Create your own wedding ceremony

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This is a fun little project that will help you get some idea of what you can include in your wedding ceremony. Begin by reading through all the possible selections. If you want, you can print out the entire program. Discuss the selections with your future spouse. After you have made your final selections, come back to this page and complete the informational section below. Check the selections you like and then click send. Your choices will be automatically sent to me in an email. If you have already booked my services, I will send you back the completed ceremony for your review and approval. You will need to enter the all of the information to make the page work correctly.

There is no particular form of ceremony required in New York State. The only requirement is that the couple declare in the presence of the officiant and witnesses that they take each other as husband and wife. You are free to write phrases, statements of commitment and pledges of faith that mean something to you. This is your wedding and I encourage you to be creative. Although you have a great deal of freedom, there are generally five parts to the basic format. They are:

  • The Welcome Address
  • Declaration of Consent
  • Vows
  • Exchange of Rings
  • Pronouncement of Marriage

Informational Section

Bride's full name (First, Middle, Last):

Groom's full name (First, Middle, Last) :

Your email address:

Ceremony Date

Has your wedding been booked with Rev. Lyon already?
Yes, we have already booked our wedding with Rev. Lyon
No

Presentation of the Bride (optional)

The Declaration of Consent is a very traditional component, wherein the Bride's father would "give" the bride to her new husband. It is an important element to include in your ceremony, as it gives your escort a concrete moment when he or she can present the Bride to the Groom. This helps to eliminate any awkward moments or confusion. "I do" or Her mother and I do" are the most common replies to the officiant's Declaration of Consent, but you can even have your parents, wedding party, or guests in attendance reply "We do."

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

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?

Who brings this woman to join with this man in marriage?

Who gives their blessings to this union?

The union of ___________and__________brings together two family traditions, two systems of roots, in the hope that a new family tree may become strong and fruitful. Theirs is a personal choice and a decision for which they are primarily responsible, yet their life will be enriched by the support of the families from which each comes. Will you (directed towards parents) encourage _______ and _______ in their marriage?
Answer: We will
Do you celebrate with them the decision they have made to choose each other?
Answer: We do.
Will you continue to stand beside them, yet not between?
Answer: We will.

Opening remarks and ceremony selections

We are here today to participate in a most joyous occasion, to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, by acknowledging the wedding of ________ and _______.

__________ and __________, you have come here today to celebrate the love that you have for each other. We share in this with you by giving recognition of your decision to accept each other as husband and wife. Into this state of marriage you now come to be united.

We are gathered here in the sight of God to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony. The love of God is an example for your devotion, and you are not left without guidance concerning the meaning of that love because God is love and love is all. A wedding ceremony is the perfect place to read from Corinthians. This is what God said love is: Love is patient and kind, knows no jealousy, gives itself no false airs or false pride. Never irritated, never resentful, love is neither glad when others go wrong or become hurt. Love is guided by goodness, always eager to believe the best, always hopeful.

Marriage is an honorable estate. It is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but discreetly and soberly. Into this relationship these two persons come now to be joined. I ask you both that if you know any reason why you should not be joined in marriage, you make it known at this time.

We are gathered today to celebrate one of the happiest moments in the lives of _________ and _________, for on this day they will affirm before witnesses of earth and heaven that they believe God has purposed that they should share life in the holy bonds of marriage.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to join together this man and this woman in holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate instituted by God signifying onto us the mystical union between Christ and the Church. This holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and the first miracle in Cana. Now into this holy estate you two come to be joined.

True matrimony is the holiest of all earthly relationships. It should be entered into reverently, thoughtfully, and with full understanding of its sacred nature. The life that each of you experienced now, individually,will hereafter be inseparably united. I trust that you both understand this?

__________ and __________ it is this day you make a giant step of courage, of commitment, to communicate, to love, to understand and to grow. When a commitment this strong is made by two people, the force 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 extends and changes the world we live in.

I ask you both, as you stand in the presence of God, to remember that love and loyalty alone will avail as the foundation of a happy home. If the solemn vow which you are about to make are kept, and if steadfastly endeavor to do the will of your Heavenly Father, your life will be full of joy, and the home which you are establishing will abide in peace. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume.

