TRADITIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY #1

Declaration of Consent

If the father of the Bride or family member is present and giving the Bride away, the officiant should recite the next line.

Who has guided this woman throughout her life, nurtured her and loved her, cherished her and taught her to soar on her own wings, and who now guides her here today as she comes to join with another in marriage? (I do, Her mother and I do, or We do, etc.)

Greeting / Welcoming Words

Blessings and welcome. We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments... the uniting of GROOM and BRIDE in the enduring bonds of marriage.

This celebration is but an outward sign of an inward union of heart, mind and spirit. This is a celebration of the joining of two hearts in love... two souls already attuned to one another. When such a true bond already exists between a man and a woman, it is only fitting that an outer acknowledgment be made.

We are here to bear witness to the entry into the closer relationship of husband and wife of these beloved friends who are already one in spirit.

GROOM and BRIDE, it is this day you take a giant step of courage and commitment to love, understand and grow. When a commitment this strong is made by two people, the strength of that commitment, of that love, of that courage, reaches out and touches all of us around you, so that our lives are changed and we share a part of your love. Like a stone dropped in a still pond, the ripples of the love from this celebration extend and change the world we live in.

You are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best. You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust.

Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not to risk alone.

As you fulfill your lives and commitment to each other with happiness, trust, and constant friendship, you will create a life together in which each of you can grow, both as a couple, and as individuals. No greater blessing can come to your marriage than your continued love and respect for each other.

In presenting yourself here today to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith.

A reading from the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita...

Look to this day,
For it is life,
The very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the varieties
And realities of your existence;
The bliss of growths
The glory of action,
The splendor of beauty;
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow is only a vision,
But today well lived makes
Every yesterday a dream of happiness
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Such is the salvation of the dawn

The Charge / Question of Intention

Before we come to the exchange of vows, I will ask each of you your intent.

GROOM, do you take BRIDE to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore? (I do)

BRIDE, do you take GROOM to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore? (I do)

Wedding Vows

BRIDE and GROOM, in honor of the solemn pledge you are about to make, and symbolizing its unbroken perpetuity, please join hands.

GROOM, if you wish to take BRIDE as your wife, then please repeat after me:

I, GROOM, take you, BRIDE, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honor you.
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully,
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep.

BRIDE, if you wish to take GROOM as your husband, then please repeat after me:

I, BRIDE, take you, GROOM, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honor you.
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully,
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
Whatever may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep.

GROOM and BRIDE, from this day forward, may you live together in love, peace and happiness; may you grow each day in understanding and compassion. When you are apart, may you return to one another in togetherness. May the home you establish be a place of sanctuary, where many will find a friend.

And may your love always be as beautiful as the rose, as strong as the wind and as endless as the sea.

Exchange of Wedding Rings

Do you have the rings?

Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver.

May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken and the promises that have been made.

Bless these rings, that BRIDE and GROOM, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives.

GROOM, place the ring on BRIDE ’s left hand and repeat after me:

I, GROOM, take thee, BRIDE to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, I promise my love to you. With this ring, I take you as my wife, for as long as we both shall live.

BRIDE, place the ring on GROOM ’s left hand and repeat after me:

I, BRIDE, take thee GROOM, to be my husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, I promise my love to you. With this ring, I take you as my husband, for as long as we both shall live.

Benediction / Closing Blessing

BRIDE and GROOM, may all that you are, always be in love; may all that is love, always be in you.

May your love be as beautiful on each day you share as it is on this day of celebration, and may each day you share be as precious to you as the day you first fell in love.

May you always see and encourage the best in each other.

May the challenges that life brings your way make your marriage even stronger.. .and may you always be each other's best friend and greatest love.

Pronouncement as Husband and Wife

BRIDE and GROOM... In as much as you have each pledged to each other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, by the authority vested in me by the State of Caifornia, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

GROOM, you may kiss your Bride!

After the kiss, GROOM and BRIDE turn to face their guests.

TRADITIONAL WEDDING CEREMONY #2

Declaration of Consent

If the father of the Bride or family member is present and giving the Bride away, the officiant should recite the next line.

