Rev.
Randy Williams
(EVERYTHING IS OPTIONAL)
Dear Friends we have come together today to share in the
marriage celebration of the beginning of Bride and Groom's marriage
together. This wedding is much more
than a ceremony of tradition, but rather it is the joining together of this man
and woman before God and you the witnesses in holy matrimony.
Who brings this woman to stand
beside this man?
[The father replies] "Her mother and I do."
What is Love?
Beyond the excitement and romance of love, real LOVE is:
♦
Caring as much about the welfare
and happiness of your marriage partner as you do for yourself.
♦
Not being possessive or jealous;
but it is liberating.
♦
Not being totally absorbed in
each other but rather looking outward in the same direction.
♦
Love makes burdens lighter,
because you divide them. It makes joy
more intense, because you share them.
♦
Real love doesn't marry the person you can live with, but rather the person who you cannot live without.
Love
Letters To Each Other - Read by Minister
I Corinthians 13
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres.
8Love never fails. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Groom / Bride, do you promise to live together as God has
ordained in holy matrimony? "I do."
Do you promise to you love her/him, comfort her/him, honor and
keep her/him, in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in times of joy
and in times of sorrow, and forsaking all others, keep you only unto her so
long as you live? "I do."
Do promise to respect and honor
her/him, sharing your plans and interests, ideals and emotions, through all the
trials and tribulations of life, as well as the joyous times, caring for
her/him in lifelong commitment. "I do."
(Promises to the Children if applicable)
Do the two of you promise to
honor, respect, love, and provide for his/her children as your very own?
Do the two of you promise to do
your part in making this home a haven for trust, laughter, safety and
security?
Do the two of you promise to gladly accept all the obligations and responsibilities attached to this new relationship with these children?
Exchange
of Marriage Vows
I, Groom/Bride - take you, Bride/Groom
- to be my wedded wife/husband - to have and to hold - from this day forward -
for better, for worse - for richer, for poorer - sickness and in health - to
love and to cherish - until death do us part.
This ring I give you - in token and pledge - of my constant
faith - and abiding love. - on this day and forever - I gladly I choose you to
be my wife/husband – Bride/Groom, do you accept this ring as a pledge of the sincerity of his vows?
With these ring you shall not walk alone. May your hearts be your shelter and my arms be your home. May God bless you always. May you walk together through all things. May you feel deeply loved, for indeed you are. May you always see the innocence in each other’s eyes. May you feel this joy forever.
HANDS To Bride (optional)
•
These are the hands of your best friend on your wedding day as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
•
These are the hands that will work along side yours as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
•
These are the hands that will love you and cherish you through the rest of your years.
•
These are the hands that will wipe your tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
•
These are the hands that will
comfort you in illness and hold you when fear and grief wrack your mind.
•
These are the hands that will
tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheeks as they raise your face to look
into his eyes that are filled completely with overwhelming love and desire.
HANDS To Groom (optional)
•
These are the hands of your best friend on your wedding day.
•
These are the hands that will hold you tight as your struggle through difficult times.
•
These are the hands that will comfort you when you’re ill and console you when you are grieving.
•
These are the hands that will love you and cherish through the years of happiness.
•
These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams.
•
Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.
Candle / Sand with song (optional)
The two outside vases... Let the center vase symbolize that your lives are united in Christ, and that He will be the one that will guide and direct your life together. Your thoughts will be for each other, your plans will be mutual, and your joys and sorrows will be shared alike.
We all have heard both of you promise to share your lives in marriage. We recognize and respect the covenant you have made here today. It is not I standing here before you that makes this marriage real, but it is the honesty and sincerity of what you have said and done here before your friends, family, and in the sight of God.
Nothing is easier than saying the words, “I love you.” Nothing is harder than living them out in your lives day by day. The things you promise today must be renewed and re-decided tomorrow and every day after.
On behalf of all those present
here who love you and support you, I pronounce you husband and wife.
Groom, you may kiss the bride.