The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy, for the help and comfort given one another during prosperity and adversity, and when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purpose for which it was instituted by God.

We are here today to celebrate the marriage of __________ and __________. They ask for your blessing, encouragement, and life long support for their decision to become husband, wife and family. Without family and friends beside them in joy as well as sorrow, this new family will miss the greatest joys of life outside their own home. And that is to give and to receive love. To help and to be helped. To teach as well as to learn. They are delighted that you have chosen to witness this special time in their lives. ___________ and _____________ not only want their relationship with each to continue as individuals but take on an even more important dimension as a family as well.

We gather together to unite __________ and __________ in marriage. This celebration is but the outward sign of an inward union of hearts, mind, and spirits. God created us male and female and gave us marriage. In marriage husband and wife are called to a new way of life. To live faithfully together in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health.

True marriage is more than joining two people in the bonds of matrimony. It is the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other. When such a true bond already exists between man and woman, it is fitting that and outer acknowledgment be made. This acknowledgment is the prime object of this gathering and this ceremony. 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.

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the presence of God and these witnesses to join this couple in the bonds of holy matrimony. We come, seeking the help of God that their home may be a haven of blessing and a place of peace.

We have come here today in the presence of God to join in holy matrimony _______________ and _______________.

Marriage was established by God, and Jesus adorned marriage by his first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy and that they may give to each other companionship, help, and comfort, both in prosperity and in adversity. Therefore, it should be entered into reverently, thoughtfully,and with the full understanding of its sacred nature.

All the angels join with us on this happy day. Let this be a day of gladness, thanksgiving, possibility,and good fortune for all of us, but especially for _______________ and ______________, who are here to demonstrate and celebrate their love. We all live in the hope loving and being loved. Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that magic.

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 as well. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and to share love.

May your marriage bring you all the excitement a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding. May you always need one another, not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete. The valley does not make the mountain less, but more. And the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you entice one another, but not compel one another. May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another. May you succeed in all-important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces. May you look for things to praise, often say, I love you and take no notice of small faults. If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back. May you enter into the mystery that is the awareness of one another's presence, no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities. May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.>

Remember, anything beautiful that you have, came from God. In the beginning, God gave us our free will and our identity to walk this earth. Don't ever try to change each other, because if you do, you will lose exactly what you fell in love with. So, each day try to find one more thing that is beautiful in your mate and each day know that the next day will be more beautiful than the one before. As long as you are doing this, you are seeking beauty, joy, and love in each other.

I require and charge you both to remember that love and loyalty alone will be the foundation of a happy and enduring home. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred than those you now assume.

Marriage is not only a commitment between lovers, it is also an agreement between two friends. Allow each other time to be an individual, respect each other's wishes as well as each other's dreams.

Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any other. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or cymbal crashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.

Marriage is the most important of all earthly relationships. It should be entered into reverently, thoughtfully and with full understanding of its sacred nature. Marriage is a gift of God, given to comfort the sorrow of life and magnify the joys.

For those of you gathered here today, you have been invited here because it is the most significant times in life that we wish to share with those we love. Every marriage need the love, nurturing and support of a network of family and friends. You are the community with whom this couple will celebrate life's special moments and to who they will turn to in times of need. Each and everyone of you have shared and contributed to their lives in the past,and by witnessing their marriage, ceremony today, ________and ________ would like you to share in their future as well.

I should like at this time, to try to speak of some of the things which many of us wish for the both of you. We wish for you a home, not a place of stone and wood, but an island of peace, a place from which you will receive strength and support that stays and carries with you throughout your daily lives. We hope that your home is surrounded by the beauty of nature, that has within it the elements of simplicity, beauty, silence, and color, in line with your dreams and aspirations. We wish for you a home of books, poetry and music, a home with all the things which represent the highest ideals of both men and women.

In this union the sacred work of creation goes on: God joining man and woman; God planting the divine likeness within them. "Man and woman were created in the Divine image. Male and female, God created them." May the union of _______ and _______ animate the Divine in each of them, and may each help the other to grow in God's likeness.