Who gives this woman to be married to this man? or Who supports this marriage? (I do, Her mother and I do, or We do, etc.)

Greeting / Welcoming Words

On behalf of GROOM and BRIDE, I would like to welcome you here on this special day. This is a day of celebration, and GROOM and BRIDE are so happy to be able to share their most special day with their friends of family.

GROOM and BRIDE, to your wedding ceremony we offer our best wishes to you both for a long life filled with love, laughter and happiness. Your wedding day will be remembered as one of the most joyful days of your life and may your life together be filled with the love and support of your family and friends here today.

You have come here today, GROOM and BRIDE, because you believe that by being together your lives will be better and more productive than they would be apart.

In marriage a new perspective is created by the joining of your two individual views of life and the world. Marriage is a beautiful and everlasting partnership where each partner becomes stronger, wiser and more loving.

But marriage is a garden that needs to be tended every day: the benefits we receive through marriage are only achieved through dedication, understanding and thoughtful, careful attention.

If we do not make time to tell our partner how much we value what we have together, we will begin to take each other for granted and lose the very special quality that we originally united to enjoy.

The importance of marriage is so great, that it is the oldest rite or ritual of any kind recorded in history; its scope so great that it is virtually the only custom recognized by every government and religion. It is into this dynamic and wonderful state of partnership that you two come, today, to be joined.

As you travel through your life together, always remember that...

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 standing together and facing the world.
It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right person— it is being the right partner.

The Charge / Question of Intention

BRIDE and GROOM, marriage is one of the most precious occasions in life when we are presented with a profound opportunity to enter the timeless dimension of love. It emphasizes and reminds us that our lives have meaning and purpose beyond the day-to-day affairs of worldly life and that Love is the strongest bond, the greatest joy and the sweetest nourishment we can ever experience.

Every experience you have ever had, everything you have ever done, and everything you have ever learned has brought you to this moment as you now stand before each other and your friends and family.

Believing that you understand something of the reason for marriage as it has been revealed to you, are you ready now to confirm your commitment to each other in marriage? (We are.)

Before you express your words of love and commitment to each other, I will ask each of you your intent.

GROOM, do you take BRIDE to be your lawfully wedded wife; to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer for poorer, in prosperity or adversity, to love and to cherish, so long as you both may live? (I do)

BRIDE, do you take GROOM to be your lawfully wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward, for richer for poorer, in prosperity or adversity, to love and to cherish, so long as you both may live? (I do)

Wedding Vows

BRIDE and GROOM, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, please face each other and join your hands.

GROOM, if it is your wish to become the husband of BRIDE, then repeat after me:

I, GROOM, take you, BRIDE, to be my wife. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. With my earnest and complete devotion, I give you my love.

BRIDE, if it is your wish to become the wife of GROOM, then repeat after me:

I, BRIDE, take you, GROOM, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. With my earnest and complete devotion, I give you my love.

Exchange of Wedding Rings

Do you have the rings?

The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love. It is a seal of the vows that GROOM and BRIDE have made to one another today.

Bless these rings, that BRIDE and GROOM, who give them, and who wear them, may ever abide in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives.

GROOM, place the ring on BRIDE ’s left hand and repeat after me:

BRIDE, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love,
and with all that I am, and all that I have,
I honor you.
With this ring, I thee wed.

BRIDE, place the ring on GROOM ’s left hand and repeat after me:

GROOM, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love,
and with all that I am, and all that I have,
I honor you.
With this ring, I thee wed.

Benediction / Closing Blessing

BRIDE and GROOM, remember to treat both yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.

To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today.

It will take trust, to know, that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other.

It will take dedication, to stay open to one another—and to learn and grow together.

It will take faith, to go forward together, without knowing exactly what the future brings.

And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both have pledged to today.

From the beauty of the 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.

Pronouncement as Husband and Wife

BRIDE and GROOM... In as much as you have each pledged to each other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, by the authority vested in me by the State of Caifornia, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

GROOM, you may kiss your Bride!

After the kiss, GROOM and BRIDE turn to face their guests.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. GROOM and BRIDE!