Hitch'n Post Weddings and More
Civil Wedding
Welcome to family and friends:
Friends, we have come together today to witness the marriage of ___________and _____________. The legal requirements of this state having been fulfilled, and the license for their marriage being present, I must ask of each party if they come of their own free will and accord.
___________, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to ___________ as long as you shall live?
Groom answers "I do."
___________, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in Marriage to ___________ as long as you shall live?
Bride answers "I do."
Who presents ___________ to be married to ___________?
Bride's father (or representative) responds "I do."
Vows:
Please repeat the following after me:
I, ___________, do take you, ___________, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise from this day forward to be your faithful husband, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as I shall live.
Please repeat after me:
I, ___________, do take you, ___________, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise from this day forward to be your faithful wife, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as I shall live.
Rings
The wedding ring seals the vows of marriage as a signature bears witness to a written covenant. As the ring is placed upon the finger, will you repeat these words:
In pledge of the vow of marriage made between us, I offer you this ring. Let it be to you and to me, and to all the world, the symbol of the covenant of marriage we have accepted.
We have come together in this place and have heard the willingness of ___________ and ___________ to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our hearing have made a covenant of faithfulness. They have given and received a ring as the seal of their promises.
Therefore, by the power vested in me by the state of Arizona I pronounce that they are husband and wife.
A Sweet, Secular Ceremony Script
INTRODUCTION AND WELCOME:
Good evening everyone!
From this place (here the minister or officiant should describe something about your chosen ceremony venue/location, about the significance or beauty of the location), we take ourselves out of the usual routines of daily living to witness a unique moment in the lives of ______ and ______. Today they join their lives in the union of marriage.
To all their guests, they are happy to share this moment with you. They have known most of you for many years. You watched them grow up, you went to school with them, or you worked with them. Because you are the ones who have supported them and known them so well, it is only fitting that you are the ones to share this once-in-a-lifetime moment with them.
______ and _____ are pleased to have their parents in the front row…close to them for the ceremony.
______ thanks her mother for providing her with every opportunity possible and being the best mother anyone could ask for.
______ appreciates all the love and support his parents gave him over the years.
A wedding day is often a day when couples miss family members no longer with them.
For ______ and ______, there are family members whose memories they hold dear.
(Here you can insert references to loved ones that have passed away. Or you can mention loved ones that couldn’t be present for other reasons.)
And so it is that _____ and _____ present themselves to be married today…surrounded by the people they love the most.
Officiant:
As _____ and _____ prepared for the ceremony part of this wedding celebration, they reflected on what it is that they love about each other. And this was was the easiest part of planning this wedding!
To the Groom:
______ (Groom’s name), ______ (Bride’s name) loves that you blend in so comfortably with her family. She sees in you a funny, kind, and sweet man. She loves that you think she is funny and that you always find a way to compliment her.
She loves that you always want to be close to her. You remember details of the stories she tells. You want to be part of her family and circle of friends. You help her around the house. Most importantly, you are so close that even when she is at her worst, you have never made her feel like you want anything but to be closer to her.
______ (Bride’s name), _____(Groom’s name) loves that you ______________________(fill in the blank). He loves your brain, your smile, and your beauty. He appreciates that you are “low maintenance.” He likes that you can be really silly. He loves your emails and texts. He loves your cooking. He loves your kisses. He just really loves you!
You both look to a shared future that includes raising a happy & healthy family. That future also includes a richly lived life together…going out to restaurants, hanging out with family, relaxing at home in front of the TV, singing and dancing…Bride will do the singing, and Groom will do the dancing.
The years will come and go…you won’t take each other for granted, you will laugh a lot, you will be the best parents you can be, you will grow older and wiser together. It’s a good story,and the ending is not in sight!
(Optional Reading)
MARRIAGE VOWS:
Officiant:
We come now to the words ____ and _____ want to hear the most today…the words that take them across the threshold from being engaged to being married.
A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life.
Before you declare your vows to one another, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to be married today.
____, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to _____ in marriage? If so, answer “I do.”
Groom:
I do.
Officiant:
_____, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to _____ in
marriage? If so, answer “I do.”
Bride:
I do.
Officiant:
_____ and _____, having heard that it is your intention to be married to each other, I now ask you to declare your marriage vows.
