Muslim & Jewish Intercultural Wedding Ceremony Script

PROCESSION

• Ceremony begins

INVOCATION & OPENING PRAYER / SHEHECHEYANU

Officiant to the reception

Beloved Creator, we praise you, Adonai our God, Allah, Ruler of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and brought us to this joyous occasion. We thank you for this day and for bringing (Partner A) and (Partner B) into Divine Union.

Let us all be moved to be better and kinder by what is witnessed here today, and may you always guide, bless, and protect (Partner A) and (Partner B) with a loving, healthy, and happy marriage. And So It Is.

Blessing & reflection on the Chuppah

Officiant to the Congregation 

Family & Friends, Welcome and unto you all peace. Love has brought us all here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments. This ceremony also brings together two faiths, two hearts and two lives into one. (Partner A) and (Partner B) have also chosen to honor both of their families backgrounds by highlighting their Muslim and Jewish backgrounds in this ceremony. Today is a celebration of (Partner A) and (Partner B)’s uniqueness as well as the merging of their two families into one.

We stand here beneath the Jewish canopy called a Chuppah. This canopy is a symbol of the home that (Partner A) and (Partner B) are creating and because it is open on all four sides, it is a symbol of the open and welcoming abode they wish to establish. This ceremony reminds us that marriage is a mutual enrichment; a dance between two personalities, which diminishes neither and enhances both. In fact, it is a fusion of two lives, a union of two hearts flowing in the same direction.

Love, being at the center of this marriage is in fact our greatest unifier, and even though (Partner A) and (Partner B) come from very different faiths and backgrounds, it is their deep commitment, love, and belief in each other that will make this union successful. The marriage union is a symbol of hope for two people who love each other and who wish to build a future together. A lasting marriage is built on a foundation of trust, respect, faithfulness, and the ability to always forgive.

Today we are blessed to witness a union based on all of these and bound together by love. (Partner A) and (Partner B) are so grateful to have each of you here to witness their union, and to support their decision to join their lives together as one.

Officiant's ADDRESS to the couple

(Partner A) and (Partner B), marriage is one of the most important earthly relationships. Sanctified by G-d/Allah, it is a sacred union that must be entered into reverently and thoughtfully. Your marriage is like two threads woven in opposite directions to form a beautiful tapestry, merging your two lives into one, to create a beautiful union. Your marriage must stand by the strength of your love and your faith in this union, as well as your faith in the Divine Creator who brought you together. 

Your Spiritual union is a gift of G-d / Allah and is designed for you to find joy, peace, and security within each other. The Koran conveys the message that all human beings come from the same source and in (7:189) it says that spouses are created for each other…

“It is He who created you from one soul and created from its mate that he might dwell in security with her….”  

Just as in Genesis 2, G-d said “It is not good for man to live alone. I will make a companion to help him”

The Koran says that each partner should be as garments for each other. The Talmud reminds us that a Woman was not created from man’s head that he should command her, nor from his feet that she should be controlled by him, but rather, from his side, that she should always be near his heart.

And so (Partner A) and (Partner B) have come here to love and accept each other, embrace their differences, and to build a beautiful life together. Through this sacred union today, (Partner A) and (Partner B) have come here to join their hearts, minds, bodies, and souls, and to declare to each other, and to all of us, that they will be by each other’s side, no matter what life brings their way.

wedding READING

Officiant to the Reception

From The Prophet by Kahlill Gilbran, On Marriage:

"You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore,
You shall be together when the white wings of death
scatter your days.
Ah, you shall be together even in the silent memory of G-d.
But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
and let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another, but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea
between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other's cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread,
but eat not from the same loaf
Sing and dance together and be joyous,
but let each of you be alone,
Even as the strings of the lute are alone
though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other's keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress
grow not in each other's shadow."

DECLARATION OF INTENT

Officiant to the Couple

(Partner A), (Partner B), today, your wedding day is one brief day in time, and the promises you make to each other must be renewed each day and are meant to last a lifetime.

OFFICIANT TO PARTNER A

Do you, (Partner A), accept this woman/man (Partner B) as your (wife/husband), offering your friendship and loving care, cherishing and respecting them, loving and embracing them in times of adversity and in times of joy?

Partner A

I Do.

OFFICIANT TO PARTNER B

Do you, (Partner B), accept this woman/man (Partner A) as your (wife/husband), offering your friendship and loving care, cherishing and respecting them, loving and embracing them in times of adversity and times of joy?

Partner B

 I Do.

EXCHANGE OF VOWS AND RINGS

Officiant to the Couple

(Partner A) and (Partner B) the vows that you are about to exchange serve as a verbal representation of the love you are now promising to each other. And it is important to remember that words and promises alone are not what matters, but the daily gentle reminders that are also shown through your actions. 

Please Repeat After Me:

I, (Partner A), take you (Partner B) to be my beloved wife/husband, to have and to hold you, to honor you, and to treasure you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion.

I, (Partner B), take you (Partner A) to be my beloved wife/husband, to have and to hold you, to honor you, and to treasure you. Wear this ring as a symbol of my love and devotion.

• COUPLE REPEATS AFTER THE OFFICIANT & exchange rings

Officiant TO THE COUPLE

May these rings you have exchanged always reflect the light of your abiding love for each other.

 

+ FOR INSPIRATION WRITING PERSONAL VOWS:

Muslim Wedding Vows Inspired by Quran Verses on Love & Marriage
 

PRONOUNCEMENT & KISS

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE

(Partner A) and (Partner B), today you have made sacred vows to each other and have chosen to walk side by side on this journey together. May you always cherish each other as unique individuals, honoring your differences and always finding ways to build bridges. May your union always be a testament that true love knows no boundaries and despite your differences, it is love that seals your union. May you always be blessed and protected along your journey together.

As you have committed yourselves to each other in the sacred bond of marriage before this loving community of family and friends, it is my privilege and honor, to now pronounce you husband/wife and wife/husband. (OR substitute 'Partners for Life', 'Spouses', etc.)

You may now seal your vows with a kiss.

• The couple kiss or embrace.

BREAKING OF THE GLASS

Officiant to the reception

The final act of this ceremony is the shattering of the glass, an old Jewish custom to remind us of the fragile nature of life and the care that must go into precious relationships.

That this glass is as delicate as this marriage and by breaking the glass, we send out the prayer that it would take as long to put back together as (Partner A) and (Partner B) will be together. In other words, they will be together forever.

On the count of three, I invite you all to shout “Mazel Tov” or “Congratulations."

One... Two... Three! Mazel tov!

[ glass wrapped in cloth. - Groom smashes it!]

Recession

• Ceremony Ends