In weddings I have officiated, brides have been escorted by biological dads, stepdads, both sets of dads, moms, grandparents, siblings, their children, the groom, or the bride has walked in alone. All are acceptable- you just need to decide what best fits your situation and style.

If the bride will be escorted in, please decide if I will be asking any of the following questions:
• Who gives this woman’s hand in marriage?
• Who gives this bride away?
• Who presents this woman to be married?

If so, please decide the response appropriate for your situation:
• Her mother and I
• I do
• We do

Often times, there are kisses and handshakes and the couples’ hands are placed together. Sometimes this is a silent exchange-no questions.

After the bride arrives up front and the guests sit, the ceremony opens with a welcome to all those in attendance and a brief acknowledgement of what is about to transpire.  Following the opening, those couples whose choose a religious or spiritual ceremony often decide to include a prayer asking God, a Higher Power, Divine Energy or Spirit to bless the ceremony and the marriage. This might be a well known prayer that all of the guests join in with, such as the Lord's Prayer or a more universal prayer spoken only by the minister. Other couples segue into readings about love and commitment.

 

Sample Openings  

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to recognize the worth and beauty of love, and to cherish the words which shall unite ____________ and ____________ in marriage.

Dearly Beloved: We are gathered here, in the presence of God and of this company, that ______ and ______ may be united in holy matrimony. We ask God’s blessing on this commitment, both today and in the days to come.

Friends and relatives, we have come here today at the invitation of __________ and __________ to share in the joy of their wedding. This outward celebration is an expression of the inner love and devotion they have in their hearts toward one another.

Good evening to all friends and family. ________ and ______have asked me to thank you all for coming from distances both near and far to be a part of this special day. Let us open this sacred event with a prayer (prayer of your choice).

_____________and ___________have asked me to formally welcome you to the celebration of their love on this wedding day. It is their hope that this day will help bring us all closer together. Those who chose can use this ceremony as an opportunity to renew their own commitment to their partnership or marriage.  We welcome the Divine as the source of all Love.  

Thank you for joining us today to celebrate the marriage of ___________and ___________. The family and close friends who are present have supported and blessed them along the way. This ceremony was created by _____and _____ to express their love and commitment for each other and to thank you and God for always being there for them.

 With the horizon our only walls, the sky our only ceiling and the earth our floor, we meet here in nature to affirm their love.


Prayer examples:
God, who gives us the longing for, and capability of loving, we give you thanks for ___ and _____, for their open hearts and willing spirits, and for the example of love that they embody here in our presence. Be with them on this joyous occasion of showing their love and making their vows; and be with us, their witnesses, that we may all be changed by what is said and witnessed here.

A Translation of "Our Father" directly from the Aramaic into English
(rather than from Aramaic to Greek to Latin to English)
      O cosmic Birther of all radiance and vibration! Soften the ground of our being and carve out a space within us where your Presence can abide. Fill us with your creativity so that we may be empowered to bear the fruit of your mission. Let each of our actions bear fruit in accordance with our desire. Endow us with the wisdom to produce and share what each being needs to grow and flourish. Untie the tangled threads of destiny that bind us, as we release others from the entanglement of past mistakes. Do not let us be seduced by that which would divert us from our true purpose, but illuminate the opportunities of the present moment. For you are the ground and the fruitful vision, the birth-power and fulfillment, as all is gathered and made whole once again.

 

 

“Wedding Gifts” by Katherine Murphy
     Grant us O Lord, the gift of words, Kind and loving words that communicate and encourage, words of wisdom from you.
     Grant us O Lord, the gift of attention, rapt listening to the needs of one another and the casting aside of all focus on ourselves.
     Grant us O Lord, the gift of acceptance, the ability to recognize our differences and see in one another the unique person you created.
     Grant us O Lord, the gift of patience, not only with each other as we grow and change but to know that all good things come in your time.
     Grant us O Lord, the greatest of all the gifts, Love – on this day and always – as we join together in the sacred union of marriage.

 

 

"A Wedding Prayer" by Robert Lewis Stevenson
Lord, behold our families here assembled.
We thank you for the place where we dwell.
For the love that unites us,
For the peace accorded us this day.
For the hope with which we greet the morrow,
For the health, the work, the food.
For the bright skies that make our lives delightful;
And for our friends in all parts of the earth.
Amen

 

A Wedding Prayer of Love by Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro.
Dear God, You have brought this couple together that they might risk the joys and sorrows of love. They have said “yes” to You and to each other. We now ask that You bless them with love and compassion, righteousness and truth. Guide them in the ways of deep and loving friendship that they may forever cherish, honor, uphold and sustain each other and the divine image that is our deepest self.