Christian Ceremony

On behalf of ______ and ____- I welcome you to their Wedding Ceremony that will unite them in Marriage. We gather here to celebrate their union, and honor their commitment. Today ______ and _____ proclaim their love to all of us, and we rejoice with them and for them.

"Who gives this woman to be married to this man"

"Marriage is an honorable estate, created by God, and signifying unto us the union between a man and a woman, which also exists between Christ and the Church."

"_____ and _____, only love will maintain a marriage. Mankind did not create love, love is created by God."

"Love is freely given and freely accepted, just as God's love of us is unconditional and free."

"As you travel through life together, I caution you to remember that the true measure of success, the true avenue to joy and peace, is to be found within the love you hold in your hearts.

Vows

"_______, do you take _____ to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only to her?" ("I do")

"_____ do you take ______ to be your Husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only to him? ("I do")

"_______, repeat after me, I, _______, take you, ________, to be my wife. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore. "

"______ repeat after me, I, ______, take you, ________ to be my Husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you forevermore."

Corinthians 13

"A marriage ceremony represents one of life's greatest commitments, but also is a declaration of love."

"I wish to read to you what Paul wrote of love in a letter to the Corinthians."

"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, always perseveres. Love never fails"

Exchange of Rings

"Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace, signifying to all the uniting of this man and this woman in marriage."

"_______ place the ring on ______, and repeat after me."

"With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

"_______ place the ring on ________, and repeat after me."

"With this ring, I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen."

Ephesians

"________, show reverence for your own husband, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church."

"________, love your wife, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it."

"For this cause shall man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

Prayer

"Dear heavenly Father, Our hearts are filled with great happiness on _______ and ______, wedding day, as they come before You, pledging their hearts and lives to one another. Bless this union we pray, and walk, throughout all their lives with them. AMEN"

Unity Candles

"_______ and _______ the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families and your separate sets of friends."

"I ask that you each take one candle and that together you light the center candle."

"The individual candles represent your individual lives before today."

"Lighting the center candle represents the joining of your lives together as one."

Pronouncement as Husband & Wife

"_______ and ______ in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in matrimony, and promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of these rings and joining of your hands, I now declare you husband and wife."

"Congratulations, you may kiss your bride."