Sample Civil or Non-Religious Wedding Ceremonies
Here are some components of a sample Civil (non-religious) Wedding Ceremony:
Greeting- Officiant begins Don and Susan's wedding with these words:
"Today we are gathered to witness and celebrate the beginning of a new partnership (or union between two people who believe that every future endeavor will be more fruitful and joyous because of their love and commitment to each other. For Don and Susan their marriage will be joint venture, an unending collaboration of their heart connection."
(Optional: "Who presents this woman in marriage?")
Officiant continues, "This wedding unites two lives in the miracle of love. It combines old traditions with new meaning. It joins two families and creates a new one. It brings together the unique qualities of two very special people and multiplies their joys for all the days that lie ahead of them in their new roles as husband and wife."
"Marriage encompasses not just a legal condition but a state of mind; the commitment of two hearts that feel that something greater and more enduring can be borne out of their combined efforts."
"Couples sometimes come from different backgrounds and beliefs, yet they feel their love is strong enough to overcome the many obstacles that can come with daily life. The decision that Don and Susan have made to come together and to join their two lives into one is not a job description for the faint of heart. To allow oneself to become vulnerable, on all levels to a mate takes extraordinary courage. But love can make us strong and courageous. It can make the most cynical, believers in goodness and hope. Love can ignite our dreams and fire our passions making all things possible."
"Marriage is an exciting undertaking for partners who are deeply in love. Through patience and understanding Don and Susan are laying the framework that will strengthen and support their marriage. It is this lifetime commitment made today that will allow this couple to stand united in the face of adversity and be able to bask together in the light of good fortune and achieved goals."
Vow and Ring Exchange
"Don and Susan, please face each other, joining hands with your companion, confidante and friend."
"Marriage begins in the giving of words. We cannot join ourselves to one another without giving our word. And this must be an unconditional giving, for in joining ourselves to one another, we are making a commitment to share all of life’s possibilities."
"Don, do you take Susan to be your life’s partner. Do you promise to be a comfort and safe haven in her life, to hold her close, to listen deeply to her dreams and aspirations, to nourish her with gentleness and shield her with your strength, and to love her for all of your days upon this earth?"
"Susan, do you take Don to be your life’s partner. Do you promise to be a comfort and safe haven in his life, to hold him close, to listen deeply to his dreams and aspirations, to nourish him with gentleness and shield him with your strength, and to love him for all of your days upon this earth?"
"Please bring the rings forward. These rings are a symbol, not only to you, but to the entire world of your love and enduring commitment to each other. May the vows and pledges you have made to each other remain as valued and pure as the precious metals from which these rings have been created."
"Don, as you place this ring on Susan’s finger please repeat after me. Susan, with this ring, I give you my promise, from this day forward you shall not walk alone. My arms are your shelter; my heart is your home.
Wear this ring always, as a reminder of my love and commitment to you."
"Susan, as you place this ring on Don’s finger please repeat after me. Don, with this ring, I give you my promise, from this day forward you shall not walk alone. My arms are your shelter; my heart is your home.
Wear this ring always, as a reminder of my love and commitment to you."
"
We have witnessed before us the gathering and uniting light of two people very much in love. May the two of you, now married, fulfill this covenant, which you have made to each other. May you easily give and take from each other, encouraging each other in whatever tasks lie ahead. Having grown to trust yourself and to trust the other, may you be open to trust and to welcome all the beauty and wonder your marriage and life will hold."
Sand Ceremony
"Often a wedding ceremony is thought of as the uniting of two individuals in marriage, in fact, it is the combining of two families where a new one is created. It becomes a blending, not only of individuals, but a blending of ways of thought and ways of being in the world. Within a family your combined love makes burdens become lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. It makes you stronger, so you can be involved with life in ways you dare not risk alone."
"Don and Susan please come forward (optional with children). As a single grain of sand is a unique element onto itself, each one of you is so very special in your own right. The decision that you are making today is to combine your uniqueness to become a family. As each of you blend your jar of sand with the other, be reminded of the loving agreement you are making to each other as you become part of this greater commitment."
Concluding Statement
"It was once said, 'Happiness sneaks in through a door you didn’t know you left open.' Perhaps this is the way love arrives. It happens when you didn’t realize you had left your heart wide open."
"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved. Don and Susan have found love in each other, and today they have made promises and spoken words of commitment. They understand that, “to love a person is to learn the song that is in their heart, and to sing it to them when they have forgotten.”
"Don and Susan have many shared experiences before them; the building of a space that they will call home for themselves (and others); certainly the chance to find out what true compromise is all about in daily living. They will have the opportunity to see that shared sorrows and challenges become less burdensome and shared joys and triumphs can be more exhilarating. "
"Beyond everything else, Don and Susan, through their diligent efforts and heartfelt commitment, will have the possibility of creating a marriage that is loving and mutually fulfilling. What more can we hope for than to bond with a partner who will share our love and our dreams."
"Everyone gathered here is pleased and honored to have shared these significant moments with the two of you. Every blessing and good wish goes with you as you embarked on your new life together as husband and wife. May all the memories of this special occasion be pressed into the hearts, minds and souls of all present."
"And now by the authority vested in me by the State of California... I now pronounce you husband and wife."
"Don, to seal this union, you may kiss your beautiful bride."
"And now, as you turn toward family and friends, it is my great pleasure to congratulate and introduce for the very first time the new Mr. and Mrs. Donald Brown."
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