~~~TRADITIONAL VOWS~~~

THE BLESSING OF THE RING

The wedding ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward


and spiritual bond which unites two loyal hearts in endless love.
It is a seal of the vows [Groom's name] and [Bride's name]
have made to one another. Bless O God these rings,
that [Bride's name] and [Groom's name], who give them,
and who wear them, may ever abide in thy peace.
Living together in unity, love and happiness for the rest of their lives

The Exchange of rings:
[Bride's name] I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows,
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,
With this ring, I thee wed.
[Groom's name], I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows,
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,
With this ring, I thee wed.
Declaration of Marriage:
In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment,
love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife,
in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.
[Groom's name], You may kiss your bride!


CHRISTIAN MEDEIVAL CEREMONY

This is a popularized Medieval ceremony...
It is a short version of the full, original text - for which
some couples then add modern passages or readings to it. It also is shorter.
The core sources are the Book of Common Prayer of HRM Elizabeth I
of England, extracts from the Sarum Rite and the York Rite,
and various other lesser sources.
At the day and time appointed for solemnization of Matrimony,
the persons to be married shall come into the porch of the Church
with their friends and neighbors; and there standing together,
the Man on the right hand, and the woman on the left,
with that person who shall give the Woman betwixt them,
the Priest shall say:

Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here
in the sight of God to join together this Man and this Woman
in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted
of God in Paradise, and into which holy estate these two persons
present come now to be joined.

Therefore if any man can shew any just cause, why they may not
lawfully be joined together, let him now speak,
or else hereafter for ever hold his peace.

I require and charge you both, as ye will answer at the dreadful
day of judgment when the secrets of all hearts shall be disclosed,
that if either of you know any impediment, why ye may not be lawfully
joined together in Matrimony, that ye confess it. For ye be well assured,
that so many as be coupled together otherwise than God's Word doth allow
are not joined together by God; neither is their Matrimony lawful.
At which day of Marriage, if any man do allege and declare any impediment,
why they may not be coupled together in Matrimony, by God's Law,
or the Laws of the Realm; and will be bound, and sufficient sureties
with him, to the parties; or else put in a Caution
(to the full value of such charges as the persons to be married
do thereby sustain) to prove his allegation; then the solemnization
must be deferred, until such time as the truth be tried.
If no impediment be alleged, then shall the

Priest say unto the Man: Wilt the have this Woman to be thy wedded wife,
to live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony?
Wilt the love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her, in sickness and
in health; and forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long
as ye both shall live?

The Man shall answer: I will.

Then shall the Priest say to the Woman: Wilt the have this man to be
thy wedded husband, to live together after God's ordinance in the holy
estate of Matrimony? Wilt the obey him, and serve him, love, honour,
and keep him in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all other,
keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both shall live?

The Woman shall answer: I will.

Thus ends the formal betrothal. The couple shall advance
to the Altar, led by the Minister, who shall then
turn to the assembled company, and say:

Who giveth this Woman to be married to this Man?
The person who gives the Woman shall answer, and shall
place the Woman's right hand in the hand of the Minister,
and then shall retire. Then shall they give their troth
to each other in this manner: The Minister, receiving the
Woman at her father's or friend's hands, shall cause the
Man with his right hand to take the Woman by her right hand,
and to say after him as followeth,

GROOM' VOW: "I, ___________, take thee __________ to my wedded
wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for
worse, for richer for poorer, for fairer or fouler, in sickness
and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us depart,
according to God's holy ordinance; and thereunto I plight thee my troth.

Then shall they loose their hands; and the Woman, with her right
hand taking the Man by his right hand, shall likewise say after the Minister,

BRIDE'S VOW: I ___________ take thee___________ to my wedded husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse,
for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to be bonny
and buxom at bed and at board, to love and to cherish, till
death us depart, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereunto
I plight thee my troth.

Then shall they again loose their hands; and the Man shall give
unto the Woman a Ring, laying the same upon the Book with the
accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk. And the Priest shall bless the Ring(s) in the following manner:

Bless these Rings, O merciful Lord, that those who wear them,
that give and receive them, may be ever faithful to one another,
remain in your peace, and live and grow old together in your love,
under their own vine and fig tree, and seeing their children's children. Amen.