Marriage is the clasping of hands, the blending of hearts, the union of two lives as one. Your marriage must stand, not by the authority of the state nor by the words of the minister, but by the strength of your love and the power of faith in each other and in God.

In our long history we have never discovered a better way of life than sharing it together in love in a lasting and responsible way. This arrangement seems to meet our deepest human needs for love and companionship,for someone with whom we can share in an intimate and trusting way all the hopes and joy and dreams of life. But real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance of being deeply in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as about your own. Real love is not total absorption into each other, it is looking outward in the same direction together. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger, so you can be involved with life in ways you dare not risk alone.

It should never be said of either of you that you show more concern for a friend than you do for each other. More kindness, gentleness, and concern needs to be shown in the privacy of your own home than anywhere else. Indeed, your home should be a haven from all the confusion and craziness the world will create. And faithfulness to each other in every way is the primary ingredient that will keep all those aforementioned virtues in order and produce the joy you seek at this altar.

Selfishness has no place in a lasting relationship. Happiness is what each of you should seek for the other. Ask less for yourself than you are willing to give. Love can be shown by a word or touch or two thoughts entwined as one. In every relationship trust is very important, never break that trust.

Consider the causes which matrimony was ordained. First it was ordained for the increase of mankind according to the will of God for the children might be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord and to praise His Holy name. Secondly it was ordained in order that the natural instincts and affections implanted by God should be hollowed and directed aright, that those who are called of God to this holy estate should continue therein in pureness of living. Thirdly, it was ordained for the mutual society to help and comfort one another in prosperity and in adversity.

May this man and this woman be a blessing and comfort to each other,sharers of each their dreams, consoler to each others sorrows, helpers to each other in all of life's trials. May they encourage each other in what ever they set out to achieve. May they trust each other, trust life and be unafraid. May they love each other and offer love and support to those around them.

This service is not magic. It will not create a relationship that does not already exit. It is time for tying a knot in the rope of days and saying, We will not slip backwards from here, but will go forward together. It is a time for one thing of which they are certain, their love for one another and their desire for that love to last forever.

You were born together, and together you shall be evermore. You shall be together even in the silent memory of God. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the wind of the heavens dance between you. Love one another, but not make a bond of love, Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls, Sing and dance together and be joyous, But let each of you be alone, Even as the string of a lute are alone though they quiver the same music, Give your hearts but not into each others keeping, For only the hand of life can contain your hearts,Stand together yet not too near each other, for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak and the cypress tree grow not into each others shadow.

May your marriage bring you all of the exquisite excitement a marriage should bring. And may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.

John2:1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.
2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece.
7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.
10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!"
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

Marriage is a commitment to life, to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal; a 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. 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, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique to 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, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. It must be created. In any loving relationship, the little things are the big things. Love is never being too old to hold hands. It is never going to sleep angry. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives. People in love do things for each other, not in the attitude of sacrifice or duty, but in the spirit of joy. It does not look for perfection in each other, but works to develop flexibility, patience, and understanding. Love is a relationship in which the independence is equal, the dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is not only finding the right partner; it is being the right partner.

At the end of this ceremony, legally you will be husband and wife, but you still must decide each and every day that stretches before you, that you want to be married. Make such a decision, and keep on making it, for the most important thing in life is to love and be loved.

Reading from the Sundial at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs,New York:
Time is too slow for those who wait
Too swift for those who fear
Too long for those who grieve
Too short for those who rejoice
But for those who love
Time is eternity

__________ and _________ nothing is easier than saying words and nothing is harder than living them day after day after day. What you promise today, must be renewed and decided again tomorrow, and tomorrow after that and the tomorrow after that.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and now abide faith, hope, and love: but the greatest of these is love.

May you always need one another, not so much to fill the emptiness as to help each other know your fullness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another. May you succeed in all important ways with each other, and not fail in the little graces. Look for things to praise, often say "I love you" and take no notice of small faults. May you have happiness, and may you find it in making one another happy. May you have love, and may you find it in loving one another.

May the words of Ruth go with you forevermore, Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you, for where you go I will go and where you stay I will stay, your people will be my people, your God will be my God. And where you die I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.

What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain , to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting.

