Introduction
Friends, we
have been invited here to share with __________ and
__________ in a most important time in their lives. In
the time they have been together, their love for and
understanding of each other has grown and matured. Now
they have decided to live their lives together as
husband and wife.
Would you bow
with me as we ask the Lord's blessing on our time
together today?
Prayer
Our Father
in heaven, Creator, Savior, and Designer of
marriage, we turn to you this afternoon, asking that
you be glorified by what takes place. That this
ceremony would honor you, and reflect the
seriousness of the vows to be spoken. Might this
service be a reminder to us who have spoken similar
vows to our spouses in the past. Might it be
instructive to those yet considering such a
commitment in their future. Might this ceremony be a
fitting beginning for __________ and ___________ as
they commit themselves before this company to pursue
a Christ-centered life together. We ask it in Jesus'
name, Amen. Thank you. You may be seated.
Giving Away of
Bride
Pastor -- Who
is giving this woman to be joined to this man?
Father of
Bride -- Her mother and I are
Pastor -- Will
the Bride's and Groom's Parents please stand?
Pastor to
Bride's Parents -- _________and _________, are you
willing, now and always, to support and strengthen
this marriage, by upholding both _________ and
____________, with your love, your concern, your
counsel, and your prayers?
Bride's
Parents -- We are.
Pastor to
Groom's Parents -- _________ and _________, are you
willing, now and always, to support and strengthen
this marriage, by upholding both ________ and
__________ with your love, your concern, your counsel,
and your prayers?
Groom's
Parents -- We are.
Lighting Candles
As organ plays
both mothers walk up to light two single candles
Wedding Vows
Bride and
Groom approach pastor on platform
Our God of
love has established marriage as the symbol of
Christ's perfect relationship to His Body, the Church.
We have come to bring you as one before Him.
Pastor to
Groom -- _________, God has ordained the man as the
spiritual head, as the responsible provider, and as
the initiator of love in this human relationship. By
His enablement, your strength must be your wife's
protection, your character her boast and pride, and
you must so live that she will find in you the haven
for which the heart of a woman truly longs.
Pastor to
Bride -- ___________, it is God's purpose that you be
a loving wife, that you respond to your husband's love
in tenderness with a deep sense of understanding,
through a great faith in Christ who brought you
together. It is His desire that you have that inner
beauty of soul that never fades; that eternal youth
that is found in holding fast the things that never
age.
Pastor to
Couple -- Christian marriage is not living merely for
each other; it is two persons, uniting and joining
hands to serve God. Seek His kingdom first, and His
righteousness, and He will add all other things to
you. Do not expect perfection from each other--that
belongs solely to God. You need not minimize each
other's weaknesses, but always be swift to praise and
magnify each other's points of comeliness and
strength, and see each other through kind and patient
eyes.
God will lead
you into such situations as will bless you, and those
which will develop your character as you walk
together. That's another way of saying there will be
difficult times you share as well. As you look to Him,
He will give you enough tears to keep you tender,
enough hurts to keep you compassionate, enough of
failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His,
and enough of success to make you certain that you do
walk with Him.
May He remain
the central figure in your relationship together. May
you never take each other's love for granted, but
always experience that wonder that exclaims "Out of
all in this world, you have chosen me!" When life is
done, may you be found, then as now, hand in hand,
still thanking God for each other. May you ever serve
Him happily, faithfully, together, until Christ
returns in Glory, or until at last one shall lay the
other to rest in the arms of the Savior. And all this,
through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Pastor to
Groom -- __________, have you in the quiet hours of
your companionship considered what is your Christian
duty as a husband?
Groom -- I
have.
Pastor to
Bride -- ___________, have you in the quiet hours of
your companionship considered what is your Christian
duty as a wife?
Bride -- I
have.
You both stand
before us as children of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ
through your trust in Him, and His substitutionary
death for your sin. Is it your purpose to establish a
home that is truly Christ-centered, where the Word of
God is read and obeyed; a home that is welded together
by prayer, in which the Holy Spirit is your constant
Guide?
Bride and
Groom -- It is.
Will you
please, as an expression that your hearts are joined
together in love, now please join your hands.
Pastor to
Groom -- _________, this woman whom you hold by the
hand is to be your wife. She has given you one of the
most sacred things under heaven: a woman's life, and a
woman's love. You may bring her great joy or cause her
deep sorrow. It is not what you bring her in a
material way that will make true happiness--riches
without love are nothing. The gift without the giver
is bare. The practice of those virtues as husband that
you have shown as lover, will keep her heart won to
your heart.
Do you vow
here, as you have promised ___________, that you will
be true and loyal, patient in sickness, comforting in
sorrow, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only
unto her, so long as you both shall live?
Groom -- I do.
Pastor to
Bride -- ___________, this man whom you hold by the
hand is to be your husband. Upon your life, your love,
and your devotion he will lean for strength and
inspiration. He is going to look to you for
encouragement, for cheerfulness, and for confidence.
No matter what the world may say or think, people may
forget him, lose confidence in him, or turn their
backs upon him, but you must not. May your life and
love be the inspiration that will constantly lead him
to greater dependence upon our Lord. Do you vow here,
as you have promised __________, that you will be
loyal in adversity, ministering to him in affliction,
comforting him in sorrow, and forsaking all others,
keeping yourself only unto him so long as you both
shall live?
Bride -- I do.
Ring Vows
Pastor to
Groom -- What token do you give as a pledge of the
sincerity of your vows?
Groom -- A
ring.
Pastor to
Bride -- What token do you give as a pledge of the
sincerity of your vows?
Bride -- A
ring.
A ring is a
fitting symbol to represent the covenant you are
making today. Not only are these made out of the
finest of metals, reminding you of the purity of your
relationship. but they are also a circle, a line
unending, reminding you that your love, devotion, and
commitment to one another are to be unending. T
Pastor to
Groom -- Would you repeat after me: I, _________, take
you, _________, to be my wife, before God who brought
us together, to love and cherish you, even as Christ
loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, to lead
you, and share all of life's experiences with you, by
following God through them. That through His grace we
might grow together into the likeness of Jesus, our
Savior and Lord.
Pastor to
Bride -- __________, would you repeat after me: I,
___________, take you, __________, to be my wedded
husband, before God who brought us together, to love
you and to cherish you, to submit myself to you in all
things, and to follow you through all of life's
experiences as you follow God, that through His grace
we might grow together into the likeness of Jesus, our
Savior and Lord.
Lighting Unity
Candle
The two
outside candles on the table have been lighted to
represent your lives up to this moment. They are two
distinct lights, each capable of going their separate
ways. To bring the happiness God designed for your
home, there must be the merging of these two lights
into one light. This is what the Lord meant when He
said, "On this account a man shall leave his father
and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two
shall be one flesh." From now on, your thoughts shall
be for each other, rather than for your individual
selves. Your plans shall be mutual, your joys and
sorrows shall be shared. As you each take a candle,
and together light the center one, and extinguish your
own candles, you will be letting the center candle
represent the union of your lives into one flesh. As
this one light cannot be divided, neither shall your
lives be divided, but a united testimony in a
Christian home. May the radiance of this one light be
a testimony of your unity in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Bride and
Groom each take candle and light unity candle.
Bride and
Groom kneel.
Solo
Prayer
Stand
following, facing and joining hands
Pronouncement
In as much as
you have each pledged to the other your lifelong
commitment, love, and devotion, by the authority
committed to me as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ, and according to the laws of the State of
______________, I now declare you to be husband and
wife, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, Amen.
And what God
hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Kiss
Introduction
Ladies and
gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be the first to
introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. |
