Your wedding ceremony should inspire you to express your commitment to the exploration of life and love together.
If you're getting married and you want to share your humorous side, you might consider using some funny wedding vows. For example, perhaps you could use the traditional vows, but include a line such as "I promise to always make your "favorite banana milkshake." I highly recommend coming up with your own vows to say to each other; that makes it more special and personal.
SOME IDEAS
Here's a sample of a basic ceremony that I like. Together we can personalize it or create a totally new one. I have a minister's book with various ceremonies to choose from as well. They can be religious, pagan, same sex, etc.
PRAYER FOR MARRIAGE SERVICE
Oh God let thy blessings now rest upon this man and woman as
they enter into this holy union.
Let all the days before them be bright and happy.
If pain or sorrow enters their life, help them to bear it together – with compassion and be joined all the more closely for it.
Let them be aware of each other’s feelings.
Grant that their house, wherever it shall be, may be for them the happiest place.
Grant that their home, the body, be nurtured with mutual love, honor and respect. Let their spirits dwell within.
Let their time together be one of growth, ever learning from one another.
And as they begin their wedded life in prayer, so may they continue it – praying for and with each other.
Amen.
OR - If you don't want any mention of God -
Opening Blessing
My blessings now rest upon this man and woman as
they enter into this committed union.
Let all the days before them be bright and happy.
If pain or sorrow enters their life, may they bear it together – with compassion and be joined all the more closely for it.
Let them be aware of each other’s feelings.
May their house, wherever it shall be, be for them the happiest place.
May their home, the body, be nurtured with mutual love, honor and respect. Let their spirits dwell within.
Let their time together be one of growth, ever learning from one another.
Blessed be.
INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT
We have gathered together to celebrate the love and union between ______ and ________.
They have come here today to announce their wedding vows. By doing this, they are making a public statement about their commitment to each other. Marriage means sharing your most intimate self with one other person, being united with someone you can trust and turn to in time of need, to give and receive love freely. Marriage means living in love with your best friend.
Love is reality, affinity, and communication. We have one very important ability – communication. We can communicate from fear and go into defense mode, or we can communicate from a true yearning to understand and support the other. Communication is love. Marriage is a symbol of creating a new
life in which the base is love allowing us to grow together in a secure, safe and stable bond.
COIN CEREMONY (Optional)
These coins represent the prosperity and abundance that continually flow. May these coins
bless _____ and _______ so that prosperity and abundance continually enrich their life in many ways, including health and friends.
WINE CEREMONY (Optional)
Wine is the symbol of life, the flow within our bodies. By sharing this (wine) glass, two become one, a part of the whole, each separate yet united in love.
THE ROSE CEREMONY (Optional)
The Rose Ceremony is simple yet moving. The bride and groom exchange two red roses, symbolizing the giving and receiving of their love for each other throughout their entire married life. 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. These red roses symbolizes the blossoming love between _____________ and _____________.
You both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life – one I hope you always remember – the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.
_________ and _____________, 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 – that 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 who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to say “I am sorry” or “I forgive you”; “I need you” or “I am hurting”. If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected – for that rose than 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.
__________ and ________, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure.”
THE PROMISE
Please join hands and look into each other’s eyes.
His:
_______, do you promise to love this woman as your wife and to live with her through this lifetime, to build with her a new home that is a place of love, joy, sharing and growing?
(“I do”)
Do you promise to be with her in all of her adversities and triumphs and give to her your best counsel and above all freedom to be herself?
(“I do”)
Hers:
_______, do you promise to love this man as your husband and to live with him through this lifetime, to build with him a new home that is a place of love, joy, sharing and growing?
(“I do”)
Do you promise to be with him in all of his adversities and triumphs and give to him your best counsel and above all freedom to be himself?
(“I do”)
UNITY PRAYER
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring.
May life grant you also patience, tolerance and understanding.
May you always need one another, not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more of a valley because it had a mountain towering over it.
So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another and not fall in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, “I love you!” And take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another’s presence, no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may your find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another!
Bless this marriage. Amen.
THE RINGS
May I have the rings, please?
The ring symbolizes the continuous circle of eternal life. This ring is a reminder of the love between ___________and ____________. It is an outward visible sign of an inward spiritual unity.
(Exchange rings) If you want to write your own vows, they would go here.
______, repeat after me:
“__________,I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow. With all that I am and all that I have,
I honor you. As this ring has no end, neither does my love for you. Amen.”
________, repeat after me:
“________,I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow. With all that I am and all that I have,
I honor you. As this ring has no end, neither does my love for you. Amen.”
Him: ________, repeat after me:
“,I ______, take you _______ to be my wife.
To have and to hold from this day forward: for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love honor and cherish always. This is my solemn vow.”
Her: _______, repeat after me:
“I ______, take you _____ to be my husband.
To have and to hold from this day forward: for better, for worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love honor and cherish always. This is my solemn vow.”
CONCLUDING STATEMENT
Never go to bed angry.
Let your love be stronger than your anger.
Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend than to break.
Believe the best of your beloved rather than the worst.
Confide in your partner and ask for help when you need it.
Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.
Give your spouse the same courtesies and kindnesses you bestow on your friends.
Say "I love you" every day.
May Peace and Harmony always dwell within.
Amen OR Blessed Be
PRONOUNCING MARRIAGE
By the powers vested in me, I bless the consummation of this marriage to be long and fruitful.
I now pronounce you husband and wife.
You may kiss!
May I now introduce to you – Mr. & Mrs. ________________________________!!
