Reverend Debby’s Welcoming and Call to Celebration

With the horizon our only walls, the sky our only ceiling, and the earth our floor we gather together here in nature to witness a most joyous occasion.   groom and bride have asked all of you, their dear family and friends, to bear witness to their vows and commitment to journey forward in their lives together as lovers and friends in marriage.

It is through love that our spirits are lifted into a oneness that transcends all the dualities we may experience in our lives. Marriage brings us to that deeply profound love where our souls can soar and merge as one. It is this love that gives the deepest meaning to our lives. It is our highest calling, our greatest purpose, and our finest achievement.   You are all being asked to participate fully with thought, intention and prayer in asking God to guide their path as a married couple.   Blessed be!

Silent Blessing (Optional)

 Reverend Debby:   Please join with me now as we bow our heads and close our eyes and bring to mind any loved ones who could not be here today. Though they are absent physically, we invoke, through our thought and prayers, their loving presence. We pray that God might multiply beyond measure the blessings from these loved ones to this loving couple. Now, from our hearts, we ourselves visualize and sanctify all the blessings we would bestow on groom and bride in their lives as a couple and a family. And in our sincere desire to bless, we in turn, are blessed also.

                                    Reverend Debby Speaks of Marriage

Reverend Debby:

groom and bride, marriage challenges us to be one without abandoning the truth of our individuality.  It challenges us to recognize ourselves in one another, to admire and respect each other while walking side by side heading in the same direction - sometimes so close together that there will be only one set of footprints.  As with all relationships, marriage is an endless presentation of choices.  Your marriage will, no doubt, be filled with surprises. Some you will welcome, while others will test the strength and flexibility of your bond. Your life together will present many opportunities to refine and deepen your love and to explore the depths of your being.  May you be compassionate with each other, and this union with tender loving care.  May your love create a safe haven for you both on the journey that lies ahead of you.  Lead with your hearts and take the time to do the simple things that will nurture your love. Deeply listen to each other- to your dreams and to your frustrations.

Be helpmates. Be playful in finding ways to give your love anew to each other every day. Let your love be an inspiration to others to reach for what is good within us all. May your love be so abundant that you have plenty to share with the rest of us as well.  For it is your love that has brought us together here today.

This date will always have special meaning for you as the day you vowed to love and to cherish each other in all ways, always. Each year when you come upon your anniversary I encourage you to rededicate yourselves to the vows you make here today. Take stock of where you are in your marriage and how you are doing as marriage partners. Express your gratitude to each other for the ways that you have loved and supported one another, and forgive yourselves and each other for any judgments that have come between you. Show each other that you can be trusted and counted on as a comfort when facing difficult times, and celebrate enthusiastically the successes and joys life brings your way. Let your love lead the way and be more important than anything else. Then, your lives together will be filled with blessings and joy, and your devotion will grow deeper and sweeter with each passing year.

                                                Declaration and Consent

Reverend Debby:

And now in the presence of these witnesses, I ask you to declare your commitment:

groom, will you have this woman bride, to be your lawfully wedded wife?  Will you love her, honor her, comfort and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in sorrow and in joy, and pledge to remain faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?

“I do”

bride, will you have this man, groom, to be your lawfully wedded wife?  Will you love her, honor her, comfort and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer or poorer, in sorrow and in joy, and pledge to remain faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?

“I do”

Reverend Debby:

From this point forward, your beloved’s needs carry the same priority as your own.  May you find in your love profound acceptance and complete release.  You shall not be as two conflicting or competing forces, but rather the energies of your lives shall blend into harmony and oneness through the grace of God.  May the angels dance between you, and they will rejoice in the dance of life you do together.

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                                                Presentation of the Rings

Reverend Debby:  Is it your intention to symbolize this marriage with rings?

Bride and Groom:   “Yes”

Reverend Debby:  May I have the rings please?  (The rings are handed to Reverend Debby)

The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity as it has no beginning and no end.  Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. They are an outward sign of the deep spiritual bond uniting your two hearts in endless love.  As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.

                                                Vows of Matrimony

(Reverend Debby hands the Bride’s ring to the Groom)

groom, please repeat after me;

I groom, take you bride, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.  He then places the ring on her finger.

bride, please repeat after me;

I bride, take you groom, to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart, and my love, from this day forward for as long as we both shall live.  She then places the ring on his finger.

groom and bride, each of you brings gifts to the other today.  Gifts of hope and laughter, sensitivity and  recognition of the beautiful and the profound.  A strong and resilient marriage is not an escape from the world but a contribution to it. You have acknowledged to God and to the world: this is my beloved, the one with whom I choose to create the rest of my life.  May you now combine and strengthen your gifts, and offer them as a beautiful gift to the world. For the world is in need of the beautiful, the good and the holy.

                                                Final Prayer

Reverend Debby:

“Will you all bow your heads and join me in a final prayer of blessing for our couple?”

"Gracious, glorious God,

May this couple be blessed throughout their marriage.  We ask that abundance of life, family and love fill their hearts, spilling over and thereby blessing all others who are touched by them.

Guide their path, always.  Keep their hearts open to the joyous wonders you give us all, each and every day.  Give them strength to withstand the storms that will pass through their days on occasion, and courage to face those storms together. 

May their love remain a bright and shining beacon to all, and may their joy bring a smile to everyone's lips, for in this reflection of joy, You are best served.

And so it is.  Amen."

                                                Pronouncement and Presentation

Reverend Debby:

groom and bride, in the presence of God, your family and friends, you have spoken the words and performed the rites which unite your lives.  By the authority vested in me through the state of Michigan, it is my greatest joy and privilege to declare you husband and wife.  As kisses are messengers of love, please kiss now to seal your vows.