Your Wedding Ceremony
Whether your ceremony is Civil or Custom, traditional or non-traditional; below is a general guideline of a typical wedding ceremony, most of the elements are optional except the vows, you will decide which parts to include in your special day.
Wedding Ceremony Template
- Welcome Words: Family & friends welcome to this joyful celebration. Today we have come together to share with ___________ & ___________ one of the most important events in their life.
- Words on Marriage: Marriage is an honorable state, it must be entered into reverently...
- Rose Ceremony to Honor Mothers or Love reading / Bible reading, Poem, some Expression of Love, Song, etc
- Declaration of Intent: “Do you wish to be joined in marriage?"
- Marriage Vows: Groom then Bride recite their vows
- Exchange of the Rings.
- Symbolic Ceremonies: Unity Candle /Sand/Water /Wine / Rose Exchange / Hand Ceremony, etc.
- Closing words, blessing or reading: May you forever be true and loving, remain best friends, lovers and partners, be joined in love for life...
- Declaration of Marriage: ...you are now husband and wife!
- The First Kiss: Groom, you may kiss your beautiful Bride!
- Introduction of the Couple: I present you for the very first time: Mr. & Mrs_________________!
We will present several ceremonies to choose from or we will work with you to create a personalized ceremony just for you.
Symbolic Ceremonies
Unity Candle, Unity Sand, Unity Water, Unity Wine, Rose Exchange, Hand Ceremony, Dove release or any other ceremony may be added to reflect your personal style, wedding theme, heritage or believes; if you have something specific in mind that you don’t see here, let us know, we will be happy to work with your ideas!
Unity Candle Ceremony
Bride and groom light a candle that symbolizes their union in marriage. (Recommended for indoor Ceremonies)
Now, Bride and Groom will commemorate their marriage by lighting a Unity Candle
The two distinct candles represent your individual lives; the center candle represents the unity of your live together.
Please take your candle and together light the center candle.
As you have lit this candle today, may it be a symbol of your commitment to each other, and may the flame of love in your hearts continue to burn forever.
Variant: Includes children or other family members of the bride and groom, each with their own candle may participate in the ceremony.
Unity Sand Ceremony
The bride and groom both pour different colored sand into a glass, taking turns, a little at a time, which creates colorful swirls and patterns. Recommended for outdoors & Beach Ceremonies)
Today, Groom & Bride ,you are making your eternal commitment to one another, blending the sands of your lives together.
The separate vessels of sand you each hold represent your lives up to this moment, and from this moment on, as with the sands you now blend together, you shall become one; a family created.
Please pour your individual vessels into the center vessel taking turns ( Sand Ceremony Song)
The center vessel represents the union in marriage and the new family that is created today. Just as these grains of sand can not be separated and poured again into the individual vessels, so your marriage may be always united.
Variant: Includes children or other family members of the bride and groom, each with different colored sand may participate in the ceremony.
Lasso Ceremony
A lasso in the form of an "8" (the infinity symbol) is placed around the shoulders of the B&G to symbolize their everlasting union.
I invite person1 and person2 to place the Lasso in the form of an "8" around the shoulders of the Bride and Groom
This Lasso means the eternal union of Bride & Groom as well be invisible bound that will keep you tied for life, it also symbolizes an infinite bond of love you share that keeps your relationship strong in the face of adversity, as well as that you both are no longer two, but one in marriage.
Bride & Groom as you are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of everlasting love and trust. Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.
May this cord remind you to face your life together courageously and to be mutual in support of each other in carrying out your duties and responsibilities as a couple and, may your love grow stronger and bind you closer together through the years.
Person 1 and 2, please step forward and remove the Lasso.
Coins Ceremony
B&G exchange 13 Coins as a symbol of mutual love and responsibility to take care of each other and their children.
Please place the coins in Groom's hands (coins, will now be counted out to the groom by a family member or Officiant)
(Groom, recite or repeat after officiant): I, Groom, give you Bride, these 13 coins as a symbol of my unquestionable trust and confidence I place in you as my beloved wife. As we unite our lives today I share all material responsibility with you.
(Bride, recite or repeat after officiant): I, Bride, accept these coins and assure you of my total love and dedication in looking after you, your possessions and my unconditional love.
