Christian Wedding Ceremony
Sample 18
Introduction
Friends, we have been invited here to share with __________ and
__________ in a most important time in their lives. In the time
they have been together, their love for and understanding of each other
has grown and matured. Now they have decided to live their lives
together as husband and wife.
Would you bow with me as we ask the Lord's blessing on our time together today?
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, Creator, Savior, and Designer of marriage, we turn to you
this afternoon, asking that you be glorified by what takes place. That
this ceremony would honor you, and reflect the
seriousness of the vows to be spoken. Might this service be a
reminder to us who have spoken similar vows to our spouses in the
past. Might it be instructive to those yet considering such a
commitment in their future. Might this ceremony be a fitting
beginning for __________ and ___________ as they commit themselves
before this company to pursue a Christ-centered life together. We
ask it in Jesus' name, Amen. Thank you. You may be
seated.
Giving Away of Bride
Pastor -- Who is giving this woman to be joined to this man?
Father of Bride -- Her mother and I are
Pastor -- Will the Bride's and Groom's Parents please stand?
Pastor to Bride's Parents -- _________and _________, are you willing,
now and always, to support and strengthen this marriage, by upholding
both _________ and ____________, with your love, your concern, your
counsel, and your prayers?
Bride's Parents -- We are.
Pastor to Groom's Parents -- _________ and _________, are you willing,
now and always, to support and strengthen this marriage, by upholding
both ________ and __________ with your love, your concern, your
counsel, and your prayers?
Groom's Parents -- We are.
(Optional) Lighting of Unity Candles
As organ plays both mothers walk up to light two single candles
Wedding Vows
Bride and Groom approach pastor on platform
Our God of love has established marriage as the symbol of Christ's
perfect relationship to His Body, the Church. We have come to
bring you as one before Him.
Pastor to Groom -- _________, God has ordained the man as the spiritual head, as
the responsible provider, and as the initiator of love in
this human relationship. By His enablement, your strength must be
your wife's protection, your character her boast and pride, and you
must so live that she will find in you the haven for which the heart of
a woman truly longs.
Pastor to Bride -- ___________, it is God's purpose that you be a
loving wife, that you respond to your husband's love in tenderness with
a deep sense of understanding, through a great faith in Christ who
brought you together. It is His desire that you have that inner
beauty of soul that never fades; that eternal youth that is found in
holding fast the things that never age.
Pastor to Couple -- Christian marriage is not living merely for each
other; it is two persons, uniting and joining hands 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--that belongs solely to God. You need not minimize each
other's weak-nesses, 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 those
which will develop your character as you walk together. That's
another way of saying there will be difficult times you share as well.
As you look to Him, 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 of success to make you
certain that you do walk with Him.
May He remain the central figure in your relationship together.
May you never take each other's love for granted, but always experience
that wonder that exclaims "Out of all in 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 Christ returns in Glory, or until
at last one shall lay the other to rest in the arms of the
Savior. And all this, through the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Pastor to Groom -- __________, have you in the quiet hours of your
companionship considered what is your Christian duty as a husband?
Groom -- I have.
Pastor to Bride -- ___________, have you in the quiet hours of your
companionship considered what is your Christian duty as a wife?
Bride -- I have.
You both stand before us as children of God, redeemed by Jesus Christ
through your trust in Him, and His substitutionary death for your sin. Is
it your purpose to establish a home that is truly Christ-centered, where the
Word of God is read and obeyed; a home that is welded together by prayer, in
which the Holy Spirit is your constant Guide?
Bride and Groom -- It is.
Will you please, as an expression that your hearts are joined together in love, now please join your hands.
Pastor to Groom -- _________, this woman whom you hold by the hand is
to be your wife. She has given you one of the most sacred things
under heaven: a woman's life, and a woman's love. You may bring
her great joy or cause her deep sorrow. It is not what you bring
her in a material way that will make true happiness--riches without
love are nothing. The gift without the giver is bare. The
practice of those virtues as husband that you have shown as lover, will
keep her heart won to your heart.
Do you vow here, as you have promised ___________, that you will be
true and loyal, patient in sickness, comforting in sorrow, and
forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, so long as you both
shall live?
Groom -- I do.
Pastor to Bride -- ___________, this man whom you hold by the hand is
to be your husband. Upon your life, your love, and your devotion
he will lean for strength and inspiration. He is going to look to
you for encouragement, for cheerfulness, and for confidence. No
matter what the world may say or think, people may forget him, lose
confidence in him, or turn their backs upon him, but you must
not. May your life and love be the inspiration that will
constantly lead him to greater dependence upon our Lord. Do you
vow here, as you have promised __________, that you will be loyal in
adversity, ministering to him in affliction, comforting him in sorrow,
and forsaking all others, keeping yourself only unto him so long as you
both shall live?
Bride -- I do.
Ring Vows
Pastor to Groom -- What token do you give as a pledge of the sincerity of your vows?
Groom -- A ring.
Pastor to Bride -- What token do you give as a pledge of the sincerity of your vows?
Bride -- A ring.
A ring is a fitting symbol to represent the covenant you are making
today. Not only are these made out of the finest of metals,
reminding you of the purity of your relationship. but they are
also a circle, a line unending, reminding you that your love, devotion,
and commitment to one another are to be unending. T
Pastor to Groom -- Would you repeat after me: I, _________, take you,
_________, to be my wife, before God who brought us together, to love
and cherish you, even as Christ loved the Church, and gave Himself for
it, to lead you, and share all of life's experiences with you, by
following God through them. That through His grace we might grow
together into the likeness of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
Pastor to Bride -- __________, would you repeat after me: I,
___________, take you, __________, to be my wedded husband, before God
who brought us together, to love you and to cherish you, to submit
myself to you in all things, and to follow you through all of life's
experiences as you follow God, that through His grace we might grow
together into the likeness of Jesus, our Savior and Lord.
(Optional) Lighting Unity Candle
The two outside candles on the table have been lighted to represent
your lives up to this moment. They are two distinct lights, each
capable of going their separate ways. To bring the happiness God
designed for your home, there must be the merging of these two lights
into one light. This is what the Lord meant when He said, "On
this account a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to
his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." From now on, your thoughts
shall be for each other, rather than for your individual selves.
Your plans shall be mutual, your joys and sorrows shall be
shared. As you each take a candle, and together light the center
one, and extinguish your own candles, you will be letting the center
candle represent the union of your lives into one flesh. As this
one light cannot be divided, neither shall your lives be divided, but a
united testimony in a Christian home. May the radiance of this
one light be a testimony of your unity in the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Optional) Bride and Groom each take candle and light unity candle.
Solo
Prayer
Stand following, facing and joining hands
Pronouncement
In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong
commitment, love, and devotion, by the authority committed to me as a
minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and according to the laws of
the State of ______________, I now declare you to be husband and wife,
in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
And what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder.
Kiss
Introduction
Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to be the first to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. _____________.