This is a romantic ceremony I wrote and performed:
Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is my distinct honor to welcome you here today to rejoice with John and Jane on this, their wedding day. We are gathered here today to bear witness to their shared desire to henceforth walk the road of life together.
Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man? Jane's father replies, 'I do.'
Thank you, sir. Please be seated.
Sooner or later we begin to understand that love is more than verses on valentines, and romance in the movies. We begin to know that love is here and now, real and true, the most important thing in our lives. Love is the creator of our favorite memories, and the foundation of our fondest dreams. Love is a promise that is always kept, a fortune that can never be spent, a seed that can flourish in even the most unlikely of places. And this radiance that never fades, this mysterious and magical joy, is the greatest treasure of all -- one known only by those who love.
John and Jane, in presenting yourselves here today
to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and
develop and last -- if you both decide to make it so. A lasting and growing love
is not guaranteed by any ritual.
If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the devotion you have for
one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, then
treasure the hopes and dreams that you bring here today. Establish that your
love will never be blotted out by the common nor obscured by the ordinary in
life. Faults will surface where now you find comfort, and admiration can
be shattered by the routine of daily life.
Dedication, love, and joy can grow only when you nourish them together. Stand
fast in that hope and confidence, having faith in your shared destiny just as
strongly as you have faith in yourselves and in one another today. Only
with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the
days of your lives.
John,
please repeat after me:
I, John, take you, Jane, to be my wife
to love you and to cherish you
to help you and to honor you
to give you understanding and comfort
in whatever the future may bring
in confidence that together
we are responsible for our destiny.
Jane, please repeat after me:
I, Jane, take you, John, to be my husband
to love you and to cherish you
to help you and to honor you
to give you understanding and comfort
in whatever the future may bring
in confidence that together
we are responsible for our destiny.
I would like to share one of my favorite passages,
written by William Blake.
Love to faults is always blind, and always is to joy inclined. Lawless,
winged, and unconfined, and breaks all chains from every mind. To see a world in
a grain of sand, and a heaven in a wild flower, to hold infinity in the palm of
your hand, and eternity in an hour. Love seeketh not itself to please, nor
itself hath any care; But for another gives its ease, and builds a heaven in
Hell?s despair.
John places the ring on Jane's finger and says:
'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love.'
Jane places the ring on John's finger and says:
'May this ring forever be to you the symbol of my growing love.'
From this day forward: laugh together, and plan
together,
find your favorite places, and go together...
Enjoy the sunshine, and the rain,
being alone together, and in crowds together...
From this day forward, together, love!
I think Mary Weston Fordham said this beautifully:
The die is cast, come weal, come woe,
Two lives are joined together,
For better or for worse, the link
Which naught but death can sever.
The die is cast, come grief, come joy
Come richer, or come poorer,
If love but binds the mystic tie,
Blest is the bridal hour.
By the power vested in me by the state of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
Dearly beloved, we are gathered
here, in the presence of friends and family, to unite Jane and John in marriage.
Jane and John, you have invited us to witness the happiness that you have found
in each other.
Are you ready to make the pledges to which you commit yourselves to each other
in love?
Jane and John together answer: 'Yes.'
Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring
out in each other.
It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can
equal.
It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime.
Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life's most important
relationships:
A wife and a husband are each other's best friend, confidant, lover, teacher,
listener, and critic.
Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life.
Happiness is fuller, memories are fresher, commitment is stronger -- even anger
is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly.
Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes that life is unable to avoid.
It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing
a love that is deeper than life.
When two people pledge their love and care for each other in marriage,
they create a spirit unique unto themselves which binds them closer than any
spoken or written words.
Marriage is a promise, a potential made in the hearts of two people who love
each other, and it takes a lifetime to fulfill.
True love is a sacred flame that burns eternally,
And none can dim its special glow, or change its destiny.
True love speaks in tender tones, and hears with gentle ear.
True love gives with open heart, and true love conquers fear.
True love makes no harsh demands -
It neither rules nor binds.
And true love holds with gentle hands
The hearts that it entwines.
John, please repeat after me:
In the presence of our family and friends and in the sight of God, I promise to
love you, honor you, cherish you, and be the fount from which you can draw
strength and hope for the rest of your life… to be joy to your heart and food
to your soul, because you are my world.
Where yesterday there was cold, you have brought warmth; where there was
darkness, you brought light.
I promise that from this day forward, you shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home.
John places the ring on Jane's finger and says: “With this ring, I thee wed;
all my love, I thee give.â€
Jane, please repeat after me:
In the presence of our family and friends and in the sight of God, I promise to
love you, honor you, cherish you, and be the fount from which you can draw
strength and hope for the rest of your life… to be joy to your heart and food
to your soul, because you are my world.