And the Priest, taking the Ring, shall deliver it to the Man, to put
it on the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand. And the Man holding
the ring there, and taught by the Priest, shall say,
GROOM: With this Ring I thee wed, (here placing it upon her thumb)
and with my body I thee honor, (here placing it upon her index finger)
and with all my worldly goods I thee endow; (here placing it upon
her ring finger) In the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

If it be a double-ring ceremony, let the Woman do the same as the Man,
giving him the ring, and repeating the same words as he.
They both shall kneel down; and the Minister shall say,

Let us pray. O Eternal God, Creator and Preserver of all mankind,
Giver of all spiritual grace, the Author of everlasting life;
Send thy blessing upon these thy servants, this man and this woman,
whom we bless in thy Name; + that, as Isaac and Rebecca lived
faithfully together, so these persons may surely perform and
keep the vow and covenant betwixt them made, whereof this Ring given
and received is a token and pledge, and may ever hereafter remain
in perfect love and peace together, and live according to thy laws;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And here shall be said the LORD'S PRAYER.

Then shall the Priest join their right hands together, and say,

Those whom God hath joined together let no man put asunder.
Then shall the Minister speak unto the people. Forasmuch as
N and N have consented together in holy wedlock, and have witnessed
the same before God and this company, and thereto have given and
pledged their troth each to the other, and have declared the same
by giving and receiving of a Ring, and by joining of hands;
I pronounce therefore that they be Man and Wife together,
in the Name of the Father, + and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Minister shall add this blessing.

God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, bless, preserve,
and keep you; the Lord mercifully with his favour look upon you;
and so fill you with all spiritual benediction and grace, that ye
may so live together in this life, that in the world to
come ye may have life everlasting. Amen.

And here the Minister shall turn the couple to the Company, and
they may kiss each the other, and then proceed from the Altar.
And if it be the wish of the couple to take Communion,
they may do it privately, following these ceremonies.


EXCHANGE OF VOWS

I, [Groom's name], take you [Bride's name], to be my wife,
my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and
love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honor you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep
So help me God
I, [Bride's name], take you [Groom's name],
to be my husband, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today,
tomorrow, and forever
I will trust you and honor you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep
So help me God

In unison:
Entreat me not to leave you, or to return from following after you,
For where you go I will go,
and where you stay I will stay
Your people will be my people,
and your God will be my God.
And where you die, I will die and there I will be buried.
May the Lord do with me and more if anything but death parts you from me.


NON-TRADITIONAL VOWS

(great guides to personalizing your own vows)
(1)
I come here today, (name), to join my life to years before this company.
In their presence I pledge to be true to you, to respect you,
and to grow with you through the years.
Time may pass, fortune may smile, trials may come;
no matter what we may encounter together,
I vow here that this love will be my only love.
I will make my home in your heart from this day forward.

(2)
Today, (name), I join my life to yours, not merely as your (husband/wife),
but as your friend, your lover, and your confidant.
Let me be the shoulder you lean on,
the rock on which you rest,
the companion of your life.
With you I will walk my path from this day forward.

(3)
(Name), with free and unconstrained soul,
I give you all I am and all I am to become.
Take this ring, and with it my promise of faith, patience, and love,
for the rest of my life.

(4)
What have I to give you, (name)?
The promise to take you as my only love from this day forward,
to stand by your side, to listen when you speak,
to comfort you when you cry,
and to join your laughter with my own.
Take this ring, and be my (husband/wife)

(5)
As freely, (name), as God has given me life,
I join my life with yours.
Wherever you go, I will go;
whatever you face, I will face.
For good or ill, in happiness or sadness,
come riches or poverty,
I take you as my (husband/wife), and will give myself to no other.


CELEBRATION OF MARRIAGE

Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure
in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous
union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding
have flowered in romance. Today ___________ and__________ proclaim
their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice,
with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together.
The joy we feel now is a solemn joy, because the act of marriage
has many consequences, both social and personal. Marriage requires
"love," a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality.
We may assume that love is some rare and mystical event,
when in fact it is our natural state of being.

So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other
people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities which
make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes,
is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen, and known,
as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift:
a piece of ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us.

We who love, can look at each other's life and say, "I touched his
life," or, "I touched her life," just as an artist might say,
"I touched this canvas." "Those brushstrokes in the comer of
this magnificent mural, those are mine. I was a part of this
life, and it is a part of me." Marriage is to belong to each
other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like
two threads crossing in different directions,
yet weaving one tapestry together.

