Rev. Ron's Standard Wedding Vows

We are gathered here today, to witness and celebrate the joining of <Bride> and <Groom> in holy matrimony.

<Bride> and <Groom>  have brought to this moment the fullness of their hearts

as a treasure to share with each other

in the mutual bond that we all know as marriage.

<Bride> and  <Groom>,

you are both so very fortunate to have found each other

in this day and age

where trust and love are so frequently tested

and patience and determination are so often outmatched,

It is good to know

and feel safe in the fact

that you can count on each other for a higher strength and a clearer focus. 

To be partners in your lifetime journey together

it is so important to remember the two individuals that make up your partnership.

Respect and nurture

 those individual qualities

that are so unique to yourselves

 because that is what has drawn you together to this moment.

<Groom>, do you take <Bride> to be your lawfully wedded wife,

 to live together in good times and bad,

 and to keep yourself only unto her

 for so long as you both shall live?

<Bride>, do you take <Groom> to be your lawfully wedded husband,

to live together in good times and bad,

 and to keep yourself only unto him

for so long as you both shall live?

The giving and receiving of rings

symbolizes your love for one another

which knows no end.

 May these rings be blessed

 as a symbol of your affection and unity.

Please repeat after me:

<Groom to Bride>, With this ring. I thee wed in love. and truth. as the circle of this ring. knows no end. neither shall my love for you.   Please wear it always. as a symbol of my love.

<Bride to Groom>, With this ring I thee wed. in love. and truth. as the circle of this ring. knows no end .neither shall my love for you.   Please wear it always. as a symbol of my love.

(Here we ask if you have your own things to say.)

The Apache nation has a wedding blessing song:

Now you will feel no rain as each will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold as each shall bring warmth to the other.

There is no more loneliness as each will be companion to the other.

Go now to your dwelling and enter into the days of your life together.

And so it is that having exchanged vows and rings that by the authority vested in me by the Great Sunshine State of Florida, I am proud to pronounce that you are husband & wife 

Rev. Arlo's Religious Vows

The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone. I will make a helpmate for him.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Have you not read that he which made them in the beginning made them male and female and for this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and cling to his wife. Wherefore they are no more two flesh, but one flesh. What God has joined together let no one put asunder.”
I may be able to speak the languages of men and even of angels, but if I have no love, my speech is no more than a noisy gong or a clanging bell. I may have the gift of inspired preaching; I may have all knowledge and understand all secrets; I may have all the faith needed to move mountains — but, if I have no love, I am nothing. I may give away everything I have, and even give up my body to be burned — but, if I have no love, this does me no good.
Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud; love is not ill mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs; love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth. Love never gives up; and it’s faith, hope and patience never fail.
Love is eternal. There are inspired messages, but they are temporary; there are gifts of speaking in strange tongues, but they will cease; there is knowledge, but it will pass. For our gifts of knowledge and of inspired messages are only partial; but when what is perfect comes, then what is partial will disappear.
When I was a child, my speech, feelings and thinking were all those of a child; now that I am a man, I have no more use for childish ways. What we see now is like a dim image in a mirror; then we shall see face-to- face. What I know now is only partial; then it will be complete — as complete as God’s knowledge of me. Meanwhile these three remain: Faith, Hope and Love; and the greatest of these is love.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Chñst, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Let us pray.
Eternal God, our creator and redeemer, as you gladdened the wedding at Cana in Galilee by the presence of your Son, so by his presence now bring your joy to this wedding. Look in favor upon __________ and ___________ and grant that they, rejoicing in all your gifts, may at length celebrate with Christ the marriage feast which has no end.
Amen.

Frankie's Sailing Vows

Since ships sailed the seven seas,
Captains have enjoyed the privilege
Of joining two people in matrimony.

The vows you take today
Are a commitment to make a life together
Knowing with the uncertainties of the future
That your love for one another
Will remain constant through it all.

(groom) ___________ do you take this woman
To be your lawful wedded wife,
To live together in holy matrimony,
To love, honor and comfort her,
Keep her in sickness and in health,
And forsaking all others, keep you only unto her,
As long as you both shall live?

(bride) ___________ do you take this man
To be your lawful wedded husband,
To live together in holy matrimony,
To love, honor and comfort him,
Keeping him in sickness and in health,
And forsaking all others, keep you only unto him
As long as you both shall live?

The exchanging of rings, symbolizes the sacred bond
That exist between you.
As the circle of these rings knows no end,
So may the love declared here today
Never end and forever be renewed.

(groom repeats after me)

With this ring, I thee wed,
In love and truth,
And with all my worldly goods,
I thee endow.

(bride repeats after me)

With this ring, I thee wed,
In love and truth,
And with all my worldly goods,
I thee endow.

A blessing upon you from the apache nation.

Now you will feel no rain,
For each will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each will give warmth to the other.
There is no more loneliness,
For each will be companion to the other.
You are two persons,
But before you lies but one life.
Go now to your dwelling place
And enter into the days of your life together.

