Wedding Script

Introduction after bride and father enter:

Family and friends of Eric and Sarah, welcome to this most beautiful, most joyous and most solemn occasion, as we witness this afternoon, the joining together Eric and Sarah in holy matrimony. The Bible shows us the marriage ceremony is the most beautiful and meaningful ceremony into which any two human beings can enter. I say this for a few reasons:

It is the only human relationship that is instituted by God Himself and it is the only human relationship requiring both parties to surrender everything to God in order to gain complete happiness and fulfillment.This is found in

Genesis 2:18,24, saying “Then the Lord God said,” it is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him’....For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother (his former life),and shall cleave to his wife (his new life); and they shall become one flesh (a completely selfless new life for both of them under God).”

The last reason is that a Christian ceremony is the picture of Jesus Christ as the groom and His church as the bride. In this relationship, the Lord Jesus has made unconditional promises to His bride. In the same way, when God’s people come together in Christian marriage, they are to extend the same love and devotion to one another that is experienced by Christ and His church. found in Eph 5:22-33,

5:25 Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her 5:26 to sanctify her by cleansing her with the washing of the water by the word, 5:27b  He who loves his wife loves himself. 5:29 For no one has ever hated his own body but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church, 5:30 for we are members of his body. 5:33 Nevertheless, each one of you must also love his own wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

and lots more promises

Give the bride away by asking,

“ Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Eric will you take Sarah to be your wife?

Sarah do you take Eric to be your husband?

Eric and Sarah you may hold hands to show your affection for each other.

Message

Marriage is and should be the highest expression of love in a human relationship. Interestingly though, the Bible uses the institution of marriage as the closest human example of the love that God has for those who have trusted him for salvation. The apostle Paul writes about this love in

1 Corinthians 13:4-8: “ Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seeks its own, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

These are the characteristics of Gods; love for us; and if a married couple will love one another with this same kind of love, their marriage will never fail; in fact, it will only grow stronger through the years.

I would like to point out a few things about this description of God’s love:

A. Love unconditional

God does not tell us to love one another in this way if the other person deserves it, or if they love us back. We are to love unconditionally, without strings attached because Marriage never works when we place conditions on your love. In a moment, you will be asked to present your wedding vows, where you will promise to love one another despite any number of unforeseen circumstances:

B. Love action,

“love is a warm, tingly feeling when we think about each other “; or ‘ love is gazing romantically into one another’s eyes. Those things are based on emotion, and there is certainly a lot of emotion in love. But the true demonstration of love is action. Notice that all these descriptions of love that Paul gives are actions: “love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous, etc.” When Paul,

in Romans 5:8 is describing God’s love for mankind, he says, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ,the greatest way to demonstrate love for one another is by daily choosing to act toward one another in a loving way. Love is shown by actions, even more than words.

C. Loving Service

Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, “love does not seek its own.” In short if you both are determined from the beginning that you are going to serve one another under God you will be able to overcome different obstacles as a team.Happiness does not come by demanding your rights; happiness comes when you willingly serve the one you love.

Vows

The groom have written his own Vows

And will present them now

Bride

repeat after me "I, Sarah, take you, Eric, for my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part. I will love and honor you all the days of my life."

Ring ceremony

What symbol do you both bring as a pledge of The sincerity of your vows

GROOM, as you place the ring on BRIDE’s finger, please repeat after me:

With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours.

It is a symbol of my eternal love,

My everlasting friendship

And the promise of all my tomorrows.

BRIDE, as you place the ring on GROOM’s finger, please repeat after me:

With this ring, I marry you and bind my life to yours.

It is a symbol of my eternal love,

My everlasting friendship,

And the promise of all my tomorrows.

Pray for there marriage

Now let’s us pray over their marriage.

Lighting of the Unity Candle

Signing of the license wedding party

PRONOUNCEMENT:

For as much as you Eric and Sarah have openly declared your

wishes to be united in marriage, and in the presence of God and before these witnesses have

pledged your love and faithfulness to each other, by the authority given to me as a minister of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in keeping with the laws of the State of Minnesota, I now pronounce you

You may kiss the bride

husband & wife. Eric, you may kiss the bride.

After they kiss they can turn to face the congregation.

To the Congregation: It is my honor to present Mr. & Mrs. Porth.