Where yesterday there was cold, you have brought warmth; where there was
darkness, you brought light.
I promise that from this day forward, you shall not walk alone.
My heart will be your shelter, and my arms will be your home.
Jane places the ring on John's finger and says: “With this ring, I thee wed;
all my love, I thee give.â€
Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings,
which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect;
and a public showing of your commitment to each other.
You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man
and a woman - the title of Husband and Wife.
For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.
In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love, and a single rose always
meant only one thing - it meant the words 'I love you.'
So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift
would be a single rose.
Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.
Megan hands Jane a rose, and Ashley hands John a rose; Jane and John exchange
roses.
In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all.
Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one
small rose.
In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this.
In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday.
But in fact today - just now - you both have given and received one of the most
valuable and precious gifts of life,
and one I hope you always remember: The gift of true and abiding love within the
devotion of marriage.
Jane and John, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future -
whether it be a large and elegant home, or a small and graceful one -
you both pick one very special location for roses, so that on each anniversary
of this truly wonderful occasion, you both may take a rose to that spot both as
a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that this will be a
marriage based upon love.
In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words.
It is easiest to hurt whom we most love.
It is easiest to be most hurt by whom we most love.
It might be difficult sometimes to say, 'I am sorry' or, 'I forgive you'; 'I
need you' or, 'I am hurting'.
If this should happen, if you simply cannot find these words, leave a rose at
that spot which both of you have selected,
for that rose says what matters most of all, and should overpower all other
things and all other words.
That rose says the words: 'I still love you.'
The other should accept this rose for the words which cannot be found, and
remember the love and hope that you both share today.
Jane and John, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony,
remember that it was love that brought you here today;
it is only love which can make this a glorious union; and it is by love which
your marriage shall endure.
John turns to face Jane's daughters, and says:
'Mary and Caitlin, I promise to accept and love you as my own children, and to
protect and love you all of my life.
I promise to do my best to guide and support you - and to respect you enough to
allow you to see the world through your own eyes.'
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 your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.
May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.
May God be with you and bless you;
May you see your children's children.
May you be poor in misfortune, and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.
Jane and John, in so much as you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have
promised your love for each other by these vows, the giving of these rings and
the joining of your hands, I now declare you to be husband and wife.
May the Lord bless you and keep you.
May the Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious unto you.
May the Lord lift up His countenance unto you, and give you peace.
Congratulations! You may kiss your bride.
I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Smith.
We are assembled here to
celebrate the joining of James and Lauren in the unity of marriage. James and
Lauren, there are no obligations on Earth sweeter or more tender than those you
are about to assume, and there are no vows more solemn than those you are about
to make.
Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man?
Thank you very much, sir.
Right now we will take a moment to recognize James's and
Lauren's family members, and to thank them for their love, support and devotion,
as they grew from childhood into the two beautiful individuals who are here
before us today. We thank you for teaching them values and showing them the
beauty and joy of loving another. This is also a time to celebrate all of those
who have touched their lives and are not able to be with us in person today, but
are here in spirit… in particular, we wish to honor and remember Mr. James
Wexler, Senior. Let us please do so
with a moment of silent reflection.
Please face each other. First join your right palms, and then
your left palms. This forms an infinity symbol with your hands, which symbolizes
a love that will go on forever.
These are the hands of your best friend.
They are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to
love each other today, tomorrow and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your
future.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the
years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief wracks your mind.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
May these hands always reach out with love, tenderness and respect.
May these hands continue to build a loving relationship that lasts a lifetime.
Two lives,
shared with love, can hold more fulfillment and happiness than either life
alone.
James, are you ready to enter into this marriage with Lauren, believing the love
you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?
James
answers, 'I am.'
Lauren, are you ready to enter into this marriage with James, believing the love
you share and your faith in each other will endure all things?
Lauren
answers, 'I am.'
Today is a day you will always remember, the greatest in
anyone's life.
You started off the day just two people in love, and will end it as Husband and
Wife.
It's a brand new beginning - the start of a journey with moments to cherish and
treasure,
And although there will be times you both disagree, these will surely be
outweighed by pleasure.
You'll have heard many words of advice in the past when the secrets of marriage
were spoken,
But you know that the answers lie hidden inside where the bond of true love lies
unbroken.
So live happy forever as lovers and friends - it's the dawn of a new life for
you.
As you stand there together with love in your eyes from the moment you whisper
'I do'.
And with luck, all your hopes and dreams can be real. May success find its way
to your hearts.
Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all starts.
I would like to ask Donna Jones to please come forward at this
time.