Marriage is for more than an exchange of vows. It is the foundation of the family, mankind's basic unit of society, the hope of the world and the strength of our country. It is the relationship between ourselves and the generations to follow.

Marriage is a fusion of two hearts - the union of two lives - the coming together of two tributaries, which after being joined in marriage, will flow in the same channel in the same direction carrying the same burdens and obligation.

You may have noticed that the Declaration of Independence does not number happiness, but rather the pursuit of it, among your inalienable rights. Happiness, like opportunity, knocks at doors but it doesn't break them down. Thought and effort are required. It's not until you're engaged in it that you discover that the pursuit of happiness, this side of heaven is really happiness itself. Thus a happy marriage is based not so much on love as on the pursuit of love - the unremitting effort to develop your own love and to deserve your partner's. And as with happiness, so the pursuit of love becomes love itself.

"True love gives nothing but itself, and take nothing but from itself, for love is sufficient unto love. Love has no other desire but to fulfill itself, to awake at dawn and give thanks for another day of loving, to rest at noon and meditate love's ecstasy, to return home at eventide with gratitude, and then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your ear, and a song of praise upon your lips."

A marriage which really works is one which works for others. Marriage has both a private face and a public importance. If we solved all our economic problems and failed to build loving families, it would profit us nothing, because the family is the place where the future is created good and full of love. Those who are married live happily ever after the wedding day if they persevere in the real adventure which is the royal task of creating each other and creating a more loving world. This is true of every man and every woman undertaking marriage.

Jesus was once asked, "What is the greatest law that mankind must follow?" And he answered them by saying that we must love God with all our hearts, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves." Jesus touched upon something we all feel very deeply in our hearts, and that is that love is the greatest gift that we can offer to one another, and that is what makes marriage so very special, and a cause of joy and celebration for all of us who have come here today to share in this event. It is my personal prayer and hope that those of you who have already taken the vows of marriage will witness the love of these two people, and as you listen to them share their vows, perhaps it will strengthen for you the memory of your happy day, and remind you of the meaning of the vows you yourselves once took. Perhaps it will even strengthen just a little bit the bond of love that have been growing between you, and if any of this should happen, it would certainly be the greatest gift that _______________and _______________ could offer all of us on their wedding day.

________ and _______, you are about to make promises to one another. Today, these vows are beautiful words representing even more beautiful intentions. But you will find that as you live these vows over the years, investing your time and your love and your commitment to one another, the happy times of your life will be twice as joyous, because there will be someone to share those joy with. And when life gets tough,it will only be half as bad, because there will be someone by your side to help carry the burden. For those times when life presents all of us with challenges, I would like to offer you the serenity prayer to remember: God grant me the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

What greater thing is there for two human souls that to feel that they are joined for life—to strengthen each other in all labor, to rest on each other in all sorrow, to minister to each other in all pain, to be one with each other in silent, unspeakable memories at the moment of the last parting.

How did the two of you meet? Please share the story about how you met each other. Was there anything magical or unusual about how you met?

Unity Candle readings (optional)

The unity candle represents the coming together of 2 separate lives and 2 unique families. As you begin your lives together, may you find that each day adds greater beauty and magic to your love. May the circle of caring family and friends that surround you on your wedding day grow ever wider. May each of you always be the answer to each other's questions, the gift for each other's needs, and the reason for each other's happiness. May you not only be husband and wife, but helpmates, equal partners, and above all, best friends. As the days and years go by may you keep discovering new and wonderful riches in each other and new ways of saying, I love you.

Unity Candle Reading
From every human being there rises a light that reaches straight to heaven. When two souls who are destined to be together find each other, their streams of light flow together and a single, brighter light goes forth from their united being. In this spirit, ________and________ please take your individual candles and light your unity candle to signify your eternal commitment to each other. May the light of love, the light of understanding, the light of respect, and the light of tolerance shine eternally for you both from this day forward.


If you wish, you can enter a poetry reading done by a family member or friend.

Consent (optional)

Have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Will you both love, comfort and honor, keeping each other forever more? (Both answer "yes" together)

Do you ____________take this woman/man, __________ to be your lawfully wedded wife/husband?

