Municipal Court Wedding Vow # 1

MARRIAGE CEREMONY#1

[This ceremony can be shortened by dropping out the part where the parties repeat the vows themselves. It can be lengthened by adding a longer introduction regarding the nature of marriage.]

“Family and friends of [Bride] and [Groom], we are here because the two of you have decided to join your lives. You come here with precious gifts, mature understanding, your love, your hopes and dreams, your trust in one another, and your faith in life’s meaning and purpose, resolved to share life’s experiences in enduring love and loyalty.

The decision has been made in your hearts and minds, and we are here to witness the public expression of the commitments you have made privately to each other.

Marriage is a relationship not to be entered into lightly or thoughtlessly, but reverently, soberly, with deep purposes and in the spirit of enduring love.

Much is required of you both. Knowing this, does each of you wish to proceed with this marriage?

[Groom] , will you take[Bride] as your wife, to live with her in the honorable relation of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and will you live for her, before all others, as long as you both shall live?

--I will--

[Bride], will you take [Groom]  as your husband, to live with him in the honorable relation of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, and will you live for him, before all others, as long as you both shall live?

--I will--

[Groom], will you then repeat after me?

I, [Groom], take you, [Bride], to be my wife, to live with you from this day forward, for better, for worse, in plenty and in want, in strength and in weakness, to love and to cherish, so long as we both shall live.

[Bride], will you then repeat after me?

I, [Bride], take you, [Groom],to be my husband, to live with you from this day forward, for better, for worse, in plenty and in want, in strength and in weakness, to love and to cherish, so long as we both shall live.

You have told me that you wish to exchange rings as a token of the commitments you are making to each other.

[Groom], will you take the ring that you have brought and place it on

[Bride]’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge you my love.”

[Bride], will you take the ring that you have brought and place it on

[Groom]’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge you my love.”

Now please join hands as a symbol of your union.

[Groom], and [Bride], having declared in the presence of these witnesses that you take one another as husband and wife and having symbolized your marriage by the joining of hands and the giving and acceptance of rings, now therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me, I do now declare in the presence of these witnesses that you are husband and wife.

And let me express to both of you the warm, good wishes and congratulations of all who are here”.