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A Ceremony of Marriage

Giving of the Bride

To Father: Who gives this bride in marriage?

Response: I do.

To Groom: Take your bride and step forward please.
To Congregation: I ask that the congregation remain standing as we go before the Lord in prayer.
Our most gracious heavenly Father, we thank you for all the privileges of being in the Body of Christ. We have come together to watch the miracle of Your love and the power of the Holy Spirit work in the lives of these two people. We give you the praise, the honor, and the glory for the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to bring us into a place of union with the Father, union with the Son, union with the Holy Spirit, and union with one another.  We thank You for all the blessings and provision you have made available to us through your Son Jesus Christ, and in that mighty name we pray.  Amen.

To Congregation: You may be seated.

The marriage union is the closest relationship that can exist between two human beings. When a man and woman decide to join together in marriage, they should do so with full realization of their responsibilities. In reality marriage is serious business. When two believers of Christ know it is Gods will for them to marry, they come together before God, before a minister, and before witnesses to join their hearts and lives for eternity.  They make a public profession of their mutual love and devotion, pronouncing vows and pledging their lives to one another.

As you pronounce the marriage vows in faith, the power of God goes into operation and a miracle takes place. You are united by God and become as one in His sight.  Your union is threefold: You are joined together spiritually by God, legally by the contract you enter into, and physically when the marriage is consummated. A husband and wife are joined together as Jesus is joined to the Church. It is a miraculous union!

Genesis 2:20-24 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the Lord God 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. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman and He brought her to man.  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  24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

The marriage union is symbolic of the union you have with Christ. He is the Husband and you are the bride. As you are joined to the Lord you are one spirit with Him.

As it is written in:
1 Corinthians 6:17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.

Ephesians 5:22-31 Wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.  23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.  24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.  30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.

As it is written in the words of this poem named, After the I do

As the gas of a lighter ignites a spark into a flame
So the love from a man for this woman does the same
As the gas needs the spark to show the result of the two
So the love needs the action to follow up the I do
As Christ loved the church so should you love your wife
It was more than just I love you, it was the actions of His life
Through sickness and in health, through the good times and the tough
He is always there to prove He is more than enough
When dealing with the troubles that comes with a day
He leads us by His Spirit in a gentle, caring way
When we sin and miss the mark, when we fall and make mistakes
He patiently forgives us with His mercy and His grace
As Christ loved the church so should you love your wife.
It is more than just I love you it is the actions of your life. AMEN!

To Witnesses: I want to speak this to the witnesses here: Jesus said in the 18^th chapter of Matthews Gospel, Again I say unto you, If two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
You are not here just because of tradition.  You are here for a serious purpose to bear witness forever of this miraculous union that will take place, and to add your agreement before God to that which takes place.

To The Congregation: In the eyes of Almighty God, these two people are pure through the shed blood of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Before the Lord God Himself, they believe with all their hearts that it is the perfect will of God for them to be joined together in Holy Matrimony.  They have made their decision, so from now until the end of this age, I charge you to do everything in your power to see that this union remains solid and strong and happy and prosperous.  This is a miraculous union, and it is of God.

Profession of Vows

Please join hands. To Groom: Groom, do you take Bride as your wife, as your own flesh, will you love her, comfort her, honor her, and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her for as long as you both shall live?

Response: I do.

Make this profession of your faith:
I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. As we face the future together, I promise to stand by your side. I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams, and goals. I vow to be there for you always. When you fall, I will catch you. When you cry, I will comfort you.  When you laugh, I will share your joy.  Everything I am and everything I have is yours, from this moment forth and for eternity.

To Bride: Bride, will you take Groom as your husband, submitting yourself to him as unto the Lord, will you, love, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto him for as long as you both shall live?

Response: I will.

Then turn to him and make this profession of your faith:
I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my husband.  I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever. As we face the future together, I promise to stand by your side. I promise to unfailingly share and support your hopes, dreams, and goals. I vow to be there for you always. When you fall, I will catch you. When you cry, I will comfort you.  When you laugh, I will share your joy.  Everything I am and everything I have is yours, from this moment forth and for eternity.

Presentation of Rings

What token to you give in pledge that you will faithfully perform these vows.

The ring finger has been said to have an artery that goes directly to the heart. As you place these rings on each others fingers you are symbolically saying my promise, my life and my love is fused to your heart forever.

To Groom: May I have the Brides ring please.

A ring is a very precious thing a token of your faith and your love. This ring is made out of precious metal. It is a never-ending circle that indicates the continuing love of God a love that never fails. The love of God and the faith of God is what causes His power to move in your lives. Wear these rings as a continual reminder of your faith, a continual reminder of the confession of faith you have made to each other and to God.

To Groom: Groom, Take this ring, place it on Brides finger, and say this to her:
With this ring, I thee wed.  It is a token of my love for you and a token of my faith that I release now.

To Bride: May I have the Grooms ring please.

To Groom: A ring can mean two different things.  It can be a never-ending sign of love, or it can be a shackle.  I am going to charge you with a memory you should remember always: Groom, This woman stands by your side, not under your feet. You have the responsibility of being the head of this union. You have spiritual responsibility. Wear this ring in remembrance that Bride is your helpmate. It must never be a shackle of dominance, but always a reminder of faith and love.

To Bride: Bride, I want you to place this ring on Grooms finger with these things in mind.  There is no place in the Word of God that gives people the right to dominate one another. Your vows have stated that you submit to one another in the responsibilities of this life, expecting God and His power to always make the difference.

So Bride, place this ring on Grooms finger and, as you do, say this to him:
With this ring, I thee wed.  I give it as a token of my faith. I believe with all my heart that this is forever.  It is my love and my faith for you.

As they have committed their lives to you they now commit their love to you.

PRAY

Pronouncement As a servant of the Most High God, before Almighty God and in the name of the Father, of His Son Jesus, and by the power of the Holy Spirit of God, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Groom, you may kiss your bride. What God has joined together let no man divide.

Ladies and Gentlemen it is with great honor that I give to you Mr. and Mrs. First and Last Name

Vow Alternatives or you can write/choose your own:

I, Groom, according to Gods Holy Ordinance, take thee, Bride to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. From this moment forward we shall be one.

I, Bride, according to Gods Holy Ordinance, take thee, Groom to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, cherish, and obey, until death do us part. From this moment forward, we shall be one.

I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be my wife. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst. Whatever may come, I will always be there. I come into this union letting go of my deepest fears and embracing all my faith and if I doubt I will remember this time and why we came together this day. As I have given you my hands to hold, so I give you my life to keep, so help me God.

I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be my husband. I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow and forever. I will trust you and honor you. I will love you faithfully through the best and the worst. Whatever may come, I will always be there. I come into this union letting go of my deepest fears and embracing all my faith and if I doubt I will remember this time and why we came together this day. As I have given you my hands to hold, so I give you my life to keep, so help me God.