___________ do you take _________ as your wife/husband, will you be faithful to her/him in tender love and honor, offering encouragement and companionship and will you live with her/him and cherish her/him as love and respect will lead you in the bond of marriage?

_______________, do you give yourself totally to loving _______________,striving to do whatever you can to help her/him feel happy and secure,treating her/him with kindness, understanding and respect throughout your lives?

______________do you take this woman/man whose hand you now hold, choosing him/her alone to be you wedded husband/wife? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him with kindness, understanding and respect throughout your lives?

____________, do you take this woman/man to be your wedded wife/husband and do you promise before God and this company that you will love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him in sickness and in health and that forsaking all others for her/him alone will you perform unto her all of the duties and respect that a wife/husband owes his/her wife/wife until God by death shall separate you?

_______________, do you take _______________ to be your wedded wife/husband? To have and to hold, to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, in times of good and bad?

_______________, do you take _______________ to be your wedded wife/husband, to live together in bonds of marriage? Will you love him/her, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, so long as you both shall live?

_______________ will you have this woman/man to be your wedded wife/husband to live together after God's ordinance in the Holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep thee only unto her/him, so long as you both shall live?

_______________, do you take _______________ , to be your lawful wedded wife/husband? Do you promise to love, honor, and protect her/him? Share the good times and achievements as well as the hard times and disappointments? Keep her/him in sickness and in sorrow and to be faithful to her/him forevermore?

_______________ are you willing to take _______________ to be your loving wife/husband, do you promise to love, honor and cherish her/him and to comfort her/him in sickness and in sorrow and to be faithful to her/him forevermore?

_______________ will you have this woman/man to be thy wedded wife/husband to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and keep her/him, in sickness and in health; forsaking all other keep thee only unto her/him so long as you both shall live?

_______________ will you have _______________ to be your lawful wedded wife/husband? Will you love her/him, comfort her/him, keep her/him in sickness and in health and forsaking all others be faithful to her/him so long as you both shall live?

______________ and _______________, have you come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? Will you love and honor each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives?


If you wish, you can enter a different form of the wording.

Marriage Vows

You don't have to memorize the vows. You will just repeat after me.

I _______________, take you _______________, to be my wedded wife/husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish now and forever.

I _______________, take you _______________ to be my wedded wife /husband, to love and to cherish, from this day forward.

I call upon these persons here present, to witness that I ______________do take thee _______________ to be my lawful wedded wife/husband.

I, _______________, take you, _______________ to be my wedded wife/husband to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worst, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, and thereto I pledge you my faith.

I, ___________, take you __________, to be my wedded wife/husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish.

I, ________in the presence of God and these witnesses, take you _________ to be my wife/husband to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death parts us, and I pledge you my faithfulness.

I, __________ take you _______________, for my lawful wife/husband, from this day forward, to have and to hold, as equal partner in my life to whom I give my deepest love and respect. I humbly open my heart to you as sanctuary of warmth and peace where you may find a refuge of love and strength.

I _______________ take you _______________, to be my wedded wife/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 and to cherish, until death do us part.

I, _______________, take you _______________, to be my wedded wife/husband,to love and cherish, to have and to hold, in all experiences of life. I promise, forsaking all others, to be faithful for as long as we both shall live.

I, _______________ take you ______________, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you, in good time and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

I, _______________ pledge to you _______________as my friend, my love, and my companion, to love, honor, and cherish, as long as we both shall live.

I take you _______________to be my wife/husband from this day forward/ to join with you and share all that is to come. I offer you my love and support throughout all our days.

I ______________ take you _______________ to be my partner in life. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst through the difficult and the easy. What may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold so I give you my life to keep so help me God.

_______________, I accept you as my wife/husband with your strengths and your weaknesses. I will be true to you in all things. I will share what I have and who I am. I will love enough to risk being hurt, trust when I misunderstand. I will keep with you in heartache, celebrate life with you in joy and receive you as my equal so help me God.

I _______________ take you, _______________ to be my wife/husband I promise to be true to you in good times and bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you, all the days of my life.

I _______________ take you, _______________ as my wedded wife/husband and I promise you love, honor, and respect, to be faithful to you and not to forsake you until death do us part so help me God.

