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Contemporary_Wedding_Ceremony.doc
Style II:
Processional: Determined by the couple:
Call to Worship:
Honored family and friends, with great affection for Fred and Jennifer we have gathered together to
witness and bless their union in marriage. To this sacred moment they bring the fullness of their hearts
as a treasure and a gift from God to share with one another. They bring the dreams which bind them
together in an eternal commitment. They bring their gifts and talents, their unique personalities and
spirits, which God will unite together into one being as they build their life together. We rejoice with them
in thankfulness to the Lord for creating this union of hearts, built on friendship, respect and love.
Opening Prayer:
Our Father, love has been Your richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and woman
which matures into marriage is one of Your most beautiful types of love. Today we celebrate that love.
May your blessing be on this wedding service. Protect, guide, and bless Fred and Jennifer in their
marriage. Surround them and us with Your love now and always. Amen.
Charge to the Bride and Groom:
Let me charge both of you to remember, that your future happiness is to be found in mutual consideration,
patience, kindness, confidence, and affection. Fred and Jennifer, it is your duty to love each other as you
love yourself, to provide tender leadership, respect, and support for one another, in order that you may
create a healthy, happy home. It is also the duty of each of you to find the greatest joy in the company
of the other; to remember that in both interest and affection, you are to be one and undivided.
Fred and Jennifer, you have made a very serious and important decision in choosing to marry each other today.
You are entering into a sacred covenant as life partners in God. The quality of your marriage will reflect what
you put into nurturing this relationship. You have the opportunity to go forward from this day to create a
faithful, kind, and tender relationship. We bless you this day. It is up to you to keep the blessings flowing
each and every day of your lives together. We wish for you wisdom, compassion, and constancy to create a
peaceful sanctuary in which you can both grow in love. One of the best examples of the type of love that
will be required in your marital relationship, and in fact, in all healthy human relationships is found in .....
1st Corinthians 13, where we read that:
Verse 4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Verse 5: It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Verse 6: Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Verse 7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Verse 8: Love never fails.
Individual Wedding Vows:
Fred do you take Jennifer, to be your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for
worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, for as long as you both
shall live?
Fred: I Do
Jennifer do you take Fred, to be your lawful husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for
better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, for as
long as you both shall live?
Jennifer: I Do
Joint marriage vows:
You have pledged your commitment to each other separately, as individuals. Now, you will pledge your
commitment to each other as one by answering this question as one:
Do you both mutually agree to be each other's companion, husband and wife,
observing the legal rights belonging to this condition; that is, keeping yourselves
wholly for each other and from all others as long as you both shall live?
Both answers: We do.
Exchanging of the Rings:
Minister: May I have the Bride’s ring?
Fred, as a token of the endless and pure love which you have for Jennifer, you may place this ring
on the third finger of her left hand.
Minister: Now may I have the Groom’s ring?
Jennifer, as a token of the endless and pure love which you have for Mike, you may place this ring
on the third finger of his left hand.
Minister’s Blessing For the Marriage:
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
The Lord lift up the light of his continence upon you, and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV, Adapted)
Pronouncement by minister:
Since you have mutually pledged yourselves to each other in the holy bonds of marriage, as a minister
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and by the authority vested in me by the State of Florida, I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
You may kiss your bride.
Honored family and friends, may I present to you:
Mr. and Mrs. Fred and Jennifer Smith.
Text in red is required by my license.
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Contemporary_Civil_Wedding_Ceremony.doc
Style III:
Gathering Statement:
Honored family and friends, with great affection for Fred and Jennifer we have gathered together to
witness and celebrate their union in marriage. To this special moment they bring the fullness of their
hearts as a treasure and a gift to share with one another. They bring their hopes and dreams
for a happy and prosperous future together. They bring their individual gifts and talents, their unique
personalities and perspectives, and their individual strengths and weaknesses. May they unite these
elements of each other into a unified whole, as they build their life together. We rejoice with them for
the union of their hearts, and for a relationship that has been built on friendship, respect and love.