The secret of love and marriage is similar to that of
religion itself. It is the emergence of the larger self.
It is the finding of one's life by losing it. Such is the privilege
of husband and wife - to be each himself, herself and
yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.

To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love.
It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best
for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another,
to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes
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.

The true art of married life is in this an inner spiritual journey.
It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities,
a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.


THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER

I, (name) take thee, (name) to be my wedded (husband/wife),
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish,
' til death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance;
thereto I plight thee my troth. (Thereto
I pledge my love).


CIVIL CEREMONY

(Name), I take you to be my lawfully wedded (husband/wife).
Before these witnesses I vow to love you and care for you
as long as we both shall live.
I take you, with all your faults and strengths,
as I offer myself to you
with all my faults and strengths.
I will help you when you need help, and
turn to you when I need help.
I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.


ROMAN CATHOLIC

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife).
I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad,
in sickness and in health. I will love you
and honor you all the days of my life.


CATHOLIC

I, ________, take you ______, for my wife/husband,
to have an d to hold,
from this day forward, for better,
for worse, for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health, until death do us part.


CATHOLIC-NON-CATHOLIC

I,__________, take you, _____________, to be my wife/husband, I
promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in
health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."


LUTHERAN

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband,
and pledge thee my troth,
so long as ye both shall live.


STANDARD LUTHERAN

I, (name), take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife),
and these things I promise you:
I will be faithful to you and honest with you;
I will respect, trust, help and care for you;
I will share my life with you;
I will forgive you as we have been forgiven;
and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God;
through the best and the worst of what is to come as long as we live.


LUTHERAN 3

(Name), Our miracle lies in the path we have chosen together.
I enter into this marriage with you knowing that the true magic of love
is not to avoid changes, but to navigate them successfully.
Let us commit until death parts us.


BAPTIST VOWS

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/husband,
and before God and these witnesses I promise to be
a faithful and true wife/husband."


ZION MARRIAGE VOWS

"I, _____, take thee, _____, to be my wedded husband/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, till death do us part.
According to God's holy ordinance, and thereto I
pledge thee my faith."
Groom:
I promise you ____________, that I will be your loving and loyal husband
from now on.
I will share with you all of life's joy
and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.
Bride:
I promise you ____________, that I will be your loving and loyal wife
from now on.
I will share with you all of life's joy and
sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.


METHODIST VOWS 1

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wife/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, till death do us part,
and thereto I pledge thee my faith.


METHODIST 2

I, _____, take thee _____, to be my wedded husband/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, till death do us part,
according to God's holy ordinance;
and thereto I pledge thee my faith.

METHODIST 3

I, _____, ask you, _____, to be my husband/wife as my friend and my love.
On this day I affirm the relationship we have enjoyed, looking to the future
to deepen and strengthen it. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in
sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together we will dream,
will stumble but restore each other, we will share all things,
serving each other and our fellow humanity. I will cherish and respect you,
comfort and encourage you, be open with you, and stay with you as long as
we shall Live, freed and bound by our Love.


UNITED METHODIST CONSENT

I take you, (name), to be my (husband/wife) from this day forward, to join
with you and share all that is to come, and I promise to be faithful to you
of God and this congregation to declare your intent. Will you have this
(man/woman) to be your (husband/wife), to live together in a holy marriage?
Will you love (him/her), comfort (him/her), honor (him/her), 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?


PRESBYTARIAN VOWS

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wedded wife/husband,
and I do promise and covenant, before God and these witnesses,
to be thy loving and faithful wife/husband; in plenty and in want,
in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in
health, as long as we both shall live.


PRESBYTERIAN RING

This ring I give you, in token and pledge
of our constant faith and abiding love.


EPISCOPLE VOWS

I, ________, take thee ______, to be my wedded wife/husband,
to have an to hold from this day forward, for better for worse,
for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
'til death do us part, according to God’s
ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my troth.


EPISCOPALIAN VOWS

I vow to be your faithful husband/wife, understanding that marriage is a
lifelong union, and not to be entered into lightly, for the purpose of
mutual fellowship, encouragement and understanding; for the
procreation of children and their physical and spiritual nurture. I hereby
give myself to you in this cause with my sacred vow before God."


