(semi-formal wedding, Mirror Lake, Utah)
TRADITIONAL CHRISTIAN
WELCOME
Dear beloved, on behalf of (bride and groom), I welcome you here today. Before I begin the ceremony, I would like to thank this amazing couple standing before me for granting me the privilege and honor of uniting them in the holy bonds of matrimony.
What a joy it is to gather here in God’s church, where the horizons are our only walls, the sky is our only ceiling and the earth is our only floor, to celebrate the miracle of love and to witness the holy and sacred union of (bride and groom).
READING
In 1Corinthians 13:2-7, we find
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I
possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. 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.
INVOCATION
Let us pray:
“Father God, please open us and fill us with your presence. Elevate our spirits, lift our hearts and minds to an awareness of this sacred and eternal moment, as we joyfully celebrate the union of (bride and groom). Bless them and bless us who are gathered here to be witnesses today. In Jesus’ Holy Name, we pray. Amen.”
READING
Jeremiah 29:11 says
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
MEANING OF MARRIAGE
A true marriage is an act of transformation; a profound mystery of creation and rebirth as two lives are blended into one. This is not a loss or a giving up of one’s self, but rather a giving over of self to something greater. In the process you will each be challenged to discover, again and again, new depths and possibilities in yourselves and in each other.
This wedding ceremony and the vows you will speak to one another today are the gateway into this mystery. In a sense, the whole of your lives up till now has brought you here, to this moment, and together you now give over to a creation of something wholly new and transcendent, something that has never existed before—your unique marriage—an expression that is at the same time public and private, precious, sacred and truly unique to the two of you. In this act you open yourselves to an even fuller experience and expression of the vast miracle of love.
The commitment to love that forms the heart of this marriage means that you will walk through the rest of your days with a true best friend beside you, one you can laugh with and cry with, grow old with, and feel forever young with.
READING
John 10:2, 6-9 says
Some Pharisees came and tested Jesus by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” Jesus replied, “At the beginning of creation God made them male and female. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife and the two will become one flesh. So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let no men separate.”
CONSENT
(bride and groom), if you are now ready to enter into this blessed and sacred union, freely choosing it with all its rights and potential, please face each other now and join hands.
(groom), do you take (bride) to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, and honor and nurture her in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in sorrow and in joy throughout the days of your lives? If so, please answer now, “I do.”
(bride), do you take (groom) to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, and honor and nurture him in sickness and in health, in plenty and in want, in sorrow and in joy throughout the days of your lives? If so, please answer now, “I do.”
READING
Song of Songs 2:10-13
My love spoke and said to me, “Arise my darling, my beautiful one, and come with me. See the winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard in our land. The fig tree forms its early fruit, the blossoming vines spread their fragrance. Arise, come, my darling; my beautiful one, come with me.”
RINGS
May I have the rings please? (I hold them in my hand and raise them in blessing)
As God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere, so let the seamless circle of these rings become a symbol of the timeless dimension of unconditional love. May the presence of these rings continue to remind you of the eternal love and devotion you are to share with one another from this moment forth. May the beauty and perfection of these rings remind you of the beauty of your togetherness and the perfection of this union you are sanctifying in this perfect moment.
(groom), please take (bride)’s ring, put it on her finger, and repeat after me: (bride), this ring is the token of my love. I marry you with this ring with all that I am and all that I have.
(bride), please repeat after me: (groom), I will forever wear this ring as the sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart.
(bride), please take (groom)’s ring, put it on his finger, and repeat after me: (groom), this ring is the token of my love. I marry you with this ring with all that I am and all that I have.
(groom), please repeat after me: (bride), I will forever wear this ring as the sign of my commitment and the desire of my heart. (bride), I need your love like I need water to survive. If our love is grounded in faith and God, our love will never fail.
HAND BLESSING
(bride), these are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you. These are the hands that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever. These are the hands that will work along side of you as together you build your future. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
(bride), these are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind. These are the hands that will hold your children in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
READING
Galatians 5:22-23
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
VOWS
(groom), please repeat after me: (bride), before these witnesses and in the sight of God, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife. Today I make a promise to you. I will love you today and everyday that follows until the end of time. With the passing of every minute, my love grows stronger and my devotion grows deeper. I will love you and cherish you until my eyes can no longer see your beauty, my ears can no longer hear your loving words, and my hands can no longer feel your tender caress. From this moment until my dying breath, you are my love; you are my life.
(bride), please repeat after me: (groom), before these witnesses and in the sight of God, I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband. Today I make a promise to you. I will love you today and everyday that follows until the end of time. With the passing of every minute, my love grows stronger and my devotion grows deeper. I will love you and cherish you until my eyes can no longer see your beauty, my ears can no longer hear your loving words, and my hands can no longer feel your tender caress. From this moment until my dying breath, you are my love; you are my life.
WEDDING PRAYER OF BLESSING
“Father God, we pray that You will bless this man and this woman as they begin their new journey together. In all the experiences of life, may they always stay close to You and to each other as they share the joys and blessings as well as the trials and heartaches. Help them to honor and keep the promises made here today, and remind them daily of Your great love for them so they, in turn, may reach out in love to others. Give them such love and devotion that each may be to the other a strength in need, a comfort in sorrow, a counselor in difficulty, and a companion in joy. Amen.”
PRONOUNCEMENT
(groom and bride), we have heard your promise to share life in marriage. We recognize and respect the covenant you have made. It is not a minister standing before you that makes your marriage real, but the honesty, love, and sincerity of what you have said and done here before your friends and family.
According to the ordinances of God and the laws that govern the state of Utah, it is now my honor and privilege you husband and wife in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
You may now kiss as husband and wife.