Celebration of the Marriage Liturgy
Taken from the Book of Common Prayer
Suitable for those of Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopalian/Anglican, and certain Methodist backgrounds
Convocation
All stand.
Dearly beloved: We have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and his Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.
The union of two people in heart, body, and mind is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God’s will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
Into this holy union Happy Human and Other Happy Human now come to be joined.
If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.
Charge To The Couple
I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully, and in accordance with God’s Word, you do now confess it.
The Declaration Of Consent
Happy Human/Other Happy Human, will you have this man/woman to be your husband/wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him/her, comfort him/her, honor and keep him/her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him/her as long as you both shall live?
I will.
Community Vow Of Support
Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?
We will.
Presentation Of The Happy Human
Who presents this woman to be married to this man?
Father (or parents) of the Happy Human: “I do” or “her mother and I do.” Or something similar.
All seated.
A HYMN, PSALM, OR ANTHEM MAY BE PLACED HERE.
All stand.
The Liturgy Of The Word
The Lord be with you.
People: And also with you.
Let us pray.
O gracious and ever-living God, you have created us male and female in your image: Look mercifully upon this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them with your grace, that with true fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they make; through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
Amen.
Scripture Reading 1
All seated.
One of the following passages from holy scripture is read
Genesis 1:26-28 (male and female he created them)
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24 (a man cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh)
Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7 (many waters cannot quench love)
Song Of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7
My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, passion fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, a raging flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If one offered for love all the wealth of his house, it would be utterly scorned.
Scripture Reading 2
One of the following passages from holy scripture is read
1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (love is patient and kind)
Ephesians 3:14-19 (the father from whom every family is named)
Ephesians 5:1-2, 21-33 (walk in love, as christ loved us)
Colossians 3:12-17 (love which binds everything together in harmony)
1 john 4:7-12 (let us love one another for love is of god)
1John 4:7-12
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of
God and knows God. But anyone who does not love does not know God—for God is love.
God showed how much he loved us by sending his only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love. It is not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.
Between the readings, a psalm, hymn, or anthem may be sung or said.
Appropriate psalms are 67, 127, and 128.
Also, one or both of the scriptures may be replaced with a secular reading of the couple’s choice.
Gospel
Matthew 5:1-10 (the beatitudes)
Matthew 5:13-16 (you are the light . . . Let your light so shine)
Matthew 7:21, 24-29 (like a wise man who built his house upon the rock)
Mark 10:6-9, 13-16 (they are no longer two but one)
John 15:9-12 (love one another as i have loved you)
All stand.
The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
People: Glory to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
JOHN 15:9-12
As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
People: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
All seated.
Minister’s Address (Homily)
(OFFICIANT GIVES A HOMILY ON MARRIAGE, AND TALKS ABOUT SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COUPLE. MAY INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING OR ANOTHER PASSAGE OF HIS CHOOSING.)
"Marriage Joins Two People In The Circle Of Its Love", By Edmund O’neill
Marriage is a commitment to life, to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal; a joining that is promised for a lifetime. Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important relationships. A wife and a husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic. There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the tender caring of a parent for a child. Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is stronger; even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in marriage, they create a spirit unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written words. Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime to fulfill.
THE MARRIAGE
Other Happy Human, facing Happy Human and taking her right hand in his, says:
In the Name of God, I, Other Happy Human, take you, Happy Human, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death.
This is my solemn vow.
Then they loose their hands, and Happy Human, still facing Other Happy Human, takes his right hand in hers, and says:
In the Name of God, I, Happy Human, take you, Other Happy Human, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.
They loose their hands.
Blessing Of The Rings
Do we have the Rings?
(Optional)the rings are brought forth and placed in a plate or a cloth. The officiant sprinkles them with holy water.
Bless, O Lord, this ring to be a sign of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Other Happy Human places the ring on Happy Human’s ring-finger and says:
Happy Human, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (or in the Name of God).
Happy Human places the ring on Other Happy Human’s ring-finger and says:
Other Happy Human, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (or in the Name of God).
Then the celebrant joins the right hands of husband and wife.
Now that Happy Human and Other Happy Human have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.
People: Amen.
The Prayers
All stand.
The Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray together in the words our Savior taught us, the Lord’s Prayer:
People and Celebrant:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
Amen.
Prayer Of The Faithful
One or more of these prayers may be eliminated or adapted to better fit the couple.
Let us pray.
After each prayer is read please respond “Amen”.
Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation, and giver of all grace: Look with favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy Matrimony. Amen.
Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life, that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy. Amen.
Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their spirits in your Spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one another all the days of their life. Amen.
Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other’s forgiveness and yours. Amen.
Make their life together a sign of love to this world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy conquer despair. Amen.
Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to love you, and to serve you. Amen.
Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may reach out in love and concern for others. Amen.
Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed. Amen.
Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by your grace, that your will may be done on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your Son and the Holy Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity, now and forever. Amen.
THE BLESSING OF THE MARRIAGE
The people remain standing.
O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it is represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon these your servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other in faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be a haven of blessing and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve, and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace; that you may faithfully live together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.
Passing Of The Peace (Optional)
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
People: And also with you.
Let us turn now to our neighbor and exchange a sign of God’s peace.
The couple greet each other, after which greetings are shared throughout the congregation.
Presentation Of The Couple
The ceremony has ended. Please join me now in celebration as we greet for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Other Happy Human and Happy Human Lastname!
