Dearly
beloved,
We
are gathered here today, in the presence of God
and in the face of family and friends, to join together this man
Holy Matrimony
instituted of God, since the first man and the first woman
walked on the earth. Therefore, it is not to be entered into
unadvisedly, or lightly, but reverently and soberly.
Into this Holy Estate there two persons present
now come to be joined.
If
any of you can show just cause why they may not be Married, speak now, or else
for ever hold your peace.
Who gives this woman to be married today?
(I do..Then the bride walks forward)
I
require and charge you both, here in the presence of God,
That
if you know any reason why you may not be united in Marriage lawfully, and in
accordance with God’s Word,
LET US PRAY:
Dear Lord, we ask your blessing for our bride and groom
on this day of matrimony.
We pray that the sacred commitments of this day will
sustain them throughout their lives.
May the love that binds them, be strong and lasting, and
may their hearts be filled patience and understanding
for one another.
May they be blessed with health, courage, and good fortune,
as their love and friendship deepens through the
months and years of their lives.
We pray that they find peace together.
**PLEASE REMEMBER IN YOUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS:
LIST NAMES HERE....
And all of your friends that have gone to their reward,
although not here with us, their spirit smiles down on this
happy couple as they prepare to marry.
**
As ___________and ___________ stand before us, willing
and able to commit to each other for a lifetime. we realize that
marriage symbolizes the love and harmony that transcends
everything in the universe.
May we be encourages, to find the spiritual qualities that
bring us all closer to one another, so the we may learn to
truly love and respect each other, all the days of our lives. AMEN
This
is the day 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 every happiness in your future life together.
Within its framework of commitment,
and loyalty,
marriage enables the establishment of a home,
where through trust, ----- patience and respect,
the love and affection, which you have for each other
may develop into a deep and lasting relationship.
We, who are witnessing your marriage,
hope that despite the stresses inevitable in any life,
your Love, Respect for each other, and
your trust and understanding of each other will increase
your contentment, and heighten your joy in living.
DECLARATION
OF CONSENT
(Addressing the groom):
_______,
do you take _________
for
your lawful wedded wife,
to
live together after God’s
ordinance,
in
the Holy estate of matrimony?
Will
you love, honor, comfort,
And
cherish her,
From
this day forward,
Forsaking
all others,
Keeping
only unto her, for as
Long
as you both shall live?
GROOM:
I DO.
(Addressing the bride):
BRIDE:
I DO.
Now let us pray as Jesus has taught us:
Our Father.....
Your
response should be WE WILL
Will
all of you witnessing these promises do
All
in your power to uphold these two persons
In
their marriage ?
(People…We
Will.)
THE
LORD BE WITH YOU (and also with you)
Let
Us Pray.
O
gracious and ever-loving God, you
have created male
And
female in your image: Look
mercifully upon this
Man
and this woman who come to you seeking your
Blessing,
and assist them with your grace, that
with
True
fidelity, and steadfast love, they may honor and keep
The
promises and vows they make:
Thru Jesus Christ our
Savior,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the
Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. AMEN.
3 READING
Homily:
What is love?
What is the key to love?
The Art of Marriage
Let us pray for this man and woman as they make
their marriage vows.
Father, as _________ and ________ have chosen each other,
help them and bless them, that their love may be pure,
and their vows may be true, thru Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN
VOWS
***Take each others hands.***
Repeat after me….
(Addressing the groom
who repeats the marriage vows):
I
_______
Take
thee ________
To be
my wedded wife.
To
have and to hold,
From
this day forward,
For
better or for worse,
For
richer or for poorer,
In
sickness and in health,
To
love, honor, and cherish,
'Till
death do us part,
I
DO
(Then to the bride):
I
_______
Take
thee_______
To be
my wedded husband,
To
have and to hold,
From
this day forward,
For
better or for worse,
For
richer or for poorer,
In
sickness and in health,
To
love, honor, and cherish,
'Til
death do us part,
I
DO
GET BRIDES
RING FROM THE BEST MAN
MINISTER (Praying over brides
ring):
LORD,
bless this ring,
That
HE who gives it,
and
SHE who wears it,
may
abide in your peace,
and
continue in your favor,
until
life’s end,
through
Jesus Christ our Lord,
AMEN.
GROOM (Placing ring on bride's finger): Repeat after me…
With this ring
- I thee wed.
Wear it as a symbol,
Of our love -
and commitment.
Lord,
Bless this ring,
That
SHE who gives it,
And
HE who wears it,
May
abide in your peace,
And
continue in your favor,
Until
life’s end,
Through
Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.
BRIDE (Placing ring on groom's finger):
With this ring,
I thee wed.
