Opening Prayer / Introduction
Welcome everyone to the celebration of the marriage of Cary & Stephanie.
As their closest family & friends, we have been invited here today to share this very important moment in their lives.
First, let us take a moment to appreciate the natural beauty (pauses to look around) & good fortune that God has blessed us with, to feel the warmth of the sun, to see the incredible colors of the earth & sky and the gathering of family & friends.
Because Stephanie & Cary value their community of family and friends so highly, they have asked that each of you bless the rings they will exchange here today.
So please take just a few seconds to hold them in you rhand. Say a prayer, make a wish, or simply give them a squeeze, then pass them on to the next person. I willstart them here on my right and collect them again when you are through.
Stephanie & Cary’s intent is for these rings to reflect not only their love for one another, but also their loving connection with each one of you. This day is made truly complete by your presence.
Gathering words
We are here not to mark the start of a relationship, but to celebrate a bond that already exists. To this moment Cary and Stephanie bring love, courage and the shared history of many years, they bring the dreams that bind them together. They each bring a particular personality and spirit that is uniquely their own and out of which will grow a shared future.
If you ask most couples how have a strong and abiding love what they like most about their partners, usually they will say that they don’t have to pretend to be anything other than what they are.
They are able to express themselves without fear of being judged or rejected. There is room in the relationship for both of them to be unique individuals. They are free to surrender to the possibility of profound intimacy – to be known & loved without condition.
Today, they come before us to enter into the sacred covenant of marriage, vowing to be partners through the trials and triumphs of their shared life. They are declaring to each other & to all of us present that they will be by each other’s side, no matter what life brings their way.
Cary & Stephanie have asked me to read these thoughts by Wilfred Arlan Peterson –
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created In marriage the little things are the big things
It is never being too old to hold hands
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years
It is at no time taking the other for granted; the courtship should not end with the honeymoon, it should continue through the years
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objects.
It is standing together facing the world
It is forming a circle of love that gathers the whole family
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating grattiude in thoughtful ways
It is not looking for perfection in each other
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understandign and a sense of humor
It is having the capacity fo forgive and forget
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow old
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner
Declaration of Intent
Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and downs, its trials and its triumphs with full understanding of this, Stephanie and Cary have come here today to be joined as one in marriage.
Cary, do you promise to love Stephanie in mind, heart, body and spirit; to treat her with respect and tenderness, to support her in times of happiness and sorrow?
Stephanie, do you promise to love Cary in mind, heart, body and spiriti; to treat him wiht respect an tenderness, to support him in times of happiness and sorrow?
Declaration of Support
AS these two people are joined, so are their families and friends united through them. Each of you has shared and contributed to Cary & Stephanie’s lives in the past, and by witnessing their marriage today, they ask you to share in their future. It has been their decision to bond themselves by marriage and their lives will be strengthened and enriched by the support you give. Please stand and respond with “I will” if you agree:
–> Will you support Cary & Stephanie in their Marriage?
–> Will you celebrate with them encourage them and remind them of this day?
Thank you, be seated.