Heartland Signature Ceremonies
Independent Ohio Wedding Officiant and Ceremony Coordinator
Sample Ceremonies
Basic Ceremony Sample
Opening Words
I'd like to thank Bride and Groom for allowing me to be part of this sacred occasion.
Let us begin this wedding ceremony by welcoming the presence of God within each of us,
For wherever love is, God is.
As we lift into the loving that joins us together here as one,
Let us surround Bride and Groom with our love, our prayers, and our best wishes for them
On this day of celebration and throughout their journey together
As husband and wife.
Bride and Groom, you have come to know the power of love in your lives
And so we celebrate this union
Of your hearts, minds, bodies, and souls
And wish you great joy along the path that you have chosen to embark upon.
Marriage Address
If you ask most couples who have a strong and abiding love
What they like most about their partners, usually they will say
That they don
They are able to express themselves without fear of being judged or rejected.
There is room in their relationship for both of them to be unique individuals.
They are free to surrender to the possibility of profound intimacy-
And to be known and loved without condition.
Bride and Groom have learned that they can depend on each other
And on the power of their love,
And that through each other they are
Today they come before us to declare their love and commitment to each other
Vowing to share the trials and triumphs of their
And declare to each other and to all of us present
That they will be by one anothers side no matter what life brings their way.
We are gathered
here to support Groom and BrideOn this voyage of discovery as marriage partners.
We are here to see them off,
May we also be there to see them through.
Question of Intent
/Spoken VowsGroom, Do you take Bride as your wife and equal, lover and best friend,
keeping yourself only unto her for as long as you both shall live?
Groom: Yes, I do
I Groom, choose you, Bride
To be my partner from this time forward;
To love and comfort you
And be a safe haven in your life.
To hold you close,
To listen when you speak
To nourish you with gentleness,
To uphold you with my strength,,
To weigh the words I speak
And the things I do,
To never take you for granted,
And to always give thanks
For your presence in my life.
Bride, Do you take Groom as your husband and equal, lover and best friend,
keeping yourself only unto him for as long as you both shall live?
Bride: Yes, I do
Please (take Groom's hands) repeat after me.
I, Bride, choose you Groom,
To be my partner for life,
To be by your side
Through our life's journey together.
You are the one I choose
To spend my life with.
I promise to cherish you,
To honor you
To love and respect you,
To comfort and encourage you
In sickness and in health.
Whether we are filled with joy
Or burdened with sorrow,
I promise to love you
All the days of my life.
Ring Exchange
Do you have rings to give one another?
Bride and Groom: Yes, we do.
These rings are a symbol carried forth from antiquity.
They are simple and strong,
Circles that remind us of the embrace of love
And the fact
That as we give love so it comes back around to us.
These rings will sit quietly upon your fingers
Serving as a reminder of the covenant made here today.
May they also remind you to let your love shine
Within your union and within yourselves.
And like an embrace, let your love bring grace upon this world.
For when we are present with our hearts
Our love becomes a gift to the whole world.
Groom, once again please repeat after me
and then place the ring upon Bride's fingerWith this ring
I pledge myself to you
To our union
And to our lasting love.
Bride,once more please repeat after me as you place the ring upon Groom's finger
With this ring
I pledge myself to you
To our union
And to our lasting love.
Final Blessing
Bride and Groom,
You have joined yourselves to one another
By your solemn vows,
And by the giving and receiving of rings.
Go into the world
now and fulfill your lives.Hold fast to your ideals.
Give to each other experiences of joy.
Challenge each other that you may grow
And always love one another with understanding.
May the love you hold for each other now sealed in marriage continue to mature,
That your life together may be a source of strength and inspiration to others
Pronouncement
And now, by the power vested in me,
It is my honor and privilege to pronounce that you are now husband and wife.
You may now kiss!
Congratulations and God bless you.
♥
Classic Ceremony Sample
Opening Words
Welcome. Love has gathered us here this day. Love is a powerful thing. It is profound and somewhat of a paradox because while it provides no escape from the world, there is gentleness to the presence of love that softens life’s edges and yet somehow makes us stronger and braver in the world.
Today we celebrate the love that Bride and Groom have found in one another.
We rejoice alongside them as they declare to al present their intent to enter into marriage and stand together from this day forward.
