WEDDING VOWS II

Prologue  May speak about how you met.

The world we live in changes constantly; governments rise and fall; institutions expand and falter; the stock market goes up and down. Marriage remains one of the stabilizing foundations in the world. It delivers joy and excitement in a desperately lonely  world. When Adam was alone in the ancient garden, God knew that man needed someone with whom to develop a relationship, so Eve became the companion for Adam. God took the initiative in the formation of marriage because of the need for a deep supportive relationship between a man and a woman. Since that first union of live, millions of people have sought love, acceptance, and companionship in the relationship we call marriage.

Today we are witnesses to a very private moment in the lives of _______ and ________, as we celebrate publicly this union with thanksgiving.

Who gives this woman to be married to this Man? Father: Her mother and I.

Homily

Reading of I Corinthians 13

Vows: Turn and looking into each other’s eyes, repeat after me:
Groom: _______________, I pledge to you my undying love and faith. I promise to respect you. I dedicate my time, talent, and treasure to you. I give myself fully as husband to discover joy and pleasure with you. God took special care crafting you for me, and I will treasure you for the rest of my life.
Bride: ______________, I pledge to you my undying love and faith. I promise to respect you. I dedicate my time, talent, and treasure to you. I give myself fully as husband to discover joy and pleasure with you. God took special care crafting you for me, and I will treasure you for the rest of my life.

Prayer  followed by Lord’s Prayer

Exchange of Rings: Do you have the rings for a pledge or promise?  Couple: We do.
To Groom: ________place you ring of promise on _______’s finger and look into her eyes as you repeat after me.
I,__________, take you___________ to be my life’s companion. This ring is my promise that you will always be in my heart, and I will cherish and honor you all the days of my life.
To Bride: ________place you ring of promise on _______’s finger and look into her eyes as you repeat after me.
I,___________, take you___________ to be my life’s companion. This ring is my promise that you will always be in my heart, and I will cherish and honor you all the days of my life.

Unity Candle   __________ and ___________, you may each take a candle to symbolize your individual lives. Use these candles to light the center candle as a symbol of your new lives of unity starting today. It used to be that after lighting the unity candle, couples would blow out the side candles, to symbolize the merging of their lives in this one relationship. But I think that it  is healthy for you to keep all the candles lit, as a reminder that you are still string individuals who will need to choose daily to put your energy into this new creation called “marriage”. That is where the patience, kindness, unselfishness, and honesty of which Paul speaks comes in. You will need all those things and more to keep your love and your marriage string. A good marriage is a wonderful choice that you make to keep loving one another.

One thing you might note as you look at these candles is that none of them are burning at both ends. There will be times in your marriage when one or both of you will be extremely busy. You may feel like you just pass each other on the go. Short stints of that can actually be invigorating. But if that becomes the pattern of your married life, watch out. A candle burning at both ends doesn’t last long. When all your energy is going toward your own individual stuff, who is going to trim the wick and keep the flame going in your marriage? That’s not the job of the wife alone, or the husband alone. Marriage is a two-person job. And it takes time.

There is one flaw in using candles as a symbol of your faithful love. Candles have a very limited life span. But the, in the whole scope of things, so do we ________ and_________ as you vow to share your love with each other, remember the Source of your love. Add the energy of God’s great love for you to your love for each other and nothing can stop your marriage from burning brightly for the rest of your lives.

Pronouncement: __________ and___________ your love has brought you together and God has blessed this day. Since you have exchanged vows and rings, I pronounce you husband and wife by the authority of the Church of Jesus Christ and the state of Florida. What God has joined together let no one put asunder.

You may now kiss your bride!   

Introduction: Ladies and Gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time, _________and ___________ (Last Name)

Call Pastor Paul at (561) 654-4277 for a Wedding Ceremony that is Sacred~Personal~Joyful!

Rev. Paul K. Underhay ~ P.O. Box 1149 ~ Lake Worth, FL 33460 ~ (561) 654-4277

This page was last modified  June 06, 2006