Just got a draft of our actual wedding ceremony.. so excited... let me know what you think
1 The Wedding Ceremony of
Samantha and Leo
May 18, 2013
The Hilton
Dedham, Massachusetts
PROCESSIONAL
(Determine the order of the processional. Will the bride be escorted? Music?)
WELCOME
Leo and Samantha would like to welcome those gathered here to witness and celebrate the coming together of their lives in marriage, to be with them and rejoice with them in the making of this important commitment. They would especially like to thank you all for your love and support.
OPENING REMARKS
We come here today not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. Samantha and Leo, today you marry your best friend, your heart’s companion – the one you laugh with, live for, dream of and love. You have already begun building memories together: the day you met, the day you shared your first kiss, the day you knew you were meant to be. Today you begin building new memories as husband and wife. We come to join you, Leo, and you, Samantha, in marriage.
CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
Marriage is an expression of the commitment that your hearts have already made; it is a commitment that is entered into thoughtfully, with respect for the past and hope for the future. You have been given the gift of each other and although you will be sharing one life, never forget you are two separate people. Cherish and affirm your differences. Love each other, treasure each other, nurture each other, grow as individuals and as one.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
Leo and Samantha, your marriage promises love that is true. Where there is love, there is a beauty that cannot be described; a strength that cannot be broken; and a joy that cannot be surpassed. Let your marriage offer friendship: the sharing of real interest, the ability to work out ideas together, understanding each other’s thoughts and dreams, and communicating openly and freely. Let your marriage offer faith and growth; let it bask in the joy of shared discoveries; let it endure all things. Know that if you speak with love in your heart, it will be heard in your words. May silence and despair never separate you; may you always return to each other and forgive big and small hurts. And whatever sacrifices you may have to make for this common life, always make them generously. May, then, this unity in love and faith which joins your hands and hearts today never fail, but grow deeper and stronger as the years go on.
DECLARATION OF CONSENT
Samantha and Leo, as you stand here together, do you willingly enter into this covenant of marriage?
Samantha and Leo: “We do.”
EXCHANGE VOWS
Now for your vows.
Samantha would like to share her personal vows with you, Leo:
(Samantha speaks her vows.)
Will you, Samantha \, take this man, Leo , to be your husband, in true companionship and partnership, with respect, with honesty, and bonded by love?
Samantha: “I will.”
Then, Samantha, facing Leo and with his hands in yours, please repeat after me:
“I, Samantha , take you, Leo , to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to honor and to comfort, to stand by you in joy and in sorrow, in ease and in hardship, from this day forward.”
Do you, Samantha, pledge your loyalty, your heart, and your spirit for the rest of your days?
Samantha: “I do.”
Leo would like to share his personal vows with you, Samantha:
(Leo speaks his vows.)
Will you, Leo , take this woman, Samantha , to be your wife, in true companionship and partnership, with respect, with honesty, and bonded by love?
Leo: “I will.”
Then, Leo, facing Samantha and with her hands in yours, please repeat after me:
“I, Leo , take you, Samantha , to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish, to honor and to comfort, to stand by you in joy and in sorrow, in ease and in hardship, from this day forward.”
Do you, Leo, pledge your loyalty, your heart, and your spirit for the rest of your days?
Leo: “I do.”
SAND CEREMONY
Samantha and Leo, you have just committed to your marriage by exchanging vows. This covenant is the relationship pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives. The most beautiful example of this partnership is the marriage relationship. You have committed here today to share the rest of your lives with each other.
Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual vessels of sand; one representing you, Leo, and one representing you, Samantha. As these two vessels of sand are poured into the third vessel, the individual vessels of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one.
You may now blend the sand together.
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual vessels, so shall your marriage be.
RING EXCHANGE
I ask you now to seal the vows you have made by the giving and receiving of rings. The wedding ring is a symbol of commitment and enduring love that, as an unbroken circle, is without beginning and without end. May the giving and receiving of these rings be symbolic of your shared love – endless and precious.
__________, please present Samantha’s ring to Leo.
Leo, please take Samantha’s hand and repeat after me:
“I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am and all that will be, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Leo, please place the ring on Samantha’s finger.
__________, please present Leo’s ring to Samantha.
Samantha, please take Leo’s hand and repeat after me:
“I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am and all that will be, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Samantha, please place the ring on Leo’s finger.
HAND HOLDING
Samantha and Leo, as your hands are joined together, know that these are the hands of your best friend. They are holding yours now as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, forever.
These are the hands that together have held Haley, with love and tenderness, and pride and protection, through the years. They will hold yours as together you continue to guide Haley through life.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours. Together, they will build your future.
These are the hands that will encourage and cheer your successes. They will share your joy and happiness.
These are the hands that will love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you.
These are the hands that will hold you in fear or grief.
These are the hands that will give you strength. They will be strong for you, with you, and because of you.
From these hands, you will find safety. And no matter where you are together, you will always be home.
May then these hands always reach for each other. And may they always find you.
CLOSING REMARKS
Leo and Samantha, may you have a full life, a life rich in meaning and in purpose. We ask that your lives be filled with the patience to listen, the capacity to understand, the compassion to comfort, and the joy to laugh. We wish for you a love that encourages your continued growth, a love that shows you your strengths, and a love that celebrates your zest for life! May you have happiness and find it in making one another happy. May you find that your perfect days are the ones you spend together, and may they be as stars in the sky – numerous and bright. May you have contentment, health and serenity, that your home be a haven of happiness and peace.
PRONOUNCEMENT
Now, therefore, by virtue of your consent to be joined together and these promises made unto the other in the presence of these good people, and by the power vested in me by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, it is my distinct honor to pronounce you husband and wife.
KISS
Leo and Samantha, you may seal your vows with a kiss!
BREAKING OF THE GLASS
__________, please place the glass between Leo and Samantha.
(Who will place the glass? You can choose someone or I can do it for you.)
The breaking of the glass is a tradition that suggests many things. Some say the broken glass symbolizes the irreplaceable and unshareable uniqueness of the marriage bond. To others it is an ancient blessing, wishing that the years of happiness for these two people shall be no less than it would take to fit all the resulting fragments together again. Some say that the broken glass suggests that the happiness of the bride and groom is not theirs alone, but a part of the universe around them. So be it for Samantha and Leo. (Leo breaks the glass.)
PRESENTATION
It is my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. Leo Boyd.
RECESSIONAL
(The bride and groom proceed down the aisle, followed by the wedding party. Music?)