Weddingbee Blog

I’m really proud of our wedding ceremony script. I think it works in both of our traditions in a beautiful way, and incorporates some other elements unrelated to either of our heritages, but are very beautiful. Our officiant put together the ceremony himself, and we made a few minor tweaks.

Here’s the script in its entirety. I hope you enjoy and if there are any interfaith couples out there, this may make for a good example if you are looking for something similar.

Processional

Gathering Words

We are here today in the presence of God to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Kenneth (full name hidden for privacy) and Rachel (full name hidden for privacy). They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together.

Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become more for the sake of the other. It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges humans to become all that we are meant to be.

As they join in marriage today, Bradley and Rachel are announcing to the world that they welcome that challenge.

In the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul had these enduring words to say about the nature of true love:

4. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

5. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

7. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8. Love never fails.

13. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Bradley and Rachel, may the meaning of these words find a permanent place in your hearts and may love forever be the foundation of your marriage.

Support From Families and Friends

The marriage of Bradley and Rachel is more than just the union of two people in love. It’s also the joining of two families, two sets of friends, and two patterns of life.

Who stands with this couple in support and blessing of this marriage?

[“We do”] (Both families in unison)

As these two people join together in marriage, they ask for the support and love of not only their families, but their friends as well. On this day, they ask that you be more than only friends of Bradley or friends of Rachel. They ask that you recognize their special union and welcome them both as friends in your lives.

Vows

Bradley, please take Rachel’s hand and repeat after me:

Rachel, I take you to be my wife:

To love you with all my heart;

To share with you all my soul;

To grow with you through all my days;

As long as we both shall live.

Rachel, please take Bradley’s hand and repeat after me:

Bradley, I take you to be my husband:

To love you with all my heart;

To share with you all my soul;

To grow with you through all my days;

As long as we both shall live.

Promises

Do you Bradley, promise to love and respect Rachel, to share your life and your dreams, to build with her a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth?

[“I do”]

Do you promise to be a companion to her in all of her successes and failures, her happiness and sadness, to always give to her your unwavering support and devotion?

[“I do”]

And, do you Rachel, promise to love and respect Bradley, to share your life and your dreams, to build with him a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth?

[“I do”]

Do you promise to be a companion to him in all of his successes and failures, his happiness and sadness, to always give to him your unwavering support and devotion?

[“I do”]

The Rings

[The rings please.]

Though we have heard the vows which have been shared by Bradley and Rachel, words, once spoken, are carried away on the wind. Therefore, the wedding ring is a visible symbol of the promises that have been made.

May these rings be a reminder to Bradley and Rachel of the commitment they have made today and as a testimony to all the world of their devotion in marriage.

(The bride’s ring.)

Bradley, as you place the ring on Rachel’s finger, say to her these words:

I give you this ring to wear

As a symbol of my abiding love,

My eternal faith, and my undying devotion.

It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.

(The groom’s ring.)

Rachel, as you place the ring on Bradley’s finger, say to him these words:

I give you this ring to wear

As a symbol of my abiding love,

My eternal faith, and my undying devotion.

It is an outward reminder of our inner unity.

Apache Indian Blessing

From the Apache Indian tribe we have inherited a beautiful marriage blessing. Rachel and Bradley, may you hear and receive the meaning of these words:

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 is no loneliness for you

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.

Prayer

Would you please join me in your hearts as we ask for God’s blessing upon this marriage?

Eternal God, creator of the universe: Look with favor upon this man and this woman whom you join in one flesh in Holy Matrimony.

Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in time of need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.

Give them grace when they hurt each other to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness.

Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may reach out in love and concern for others.

And, may their love for one another and their life together serve as a beacon of hope for a broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair.

These things we ask in humility and reverence to thee, in the name of the father, the son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.

Glass Breaking and Marriage Pronouncement

There is a wonderful Jewish tradition of the breaking of glass at the end of a wedding ceremony which serves to remind us of two very important aspects of marriage.

Symbolically, the breaking of the glass reminds us of the fragile nature of life. The custom has also come to symbolize the shattering of the old and the beginning of the new.

The breaking of the glass signifies a turning point in your lives as you pledge your love today and make a new commitment to one another.

As Bradley and Rachel hold hands and break the glass under foot, they’ll remove the last barriers to their union and become two bodies sharing a single heart.

As Bradley crushes the glass I ask everyone here to respond in unison with the congratulatory words: MAZEL TOV.

MAZEL TOV!

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. (name hidden for privacy)

Recessional

Bradley and Rachel invite you all to stay for their reception and continue the celebration. Please go back the way you came and follow the path to the tent for the reception.

So there you are!

Did you craft your own ceremony or use a traditional script?