I _______________ choose you, _______________ to be my wife/husband, my friend, my love, the mother/father of our children. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. I will cherish you and respect you, comfort and encourage you and together we shall live freed and bound by our love.

I offer myself to you as your husband/wife and partner in life. I vow to love you in sickness and health. I am committed to encourage you in good times and bad. I will cherish and respect you all the days of my life, forever giving thanks that we found each other.

________________, I take you as my wife/husband. I pledge to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in love. I promise to honor/ and tenderly care for you, to cherish and encourage your own fulfillment through all the changes of our lives.

Thank you for coming into my life. I have waited so long for my heart to be glad, for my soul to be full. We have came so far, against so many odds. I happily take you as my husband/wife.

I, (First, Middle and Last name) take you, (First, Middle and Last name), to be my wife/husband, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.


Make a request for other phrasing. If you want to combine or change passages enter them here.

Ring Passages (optional)

Poet John Keats wrote: "A thing of beauty is a joy forever." The ring is thing of beauty, but it is more than a joy forever. It is a symbol, a symbol of your love for one another.

Lord bless these rings and grant that they who give it and they who wear it may remain faithful to each other and abide in thy peace and favor and live together in love until their lives end.

Heavenly Father, bless these rings, that he and she who give them, and he and she who wear them, abide in thy peace, living together in unity, love, and happiness with good purpose to do your will. Amen.

The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love.

This ring by its shape, is a symbol of the undying love that exists between you. The substance of which it is composed is a symbol of purity,which shall ever characterize your mind and hearts in all your relationships together.

The wedding ring is the most significant ring a person wears in this day and time. Above all rings, the wedding rings denote purity, loyalty, and spirit grace. It is made of the purest metal to speak of the purity of the marriage and is made in a circle to note the never ending commitment you are about to enter.

The wedding ring is a symbol of the unbroken unity of truth now representing your married life. St. Augustine said: "The nature of God is like a circle whose center is everywhere and circumference cannot be found." May these rings symbolize the nature of God in your lives.

_______________ and _______________ as these circles are designed without an ending, they speak of eternity. May the incorruptible substance of these rings represent a love glowing with increasing luster through the years. May God bless these rings which you give to each other as the sign of your love, trust, and faithfulness.

Let these rings symbolize the devotion and commitment each holds for the other. These rings, given in love, are a testimony to all who bear witness that _______________ and _______________ are truly joined together as husband and wife.


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Ring Exchange

I give you this ring in token and pledge as a symbol of all that we share, with my constant faith and abiding love.

With this ring I thee wed, pledging to you all my love and faithfulness forevermore.

With this ring I pledge to you my deepest love and devotion.

I give this ring in token and in pledge of my constant faith and abiding love with all that I am and all that I will become.

Receive this ring as a pledge and token of wedded love and faithfulness.

With this ring I thee wed. I thee honor and all my worldly goods with thee I share.

With this ring, I thee wed and with it, I bestow upon thee all of my treasures of my mind, heart, and hands.

With this ring I give you my heart. With this ring, I thee wed.

Take this ring as a sign of my love and as a symbol of all that we share in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.

This ring I give you in token of my devotion and love and with my heart I pledge to you all that I am. With this ring I marry you and join my life to yours.

This ring I give you in token and pledge of our faith and our love. With this ring I thee wed.

_______________, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity.

I give you this ring as token of my abiding love and constant faith.

With this ring I thee wed and with all my love I thee endow.

I give you this ring in solemn token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love whom I will cherish above all others, forevermore.

In token and pledge of the vow between us made with this ring I thee wed. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

This ring I give in token and pledge as a sign of my love and devotion. With this ring I thee wed.

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Family candle ceremony (optional)

We would like to include a family candle ceremony.
Please list all of the children's names that will be participating in the family candle lighting here.
We would like to have a family medallion ceremony.

Enter the name of the child/children receiving a medallion.

Prayers and Blessings

Optional (Maybe done by family or guest)

The estate of wedlock is a holy one under the guidance of infinite wisdom and divine love. It is therefore fitting that we pause at this time and realize the presence of God. And will you _______________ and ______________ silently turn within for just a moment to consecrate and dedicate your lives together?

