Introduction
Good evening and welcome. Groom and Bride are so glad to have you here on this beautiful evening. A wedding is the celebration of the miracle of love. Groom and Bride, today, in the presence of God; friends and family, we celebrate this miracle in your lives. You two have already completed the hardest part and that is to find each other in this universe and fall in love.
Here are some wonderful words that define the true meaning of love as said in Corinthians.
- Love is patient and kind; Love is not jealous or boastful;
- Love is not arrogant or rude; Love does not insist on its own way;
- Love does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices with the right.
- Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
- Love never fails.
Learning to love each other and to live together in harmony is one of the greatest challenges of marriage. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly, and we are to hold it in high honor at all times. Groom and Bride, I charge you both as you stand in the presence of God and your friends and family to remember that love, trust, and loyalty are the foundation of a happy and enduring marriage. No vows are more sacred than those you are about to make. If these vows are kept unbroken,
and as you endeavor to do the will of our Heavenly Father, your lives together will be full of joy and love.
Vows:
Today, your wedding day, is one brief day in time, and although your vows are spoken in a matter of minutes, they are promises that will last a lifetime
Groom and Bride, please state your promises before this group: these are the pledges that will bind you together.
(This is a ceremony that you can read your own written vows to each other- or select your vows)
Rings:
May I have the rings please?
These rings are symbols of eternity and the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end. Today you have chosen to exchange rings, as a sign of your love for each other, and as a seal of the promises you make this day. We ask that God bless these rings and this union of souls.
Groom, as you place this precious ring on Bride’s finger repeat after me:
Just as this ring encircles your finger, so does my love encircle your heart. May this ring forever be a symbol of my growing love for you. With this ring I thee wed
Bride, as you place this precious ring on Groom’s finger repeat after me:
Just as this ring encircles your finger, so does my love encircle your heart. May this ring forever be a symbol of my growing love for you. With this ring I thee wed.
(Here we can insert any special rituals or readings you would like)
Closing Remarks:
As you continue on your journey together, I ask you to remember this advice:
The key to love is understanding … as it is the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiving …. to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
The key to love is sharing … Sharing your good fortunes as well as bad, together.
The key to love is giving …Giving without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile, and by giving in but never giving up.
Groom and Bride, May your love never fade, may you never take each other for granted, and when you are old, may you be found, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. Never forget to treat each other with tenderness, kindness, and respect, and remind yourselves often of what drew you together in the first place.
Pronouncement:
Groom and Bride, you have consented together in holy matrimony before God, and your friends and family, and have pledged your vows to each other, and have exchanged rings as tokens of your love and commitment to each other. In accordance with the laws of the state of Illinois, and with great joy, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may seal your vows with a kiss
Congratulations, I’m happy to introduce to you for the first time as Mr. and Mrs.!