Bride and Groom,
Welcome to this moment in your lives and the place you have come to in each other’s hearts. Thank you for allowing me to join you on this day in which you commit before God and humanity that from this point forward you will live as one.
In this world where it seems so little is considered sacred, one thing remains so. That is, the agreement made between two people to share their lives together. Marriage is a most honorable estate, a tender and profound relationship
I congratulate you on the journey that you are about to embark upon. Both of you have found a way to embrace a serious love and receive the blessings thereof. What a comfort to know that at the end of the day we will come home to find the shelter and affection of our loved one. This love is what has brought us here together today…to this moment, to this ceremony.
With that in mind, let us come now into the quiet solemness of this moment and occasion and enter this ceremony with reverence as we celebrate the joining in marriage of Groom and Bride to one another.
Marriage Address
Marriage is the essence of human relationships. It challenges us to be of one accord without abandoning the truth of our individuality. It challenges us to recognize ourselves in one another, and to admire and respect one another as we walk side by side. It is an endless presentation of choices concerning who we want to be with one another and if our choice presents opportunity for further unity….choose unity every chance you get.
Bride and Groom, you are not beginners in life. You each have a certain lifetime already with experiences of joy, pain, discovery and growth. The union you forge here today will lead to many more such life experiences. Know that it is a spiritual time of great possibilities. As you move into your new status in life, you create a transformation into one entity where there are no conditional clauses. This is truly an unconditional commitment.As you become one entity and allow your love to lead you to greater fulfillment you will find that this union will enrich you as individuals.
The vows you make today and your commitment to one another is declaration to the fact that who you are and who you want to be as individuals is best achieved through this union.Therefore, hold your marriage in highest esteem for it is truly a sacred union, a mysterious merging of two separate but equal individuals who compliment and complete one another. Cherish your love and treat it gently, for it is the greatest gift we as humans are given.
Bride, Groom is God’s gift to you. See the goodness and strength in him always.
Groom, Bride is God’s gift you. Always find her beautiful, brave, and true.
You are given the chance to begin your lives again this day through the power of this commitment. You commit to a compelling future for yourselves, for your children, and for any part you play in changing the world.
May a great and glorious light sanctify this joining.
Hand Ceremony
Bride, please face Groom, and hold his hands, palms up, so you see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands that will passionately love you
and cherish you through the years,
for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times
wipe the tears from your eyes:
tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness,
and hold you when fear or grief fill you.
These are the hands that will give you support
and celebrate with you
in your accomplishments.
Groom, please hold Bride's hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands that will hold you tight
as you struggle through difficult times.
They are the hands that will comfort you
when you are sick or console you
when you are grieving.
These are the hands that will passionately love you
and cherish you through the years,
for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will give you support
as they encourage you
to fulfill your dreams.
Together, as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.
And so we ask God to please
Bless these hands that you see before you this day.
May they always be held by one another.
Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment.
Keep them tender and gentle as they nurture each other in their wondrous love.
Help these hands to continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring,
and devoted in reaching for your perfection.
May Bride and Groom see their four hands as healer, protector,shelter and guide.
We ask this in your name, Amen.
Reading
The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran
"Love one another, but make not a bond of that love.
Let it rather be like a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
And stand together, and yet not too near together.
For even the pillars of the temple must stand apart;
and the oak tree and the cypress will not grow in each other¡¯s shadow.
Remember that love gives nothing but from itself.
Love possesses not, nor would it be possessed, for love is sufficient unto love.
And think not that you can direct the course of love.
For love, if it finds you worthy, will direct your course.
Repeat after Me or Personal Vows and Ring Exchange
Now, we come to the sacred and joyous moment of what this day signifies.
It is in speaking these vows that you lay the foundation for the rest of your shared life together.
Do you both understand and accept the seriousness and responsibility of the vows you are about to make?
Bride and Groom: Yes
Do you have rings to give to one another?
Bride and Groom: Yes
Your rings are a symbol of perfection, of wholeness and peace.
They will sit quietly upon your fingers reminding you of the power of your love
and the vows you make here today.
and may you be blessed with joy as you journey through life together, surrounded by the circle of your love.
Groom: Yes, I do.
Please repeat after me.
I choose you, Bride to be my lifelong partner,
Lover and best friend.
