Ceremony #3 Wedding Ceremony – This ceremony has contemporary words with old traditional service and Irish Blessing woven together.
Welcoming
Good afternoon. We gather here today to witness and celebrate an act of deep love. ___ and ____, in their devotion, respect, and love for each other wish to unite in the holy bond of marriage, and to dedicate themselves to each other’s happiness and well‑being as life mates and partners. On behalf of them, I welcome you all.
Although this is their day, it is also a tribute to all of you. For knowing you and interacting with you has helped to make our Bride and Groom who they needed to be to find each other. They would like to thank you all for that. All of you are the threads of which are woven the tapestry of their lives. Each one of you is an important piece in the story it tells. It is the fabric that they wrap around themselves and take comfort in when the world seems cold. And on days like today when everything is right in their world, that tapestry is proudly spread out and displayed for everyone to see, with all the glorious colors and textures that your diversity adds. All of you, hold a place in their hearts and they call you their ‘Family’ and their “Friends”. They are deeply grateful for each and every one of you here today
Marriage Homily
Marriage is a supreme sharing, perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. It is the joyful uniting of a man and a woman, whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take marriages sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, just like the waters of two rivers come together and are joined to form an even greater one.
A true spiritual marriage is an act of metamorphosis, a profound mystery of creation and rebirth, as two become one. It is not a giving up or loss of oneself, but rather a giving over of oneself to something greater‑a transformation of self in which each one can say, “I am no longer only I but also we.” It is a process in which each can be challenged to discover new possibilities in themselves and each other.
In such a marriage, the wedding ceremony is the gateway into this mystery. You have now created something wholly new and transcendent, something which has never existed before‑your marriage. This is an expression that is public and private, precious, sacred, and truly unique to the two of you. In this act, you open yourselves to a fuller experience and expression of the vast miracle of love.
No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that‑through love, patience, dedication. Through perseverance, talking and listening and trying to understand one another. Through helping and supporting and believing in each other. Through learning to forgive, learning to respect and
appreciate your differences, and 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 have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.
Parental Honoring
______ and ______ want to acknowledge their parents on this occasion. _____ and ____ offer their profound gratitude to their parents for all the love and care they showed in raising them. The unconditional gifts of love and support that you have continually offered have inspired them to become who they are today, and they thank you, from the bottom of their hearts, for guiding them to this celebration of love here today. Without you, this day would not be possible.
Silent Blessing
We now close our eyes and bring to mind any loved ones who could not be here today. Though they are absent physically, we invoke, through our thought and prayers, their loving presence. We pray that God might multiply beyond measure the blessings from these loved ones to this loving couple, and any children who might one day be a part of this union. Now, from our hearts, we ourselves visualize and sanctify all the blessings we would bestow on _____ and ____ in their lives as a couple and a family. It is our sincere desire to bless you!
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The Questions
_____ and _____, If you are ready to step into the holy circle of matrimony, assuming all its rights, obligations and abundant joys, please so indicate by joining hands.
Do you, ____ take this man, ____ as your husband, to love him and to honor him, to nurture, serve and support him, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by his side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so, answer now, “I do.”(Bride answers, “I do”)
Do you, _____ take this woman, _______ as your wife, to love her and to honor her, to nurture, serve and support her, in times of joy and in times of difficulty? Do you promise to remain by her side regardless of what trouble befalls you, and in the presence of temptation to forsake this love, do you promise to remain steadfast and true? Do you promise with all your heart and soul to honor this vow till death do you part? If so answer now, “I do.”(Groom answers, “I do”)
Ring Ceremony
And so we come _____ and _______, to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love. The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and the power of God. The sky and the earth are round. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.
God, bless these rings and the two who exchange them. Fill them with your Holy Presence. Lord God, keep them safe in the circle of Your protection and love.
____, place this ring on her______ finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I thee wed; In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit”.
____, place this ring on his ___ finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I thee wed; In the name of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit”.
Bless O Lord, This ring, that He/She who gives It and She/He who wears it may abide in your peace and continue in your favor, until life’s end; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Vows
Please join hands, look into each other’s eyes, and repeat after me:
Pronouncement
Forasmuch as, _____ and, ____, have openly declared your wish to be united in marriage, and in the presence of God and these witnesses have pledged love to each other, and have confirmed the same by exchanging rings and declaring your vows, I as a minister and legally authorized to do pronounce that you are now husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride.
Benediction (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.
Conclusion
And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. _____.