A popular option is to include the certificate signing as part of the ceremony.
After the declaration of marriage/first kiss, and before the introduction, officiate will say something like:
"Friends and family, to conclude this ceremony, will the designated witnesses please come forward and sign their names to the certificate of marriage."
Usually the two witnesses are best man and maid of honor, but can be any two who attended the ceremony. Light background music can be played during the signing. Signing is then followed by introduction and reception.
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MORE SAMPLE WEDDING VOWS
I, ________, take you, ______, to be my (husband/wife), my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh and cry with you, loving you unconditionally through adversities and triumphs. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward.
************
(Name), from this day forward, I promise you these things. I will laugh with you in times of joy and comfort you in times of sorrow. I will do my best to be understanding and to trust in you completely. Together we will face all of life’s experiences and share one another’s dreams and goals, to grow together, to have an honest relationship. You are my best friend and I will love you always.
*************
I (name) affirm my love to you, (name) as I invite you to share my life. I promise to always respect and love you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will be by your side to create a wonderful life together. I promise to love you unconditionally, comfort you in times of distress, encourage you to achieve your goals, grow with you in mind and spirit and cherish you for as long as we both shall live.
**************
Today I take you to be my (husband/wife). Together we will create a home filled with love and joy, becoming a part of one another. I vow to help create a life that we can cherish, to be honest, caring, and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend.
Or check out https://www.myweddingvows.com/
Renewing Your Wedding Vows for an Anniversary
(spouse's name), 25 years ago, I pledged my love and commitment to you, but it seems like only yesterday. I promised to love you, honor you, comfort and keep you. I pledges to be by your side in sickness and in health, in times of want, and times of plenty, for better or worse, for the rest of our lives. We have had all of those things, and you have been by my side as we created a family, a home, and a life together. Today, at the beginning of our 26th year as husband and wife, in the presence of God, and our family and friends, I renew my vows to you, pledging my eternal love for you, and eagerly awaiting what life may bring us.
Vow Renewal After a Private Wedding or Small Wedding With great joy I pledged my love and commitment to you on our wedding day. But a loving relationship does not exist in a vacuum. Our family and friends first showed us how to love, helped us grow, and supported us when we found each other. I hope they will continue to love and support us as we love and support them. Therefore, I am delighted today, in the presence of these witnesses, to reaffirm my commitment to you, and once again, to promise to love you, honor you, and comfort you, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better and for worse, as long as we both shall live.
Vow Renewal Ceremony...
We have gathered today in the love of friendship and family to celebrate a renewal of marriage vows between (husband’s name) and (wife’s name). As their family and close friends, each of you has played a role in bringing them to this day, and in various ways will continue to support and contribute to their marriage. We solemnize this significant event in their lives and enter into this ceremony in an attitude of respect for their steadfast and ongoing commitment to each other.
(Wife’s name) and (husband’s name), although I am officiating here today, it is not truly in my power to sanctify or bless your relationship in any way, because the two of you have already done that in your hearts. Today you proclaim your love anew to the world, and we rejoice with and for you.
In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and by doing so, we receive the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift.
Today you re-commit yourselves to honoring and protecting one another above your separate selves, and to valuing your union above your own interests. In doing this, you secure for yourselves a wealth of love and peace not otherwise attainable.
But as you know so well, with this joy comes also the profound responsibility to protect the bond you share. For it is only with continual care that your love is truly secure in the face of life's inevitable tests.
Regard each other always with the same deep respect that has kept you through the years, and be ever mindful of the many gifts the other offers you.
Inspire and encourage one another. For it is by strengthening your spouse, that you have strengthened your marriage. Bring out the very best in each other. Be sparing in criticism, and generous in praise for things well done.
In communication, continue to be honest and open with each other, knowing that the heart that communicates truth without hesitation earns trust and builds a secure home.
And as always, accept your marriage as a work-in-progress that consumes your attention day by day and yet is never completed. Because a lifelong love requires a lifetime of hard work. But it is a joyous labor, whose fruits are the very richest.
Your future stretches out before you, vast and unknown. That future, with its hopes and disappointments, its joys and its sorrows, is hidden from your eyes. But it is a great tribute to your belief in each other that you remain none the less willing to face those uncertainties together. May the pure, simple love with which you join your hearts and hands again here today never fail, but grow deeper and surer with every passing year.
(Husband’s name) would you take (wife’s name)'s hand and make your vows to her...
· (Wife’s name), I believe in this marriage more strongly then ever.
· Today, I renew the promises I made to you ?? years ago,
· A promise of my hand and my heart,
· A promise to you of my love and devotion,
· A promise to provide for and protect you,
· It is with these promises that I recommit my love for you.
· I will continue to love you
· for as long as I shall live
(Wife’s name), would you now make your vows to (husband’s name)...
· (Husband’s name), I believe in this marriage more strongly then ever.
· Today, I renew the promises I made to you ?? years ago,
· A promise of my hand and my heart,
· A promise to you of my love and devotion,
· A promise to provide for and protect you,
· It is with these promises that I recommit my love for you.
· I will continue to love you
· for as long as I shall live
(Wife’s name) and (husband’s name), we all here today celebrate your love and acknowledge your lifelong devotion to each other. Your example reminds us of love’s possibilities.
So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other’s eyes, let it be known that you are joined inseparably in this lifetime, and that this bond continues.
Inasmuch as you have sealed this renewal of your marriage vows in the presence of those gathered here, it gives me much pleasure to pronounce that you are now, even more than ever before, Husband and Wife.