Wear it as a symbol,
Of
our love.
And
commitment.
****Play
The Wedding Song****
***Unity
Candle***
LET
US PRAY:
Father, we pray for all married persons,
that they may continue to give, be able to forgive,
and experience more and more, the joy of the Lord with
each passing day. And, especially for __________&_________
now beginning their married life together. May they have
divine assistance, the constant support of family and friends,
and I good life with good health.
May your fullest blessing come upon _________ and her
husband__________, forward, for ever and ever. AMEN
BLESSING OF THE HANDS
(Bride and groom join 4 hands)
LET US PRAY:
God, bless these hands that you see before you on this day.
May they always be held by one another.
Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress, and
the dark of disillusionment.
Keep then tender, and gentle, as they nurture each other
in their wondrous love.
Help these hands to continue building a relationship,
founded in your grace, rich in caring, and devoted in
reaching for your perfection.
May ________&_________ see their fore hands, as healer,
protector, shelter and guide. We ask this in your name. Amen
Those whom God as joined together, leo NO man put asunder.
LET US PRAY:
Mau Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, always be at the center
of the new lives you are now starting to build. That you may
know the ways of true love and kindness. May the Lord bless
you both, all the days of your lives, and fill you with his joy.
Father, Grant
that all married persons who have witnessed these
Vows,
may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties
Confirmed.
In
their life and in their death.
Finally,
in your mercy, bring them to that
table where your
Saints
feast for ever in your heavenly home:
Thru
Jesus Christ our Lord,
Who
with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns,
One
God, for ever and ever. AMEN
God
the Father, God the Son, God the
Holy Spirit,
Bless,
Preserve, and keep you: The Lord
mercifully
With
His favor look upon you, and fill
you with all
Spiritual
benediction and grace: that you may
faithfully
Live
together in this life, and in the age to come have
Life
everlasting. AMEN
Now
that _____________ and ____________
Have
given themselves to each other by solemn vows,
And
the joining of hands, and the giving and receiving
Of
rings, I pronounce they are husband and wife,
In
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
The
Holy Spirit.
Those
whom God had joined together, let no one put
Asunder.
AMEN
May
I present to you Mr. & Mrs.___________________.
ADDITIONAL READINGS:
Poem Reading -
1TBD
Marriage
Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love
Edmund
O'Neill
Marriage
is a commitment to life,
the
best that two people can find and bring out in each other.
It
offers opportunities for sharing and growth
that
no other relationship can equal.
It
is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within
the circle of its love,
marriage
encompasses all of life's most important relationships.
A
wife and a husband are each other's best friend,
confidant,
lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
And
there may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing,
and
the love of the other may resemble
the
tender caring of a parent or child.
Marriage
deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness
is fuller, memories are fresher,
commitment
is stronger, even anger is felt more strongly,
and
passes away more quickly.
Marriage
understands and forgives the mistakes life
is
unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life,
new
experiences, new ways of expressing
a
love that is deeper than life.
When
two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,
they
create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer
than
any spoken or written words.
Marriage
is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people
who
love each other and takes a lifetime to fulfill.
"When two people
are at one in their inmost hearts, they shatter even the strength of iron or
bronze; And when two people understand each other in their inmost hearts, their
words are sweet and strong, like the fragrance of orchids." - I Ching
Poem Reading – 2 TBD
On
your wedding day, as you trade vows
Nicholas
Gordon
On
your wedding day, as you trade vows,
No
ordinary moment hurries by.
You
partake, as far as time allows,
Of
something more than time and Earth and sky:
Unknowable,
invisible, yet there;
Resplendent
to the heart if not the face;
More
than both of you, yet less than air;
A
transcendental act conferring grace.
Reason
might say, How can this be true?
Return
then to the heart, for this is love.
In
making vows, you make one out of two,
A
mystery beyond what words can prove.
Go
then as one flesh, one home, one heart:
Each
still a whole, yet also now a part.
Reading – 3 TBD
Blessing
of the Apaches:
Now
you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other. Now you
will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will
be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other. Now you are
two persons, but there is only one life before you. May beauty surround you both
in the journey ahead and through all the years, May happiness be your companion
and your days together be good and long upon the earth.
Treat
yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what
brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness
and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration, difficulty and
fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all relationships at one time
or another - remember to focus on what is right between you, and not only on the
part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds
hide the face of the sun in your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight
of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes
responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by
abundance and delight.
Poem Reading - 4
The
Art Of A Good Marriage
Wilferd
Arlan Peterson
Happiness
in marriage is not something that just happens.
A
good marriage must be created.
In
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 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 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 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 old.
It
is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It
is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence
is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It
is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.