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Christian Ceremony Example Three
This ceremony is ideal for formal weddings.
Where To Stand:
The chart below shows where each person in the wedding party should stand.
MAKING THE ENTRANCE (Formal Ceremony)
After arriving at the end of the aisle, the father of the bride should wait with the bride
until the music fades out.
Rev. Fennessy::
Who
presents this woman to be married to
this man?
Father: “I do”, or “Her Mother and I do”, or other similar
words.
Rev. Fennessy: Please present the bride to the groom.
At this time the father and bride complete the walk. The father kisses her farewell as the father presents his daughter to the groom. He then takes his
seat.
Rev. Fennessy: Please remain standing for the Opening Prayer and the reading of God’s Word in the Old Testament.
I will be reading from the Book of Ruth, 1st. Chapter, Verses 16 and 17. (Memorial
Candle Lighting and Presentation of Flowers can
also be added.)
Opening
Prayer: by Rev. Fennessy
Old Testament
Reading Example - Geneses 2:18-24: Rev.
Fennessy can read or the couple can elect a
loved one or close friend to come forward for
this reading.
"The
LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a
helper suitable for him. Now the LORD God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the
field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he
would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its
name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the
air and all the beasts of the field.
But
for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the LORD God caused the
man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the
man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God
made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the
man.
The man said,
"This
is now bone of my bones
and
flesh of my flesh;
she
shall be called `woman,'
for
she was taken out of man."
For
this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,
and they will become one flesh."
May God add His Blessing to this
reading and to you _______ (Bride) and you _______ (Groom) and to you, their
family and friends.. thank you, please be seated.
Rev. Fennessy: Greetings
We are gathered together today, in the presence of God, and in the company of you family
and friends to join together this man, _______ (Groom), and this woman, _______ (Bride) in
God’s Holy institution of marriage.
They are both pleased and honored that you have responded to their invitation to share these happy and sacred moments with them.
Rev. Fennessy: If any person can show just cause why this man and this woman
may not be lawfully joined together, let you speak now, or else forever, hold your peace.
(Short Pause)
A wedding is that occasion when a man and a woman publicly proclaim their love and declare their commitment to one another.
Today, (Name of Bride) and (Name of Groom) publicly proclaim
their love and declare their commitment to one another.
By this very nature it is both a solemn and a happy event. For some of you gathered here,
this ceremony will prompt a flood of personal memories, for others of you it will set in
motion dreams and aspirations. For all of you it will be a sharing in a most intimate and
love-filled moment in the lives of two people you know and appreciate.
The
Blessings
Rev. Fennessy:
Today (Name of Bride) and (Name of Groom) come here from two different families.
Out of these two families, a new family will be created in the Lord.
And
in most Christian weddings, the parents are asked to release their
children and to give the marriage their blessing.
And so, I now turn to you, the parents: (Parents
of Bride and Groom stand)
“Do
you the parents give your blessing to _______
(Bride) and you _______ (Groom)
in their marriage?”
Parents:
“We Do”
Rev.
Fennessy:
“Do you support them with your love and
wisdom? At the same time, do you promise to
allow them the freedom to grow through their own
experiences?
Parents:
“We Do”
Rev.
Fennessy: "Thank you. You may be
seated"
Note:
If the couple has elected to light a
"Unity Candle" instead of thanking the
parents and asking them to be seated, I will ask
the parents to come forward and light the tapers
of the Unity Candle After lighting the tapers
they will return to their seats.
"At this time, I
invite you the parents of (Name of Bride) and (Name of Groom) to come forward and light the individual
taper of the Unity Candle which represent your two separate
families. The two individual flames, one representing each family, will demonstrate to us
in a very beautiful way the symbol of two who become one. For very soon they
will come together as unique persons becoming a light to the world.
Blessing of the Children: Obviously, this element would apply only in
circumstances where one or both of the marriage partners have children from a previous
relationship.
Today, we’re also going to ask these children to give their blessing to their
parents.
(Name of Bride) and (Name of Groom) will need your support to have their marriage be as happy and as strong as it might be. Do you
children promise to support them and their marriage?
Children: We do.
Rev
Fennessy: And
so, we celebrate with them the love they have
discovered in each other, and we support their
decision to commit themselves to each other for
the rest of their lives.
Rev Fennessy: We all should know, and (Name of Groom) and (Name of Bride) do
know, I am assured, that marriage is not to be entered into lightly or unadvisedly, but
reverently.
It is necessary to understand that God, not man designed marriage. In the quiet of the
garden of Eden, before evil had touched the world, God saw that is was not good for the
man to be alone. He made a partner suitable for him, two persons complimenting and
corresponding to one another, and established the rite of marriage.
