Once Reverend Debby has taken her place before the gathering, the Groom takes his place along with his best man and the ushers.  When the Bride appears, and is ready to walk down the aisle……..

Reverend Debby:  Will the guests please rise.

Presentation of the Bride

Reverend Debby:  Who gives this woman in marriage?

Respondent:  “Her mother and I do”

The father of the bride now steps back and goes to his seat.  

Reverend Debby:  groom and bride, it is with joy and reverence that I welcome you here today.  To our assembled guests, welcome to this moment in their lives and to the place they have come to in their hearts.  groom and bride, we join with you on this day to witness your vow & commitment before God and humanity that from this point forward you shall live as one.

 To honor relatives or memorable others who have passed on;

  Reverend Debby:  Please join with me now as we bow our heads to observe a moment of silence to honor the memory of those who are not with us today in body, but are here in Spirit.  Amen.     

Reverend Debby’s Opening Remarks

Welcome!  This beautiful day, surrounded with love, is a moment to be treasured and cherished forever.  You all were invited here for a holy purpose.  Not only to witness, but to participate fully with intention, thoughts and prayers, asking God to bless groom and bride and their marriage.  It was important to them that they asked you to join them in this dedication of sacred purpose.  You represent symbolically all the people in the world who will be touched in every way by the life of this couple.  You represent their friends and family, now and forever.  They have chosen this act of marriage and this public, holy ceremony in which to proclaim their promise and pledge before God, and all of you, to be united in the mystical, spiritual and holy bond of matrimony.

Together we all thank God who brought them together, and we ask Him to always guide their way. May a great and glorious light sanctify this joining.

Declaration of Consent to Marriage

Reverend Debby:

And now, in the presence of God, your families and friends, I ask you to declare your consent:

groom, will you have this woman,  bride, to be your wife, to live together in the sacred union of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and pledge to be faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?
    I Will.

bride, will you have this man, groom, to be your husband, to live together in the sacred union of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and pledge to be faithful to him for as long as you both shall live?
   I Will.

Reverend Debby’s Marriage Charge to the Couple

Reverend Debby:  groom and bride, marriage is not living merely for each other; it is two people uniting and joining hands in love to serve God. Seek His kingdom first, and His righteousness, and He will add all other things to you. Do not expect perfection from each other, perfection belongs solely to God. You need not minimize each other's weaknesses, but always be swift to praise and magnify each other's points of comeliness and strength and see each other through kind and patient eyes.

God will lead you into such situations as will bless you and develop your characters as you walk together. He will give you enough tears to keep you tender, enough hurts to keep you compassionate, enough of failure to keep your hands clenched tightly in His, and enough success to make you sure you walk with Him. May you never take each other's love for granted, but always experience that wonder that exclaims "Out of all this world you have chosen me." When life is done, may you be found then as now, hand in hand, still thanking God for each other. May you ever serve Him happily, faithfully, together until you return to glory or until at last one shall lay the other into His arms.

I ask both of  you, at this time, to release all impediments to your joy.  In this moment may you forgive each other any past transgressions, so that you might enter this marriage reborn.  Allow the waters of forgiveness to wash you clean.  You are given the chance to begin your lives anew this day, as God grants you radical renewal through the power of  this commitment.  You commit to a compelling future for yourselves, for any children you have or might one day have, and to any part you might play in the healing of the world.  Receive fully God’s gifts on this day, as He receives so fully the gift of your love for each other.  May you rejoice in Him, as He rejoices in you.

 Optional: Your own vows to each other 

Reverend Debby:  At this time, groom and bride have some personal promises that they would like to give to each other.   Would you now please face each other and make your declarations....

Reverend Debby will ask groom to speak first.
(He speaks his promise).  

Reverend Debby now asks  bride to speak her promise.
(She speaks her promise)

Presentation of the rings

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

Bride and Groom:  "Yes."

Reverend Debby: May we have the rings.  (The best man hands them to the Reverend.)

The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity as it has no beginning and no end. It is an outward sign of the inward and spiritual bond uniting two hearts in endless love.  In the sacred tradition of marriage, rings have come to symbolize eternal love and the endless union of body, mind and spirit.  May the presence of these rings always remind you of the promise, hope and joyful love you have pledged today.

Vows of Matrimony

Reverend Debby hands the brides ring to groom

“groom, please repeat after me”:

I, groom, take thee, bride, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to be my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.    He places the ring on her finger.

Reverend Debby hands the grooms ring to bride

“bride, please repeat after me”:

I, bride, take thee, groom, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to be my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you for as long as we both shall live.     She places the ring on his finger.

Optional: additional symbolic ceremony or readings here

Reverend Debby:

groom and bride, treat yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together.  Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves.  When frustration, difficulty and fear assail your relationship--as they threaten all relationships at one time or another--remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong.   In this way, you can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives--remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there.  And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight.

Final Prayer and Pronouncement of Marriage

Reverend Debby: I’d now like to ask you all to pray with me:

Dear God,

Please bless this couple.  May their love be nurtured by You, always and forever.

May this marriage be held in Your hands and ministered unto by Your angels.

We dedicate this love to You.

And we all pray:

Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth, as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, now and for ever. Amen

And now, groom and bride, inasmuch as you have spoken the vows and performed the rites uniting yourselves in marriage, with the authority vested in me through the State of Michigan,  it is my honor, delight and profound joy to now pronounce you, henceforth from this moment, husband and wife.

groom, you may kiss your bride! 

Ladies and Gentlemen: may I present Mr. & Mrs.

TOP OF PAGE