I promise to always be faithful and true,
To laugh with you in joy
And comfort you in sorrow.
Wherever our path leads us,
It takes us together.
I will encourage and support you,
Honor you and love you.
I will respect our differences
And do my part
To work through our challenges.
With purity of heart
And love in my soul,
I stand before you now
As your lifelong partner.
As a sign of my love
I give you this ring
With the promise that I will love you
And keep my heart open to you
All the days of my life.
Bride: Yes, I do.
I choose you, Groom, to be my lifelong partner,
Lover and best friend.
I promise to always be faithful and true,
To laugh with you in joy
And comfort you in sorrow.
Wherever our path leads us,
It takes us together.
I will encourage and support you,
Honor you and love you.
I will respect our differences
And do my part
To work through our challenges.
With purity of heart
And love in my soul,
I stand before you now
As your lifelong partner.
As a sign of my love
I give you this ring
With the promise that I will love you
And keep my heart open to you
All the days of my life.
Bride and Groom,
The unity candle is a symbol of your marriage and the divine light that reaches to heaven.
The candles from which you light it represent each of you in the fullness of your individuality,
your experiences, trials, tribulations, heppinesses, and joys
that make you each who you are
as you stand before one another and God.
You thus come as individuals who do not lose your identity
but rather create through your commitment and your relationship, this union of marriage.
By lighting the unity candle you both allow your individual light to flow together and join with the Divine,
thereby creating an even brighter light that goes forth from this union.
Please step forward now and join your light, as represented by these individual candles, together now into the light of unity.
Soft mists embrace two golden flames,
Alone they search the night.
Two souls adrift in dreams of love,
They seek to claim the light.
The path is long from which they came,
But sure they are it's right.
Two flames embrace in dreams of love,
Two Souls - Two Hearts Unite.
Three candles remain lit. one for each of you and one for your marriage.
As symbols of your commitment to each other and to a lasting and loving marriage,
They signify that no matter what it takes, you will be there for one another.
Final Blessing and Pronouncement
Bride and Groom,
You have declared your intention and your vows Before God and one another.
May the grace of this day carry forward into all the days of your lives.
May your love nurture you and may you always find delight in one another.
I wish you the strength to be true to your vows.
May you always have the wisdom to cherish the precious love you share
and to make the best choices regarding it.
May you abide by the laws of Spirit and nurture yourselves and this marriage with
Acceptance, understanding, cooperation, respect and love.
May the life you share be peaceful, healthy, and filled with blessings and joy.
Apache Wedding Blessing
“Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter to the other;
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other;
Now there will be no lonliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
But there is one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place
To enter into the days of your togetherness,
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.”
And now, by the power vested in me
You may now kiss.
God bless you both!
♥
Classic Ceremony Sample 2
Opening Words
Welcome friends.
On behalf of Bride and Groom, I welcome and thank you for being here.
Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives, to acknowledge it, and to respect it. Bride and Groom are thrilled that you are here today to share in their joy during this wonderful moment in their lives as they as they consecrate this union and the love they have found in one another. When we make a commitment, it gives substance to our love.
By your presence, you celebrate with them the love they have discovered in each other and you support their decision to commit themselves to one another for the rest of their lives.
Bride and Groom, it is this day you make a giant step of courage in the understanding, growth and communication of your love. When a commitment this strong is made by two people, the force of that union, of that love, of that courage, reaches out and touches all of us around you, so that our we too share a part of your love. Like a stone dropped in a small pond, the ripple of the love from this celebration extends and changes the world we live in.
Bride and Groom have come here in affection and honor to say before us that they will henceforth share their lives and follow the same path in mutual respect, loyalty, trust, and love. Love is the wish of the whole self to unite with another to the end of personal completeness. Touched by this love, nature yields tenderness, togetherness, simplicity, honesty, and delight. When two people openly and sincerely declare their affection for each other, they are affirming the precious truth that love is the foundation of all life- between two people, between friends, and between all humanity. It truly is the greatest gift we can give or receive.
Bride and Groom, thank you for inviting us and allowing us to share with you in this special day. This afternoon we celebrate your love. This is the union of two individuals in heart, body, mind, and spirit, Therefore, this marriage is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently, honestly, and deliberately. And it is into this union that Bride and Groom come now to be joined.