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this beautiful day. We pray that as you have joined this couple's hands and hearts together to become husband and wife that you will bless them. Pray that you will give them strength and courage as they face all the tasks and decisions that lie before them. We ask that they live together in unity love, and happiness with good purpose to do your will. This we pray in your name. Amen.

May God bless you and keep you. May God's presence shine upon you and be gracious to you. May God's presence be with you and give you peace.

Almighty, everlasting God, our heavenly father, grant that by your blessings _______________ and _______________ may live together according to your word and promise. Strengthen them in faithfulness and love toward each other. Sustain and defend them in all trial and temptation. help them to live in faith toward you in the communion of your heavenly blessing through Jesus Christ, your son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, our God now and Forever. Amen.

Our Father who art in heaven, hollowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. give us this day our daily bread, and forgive our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Our heavenly Father be with them in all their happiness, that your joy may be in them, and their joy may be full. Strengthen them in every time of trouble, that they may bear each others burdens. Give them grace when they hurt each other to recognize and acknowledge their faults, to ask each other's forgiveness. And let their home be a place of peace. We ask this in Your name. Amen.

Almighty God, our father, we pray that you will bless this man and woman whom we unite in Thy name. May the home that they establish be indeed a haven of blessing and a place of peace. May they live together in deep and abiding love and faith in Thee and one another. We pray in thy name. Amen.

Our Heavenly Father, at every turn of life's way we should stop to seek Your blessings. We thank you that you are love, and that You have created us after your image. We thank You for planting love for women in the heart of man, and love for man in the heart of woman. Richly bless these two lives now to be made one by this bond of love. May they love each for the other, and both for You. May their home be your abiding place and You their constant guest. We give thanks... that it is so. Amen.

Our Father, we come today asking Your blessing upon these two lives and this home being established. You made us so that we are incomplete without the other so that we yearn for someone we can love and whose love we can receive. Grant them patience, gentleness, and understanding. We ask for health, long life, for the fulfillment of every good dream. May their love continue through life and finally blend into the life eternal. Amen.

Oh God, send thy blessing upon this man and this woman, that they may perform and keep the vow and covenant between them, and ever remain in perfect love and peace together. Look graciously upon them, that they may honor and cherish each other, and so live together in faithfulness and patience and that their home be a haven and a place of peace. In Your name we pray. Amen.

Oh God look graciously upon this couple as they share life together, its struggles and problems as well as the joys and blessings that in the experiences of life they will stay close to each other. Amen.

Oh heavenly Father, give them such fulfillment in their lives that they reach out in concern for others. Give them wisdom and devotion that each may be to each other a counselor in sorrow, a counselor in perplexity, and a companion in joy. This we pray in your name. Amen.

Oh eternal God, creator and preserver of all mankind, giver of all spiritual grace, the offer of everlasting life, send Thy blessing upon these thy servants. This man and this woman be blessed in Thy name. That living faithfully together they may surely perform and keep the vow and covenant between them. May they wear of these rings given and received as a token and pledge and may ever remain in perfect love and peace together and live according to Thy laws. Those whom has God joined together let no one put asunder.

_______________ and _______________ you are now husband and wife in the sight of God and all people. I ask you and all who are gathered here to pray in silence, seeking in God's blessing upon your marriage and your home.

May almighty God, with his word of Blessing, unite your hearts in the never-ending bond of pure love. May your children bring you happiness, and may your generous love for them be returned to you many times over. May the peace of Christ live always in your hearts and in your house. May you have true friends that stand by you, both in joy and in sorrow. May you be ready and willing to comfort and help all who come to you in need. And may the blessings promised to the compassionate be yours in abundance. May you find happiness and satisfaction in your work. May daily problem never cause you undue anxiety, nor the desire for earthly possessions dominate your lives. But may your hearts' first desire be always the good things waiting for you in heaven. May the Lord bless you with many happy years together, so that you may enjoy the rewards of a good life.

May the Lord bless you and keep you both. The Lord makes His face to shine upon you and be gracious upon you. The Lord lift His countenance upon you and give you peace, happiness, and joy, at this moment, throughout your married life, and forevermore. Amen.

