Traditional Wedding Ceremony Invocation   Minister: “Heavenly Father, you have promised that when two or three are gathered in Your Name, that Your Divine Presence is here among us. We thank you for bringing us all together this day to celebrate the marriage of your beloved children, Bride and Groom. Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that magic. We are gathered here today to celebrate the gift of love that Bride and Groom have found in one another, and to share with them the magic of this occasion.”   The Address   Minister: “Marriage involves sharing, loving and compromise. It asks that we care for and nurture a partner through all types of life experiences. It is also a road for our own self-discovery. As you risk revealing yourselves to each other through all your changes, uncertainties and milestones, your marriage will be become more of an adventure than work.   As you pledge your hearts to each other, pledge also to respect that each of you has unique thoughts, feelings and viewpoints. You may agree on many issues and decisions, but you are also free to disagree and keep growing and changing in unique ways.   Above all, bring humor to this commitment that you are about to make to one another. Laughter is the heart at play. Humor can enliven the good days and pull you through the rough ones. When you look back at the sounds of your marriage, let it be laughter that echoes through all your memories.”   Expression of Intent   Minister: “Bride, will you take Groom for your lawfully-wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?”   Bride: “I will.”   Minister: “Groom, will you take Bride for your lawfully-wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish her, from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?”   Groom: “I will.”   Vows   Minister to Bride: “I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better or for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is my solemn vow.”   Minister to Groom: “I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better or for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is my solemn vow.”   Blessing of the Rings   Minister: “Rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple. Round like the sun, like the eye, like arms that embrace. Circles represent love that is given and which comes back around, again and again. Therefore, may these symbols remind you that your love, like the sun, illuminates; that your love, like the eye, must see clearly; and that your love, like arms that embrace, encircles you with grace.”   Ring Exchange   [Bride takes Groom’s left hand in her right, and while she is putting the ring on his ring finger repeats after the Minister]   “With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.”   [Groom takes Bride’s left hand in his right, and while he is putting the ring on her ring finger repeats after the Minister]   “With this ring I thee wed. Wear it as a symbol of our love and commitment.”   Benediction   Minister: “May light and love surround both of you, and all who have gathered here. May your hearts always be guided to take the high road, and may you be blessed with every step of your journey together. May love, joy, prosperity and peace be yours in abundance.”   Pronouncement and the Kiss   Minister: “In as much as Bride and Groom have consented to live together forever in wedlock, and have witnessed the same before this company, having given and pledged their love, each to the other, and having declared same by the giving and receiving of a ring, by the power vested in me by the state of Maryland, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Those whom God has brought together let no man put asunder. You may kiss each other.”

Contemporary Wedding Ceremony   Invocation   Rev. Debby: “Heavenly Father, you have promised that when two or three are gathered in Your Name, that Your Divine Presence is here among us. We thank you for bringing us all together this morning to celebrate the marriage of your beloved children, Bride and Groom. Love is a miraculous gift, and a wedding is a celebration of that miracle. We are gathered here today to celebrate the gift of love that Bride and Groom have found in one another, and to share with them the magic of this occasion.           The essence of the marriage relationship is the openness to another person in his or her entirety as lover, companion, and friend. We join our lives together in search of something greater and richer; something that transcends our solitary lives. Really loving one another with depth and passion is perhaps the greatest treasure we human beings can attain. It adds richness and profound meaning to our lives. Love is one of life's greatest joys. By simply giving ourselves to each other, honestly and courageously, each partner is infinitely enhanced.           Bride and Groom, from this day forward, this date will always have special meaning for you as the day you vowed to love and cherish each other in all ways, always.           Each year when you come upon your anniversary, I encourage you to rededicate yourselves to the vows you make here today. Take stock of where you are in your marriage and how you are doing as marriaed partners. Express your gratitude to each other for the ways that you have effectively loved and supported each other for any judgments that have come between you.           Show each other that you can be trusted and counted on a a comfort when facing diffcult times, and celebrate abundantly the successes and joys life brings your way. Let your love ead the way and be more important than anything else. Then, your lives together will be filled with blessings and joy."   Expression of Intent   Minister: “Do you Bride choose Groom to be your honored and cherished husband, to live with him, and love him for the rest of your days?”   Bride: “I do.”   Minister: “Do you Groom choose Bride to be your honored and cherished wife, to live with her, and love her for the rest of your days?”   Groom: “I do.”   Vows   Minister to Bride: [Bride repeats after Minister] “I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my beloved husband, to have you and hold you, to honor you and treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, and to love and cherish you always.”   Minister to Groom:  [Groom repeats after Minister] “I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my beloved wife, to have you and hold you, to honor you and treasure you, to be at your side in sorrow and in joy, and to love and cherish you always.”   Blessing of the Rings   Minister: “Rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple. Round like the sun, like the eye, like arms that embrace. Circles represent love that is given and which comes back around, again and again. Therefore, may these symbols remind you that your love, like the sun, illuminates; that your love, like the eye, must see clearly; and that your love, like arms that embrace, encircles you with grace.”   Ring Exchange   (Bride takes Groom’s left hand in her right, and while she is putting the ring on his ring finger repeats after the Minister)   “Groom, as a sign of my love for you and my desire to share my life’s journey with you, I give you this ring with the pledge that I shall cherish and care for you with all my heart and soul from this day forward.”   (Groom takes Bride’s left hand in his right, and while he is putting the ring on her ring finger repeats after the Minister)   “Bride, as a sign of my love for you and my desire to share my life’s journey with you, I give you this ring with the pledge that I shall cherish and care for you with all my heart and soul from this day forward.”   Sand Ceremony   Minister: “Bride and Groom will seal their vows through the Sand Ceremony.   As they pour the sand, Minister says: “Bride and Groom, by the blending of this sand, you have indicated your desire to blend your lives together in forming a new partnership. The individual containers of sand represented all that each of you were, all that each of you are now, and all that each of you will ever be. The blended sand represents all that your lives can and will be as husband and wife. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into their individual containers, so will your family be blended together.”   Benediction   Minister: "May light and love surround both of you, and all who have gathered here. May your hearts always be guided to take the high road, and may you be blessed with every step of your journey together. May love, joy, prosperity and peace be yours in abundance." Pronouncement and the Kiss   Minister: “Now that Bride and Groom have promised to give themselves to one another, and to love each other, through their sacred vows, and through the giving and receiving of their rings, by the power vested in me by the State of Maryland, I now pronounce you, husband and wife.  You may now kiss the bride.”