Spiritual Wedding Ceremony – NOT Religious
WELCOME
Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that gift. We have come here today to celebrate this gift of love, and to add our best wishes and blessings to the words that shall unite (Groom’s name) ____________ and (Bride’s name) ___________ in the bonds of marriage.
What you promise to each other today must be renewed again tomorrow and every day that follows. At the end of this ceremony, you will be husband and wife. Still, you must decide each and every day to commit yourselves to one another. Make such a decision, and keep on making it, for the most important thing in life is to love and to be loved.
CONSENT
(Groom) ___________ and (Bride) _____________, do you come here of your own free will, accompanied by your family’s blessings, to be united as husband and wife forevermore? (Both answer): Yes, we do.
Who presents (Bride) _____________to be married to (Groom) ___________? The Escort shall say): “Her Mother and I” or “I do” or “we do” or “her family” or other. (Bride gives bouquet to Maid of Honour.)
CELEBRANT ADDRESS
Today you are taking into your care and trust the happiness of the one person in this world whom you love with all your heart. And you are giving yourself, your life, and your love, into the hands of the one who loves you with all their heart.
Remember that, to the whole world, you are but one person, but to one person, you are the whole world. However, true love goes far beyond the feelings of excitement and romance. It is caring more about the well-being and happiness of your marriage partner than your own needs and your own desires.
True love is not total absorption in each other, but rather, it is looking outward in the same direction together.
- Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them.
- It makes joys more intense because you share them.
- Love makes you stronger so you can become involved in life in ways you dare not risk alone.
- True love says the two of you are just better together than when you are apart.
When you enter into marriage, you enter into life’s most important relationship. It is a gift given to bring comfort when there is sorrow, peace when there is unrest, laughter when there is happiness, and love when it is shared.
A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes understanding, and it takes time. More importantly, it takes a commitment from both of you to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive. A good marriage must be nurtured.
READING
Listen to these words of wisdom on how to create a successful marriage from a little book entitled The Art of Marriage.
The little things are the 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 at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, It should continue through all the years. It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives; it is facing the world together. It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family. It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy. It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have the wings of an angel. It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating patience, understanding, and a sense of humour. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow. It is finding room for the things of the spirit. It is the common search for the good and the beautiful. It is the establishing of a relationship in which the independence is equal, the dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal.
And finally, it is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
WEDDING VOWS
Celebrant says: (Groom) __________, please repeat after me. I, _____________, take you, (Bride) ____________, to be my partner in life. I promise to walk by your side forever, and to love, help, and encourage you in all that you do. I will take time to talk with you, to listen to you, and to care for you. I will share your laughter and your tears as your partner, lover, and best friend. Everything I am and everything I have is yours now and forevermore. Celebrant says: (Bride) _____________, please repeat after me. I, ______________, give myself to you (Groom) _____________, on this our wedding day. I will cherish our friendship, and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. I will trust you and honour you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst, through the difficult and the easy. Whatever comes our way, I will be there always. As I have given you my hand to hold, so I give you my life to keep.
EXPLANATION OF THE RINGS
The wedding ring is a circle that has no end, and symbolizes the never-ending love that exists between you. The ring is made from precious metals purified by the heat of testing, and is a symbol of the purity of your love for one another. The ring is made of rare gems that radiate brilliance and a quality unlike other ordinary stones, and represents the riches that reside in each of you. May these rings always reflect the light of your love throughout your life together.
RING EXCHANGE VOWS
Celebrant says: May I have the token of (Groom’s) ___________love for (Bride) ___________. (Celebrant receives ring from Best Man. Groom places ring on Bride’s finger.) Celebrant says: (Groom) __________, please repeat after me. I, (Groom) __________, give you (Bride) ___________, this ring. Wear it with love and joy. As this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore.
Celebrant says: May I have the token of (Bride’s) _________ love for (Groom) _____________. (Celebrant receives ring from Maid of Honour. Bride places ring on Groom’s finger.) Celebrant says: (Bride) _________, please repeat after me. I, _________, give you (Groom) ________, this ring in token of my love and devotion, with my heart, I pledge to you all that I am. With this ring, I marry you and join my life to yours.
OPTIONAL RITUALS (You may omit or choose one ritual)
Lighting Of The Unity Candle
Jumping The Broom
Blending of Sand
The Loving Cup
Celtic Blessing Stones (Gem Stones)
Celtic Handfasting
APACHE WEDDING BLESSING
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be a shelter for the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before you. Go now to your dwelling place to enter the days of your togetherness. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all the years. May happiness be your companion, and may your days together be good and long upon the earth.
PRONOUNCEMENT
(Groom) _____________ and (Bride) _____________, because you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage, and demonstrated this by exchanging your vows and giving each other rings, I pronounce you husband and wife.
KISS
Celebrant says: Groom, you may kiss your Bride. (Bride and Groom kiss.) (Bride receives bouquet from Maid of Honour.)
PRESENTATION
Celebrant says: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to introduce to you for the very first time, (Mr. and Mrs.)