Please face each other and hold hands.
Officiant:
Groom, please repeat after me…
I, _____ take you, _____ to be my wife.
I will share my life with yours,
and build our dreams together,
Support you through times of trouble,
and rejoice with you in times of happiness.
I promise to give you
respect, love and loyalty.
This commitment is made in love,
kept in faith,
lived in hope,
and made new every day of our lives.
Officiant:
Bride, please repeat after me…
I, _____, take you, _____, to be my husband.
I will share my life with yours,
Build our dreams together,
Support you through times of trouble,
and rejoice with you in times of happiness.
I promise to give you
respect, love and loyalty.
This commitment is made in love,
kept in faith,
lived in hope,
and made new every day of our lives.
EXCHANGE WEDDING RINGS
Officiant:
Your wedding ring are the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond which already unites you two hearts in love.
Groom, place the ring on Bride’s finger and repeat after me….
I give you this ring.
Wear it with love and joy.
As this ring has no end,
My love is also forever.
Bride, place the ring on Groom’s finger and repeat after me….
I give you this ring.
Wear it with love and joy.
As this ring has no end,
My love is also forever.
May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by enduring love.
Officiant:
Everyone has advice for newlyweds. _____ and ______, I offer these good wishes to you on this special day.
May your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health. May you always share open and honest communication between each other. May you respect each other’s individual talents and gifts and give full support to each other’s professional and personal pursuits.
May you cherish the home and family you will create together. May all the years to come be filled with moments to celebrate and renew your love. May your love be a life-long source of excitement, contentment, affection, respect, and devotion for one another.
DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE
Officiant:
And so now by the power vested in me by __________________, it is my honor and delight to declare
you husband and wife. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.
Officiant:
I am pleased to present the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. ______________!
Mildly Religious Ceremony
We are gathered together on this day to witness and celebrate the marriage of __________ & _________. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond and as their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.
This day is made possible not only because of your love for each other, but through the grace and support of your family and friends. It is our hope that your fulfillment and joy in each other will increase with each passing year.
Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.
OPENING PRAYER
Let us bow our heads in prayer. Lord, we thank you for gathering everyone here today. We ask that you help _____ and _____ to remember the strong love that they share. To work that love into practical things so that nothing can divide them. May their love always inspire them to be kind in their words, considerate of the other’s feelings, and concerned for the other’s needs and wishes. Increase their faith and trust in You. Bless their marriage with peace and happiness and make their Love fruitful for Your glory and their joy, both here and in eternity. Amen.
While the commitment begins with the two of you, its effect radiates outward. It touches your family and friends and ultimately all of society. When this commitment is seriously made and continuously fulfilled, it leads to the richest and most rewarding of human relationships.
Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
Seeing that no moment is without meaning, we ask that you take this marriage as a beginning of your lives together. Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the promises you are about to make and the life together you will create.
Remember that in every marriage, there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey – a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication and faith you share in one another.
May the promises you make to one another today, be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins.
_____ and _____, do you, with your family and friends as your witnesses, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?
[We do]
Will you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?
[We will]
VOWS
Groom, please repeat after me.
I, ____, take you ____, to be my wedded wife
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live
Bride, please repeat after me
I, _____, take you _____, to be my wedded husband
I give to you in the presence of these witnesses
My promise to stay by your side,
In sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow,
As well as through the good times and the bad.
I promise to love you without reservation,
Comfort you in times of distress
Encourage you to achieve all of your goals,
Laugh with you and cry with you,
Grow with you in mind and spirit
Always be open and honest with you,
And cherish you for as long as we both shall live
EXCHANGING OF THE RINGS
Having this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings.
From the earliest times, the circle has been a sign of completeness. The rings that you have chosen to wear have neither beginning nor end, much like your love for one another. They are a symbol of the words that you speak today. May these rings be from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.
_____, take this ring, place it on _____’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
_____, take this ring, place it on _____’s finger and repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a symbol
of my love and faithfulness to you.
_____ and _____ from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a completeness and renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you work to bring the peace you find to this world.
DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE
Having pledged their fidelity to one another, to love, honor and cherish one another in the presence of this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the constitution and the laws of this state, it is my honor to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honor to be the first to introduce you to: Mr. and Mrs. _____________.