UNITY SAND CEREMONY

We are gathered here today to celebrate the power of love that exists between two people, who love each other so much that they are willing to commit their lives together as one in spirit. Love is a miraculous gift that has been given to us, and a wedding is a celebration of that gift. So we are gathered here to share and to rejoice with (Groom) and (Bride), and to vow our unconditional love and support to them as they begin a new and magical journey together as husband and wife.

It is right to take a moment to recognize the family members of (Bride) and (Groom) and to thank them for their love, support and devotion, as they grew from childhood to adolescence and into the two beautiful individuals who are here before us on this special day. We thank you for teaching them values and being there and showing them the beauty and joy of loving another. This is also a time to celebrate all of those who have touched your lives, but are not able to be with us in person today, but are here in spirit. We are a part of everyone who has ever loved us.  Let us remember them with a moment of silent reflection.

Devotion, joy and love can only grow if you nurture them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. Only in this spirit, can you create a partnership that will strengthen and sustain you all the days of your lives.

May your lives always be blessed with love and truth. Let us pray.

Spiritual Prayer

O God, we gather to celebrate your gift of love, and its presence among us. We rejoice that these two people have chosen to commit themselves to a life of loving faithfulness to one another. We praise you, O God, for the ways you have touched our lives with a variety of loving relationships, and we give thanks for (Groom) and (Bride) and for the love and friendship you have put in their hearts. Renew within us an affectionate and loving spirit. Enrich our lives with the gracious gift of your love so that we may embrace others with that same love. May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment, give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationships that we cherish. We pray these things, Amen.

Presentation of the Bride

Who gives away (Bride) to be the wedded wife of (Groom)?

1st Reading: "A Dedication to My Wife" by T.S. Eliot
To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our wakingtime
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleepingtime,
The breathing in unison

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.

No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only

But this dedication is for others to read:
These are private words addressed to you in public.

Words on Friendship and Love

We have come together from near and far to celebrate your lives as individuals and to bestow our blessings upon you as you begin a sacred journey together as husband and wife. We have come together to witness the creation of a brand new family, and to share in the joy of that moment with you. Your marriage will develop a true friendship between you and that friendship must be strong and able to withstand the tests of time. Remember that when you are a true friend to someone you want to spend time with them; you want to share with them; care for them when they are sick spiritually or physically; you want to learn new things with them; you want to change with them; you want to grow in truth with them; and you want to experience all that life has to offer with them. Through this process you will wind-up on the same page together, and that is the secret to having peace and happiness in your lives. Take responsibility for making the other one to feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your relationship deserves. Never allow anything to be more important than the one you have chosen to spend your life together with.

Seek love and never take it for granted. Love is believing, sharing, caring and dreaming together. Love is honesty, friendship, companionship, and selflessness. Love is the desire to be intimate physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Love is devotion, celebration, understanding, forgiveness and sacrifice. Love is strong, yet can be fragile. Love is gentleness, kindness, and patience. Love is trusting, protecting, inspiring, and supporting. Love is the only true way to know God.

2nd Reading: "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more that whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Vows

(Groom), turn and face (Bride), and repeat after me:

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you

in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in
bad, when life seems easy and when it
seems hard, when our love is simple,
and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.

(Bride), remain facing (Groom), and repeat after me:

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you

in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in
bad, when life seems easy and when it
seems hard, when our love is simple,
and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.


Exchange of Rings

(Bride), please place the ring on (Groom)’s finger, and repeat after me:

This ring represents my commitment to you. It says to the world that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you, for all the days of my life. (Groom) with this ring, I thee wed.

(Groom), please place the ring on (Bride)’s finger, and repeat after me:

This ring represents my commitment to you. It says to the world that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you, for all the days of my life. (Bride) with this ring, I thee wed.

(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 here today to share the rest of your lives with each other. Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of individual containers of sand into one representing the two of you and your new family.  (Groom) and (Bride), if you could each take your containers, hold hands and look into each others eyes as you pour your sand to intermingle together. 

Now that these containers of sand have been poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand no longer exist, but are 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, and family, be.

Pronouncement of Marriage

Because, (Bride) and (Groom) you have showered our hearts with expressions of your love, and promised each other the joy of all your days, before God and this company, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.


Kiss

You may now kiss the bride.

Closing Blessing:  The Irish Wedding Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.
And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.

Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. (Groom) (Last Name)!

UNITY CANDLE CEREMONY

We are gathered here today to celebrate the power of love that exists between two people, who love each other so much that they are willing to commit their lives together as one in spirit. Love is a miraculous gift that has been given to us, and a wedding is a celebration of that gift. So we are gathered here to share and to rejoice with (Groom) and (Bride), and to vow our unconditional love and support to them as they begin a new and magical journey together as husband and wife.

It is right to take a moment to recognize the family members of (Bride) and (Groom) and to thank them for their love, support and devotion, as they grew from childhood to adolescence and into the two beautiful individuals who are here before us on this special day. We thank you for teaching them values and being there and showing them the beauty and joy of loving another. This is also a time to celebrate all of those who have touched your lives, but are not able to be with us in person today, but are here in spirit. We are a part of everyone who has ever loved us.  Let us remember them with a moment of silent reflection.

Devotion, joy and love can only grow if you nurture them together. Stand fast in that hope and confidence, believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. Only in this spirit, can you create a partnership that will strengthen and sustain you all the days of your lives.

May your lives always be blessed with love and truth. Let us pray.