In as much as ___________ and ___________
Have this day consented together in holy wedlock
And have given and pledged their troth
Each to the other
In the presence of this company,
By virtue of the authority vested in me
Under the laws of the state of florida ,
I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may now kiss.

Nancy's Favorites

This Is One of Those Occasions That Have the Distinction
of Being Both Festive and Solemn at the Same Time.

This is a ceremony and a festival in which we all have a part.
This man, and this woman, are here today
to publicly give their marriage vows to each other.
We are here both as witnesses to these vows and to celebrate
with husband and wife their partnership.

In the Final Accounting, Love and the Search for Love
are What Life Is All about.
Love Is Many Things, Love Is Patient, Love is Kind.
It Does Not Envy, It Does Not Boast, It Is Not Proud.
It Is Not Rude, It Is Not Self-seeking.
It Is Not Easily Angered, It Keeps No Record of Wrongs.
Love Does Not Delight in Evil, but Rejoices with the Truth.
It Always Protects, Always Trusts, Always Hopes and Always Preserves.
The Fulfillment of Love in Marriage and Union
Symbolizes One of Life's Highest Experiences.

It Used to Be Said That in Marriage Man and Woman Are One.
Husband and Wife Understanding and Believe
That the Sharing of Their Lives Is Not at the Expense
of the Persons' Individuality
but Rather That Each of These Partners Is All the Stronger
for Having Two People, Two Wills, and Two Bodies to Rely on and Trust.

We Give of Ourselves in Love, but We Do Not Give Our Individuality Away,
Because It Was the Individuality and Uniqueness of Character
That Drew These Two People Together.
A Good and Balanced a Relationship Is One in Which Neither Person
Is Overpowered nor Absorbed by the Other.
The Strength of the Marriage Comes Not from a Melting into One
but Rather from a Forging of Two Unique
and Valuable Individuals to Each Other.

We Assembled Here Today,
Will Witness the Vows These People Make,
but the True Union between These People
Is a Private Union in Their Hearts.
Into This Estate These Two People Come to Give Their Vows
in Mutual Love, Concern, Trust and Respect.

___________ and ___________, the Vows That You Make
Will Be Witnessed Here Today.
Please Repeat after Me,
I Take You ___________ to Be My Wife, Lover and Best Friend
and These Things I Promise to You,
I Will Be Faithful to You and Honest with You,
I Respect, Trust and Care for You,
I Will Share My Life with You,
I Will Share with You Everything That Is to Come
throughout the Rest of Our Lives Together.

I Take you ___________ to Be My Husband, Lover and Best Friend
and These Things I Promise to You,
I Will Be Faithful to You and Honest with You,
I Respect, Trust and Care for You,
I Will Share My Life with You,
I Will Share with You Everything That Is to Come
throughout the Rest of Our Lives Together.

Ring Ceremony

This Ring Is a Sign of My Love and Commitment to You.

In As Much As ___________ and ___________ Have This Day Consented

Together in the State of Matrimony ,
and Have Given and Pledge Their Faith to
Each Other in the Presence of This Company,
by Virtue of the Authority Vested in Me
under the Laws of the State of Florida ,
I Now Pronounce You Husband and Wife.

We Are so Assembled Here in the Presence of God and These Witnesses
To Celebrate the Joining of This Man and Woman in the Unity of Marriage.
There Are No Obligations on Earth More Sweet or Tender
Then Those You Are about to Assume.
There Are No Vows More Solemn Than Those You Are about to Make. 
There Is No Human Institution More Sacred
Than That of the Home You Are about to Form.
It Should Be Entered into Reverently, Thoughtfully,
And with Full Understanding of Its Sacred Nature.
A Marriage to Be Complete Must First Be Spiritual.

Who Gives This Woman to Be Wed?
Today Your Separate Lives with Their Individual Memories,
Desires, and Hopes Merge into One.
You Will Bring to This New Life Each for the Sake of the Other,
The Best That You Have in You Seeking to Express Your Life Together,
Each at the Highest Level of Your Own Understanding?

__________, Will You Take This Woman, Whose Hands You Hold,
Choosing Her Alone to Be You're Wedded Wife?
Will You Live with Her and the State of True Matrimony?
Will You Love Her, Comfort Her, Honor Her at All Times
And Be Faithful to Her?

__________, will you take this man, whose hand you hold,
Choosing him alone to be you're wedded husband?
Will you live with him in the state of True matrimony?
Will you love him comfort him, honor him at all times,
And be faithful to him?

A Marriage Ceremony Represents One of Life's Greatest Commitments.
But It Is Also a Declaration of Love.
I Wish to Read to You What Paul Wrote of Love in a Letter to the Corinthians.
I Believe It Is a True Model of Love
And One I Hope You Pursue in Your Marriage.