Donna’s reading:
To love is
to enter a whole new world -- a world of togetherness, a world of sharing all
that is dearest and deepest within your hearts.
To love is to remember, and keep alive forever, all of those unique qualities
that drew you to one another in the beginning: Those first halting phrases, that
wonderful feeling of oneness when your eyes first met.
To love is to constantly search for new ways to bring each other happiness, to
make the most of every moment you share together, and marvel at how your
feelings for one another keep rising to new dimensions. To love is to create an
oasis of tranquility for one another and a quiet place, apart from others, where
you need not pretend, where you can be yourselves, and know within your hearts
that you will be accepted by one another.
To love is to greet each day with anticipation, always eager for another
opportunity to share new adventures, and gather up new memories together.
To love is to follow the rainbow through the rain, to be able to laugh at
yourselves and be willing to say...
'I was wrong, I'm sorry'.
To love is to forgive, and more importantly, to forget, and to always believe
and trust in one another.
To love is to watch with wonder all the miracles of creation, to find beauty in
all the simple things of life, and to find, within yourselves, a deeper
appreciation and a new awareness of how wonderful it is to be alive.
To love is to be happy, to be together.
To love is coming together from the pathways of your past and then moving
forward, hand-in-hand, along the uncharted roads of your future, ready to risk,
to dream, and to dare, believing that all things are possible with faith and
love.
Thank you, Donna.
Marriage is not only a commitment between lovers; it is also
an agreement between friends. Allow each other time to be an individual, and
respect each other's wishes and dreams.
Marriage
is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
the dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
Marriage is not only marrying the right partner --
Marriage is being the right partner.
James, please repeat after
me:
Lauren, please repeat after
me:
Treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind
yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the
tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.
When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship - as they
threaten all relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is
right between you, not only the part which seems wrong.
In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in
your lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun
is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your
life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.
Wine
Ceremony:
We now shall perform the wine
ceremony.
The couple goes to the table
and each takes their individual carafe, and pours some wine into the empty
Marriage Carafe. James then takes the Marriage Carafe and pours some of the
now-mixed wine into a glass for Lauren.
Lauren then takes the Marriage Carafe and pours some of the now-mixed wine into
a glass for James.
James raises his glass and
toasts Lauren with, “Now our lives are one,” and drinks from the glass.
She responds the same. They place the wineglass back and stand by the table,
until I am done speaking this:
This Ceremony represents that just as two wines were combined into a single
wine, today these two individual lives are now combined into one single life.
Drinking the combined wine signifies the commitment you now make to live your
lives as one family, as one team. May you remember this day of commitment you
have sealed with drinking of the new wine joining your lives as one.
The couple returns to their
places in front of me for the exchange of rings.
Do you have the rings…?
These rings are circles, and that’s significant. The circle is
a perfect figure: without beginning, without end, and with no area of weakness.
It is a symbol of the Cycle of Life: birth, death, and rebirth. These rings
shall serve as a physical reminder of the vows you made today, and also as a
reminder that all things begin, end, and begin anew. When you are engulfed in
anger or in sadness, look to your hand and let your ring serve to remind you
that life goes on, that moments pass -- and that your love is constant. When
life brings you its greatest joys, look then to your hand as well, and remember
that the Wheel of Life turns forever onward, and that it is love that turns the
Wheel.
James, please place the ring on Lauren’s finger, and repeat
after me:
Lauren, please place the
ring on James’ finger, and repeat after me:
How often we fear the road up ahead, how often we dread the
unknown.
How often, too, do we tend to forget that we never walk alone.
Each understands now every misgiving, for fear is a part of us all.
But in faith make each step firm and steady - and the other will not let you
fall.
They are here, now, walking beside you, with a love that will never fail,
Their arm about your shoulders, their eye upon the trail.
James and Lauren, as the
two of you enter this marriage uniting you as husband and wife, and as you this
day affirm your faith and love for one another, I ask that you always remember
to cherish each other as special and unique individuals; respect the thoughts,
ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges,
and live each day that you may share it together - as from this day forward you
shall be each other's home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by
your love and respect for each other.
May you have many joys, and be the light of each other’s days.
May all that you are, always be in love;
And may all that is love, always be in you.
May you always see and encourage the best in each other.
May the challenges that life brings your way make your marriage grow stronger.
May you always be each other’s best friend and greatest love.
May the L-rd bless you and keep you. May the L-rd make His face shine upon you,
and be gracious unto you. May the L-rd lift up His countenance unto you, and
give you peace. In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong
commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife. James, you
may now kiss your Bride.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my
honor and privilege to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs.
Wexler.