In exchanging these coins Groom and Bride are essentially saying,"What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine". May these coins be a symbol of this couple's mutual love, fidelity, harmony. cooperation, commitment, peace, happiness, trust, respect, caring, wisdom, joy, wholeness and nurturing.
Marriage Vows
Your vows are one of the best ways to personalize your wedding; pick a wedding vow that expresses who you both really are and your love for each other; you can mix and match, change words, phrases, tweak them a bit and make them yours. You can have the same vows or you can each have a different vow.
Option#1: Read by Officiant and repeated by B&G
Option#2: Read entirely by B&G
1. I, ________, pledge to you ________ the rest of my life, as your (husband/wife), your lover and your friend, I promise to always stand by your side, I give you all my trust and all my tomorrows. I promise I will always cherish you and I promise my love for you is forever
2. 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.
3. I, _______take you _______, / to be my lawfully wedded husband./ I promise to love, cherish and honor you/in sickness and in health/for richer for poorer/for better for worse/and forsaking all others/keep myself only unto you/for so long as we both shall live.
4. I, _______take you _______ to be my husband/wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our friendship and love / today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honor you / I will laugh with you and cry with you. I will love you faithfully / through the best and the worst, Through the difficult and the easy, / whatever may come I will always be there. As I have given you my hand to hold / so I give you my life to keep.
5. I _______, take you _______ to be my wife/husband, / my best friend and my one true love. I promise to laugh with you in times of happiness, / and to strengthen you in times of need. Through the best and the worst, / I will trust you, honor you, and be faithful to you. Today, I commit myself to you / for the rest of my life.”
6. I, _______, choose you, _______/ as my best friend, my love for life. You are my once-in-a-lifetime, my miracle./ I promise to live with you and laugh with you, / to stand by your side / and sleep in your arms./ You are all I could ever need in my life, / my friend, my lover, my everything. / I vow to be faithful to you, / to love you, / honor you and cherish you. I will be yours, forever and always.
7. “I, ____________take you ____________to be my wife/husband, my friend, my love, To share my life with yours, to build our dreams together, / to support you through times of trouble /and to rejoice with you in times of happiness. I promise to treat you with respect, love and loyalty, / from this day forward, I will be proud to be your husband/wife and you best friend”
Hands Ceremony
In this ceremony may participate Mothers, Fathers and family members.
Bride & Groom, please join your hands (forming an "8", the infinity symbol) and with your hand’s your hearts, see the gift that they are to you.
This is an infinity symbol of love, the union of two hearts, two lives, and two souls, a love that will go on forever.
By Groom's Mother, Father or friend:
- These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love and cherish each other today, tomorrow and forever.
- These are the hands that will work alongside yours as you chase down your dreams and build your future.
- These are the hands that will love and cherish you through the years, the only ones with the ability to comfort you with the slightest touch like no other.
By Bride's Mother, Father or friend:
- These are the hands that will hold you tight if you struggle through difficult times.
- These are the hands that will give you strength and support when you need it.
- These are the hands that today promise to never ever let you go and even when wrinkled with age, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness, love and respect.
Officiant:
- These are the hands, that today, you take in marriage.
Love Readings
By family members or friends
The Art of Marriage.
It is the wish of everyone here today that your marriage bring each of you much happiness.
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens, you must work on it.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the "little" things are big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say,” I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is standing together and facing the world.
It is speaking words of appreciation,
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is not only marrying the right person, it is being the right partner.And it is remembering that remaining devoted, confident and loyal to one another are the secret ingredients to remain as a very happy couple together.
Rings Vows
We have a wide selection of ring vows, below are just a few, additional are available upon request.
- ___________, Take this ring as a symbol of my love and the promises I have made to you today.
- ___________, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow. May it encircle your finger always as my love will encircle your heart.
- ___________, this ring is a symbol of the strength and beauty of our love. May it belong to your hand as my heart belongs to you. Separate yet close, simple yet miraculous.
- ___________, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, and with it, I marry you and join my life with yours.
- ___________, Toma este anillo como símbolo de mi amor y de las promesas que te he hecho hoy.You need Flash Player in order to view this.