Love Is Patient and Kind, Never Jealous or Envious,
Never Boastful or Proud.
Love Is Never Haughty, Selfish or Rude.
Love Does Not Demand Its Own Way.
Love Is Not Irritable or Touchy.
Love Does Not Hold Grudges and Will Hardly Notice
When Others Do It Wrong.
Love Is Never Glad about Injustice,
But Rejoices Whenever Truth Wins out.
If You Love Someone, You'll Be Loyal to Them
No Matter What the Cost.
You Will Always Believe in Them,
Always Expect the Best in Them,
And Will Always Stand Your Ground in Defending Them.

Rings Please, Let Us Pray.

Bless O God, These Rings, and the One Who Gives It
And the One Who Receives It ,
That They May Ever Abide in Thy Peace, Living Together in Unity, in Love, and
in Happiness and with Good Purpose to Do Thy Will. Amen

With this ring, I wed you, __________.
Let this ring and be a symbol of our love.
With this ring, I wed you, __________.
Let this ring be a symbol of our love.

These rings are a symbol of the unbroken unity of truth
Now to be symbolized in your married life.

Let us all join in prayer.
Heavenly Father, May this man and this woman,
Who have entered into this spiritual union,
Always be conscious of the presence of god. 
May they be one with each other
As they are even now with God.
May they rejoice in perfect love and peace together,
And always live in accord with the true law of their devine being.

Amen

In as much as __________ and __________, have consented together
In the union of matrimony and you have pledged your faith
To each other in the presence of God and these witnesses,
Now by the authority vested in me,
I now pronounce you husband and wife.

Commitment Ceremony

We Are Here Today because _______ and _______ have asked us
to witness their love, acknowledge their love, and respect their love.

_______and _______, it is this day you take a giant step of courage.
We are here as witnesses and to applaud your
love, your courage, and your growth.
With a commitment this strong, the force of that commitment, of that love,
of that courage, reaches out around you, so that our lives are changed.
We share a part of your small pond,
the ripple of the love from this celebration
stands and grows in each of us.

_______ and _______, you are now taking into your care and keeping,
the one in the entire world in the love most.
You are adding to your life the companionship and blessing of a deep trust.
You are to each other
strength, responsibility and love.

In human history, we have not discovered a better way of life
than sharing love in a lasting and responsible way.
You have found the one to share your love,
companionship, hopes, joys and dreams of life.

Real love,
is something beyond the warmth and romance of being deeply in love.
It is caring as much about the welfare of your partner as of your own.
Real love is not total absorption into each other,
but rather the sharing of two hearts, two minds, and two bodies.
Love makes burdens lighter because
you have someone with whom to share them.
Love makes you stronger in many ways
and able to face life in ways you dare not face alone.

(repeat after me)

_______ I offer myself to you as companion, lover, and friend
and I promise to love you forever.

(repeat after me)

_______ I offer myself to you as companion, lover, and friend
and I promise to love you forever.

(repeat after me)

I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you !

(repeat after me)

I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and commitment to you!

May your lives together be joyful and content.
May your love it is bright as the stars
and serve as a beacon for us, your friends.
May your love me as warm as the sun, accepting as the ocean,
and enduring as the mountains.

It gives me great pleasure to unite you both inseparably to each other.

On Marriage
 Kahlil Gibran

Love

Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one.

Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense.

Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another’s sins, but delights in the truth. 

There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.

In a word, there are three things that last forever:

Faith, Hope and Love

But the greatest of them all is love.

1 Corinthians 13

Sand Blending Ceremony:

We provide the use of two beautiful seashells, two colors of sand and a heart shaped bottle that you keep as our gift to you.
________ and ______ may your love always be as constant as the never-ending waves, flowing endlessly from the depths of the sea. Just as the waters touch and nourish the many shores of the earth, may your love be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Just as there will never be a morning without the ocean’s flow, there will never be a day without your love for each other. You have just sealed your relationship by the giving and receiving of rings. This beautiful union is symbolized through the combining of these two individual shells of sand. The first shell represents you ______, in all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other shell represents you ______, in all that you were, all that you are and all that you will ever be. Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without need of anything else. However when these two are blended together they create an entirely new and extraordinarily more intricate entity. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the combination. Please pour the sand into this common container to symbolize the union of your two lives. This container of sand now represents your new life together, although you are two separate people your lives are now entwined as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be a molding of two individual personalities, bonded together forming one heart, one love. The life that each of you experienced now, individually, will hereafter be inseparably united, for the two shall become one.

Family Sand Blending Ceremony:

We are all members of one family, God’s family. Today as ______ and ______ have sealed their commitment to each other with the exchange of rings they too make a commitment to their children. We recognize the significant role that ______, ______ , _______ and ______ play in this marriage celebrated today. They will now join ______ and ______ in this commitment to each other by contributing a part of each individual person into one blended family. Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these _____ individual shells/containers of sand, each representing a member of the family in all that they were, all that that are, and all that they will ever be. As each individual’s sand is poured into the family’s one united common container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Please pour the sand into this common container to symbolize the blending of your lives. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will become the bond with your family.