Dearly beloved and honored guests:

We are gathered together here to join _____ and _____ in the union of marriage. This contract is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously, and with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities.

And now: _____, do you take _____ to be your husband/wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him/her, forsaking all others, and holding only unto him/her forevermore?

_____ and _____ will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other. Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are special; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle—a symbol of love never ending. It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end.

_____, please place the ring on _____’s left hand and repeat after me:

As a sign of my love That I have chosen you Above all else With this ring, I thee wed.

And now by the power vested in me by the state of _____, it is my honor and delight to declare you married. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.

Dearly beloved and honored guests: We are gathered together to witness the joining together of _____ and _____ in marriage. This is a celebration of enduring love and faithfulness in marriage and in life.

_____ and _____, if you would repeat after me:

Today I give myself to you. 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.

And now, for the exchanging of rings, please repeat after me:

_____, I give you this ring As a sign of my vow, And with all that I am, And all that I have, I honor you.

And now by the power vested in me by the state of _____, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.

Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of _____ and _____. You have come here to share in this formal commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to this union, and to allow _____ and _____ to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them. So welcome to one and all, who have traveled from near and far. _____ and _____ thank you for your presence here today and now ask for your blessing, encouragement, and lifelong support, for their decision to be married.

Marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage; only you can do that—through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing

in each other; through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as lifemates and partners.

Will you, _____, take this man/woman to be your wedded husband/wife?

We’ve come to the point of your ceremony where you’re going to say your vows to one another. But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love—which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance— will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. If you are able to keep the vows you take here today, not because of any religious or civic law, but out of a desire to love and be loved by another person fully, without limitation, then your life will have joy and the home you establish will be a place in which you both will find the direction of your growth, your freedom, and your responsibility. Please now read the vows you have written for each other.

I _____, take you, _____ to be my husband/wife, my constant friend and partner, and my love. I will work to create a bond of honesty, respect, and trust; one that withstands the tides of time and change, and grows along with us. I vow to honor and respect you for all that you are and will become, taking pride in who we are, both separately and together.I promise to challenge you and to accept challenges from you. I will join with you and our community in an ongoing struggle to create a world we all want to live in, where love and friendship will be recognized and celebrated in all their many forms. Our home will be a sanctuary and a respite for us and for those whom we cherish. Above all, I will give you my love freely and unconditionally. I pledge this to you from the bottom of my heart, for all the days of our lives.

May I have the rings, please?

Please repeat after me: I give you this ring, as a daily reminder of my love for you.

By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may kiss each other!

Sample Ceremony 4

Good afternoon. _____, _____ and I would like to welcome everyone on this gorgeous day. It’s because of all of you—because of this strong community—_____ and _____’s relationship has strengthened and grown and led them to this very moment. Thank you for being here, now let’s begin.

_____ and _____, what you’ve accomplished here today is no small feat. Your journey began way before you sent out the invitations, chose this beautiful venue or even decided to spend the rest of your lives together. Your journey began the moment you first met. You took the time to learn what makes the other person smile, what makes them laugh and how to best support them when life is less than simple. You welcomed each other’s families, communities and lifelong friends, and joined them together with warmth and enthusiasm. You built a new village with your love, and have worked every day to support this village as it changes and grows.

Marriages bring hard days, just as they bring beautiful ones. This day is a reminder of what your love has already accomplished, and the amazing possibilities of what it can continue to accomplish and overcome in the many, many years ahead of you.

As our reading today, _____ has asked _____ to perform an original poem to honor their vows. _____ and _____, please take each other’s hands and repeat after me:

_____, I swear to you/ that I will dedicate my life from this day forward/ to filling our days with beauty and laughter./ I will celebrate your spirit and all of your accomplishments/ work to inspire you/ and be here to remind you of your beauty and strength./ I take you today as my partner/ my confidant/ my other half/ and I will love you for the rest of my life.

_____ and _____, do you take one another as partners, from this day forward, as husband and wife? Please yell a hearty “We do!”

And to everyone here, do you promise to stand by this couple, to remind them of their vows, and to act as an example of love and family? Please yell a hearty “We do!”

_____ and _____ have chosen these rings to represent the unbreakable circle of life and love. Please place them on each other’s ring fingers and repeat after me.

I give you this ring/ to remind you of this day/ when in front of our closest community/ we vowed that our love can overcome all things/ that our love unites, inspires and celebrates/ and will continue do so for the rest of our lives.

_____ and _____, it is with such joy that I now send you out into the world to spread the beautiful light that you share with those around you. By the power vested in me, I now, for the first time, pronounce you married. Now kiss and go celebrate!

Welcome, family and loved ones. We are gathered here today, surrounded by the beauty of creation and nurtured by the sights and sounds of nature to celebrate the joining of _____ and _____ in marriage. Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever.

You don’t have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. And when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? You’re standing in front of everyone, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by so many of those who you hold near and dear. So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so critical, we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others. Why this moment?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It’s the great unifier - our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we’ve come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we’re doing right. That’s why you both are standing here. That’s why you all are here to watch them stand up here. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we’re reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity.

You fell in love by chance, but you’re here today because you’re making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You’ve chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter. You’re about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You’re going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There’s a simple premise to each of these promises: you’re vowing to be there. You’re teaming up and saying to the other, ‘Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of.’

Will you, _____, keep as your favorite person - to laugh with him/her, go on adventures with him/her, support him/her through life’s tough moments, be proud of him/her, grow old with him/her, and find new reasons to love her every day?

Will you, _____and _____, be each other’s partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely - for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?

You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You’ve created something invaluable, and just as I know you’ll protect these rings, I’m confident you’ll protect the commitments you’ve made to one another today.

_____, as you place this ring on _____‘s finger, repeat these words after me: This ring symbolizes my love for you and the commitments we made today.

_____and _____, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and loved ones, have declared your love and commitment to each other. You have given and received rings as a symbol of your promises. By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me by the State of _____, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now seal your vows with a kiss.