Marriage Ceremony
Giving Away the Bride
Minister: Who gives this woman away?
Father of Bride: “Her mother and I do.”
Minister: You may be seated.
The Convocation
We are gathered here in the presence of God and of this company to join in holy marriage, Bride and Groom, and to bear witness to the transforming power of love. Love is a quality of spirit and an attitude of emotions, but a marriage is a life’s work, a spiritual art form. Therefore, this is an occasion of both profound joy and great responsibility. In acknowledgment of this holy purpose and of the power of this occasion, let us pray.
Prayer
Declaration of Consent
To groom: Groom, do you take Bride to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her so long as you both shall live? If so, answer “I will.”
Groom: “I will.”
To bride: Bride, do you take Groom to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live? If so, answer “I will.”
Bride: “I will.”
Sermon
Not long ago, some Christian couples who had been married for twenty to twenty-five years were asked what advice they would give to a young couple on their wedding day. Their answers contained some real wisdom—wisdom that, if you follow it, will carry you through to your twenty-fifth anniversary and beyond.
Let me try to summarize.
First, never go to bed angry. Even though this is one of the happiest days of your life, there will come those times when you are frustrated—those days when everything seems to go wrong and you are really upset with each other.
Don’t go to bed angry. Proverbs 15:1 says, “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Don’t allow your frustration to build to where you say harsh words you don’t mean. Talk it through, resolve it—and then put it behind you. Don’t go to bed angry.
Here is a good one: Keep a sense of humor. Sometimes things happen that aren’t your fault; they just happen. Yet you have to deal with them.
Keep your sense of humor. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” I think sometimes we can take ourselves too seriously. Keep a sense of humor.
Communicate. My guess is that you do that pretty well now, but it gets harder as time goes on to share what you are thinking, feeling, and feeling! You can’t read each other’s minds, so be determined to make the extra effort to talk with each other. And as you do, give each other the gift of listening.
Determine with purpose to continue building your relationship. Just because you are getting married doesn’t mean that you have built the best relationship you will ever have. No, the truth is, you are just beginning! Be deliberate about improving your relationship.
Speaking to all Christians, but can also apply to married couples, the apostle Paul says in Romans 12:10, “Love one another…Outdo one another in showing honor.” That is another way of saying that I will put you first! If each of you puts the other first, imagine the happiness that you will experience.
And finally, make sure that as a couple, you invite God to be a part of your lives and a part of your home. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your path.”
In other words, if you will allow God to take up residence in your home, he will make your paths straight. He will bless you.
Someone said that marriage is a journey—always changing. And with the changes come different joys, different challenges, and different heartaches. But if you will follow this advice, your joys will be richer. Your challenges will be more manageable. And your heartaches won’t hurt as much because you will share them.
The Marriage Vows
Please join hands and, to each other, while expressing your vows of love and devotion.
(The couple holds hands and faces each other.)
Address the groom: Groom, please repeat after me: “I Groom, - take you, Bride, - to be my wife, - 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 do us part; - as God is my witness, - I give you my promise.”
Address the bride: Likewise, Bride, please repeat after me: “I Bride, - take you, Groom, - to be my 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 do us part; - as God is my witness, - I give you my promise.”
Scripture Reading
The Word of God tells us what love is like and what love does: 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 says, “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it its not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.”
The Exchange of Rings
With this kind of love in your hearts, you have chosen to exchange rings as the sign and seal of the vows you are making today.
(Accept the rings from the best man and while holding the rings, say the following.)
Though small in size, these rings are very large in significance. Made of precious metal, they remind us that love is neither cheap nor common; indeed, love may cost us dearly.
Their design, made in a circle, tells us that love must never end; we must keep it continuous.
As you wear these rings, whether together or apart for a moment, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.
Address groom. Groom, will you take your ring and place it upon Bride’s left hand, and repeat after me this promise: “I give you this ring -- as a symbol of my vow, -- and with all that I am, -- and all that I have, -- I honor you.”
Address bride. Bride, will you take your ring and place it upon Groom’s left hand, and repeat after me this promise: “I give you this ring -- as a symbol of my vow, -- and with all that I am, -- and all that I have, -- I honor you.”
Unity Ceremony
Unity Candle
Now, we come to the Unity Candle. Life is full of many symbolic actions that speak to us on a deeper level that we cannot always put into words.
At the beginning of this service, your mothers lit the two candles that represent your individual lives.
Their joint action in lighting the candles together symbolized the fact that two separate families have now been brought together in support of this holy union.
In a few moments, each of you will take your candle. Together, you will light one larger candle, and then you will replace the candles in their individual holders.
This is a vivid reminder that in true Christian marriage, our lives are merged, even as we remain individuals. This is a symbolic prayer that God will bless your uniqueness as individuals and that God will also make of your hands ONE hand, of your hearts ONE heart, and of your lives ONE life.
Unity Cord
Today, Groom and Bride have chosen to braid three strands together into a single cord. Each strand has a significant meaning. The one represents God who has given the gift of love. Another strand represents the groom and his life. While the third strand represents the bride and her life.
In braiding these three strands together, Groom and Bride are demonstrating that their marriage is more than a joining of two lives together. It is a unity with God as well. They have chosen to allow God to be at the center of their marriage, woven into every aspect of it.
As Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reads, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Unity Sand
Bride and Groom, you have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings, and this covenant is a relationship pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives.
The most beautiful example of this partnership is the marriage relationship. You have committed to sharing the rest of our lives with each other today. Today, this relationship is symbolized by the pouring of these two individual containers of sand into one.
Your container of sand, Bride, represents all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other represents you, Groom, and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.
As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be.
Prayer
Pronouncement of Marriage
You have come before us and before God and have expressed your desire to be husband and wife. You have shown your love and affection by joining hands, made promises of faith and devotion to each other, and sealed these promises by giving and receiving rings.
Therefore, by the power vested in me by God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Groom, you may kiss your bride!
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. !
