Wedding of
_________and ________
June 22, 2002
Prelude music
Marching music
Wedding March
On behalf of the families of __________ and _____________ I thank you for coming today to witness this blessed occasion. The uniting of ______________________ and ______________________ in Christian Matrimony.
Music
Opening Words;
We are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of this company to witness to witness the union of ______________________ and ______________________ in Christian marriage. May our Heavenly Father look down upon this event with his smile of approval. May the Lord Jesus Christ be present and add his blessing. May the Holy Spirit attend and seal these vows in love. For marriage is a gift given by God to promote social order and to increase human happiness.
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth and everything on the earth and above and below the earth. He said it was good. Then God created Man in His own image. God took special time and care in creating man, for man would be his crown jewel of all creation. But he never said it was good. Instead he said that it was not good for man to be alone.
It wasn’t that Adam didn’t have anything to do he had to figure out names for all the animals of the earth. But God noticed that man did not have any one like him so he put Adam in a deep sleep and removed a rib from his side and created woman to be a helper and a companion for him.
In the act of creation, God didn’t take the woman from mans head, so that she would rule over him, nor did God take a bone from Adams feet so that he would trample upon her. Marriage is a partnership, it will take a lot of give and take on both your parts. The marriages that succeed are the ones that have found middle ground.
God took the bone from the side so that she would be equal with equal with him, and from close to his heart, so that he would love, cherish, and honor her. Then he presented woman to man to serve as his helper and companion. Marriage is God’s gift to deliver us from our isolation and our loneliness.
In Genesis 2:20 – 24 “So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to ever beast of the field. But for Adam there was not fund a helper comparable to him. And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and he brought her to the man.
______________________ I want you to listen to what Adam in verse 23, And Adam said;
This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman
Because she was taken out of man.
There for a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife , and they shall become one flesh.
______________________, ______________________ is not only going to be your wife she is going to be a part of you. She will be your helpmate, She will be your comfort it times of struggle, she is the one that God specifically designed for you. ______________________, ______________________ will be not only your husband but he will be the one you talk to late at night, he will be the one that give you comfort when life throws its rocks at you… God has designed him just for you.
Giving in Marriage
Minister; Who, then, presents ______________________ to be married to ______________________?
Father; I do.
Prayer by Pastor Steve Pace
Further Comments by Steve Pace
______________________ and ______________________, as you prepare to pledge your vows to each other, let me remind you that marriage made in heaven is a union of two lives—two heart that beat as one—so welded together that they walk and work in love. A husband and wife should bear each other’s burdens as well as share each other’s joy. Remember that you will have to cultivate the art of living together--be considerate, loving, helpful and tenderhearted always putting the other ones needs first and holding one another up in love. The vows which your are about to take should be as binding in adversity as they are in prosperity. They should be broken only by death. As I told you when we met everyone that I have married is still married, carry on the tradition so that I can give the same blessing to the next couple. When you say until death do us part-it is a covenant between both of you and God.
Exchange of Vows.
Steve: As a symbol of your union, will you now join hands. ______________________ , in taking ______________________ to be your wife, I require you to promise to love and cherish her, to honor and sustain her, in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may brighten your ways, and to be true to her until death alone shall part you.
Do you promise?
______________________: I do
Steve: ______________________ , in taking ______________________ to be your husband, I require you to promise to love and cherish him, to honor and sustain him, in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may brighten your ways, and to be true to him until death alone shall part you.
Do you promise?
______________________: I Do
Song:
Exchange of Rings
The ring is a symbol of the love you have for each other. Its unending circle represents the eternal quality of your love. And the gold in these rings symbolizes the purity of your love. Now you may seal your promise to each other by giving and receiving the rings.
______________________, place the ring on ______________________’s finger and repeat after me:
I, ______________________, take you, ______________________
To be my wedded 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 and cherish ‘til death do us part
According to God’s holy ordinance,
And with this ring I pledge you my love.
______________________, place the ring on ______________________’s finger and repeat after me:
I, ______________________, take you, ______________________
To be my wedded 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 and cherish ‘til death do us part
According to God’s holy ordinance,
And with this ring I pledge you my love.
______________________ and ______________________, in these moments I have heard you pledge your love and faith to each other. Your friends and family members assembled here have heard you seal your solemn vows of marriage by giving and receiving the rings. Now it is my joy and personal privilege to declare you husband and wife… You may kiss the Bride
Song, Butterfly Kisses
In just a moment ______________________ and ______________________’s mothers are going to light a candle and then light the two candles outside the unity candle. This is a symbol of them giving their children over to each other. When they were just babies they knew that this day would come. They knew just as the bible says, “For this reason a man shall leave his fathers house, and a daughter shall leave his mothers to be united as one.
Please come now and light the candles.
______________________ and ______________________ in just a moment you will be light the center candle using the light that was passed on by your parents. This ceremony will symbolize the merging of their lives to one relationship.
The Rose that they are presenting to their Mothers symbolize the nurture provided by these mothers since their children where very young. ______________________ and ______________________ will give the roses as a symbol of their love and appreciation for their mothers and all they have done for them.
To conclude this ceremony ______________________ and ______________________ will be signing a marriage covenant. I would like there parents to come as the covenant is read. This is a legal document that reads,
If you would like a copy of the covenant please email me at brostv@frontiernet.net it is in word format.
Please turn and face the assembly ;
Friends and Family of the bride and groom, it is my pleasure to present to you Mr. And Mrs. ______________________ .
The covenant will be down stairs after the reception and they would like each one of you that will vowel to pray and be their for them though out their marriage to sign the back of their covenant.
This concludes this service may each of you go in peace and love in the name of our Loving Savior Jesus Christ whom we serve. Amen
