THE OPENING STATEMENT
Friends and families ! 1._____ and 2._____ are here today to happily proclaim their intention to marry. In so doing they are allowing us to participate in the celebration of a love which they have nurtured for some time. Theirs is a partnership freely chosen and founded on friendship, trust and respect. A partnership that encourages not only open communication, self-expression and the sharing of knowledge, but also an enthusiasm for life. It is based on the belief that each is equally important and that any pretense of superiority by either would be injurious to both.
1._____ and 2._____ believe that marriage is essentially a human institution. Therefore this ceremony finds its deepest meaning in the celebration of being human.
THE QUESTIONS
( to a parent or parents )
Your son and your daughter have been nurtured in your love and guided by your personal counsel. As they become partners in marriage they ask for your affectionate blessings. Do you give them your blessings ? Answer: We do.
(to the couple )
Do you come with joy and anticipation to this moment when you will be legally joined in marriage ? Do you pledge to treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion; to listen to each other and to speak to each other with honesty—always ?
Answer: We do.
THE CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
You have come to love each other deeply and sincerely. That love has given you the desire to unite in marriage and to establish a home together. In this ceremony you are dedicating yourselves to give happiness and well-being, each to the other. Your marriage is an act of faith. It must not be based on the vain hope of what the other will do or will not do, might become or might not become. It must be based on the firm belief in your own individual worth and that of the other. Your pledge today is an expression of your devotion. The words spoken in this ceremony will validate your marriage only if your love and commitment to one another are strong enough to sustain it.
Today you announce your love for each other in the presence of families and friends. We rejoice with you and we wish you well !
THE BETROTHAL
(each shall declare)
I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, 1._____/2._____ may not be joined in matrimony to 2._____/1._____
2._____/1._____ will you have 1._____/2._____ as your partner in life ? Will you love her ( him ) , care for her ( him ) and respect her ( him )? Will you cherish her ( his ) uniqueness and respect her ( his ) individuality as you enter into this union of love and trust ? Answer :I will.
THE FIRST READING
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens. A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say, “I love you.” It is cultivating flexibility, understanding, and a sense of humour. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives, standing together and facing the world. It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating your love for each other in many thoughtful ways. Happiness in marriage is doing things for each other in the spirit of love and having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
THE EXCHANGE OF VOWS
(May be repeated phrase by phrase after the officiant or read individually by the bride and groom. Memorization is not recommended!)
2._____/1._____, I accept you as my partner in marriage./ I promise to share my life openly with you./ I promise to tenderly care for you./ I promise to encourage you/ in the fulfillment of your dreams,/ throughout the changes in our lives.
I call upon these persons here present to witness that I, 1._____/2._____ , do take you, 2._____ /1._____, to be my lawful wedded wife (or husband).
THE EXCHANGE OF RINGS
The officiant asks for the rings and holding them says:
The circle has no beginning and no end. The rings you are about to give to each other symbolize the unity and oneness of your two lives.
Placing the rings on each others fingers the bride or groom repeats:
2._____ /1._____, with this ring I marry you and I promise you my love and respect.
MEDIATION
We cannot know what the future will bring into the lives of 2._____ and 1._____ but we hope that they may be equal to the demands of all their tomorrows.
May their marriage be a shared adventure, rich in moments of serenity as well as in moments of excitement.
May their home be a place of peace, where the concerns with the self do not overshadow those for others, and where the warmth of laughter can put crisis into its proper perspective.
May they encourage each other in whatever they set out to achieve.
May they, trusting each other, trust life itself and may their love endure forever.
THE SECOND READING
Look to this day !
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of your existence: The bliss of growth, the glory of action, the splendour of beauty; For yesterday is but a dream, and tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day!
Kalidasa
THE PRONOUNCEMENT
Inasmuch as you have pledged yourselves, each to the other, and inasmuch as you have declared the same in the presence of this company by exchanging vows and by giving and receiving rings, I, Roderick Tamney, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Marriage Act do hereby pronounce you 1._____ and 2._____ husband and wife.
BENEDICTION
May you always communicate openly and honestly with each other. May your relationship remain one of love and of trust.
May you continue to respect the individuality of the other.
And may the happiness you share today be with you always.
THE KISS
THE SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE LICENCE AND REGISTER
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COUPLE TO THE GATHERING
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. 1._____ & 2._____ _______