Shawna L Turner

**INVOCATION

Welcome to the wedding ceremony of ____ & ____. We have taken this day, during this time of turmoil to come together and celebrate the love between these two and their family. Everyone here is not just a guest, but witnesses of that love.

**READING

When reflecting on the meaning of marriage, I came across an excerpt by Daphne Rose Kingma that I'd like to share with you. She says

'In marriage, we say not only I love you today, but also I promise to love you tomorrow, the next day and always. In promising always, we promise each other time. We promise to exercise our love, to stretch it large enough to embrace the unforeseen realities of our future. We promise to learn to love beyond the level of our instincts and inclinations, to love in foul weather as well as good, to love in hard times as well as when we are exhilarated by the pleasures of romance. We change because of these promises, We shape ourselves according to them; we live in their midst and live differently because of them. We feel protected because of them. Our souls are protected; our hearts have come home.

I’m also reminded of a favorite scripture about love

1 Corinthians 13: 4-8 defines love.

Love is patient love is kind. Love is not jealous. It does not brag, and does not get puffed up with pride, Love does not behave indecently, and does not look for its own interests, Love does not become provoked nor keeps any record of wrongs Love does not rejoice over unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.

**RING EXCHANGE AND DECLARATION OF INTENT

___ and ___ have made the decision to exchange rings as a symbol of their union.

The wedding ring is an emblem of love through time, a symbol of devotion and an agreement between two parties to love and cherish one another for the remainder of their days. Wedding rings are circular in shape representing the infinity of the love given and love received with no beginning and no end.

___, as you place this ring on ___’s finger, contemplate the promise that is given in its circular design and remember even if you have hard times, your ring is a physical representation of your commitment and in times of doubt, just look down at your left hand.

When you are ready,Please repeat after me.

With this ring I, ______, take you, ______, to be my lawful wedded wife.

I promise to cherish you always,

to honor and sustain you, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth,

and to be true to you in all things until death alone shall part us.

I ask that you be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know,

I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us.

___, as you place this ring on ____’s finger, contemplate the promise that is given in its circular design and remember even if you have hard times, your ring is a physical representation of your commitment and in times of doubt, just look down at your left hand. Please repeat after me.

With this ring I, ______, take you, ______, to be my lawful wedded husband.

I promise to cherish you always, to honor and sustain you,

in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth,

and to be true to you in all things, until death alone shall part us.

I ask that you be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you, and trusting what I do not yet know,

I will respect your integrity and have faith in your abiding love for me, through all our years, and in all that life may bring us.

**UNITY CANDLE

At this time ___ and ___ will light their family’s Unity Candle. ___ and ___, please take one of the smaller candles. Each of the candles represents you as individuals. After lighting your candles. Please take your candles and light the center candle together. The center candle represents the joining of two individuals into one married couple. Each year on your anniversary you will relight your candles and relive your vows.

**PRONOUNCEMENT

Now that ___l and ____ have exchanged their vows and rings in our presence and have in fact pronounced themselves husband and wife.

I now have the honor to introduce for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. ______ - you may now kiss your bride!