Marriage Address
May God's grace be upon you in order that you may fulfill the vows you pledge here today. May all the events of your lives bring you closer to one another and closer to God. May the world be better because of the life of your love because when you grow in love for one person, you truly do grow in love for all humanity.
Bride and Groom, you are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best. You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities, and love.
In human history, we have not discovered a better way of life than sharing it together in love in a lasting and responsible way. This arrangement seems to meet our deepest human needs for love and companionship, for someone with whom we can share in an intimate and trusting way all the hopes, joys, and dreams of life.
But real love, is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance, of being deeply in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your partner as about your own. Real love is not total absorption into each other, it is looking outward in the same direction together. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger so you can be involved with life in ways you dare not risk alone.
The Apostle Paul wrote: Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, but rejoices with the truth. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, love never gives up... Three things remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The Expression of Intent
Groom you have chosen Bride to be your life partner. Will you love and respect Bride?
Will you be honest with her always? Will you stand by her through whatever may come? (Answer: "I will")
Bride you have chosen Groom to be your life partner. Will you love and respect him?
Will you be honest with Groom always? Will you stand by
her through what ever may come? (Answer: "I will")
And do you both promise to make the necessary adjustments in your personal lives in order that you may live
in a harmonious marriage and life together? (Answer: "We do")
The affirmation of family and friends
Now in the spirit of joy and affirmation, I want to ask your families and friends a question. Do you, the families and friends of Bride and Groom, give them your blessing and support this day, wishing them a wonderful life together? (Answer: "We do")
The exchange of vows
Bride and Groom, now we come to your vows. May I remind you that saying your vows are one thing but nothing is more challenging than living them day-by-day. What you promise today must be renewed tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you. Will you now please turn and face each other and hold hands, looking at each other.
(repeat after me as follows or insert your personal vows here)
Groom, please repeat after me: In the presence of (God and) our family and friends, I Groom choose you Bride to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow.
Now Bride, please repeat after me: In the presence of (God and) our family and friends, I Bride choose you Groom to be husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, to love and to cherish, and to be faithful to you alone. This is my solemn vow
Ring Vows
May we have the rings please?
Please take these rings and as you look at them consider that every force in the world moves in a circle,
the sky, the earth, the sun and moon, the wind as it whirls, the seasons as they come and go, life itself.
Let these rings, circular in design, with no points of weakness, remind you of the power and strength of
your love and the vows you have made here today.
May you be blessed with joy as you journey through life together, surrounded by the circle of your love.
Groom, please place the ring on Bride's finger and repeat after me:
This ring is my gift to you
May it always remind you
That from this day forward
You will always be surrounded by my love
Bride, please place the ring on Groom's’s finger and repeat after me:
This ring is my gift to you
May it always remind you
That from this day forward
You will always be surrounded by my love
Bride and Groom, As often as you see these rings upon your fingers may you remember the vows you made today,
and may you renew your determination to make your love last and your relationship grow.
Unity Candle ceremony
Today you have decided to share the rest of your lives with each other.
This beautiful union is now symbolized by the lighting of the Unity Candle. .
The individual candles represent all that you are and all that you have been until this moment
The life that each of you experienced now, individually, will hereafter be united, for the two shall become one.
Both candles must now come together to create this new light of unity.
Bride and Groom, please light the center candle to symbolize the union of your lives.
Love is like this flame; constantly changing, yet radiant for all to see.
Today, as you have lit this candle, we ask that the brightness of the flame shine throughout your lives together.
May the twinkle of this one light be a testimony to your union.
May this candle burn brightly as a symbol of your love and union to each other.
Final Blessing
You have joined yourselves to one another and pledged your love for all the days of your lives.
Our best wishes go forward from this day with you.
We wish for you a fulfilling life, rich in caring and happiness.
We wish for you a gentle and peaceful life that nurtures and comforts you
We wish for you a noble life which reflects your honesty, kindness, and integrity.
We wish for you an adventuresome life exploring the fullness of your own and each other’s true selves.
Go in peace, live in joy.
Pronouncement
In as much as you have presented yourselves here and exchanged vows and rings as the symbols of your relationship; by the power that is vested in me and by the power of your love, I do proclaim that you are husband and wife.
You may kiss
Congratulations and may God bless you both!