We must emphasize the importance of what will take place in the uniting of these two
persons. Marriage is the foundation of home life and social order and must remain so until
the end of time. It was sanctioned and honored by our Lord Jesus Christ. So it happens
that a man shall leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife; and the two shall
become one flesh.
There are two words that have special meaning today; “Love” and “Commitment”.
Let’s pause and explore a Biblical definition of Love.
I will be reading from the New Testament, 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verses
4-8:
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it
keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It
always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. .....Love never
fails..
Homily:
"What is a Christian Marriage": By
Rev. Fennessy, (Approx. 5 minutes) Mandatory for
any Christian Marriage I solemnize..
The second word that has special meaning today is “Commitment”
_______ (Groom) _______ (Bride) You
are making a commitment today, a commitment of
life. A commitment that will stand in the
bad that may darken your days. A commitment that
will be a beacon of light in the good of your
ways. A commitment to be true to each other.
This is a commitment for life. It is binding and
permanent in the eyes of God.
And
so I call to your attention the seriousness of
the decision which you have made and the
covenant you are about to declare before God. Be
very clear that your marriage is dependent upon
your willingness to be faithful to each other
and faithful to your understanding of God’s
will for you.
Unfaithfulness
in either is a betrayal of your covenant.
Constant and continuous obedience to your vow
will result in a marriage which will be blessed,
a home which will be a place of peace, and a
relationship in which you both grow old in love.
The Wedding Vows:
(Example. I have
several I have written over the years)
Rev. Fennessy: You (Name of Bride) and you (Name of Groom) having come to me
signifying your desire to be formally united in marriage, and being assured that no legal,
moral, or religious barriers hinder this proper union, I ask you to face one
another, join your hands
and give heed to the questions now asked you.
Do
you (Name of Groom),
take this woman, (Name of Bride)
to be your lawful wedded wife?
Do
you promise to love her and cherish her, to
honor and sustain her, in sickness as in health,
in poverty as in wealth, in good times and in
bad, and forsaking all others, to be true to her
all the days of your life?
(Name of Groom) “I Do”
Rev. Fennessy:
Do
you (Name of Bride),
take this man, (Name of Groom)
to be your lawful wedded husband?
Do
you promise to love him and cherish him, to
honor and sustain him, in sickness as in health,
in poverty as in wealth, in good times and in
bad, and forsaking all others, to be true to him
all the days of your life?
(Name of Bride):
“I Do”
The Ring Ceremony:
(Example, I have several)
_______ (Groom) _______ (Bride),
what symbol have you brought today for the
faithful fulfillment of your Wedding Vows?
_______ (Groom) _______ (Bride):
“We have brought rings”.
Rev. Fennessy:
I
will then deliver the proper ring to (Name of
Groom) to put upon the forth finger of his
brides left hand. The groom, holding the ring
there, looking into his brides eyes shall say
after me:
(Name
of Bride), with this ring | I seal my
vows; | in
the name of the Father, | and of the Son, | and
of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
I
then will deliver the proper ring to (Name of
Bride) to put upon the forth finger of her
grooms left hand. (Name of Bride), holding the
ring there, looking into her grooms eyes shall
say after me:
(Name
of Bride), with this ring | I seal
my vows; | in the name of the Father, |
and of the Son, | and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
The Unity Candle:
(or Christian
Sand Ceremony)
Rev. Fennessy: "The scripture tells us that life is like a flame, It has
its own warmth, and its own brilliance. But it's in the union of Two, that something brighter,
warmer, more wonderful takes place.
You
_______ (Groom) _______ (Bride)each
of you, take your single
taper previously lit by your parents and light
the center candle, then extinguish your
individual candles and return them to their
holders. This represents the closing of the
chapters in your individual “Book of Life”
and the beginning of new chapters as you begin
to write a new book as husband and wife."
Wedding Prayer and Blessing:
Optional Closing Scripture Reading: 1 John
4:7-10
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone
who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does
not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among
us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through
him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent
his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Declaration of Marriage:
Rev. Fennessy: (Name of Bride) and (Name of Groom) since you have
committed yourselves to a lifelong love, before God and before your family
and friends, and since you
have agreed to meet the needs of each other as long as you both live, and so,
by the power vested in my by Almighty God and
according to the laws of the State of Ohio, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Benediction: You are no longer two but one. What therefore God has joined together, let not man put
asunder.
The Lord Bless you and keep you; The
Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon
you, and give you
peace. Amen.
Wedding
Kiss:
(Name of Groom) You may now kiss your bride.
Introduction: Husband and Wife face the guest.
Rev. Fennessy: Ladies and Gentlemen, may I introduce to you for the very
first time (Mr. and Mrs.(_________ ).
Recession
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