STANDARD EPISCOPALIAN

Groom:
In the name of God, I, (name), take you, (name), to be my wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until we are parted by death.
This is my solemn vow.

Bride:
In the name of God, I, (name), take you, (name), to be my husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better or worse, for richer or poorer,
in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,
until we are parted by death.
This is my solemn vow.


EPISCOPAL EXCHANGE OF RINGS

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.

Our miracle lies in the path we have chosen
together. I enter into
this marriage with you knowing that the true magic
of love is not to avoid
changes, but to navigate them successfully. Let us
commit to the miracle of
making each day work together.

I offer you my love and my support throughout
all of our lives.
I commit myself to years of growth and sharing as I
encourage you to
move in new direction.
I will strive to achieve my potential as God's creature
and will celebrate your
progress toward the same goal. I give myself as
I am and as I will be, and
I do it for all of life.

Respecting each other, we commit to live our lives
together for all the days to come.
I ask you to share this world with me, for good and ill.
Be my partner, and I will be yours.

May our days be long, and may they be seasoned with
love, understanding, and respect.

Now we stand together; may it always be so.
I offer myself to you today.
I will always love you, respect you and be faithful to you.

Come health, happiness, and prosperity, I will stand with you; come
illness, trouble, or poverty, I will stand with you. Take this ring,
as a sign of my love and commitment.

Today I join my life to yours as your
friend, your lover, and your confidant.
Let me be the shoulder you lean on, the rock on
which you rest,
the companion of your life. With you I will walk my path
from this day forward.

I came here today to join my life to yours before
this company. In
their presence I pledge to be true to you, to respect you,
and to grow with
you through the years. Time may pass, fortune may smile,
trials may come;
no matter what we may encounter together, I vow here that
this love will be
my only love. I will make my home in your heart
from this day forward.


JEWISH VOWS

(Groom) Do you ____________, take _______ to be your wife? ("I do").
Do you promise to love, cherish and protect her, whether in
good fortune or in adversity, and to seek with her a life
hallowed by the faith of Israel? ("I do")
(Bride) Do you ____________, take _______ to be your husband? ("I do").
Do you promise to love, cherish and protect him, whether
in good fortune or in adversity, and to seek with him a life
hallowed by the faith of Israel? ("I do")

(Groom) __________ , as you place this ring upon the finger of __________,
speak to her these vows:
" With this ring be thou consecrated unto me as my wife,
according to the law of God, and the faith of Israel."
(Bride) __________ , as you place this ring upon the finger of __________,
speak to her these vows:
" With this ring/ be thou consecrated unto me/ as my wife/
according to the law of God / and the faith of Israel."


JEWISH/ CHRISTIAN INTERFAITH

I,_______________, take you,_______, to be my wedded
wife/husband; and I promise and covenant, before God and these
witnesses, to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, in plenty and in
want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, as long as we
both shall live."


NON-DENOMINATIONAL 1

Traditional:
"I ________, take thee ________, to be my wife/husband.
To have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
for richer or for poorer,
and I promise my love to you forevermore"


NON DENOMINATIONAL 2

I _______, take you _______, to be my wife/husband.
To share the good times and hard times side by side.
I humbly give you my hand and my heart
as a sanctuary of warmth and peace,
and pledge my faith and love to you.
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal.
Just as it is made of incorruptible substance,
my commitment to you will never fail. With this ring, I thee wed."


NON DENOMINATIONAL 3

Before our friends and those so special to us here,
on this wonderful day of gladness and good fortune, I ______ take
you _______ as my wife/husband, in friendship and in love,
in strength and weakness,
to share the good times and misfortune, in
achievement and failure, to celebrate life with you forevermore


VOWS FOR INTERFAITH MARRIAGE


I have enjoyed the time we've spent talking about what our different faiths
mean to us. We have discovered much that we share in common. It is my
prayer that the candles we have lit together today in unity will enlighten
our path to the future. I promise to honor your traditions as I honor you.


BUDDIST

In the future, happy occasions will come as surely as the morning.
Difficult times will come as surely as the night.
When things go joyously, meditate according to the Buddhist tradition.
When things go badly, meditate.
Meditation in the manner of the Compassionate Buddha will guide your life.
To say the words ‘love and compassion’ is easy.
But to accept that love and compassion are built upon patience
and perseverance is not easy.





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