Father, you have made the bond of marriage a Holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his church. Hear our prayers for _______________ and _______________. With faith in you and in each other, they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love.

Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with great happiness for _______and ___________. This their wedding day. They come before you, pledging their lives and their hearts to one another. Grant that they may be ever true and loving, living together in such a way as to always bring joy to each other. Temper their hearts with kindness and help them to be sweethearts, helpmates, friends and guides, and together, may they meet the cares and problems of life more bravely. And as time takes away their youthful charm, may they find contentment in the greater joys of rich companionship. May their home truly be a place of love and harmony where your Spirit is ever present. Bless their wedding day, we pray, and walk beside them, through all their life together. Amen.

The peace and serenity of heaven be with you all. Amen

May your joys be sweet as spring flowers that grow,
As bright as a fire when winter winds blow,
As countless as leaves that float down in the fall,
As serene as the Love that keeps watch over all.

Irish Blessing
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face
May the rains fall soft upon your fields,
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Apache Wedding Blessing
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons, but there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place, to enter into the days of your togetherness, and may your days be good and long upon this earth.

Enter another selection or your own passage. If you want to combine or change passages enter them here.

Closing

May your love always be as constant and unchanging as the universe. Just as there will never be a morning without the sun rising, may there never be a day that that your love ends. May you be faithful to one another and as unchanging and dependable as the tide; as the waters nourish the earth and sustain life, may your constant love nourish and sustain you until the end of time."May your love always be as constant and unchanging as the universe. Just as there will never be a morning without the sun rising, may there never be a day that that your love ends. May you be faithful to one another and as unchanging and dependable as the tide; as the waters nourish the earth and sustain life, may your constant love nourish and sustain you until the end of time." May your love always be as constant and unchanging as the universe. Just as there will never be a morning without the sun rising, may there never be a day that that your love ends. May you be faithful to one another and as unchanging and dependable as the tide; as the waters nourish the earth and sustain life, may your constant love nourish and sustain you until the end of time.

These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, may they always return to one another in their togetherness. May these two find in each other, the love for which all men and women long. May they grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home that they establish be a place of sanctuary from all the cares of the world. And may their rings symbolize the spirit of undying love in the hearts of both of them.

Pronouncement

Inasmuch as you ______and you______have consented together in marriage, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the laws of the State of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Inasmuch as you, ___________ and __________ have consented together in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God, and these present, and have pledged your faith, each to the other, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

For as much as _______________ and _______________ have consented together in Holy wedlock and witness the same before God and this company, and there to have given and pledged their troth either to other and declared the same by given and receiving rings and by joining of hands, I now pronounce that they be husband and wife together.

I now pronounce you husband and wife. __________, you may kiss your bride.

_______________ and _______________ have shown their affection and devotion by giving these vows and by giving of rings, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

______________ and _______________ you have exchanged your promises and given and received tokens in my presence. By these acts you have become husband and wife. May God bless you both.

Now that _______________ and _______________ have consented together in holy marriage, have given themselves to each other by their solemn pledges, and declared the same before God and these witnesses. I pronounce them to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

For as much as ______________ and _______________ have now exchanged vows, pledges and rings linking and prescribing their destinies before God and these witnesses, in the will of God and the laws of the state of New York, I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. _______________, husband and wife forevermore.

Now that you have joined yourselves in matrimony, may you strive always to meet this commitment with the same spirit you now exhibit. We all bear witness to this ceremony you have just performed and you may now call yourselves by those old and respected names, husband and wife. May God bless this union. _________, you may kiss your bride.

Additions to the ceremony

We would like to include a memorial candle at the beginning of the ceremony.
Name of deceased and relationship

We would like to include giving roses to our parents.

We would like to include the Hands of the Bride and Groom in our ceremony.

We would like to include a Unity Candle.

We would like to include a Family Candle.

We would like to include a sand ceremony

We would like to include a wine sharing in our ceremony.

Enter another selection or your own passage.

If you are having a reading, please list the name of the reader or readers and the title of the selection they will be reading:

Title of Reading #1. It will be read by:

Title of Reading #2. It will be read by: