heard _____ and _____ recite their vows, do you,
their family and friends, promise, from this day forward to give them
your guidance, and to support them in being steadfast in the promises
they have made? “We do!
Lighting of Unity Candle (Optional)
These candles represent the light of your individual spirits, joining together with the Holy Spirit.
From this day forward, may your unified light burn bright and strong.
Pronouncement of Marriage
Because, _______and ______ you have showered our hearts with
expressions of your love, and consented together in holy wedlock,
before God and this company, it gives me great honor and pleasure to
pronounce you husband and wife.
Kiss
You may now kiss the bride.
Closing Prayer
Eternal God, without your grace no promise is sure. Strengthen this
loving couple with the gift of the Holy Spirit, so they may fulfill the
vows they have taken. Keep them faithful to each other, and fill them
with love and joy that they may build a home where no one is a
stranger. Guide them by your light to serve you all the days of
their lives; through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen
Benediction
May God be gracious unto you and bless you, may his face shine upon
you, may the Holy Spirit that lives in and around all of us fill your
hearts and bless your lives with peace always.
Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. ___________________________!