Who Will Marry Us ?

Wedding Vows & Announcements

Vows & Readings (samples of ceremonies)

Example 1

Opening Statement:

We have gathered here together to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Groom and Bride.

Marriage is an esteemed estate & should not be entered into lightly but wisely and seriously.

Today you will pledge to love each other, protect one another and accept each others strengths and weaknesses.

Together ,,,You will promise to face all of life's uncertainties.

A READING: "THESE ARE THE HANDS"

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you. These are the hands that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind. These are hands that will countless times wipe tears from your eyes, tears of joy and tears of sorrow. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help hold your family together as one. These are hands that will give you strength when you need it. These are the hands that even when wrinkled with age will still be reaching for yours, still giving the same unspoken tenderness with just a
touch.

So now, if it is your desire to join yourselves as husband and wife, I ask that you join right hands as you repeat your vows.

Marriage Vows:

Believing you understand the covenant of marriage, I now ask   Groom do you take Bride to be your wedded wife, to love her, honor and keep her , in good times and in bad; in sickness and in health; for richer, for poorer; forsaking all others; til death do you part?

Groom – I do……

Believing you understand the covenant of marriage, I now ask Vickie do you take Groom to be your wedded husband, to love him, honor and keep him, in good times and in bad; in sickness and in health; for richer, for poorer; forsaking all others; til death do you part?

Bride – I do…..

•    Within this marriage comes profound responsibility to protect this bond. Be ever mindful of the gifts the other one offers you. Inspire and encourage one another. For by strengthening your partner, you strengthen your marriage. Bring out the best in each other; sparing in criticism, generous in praise. Be honest and open. For the heart that communicates truth, earns trust.

•    A vast unknown future stretches out before you. Life will present many opportunities to refine and deepen love. You will need to understand, forgive and be compassionate. May the love that you share grow deeper and surer with every passing day.

Groom (Repeat after me)
•    I Groom, take you Bride, to be my wife.
•     I promise to love you with all my heart
•     to comfort you, nourish you & uphold you with my strength.
•    I will cherish you til the end of our days.
Bride (Repeat after me)
•    I Bride, take you Groom, to be my husband.
•     I promise to love you with all my heart;
•     to comfort you, nourish you & uphold you with my strength.
•     I will cherish you til the end of our days.

- May I have the Rings:

•    The wedding ring is an outward sign of an inward commitment. May these rings be to you a constant and loving reminder of the ties that bind you together as husband and wife.

Groom, please place the ring on Brides finger, and repeat after me:

•    This ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised.
•    Wear it with joy, for your love has made me complete.

Bride, please place the ring on Grooms finger, and repeat after me:
•    This ring is a seal, upon all that I have promised.
•    Wear it with joy, for your love has made me complete.

Declaration of Marriage:

Groom and Bride,because you have consented to be married; and because you have promised your love and faithfulness to each other; I take great pleasure in pronouncing you husband and wife.

You may kiss the bride.

Presentation:

I now present to you Groom & Bride,

Example 2 (Unity Candle)

(If unity candles are used - optional. If the Rose Ceremony is used, it is placed after the unity candle ceremony or in place of it.)

Groom and Bride, the two separate candles symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. I ask that each of you take one of the lit candles and that together you light the center candle.

The individual candles represents your lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one.

Example 3 (Rose Ceremony)

Needed: Two long stemmed Roses

Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings, which shall always be a outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect, and a public showing of your commitment to each other.

You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman, the title of husband and wife. For your first gift, as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.

In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant one thing, it meant the words “I Love You.” So it is appropriate that for your first gift as husband and wife, that gift would be a single rose.

Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.

In some ways it seems you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose, and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways a marriage ceremony is like this. Tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday, but in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life, one I hope you always remember, the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.

(Bride) and (Groom), I would ask that wherever you make your home in the future, whether it be a large and elegant home or a small and graceful one, that you both pick one very special location for roses, so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot, both as a re-commitment to your marriage and a re-commitment that this will be a marriage based on love.

Resources and links:

http://weddings.about.com/cs/style/a/unityceremony.htm

Wedding Vows & Announcements

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