Spiritual Prayer

O God, we gather to celebrate your gift of love, and its presence among us. We rejoice that these two people have chosen to commit themselves to a life of loving faithfulness to one another. We praise you, O God, for the ways you have touched our lives with a variety of loving relationships, and we give thanks for (Groom) and (Bride) and for the love and friendship you have put in their hearts. Renew within us an affectionate and loving spirit. Enrich our lives with the gracious gift of your love so that we may embrace others with that same love. May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment, give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationships that we cherish. We pray these things, Amen.


Presentation of the Bride

Who gives away (Bride) to be the wedded wife of (Groom)?

1st Reading: "A Dedication to My Wife" by T.S. Eliot
To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our wakingtime
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleepingtime,
The breathing in unison

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.

No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only

But this dedication is for others to read:
These are private words addressed to you in public.

Words on Friendship and Love

We have come together from near and far to celebrate your lives as individuals and to bestow our blessings upon you as you begin a sacred journey together as husband and wife. We have come together to witness the creation of a brand new family, and to share in the joy of that moment with you. Your marriage will develop a true friendship between you and that friendship must be strong and able to withstand the tests of time. Remember that when you are a true friend to someone you want to spend time with them; you want to share with them; care for them when they are sick spiritually or physically; you want to learn new things with them; you want to change with them; you want to grow in truth with them; and you want to experience all that life has to offer with them. Through this process you will wind-up on the same page together, and that is the secret to having peace and happiness in your lives. Take responsibility for making the other one to feel safe, and give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your relationship deserves. Never allow anything to be more important than the one you have chosen to spend your life together with.

Seek love and never take it for granted. Love is believing, sharing, caring and dreaming together. Love is honesty, friendship, companionship, and selflessness. Love is the desire to be intimate physically, psychologically, and emotionally. Love is devotion, celebration, understanding, forgiveness and sacrifice. Love is strong, yet can be fragile. Love is gentleness, kindness, and patience. Love is trusting, protecting, inspiring, and supporting. Love is the only true way to know God.

2nd Reading: "To My Dear and Loving Husband" by Anne Bradstreet
If ever two were one, then surely we.
If ever man were loved by wife, then thee;
If ever wife was happy in a man,
Compare with me ye women if you can.
I prize thy love more that whole mines of gold,
Or all the riches that the East doth hold.
My love is such that rivers cannot quench,
Nor ought but love from thee give recompense.
Thy love is such I can no way repay,
The heavens reward thee manifold I pray.
Then while we live, in love let’s so persever,
That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Vows

(Groom), turn and face (Bride), and repeat after me:

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you

in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in
bad, when life seems easy and when it
seems hard, when our love is simple,
and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.

(Bride), remain facing (Groom), and repeat after me:

I love you.
You are my best friend.
Today I give myself to you in marriage.
I promise to encourage and inspire you,
to laugh with you, and to comfort you

in times of sorrow and struggle.
I promise to love you in good times and in
bad, when life seems easy and when it
seems hard, when our love is simple,
and when it is an effort.
I promise to cherish you, and to always
hold you in highest regard.
These things I give to you today,
and all the days of our life.


Exchange of Rings

(Bride), please place the ring on (Groom)’s finger, and repeat after me:

This ring represents my commitment to you. It says to the world that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you, for all the days of my life. (Groom) with this ring, I thee wed.

(Groom), please place the ring on (Bride)’s finger, and repeat after me:

This ring represents my commitment to you. It says to the world that I will always love you, cherish you and honor you, for all the days of my life. (Bride) with this ring, I thee wed.

(Groom) and (Bride) are going to light their Unity Candle, a symbol of their marriage relationship. The candles from which they light it have been lit by their mothers to represent their lives to this moment.

The lights, representing the faith, wisdom, and love they have received from their parents, are distinct, each burning alone. (Bride) and (Groom) will light the center candle to symbolize the union of their lives. As this one light burns undivided, so shall their love be one.

From now on, your thoughts shall be for each other rather than for your individual selves. Your joys and sorrows shall be shared alike. May the radiance of this one light be a testimony of your unity. May these candles burn brightly as symbols of your commitment to each other, and as a tribute to your parents' lasting and loving marriages.

Pronouncement of Marriage

Because, (Groom) and (Bride) you have showered our hearts with expressions of your love, and promised each other the joy of all your days, before God and this company, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife.


Kiss

You may now kiss the bride.


Closing Blessing:  The Irish Wedding Blessing

May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.
And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.
Introduction

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. (Groom) (Last Name)!

ELOPEMENT CEREMONY

(Bride) and (Groom), today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, as you join together in vows of marriage.

(Groom ), do you take (Bride) to be your Wife; to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her? ("I do")

(Bride), do you take (Groom) to be your Husband; to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him? ("I do")


(If rings are exchanged each does so before repeating the following vows.) {Rings are NOT required}

(Groom), please repeat after me:

I (Groom), take thee, (Bride) to be my Wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you. (With this ring, I thee wed.)

(Bride), please repeat after me:

 I (Bride), take thee (Groom), to be my Husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to you. (With this ring, I thee wed.)

(Bride) and (Groom), just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. To make your marriage work will take love. Love should be the core of your marriage, love is the reason you are here. But it also will take trust - to know in your hearts you want the best for each other. It will take dedication - to stay open to one another; to learn and to grow together even when this is not always so easy to do. It will take faith - to always be willing to go forward to tomorrow, never really knowing what tomorrow will bring. And it will take commitment - to hold true to the journey you both now pledge to share together.


(Groom) and (Bride), in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, it is my great pleasure to pronounce you Husband and Wife.

Congratulations, you may kiss your bride.