The following is simply an outline, but you can mix and match and change it any way you like.
Your wedding ceremony can be in any sequence you choose, but the usual sequence is the following:
Presentation of the Bride by the person escorting her:
"Who presents this woman to be married to this man."
Welcome to family and friends!
Welcome. Groom and Bride wish to welcome you on this joyous occasion to celebrate their love for one another as they exchange wedding vows and become husband and wife.
They wish to acknowledge you and thank you for being here today. For your love, for your support, and for your presence here today to witness their wedding vows.
INTRODUCTION:
Bride and Groom, we gather here today to celebrate your love for each other by exchanging wedding vows and becoming husband and wife.
Marriage is a serious commitment that you are making to each other in front of these witnesses. You are making promises to each other to love, honor, cherish, and to be faithful to one another, with the intent that this marriage is to last a lifetime.
Marriage Vows: (Choose from these vows, change them, or compose your own.)
- Do you (name) take (name) to be your lawful wedded wife? I do. Will you love, respect and honor her throughout your years together? I WILL.
(Bride repeats the same vows.) - (Name) do you take (name) whom you now hold by the hand to be your lawful wedded wife? I DO.
Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live? I DO
(Bride repeats the same vows.)
Do you mutually promise in the presence of your friends and family that you will at all times and in all circumstances, conduct yourselves toward one another as becomes Husband and Wife? WE DO.
Do you mutually promise you will love, cherish and respect one another throughout the years? WE DO.
- (Name) do you pledge to love (name) and throughout your years together to be honest, faithful, and kind to her. Do you pledge to give to her the same happiness she gives to you, to react to her as only you can, and to respect her for who she is, not who you want her to be? I DO.
(Bride repeats the same vows.) - (Repeated to each other after me by phrases)
With all my heart I take you to be my wife. I will love you through the good and the bad, through the joy and the sorrow. I will try to be understanding, and to trust in you completely. I will make you a part of me and in turn, become a part of you. Together we will face all of life's experiences and share one another's dreams and goals. We will be equal partners in an open, honest relationship throughout the years.
(Bride repeats the same vows.) - (Repeated to each other after me by phrases)
(Name) it is my intention to be your best friend, to respect and support you, to be patient with you, to work together with you to achieve those things that are important to us, to accept you unconditionally, and to share life with you throughout the years.
(Bride repeats the same vows.) - (Repeated to each other after me by phrases)
I pledge to you with all my heart and being to love and support you in all ways, to my utmost capabilities, for the rest of our lives.
(Bride repeats the same vows.)
Rings: (Choose from these or compose your own.)
- "With this ring I thee wed."
- "With this ring I pledge my love."
- "With this ring I pledge my commitment."
- "With this ring I pledge my love and commitment."
If you are having a sand ceremony, it is usually here.*
Pronouncement After the Marriage Vows:
"By the authority vested in me by the State of
Kiss: "You may now seal your vows with a kiss."
Presentation: (Some couples would rather not be presented.)
"And now Ladies and Gentlemen, I have the pleasure of presenting to you Mr. and Mrs. So and So So and So " – OR – "I now have the pleasure of presenting to you Groom and Bride, husband and wife."
*Sand Ceremony
SAND CEREMONY FOR A COUPLE
These two colors of sand are symbols of two individual people. When you join these two colors of sand, you are joining your lives together.
Go ahead and pour your sand, all at once, into the vase.
The individual grains of sand are still their original color – they have retained their identity, but the combined sand can never again be separated.
This vase will sit on your shelf at home, reminding you of this special day, and of how you have created a new life together.