Traditional Wedding Outline - Ephesians 5

Procession

Order of Entrance

Pastor, groom, and groomsmen enter. Bridal party, ring bearer and flower girl enter. Then, all stand and the bride is escorted by her father.

Welcome

To The Audience

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here together in the presence of God to witness the union of (Bride - First & Last) and (Groom - First & Last) in marriage.On behalf of both families, I would like to thank you for being here on this great day.Marriage is a holy covenant instituted by God at the creation of the world. It is a serious, lifelong, binding commitment between a man and a woman to love, honor, and serve one other and be united in life and in purpose.

Prayer

Opening Prayer

Let us pray:Lord God, we come before you today in the spirit of love and thanksgiving. We praise you and give you thanks for being the creator of all life and all that is good. We acknowledge, as your Word says, that all love comes from you. And marriage is a good and wonderful gift. Father, we ask that you would pour out your blessings on (GROOM) and (BRIDE) as they begin their new life together. May they follow you and allow you guide them all the days of their lives. We pray this all in the name of Jesus. Amen.Please be seated.

Declaration Of Intent

To The Bride And Groom

(Groom) and (Bride), I ask you now in the presence of God and these witnesses to declare your intention.(Groom), do you take this woman to be your wife, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? And will you love her, comfort her, honor, and keep her, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live? If so, please say, "I do."*(Groom): I do.*(Bride), do you take this man to be your husband, to live together in the holy covenant of marriage? And will you love him, comfort him, honor, and keep him, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live? If so, please say, "I do."*(Bride):  I do.*

Giving Bride Away

To The Father Of The Bride

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?*Father of the Bride: Her mother and I.*

Speak Now

To The Audience

If there is anyone in attendance who has cause to believe that this couple should not be joined in marriage, you may speak now or forever hold your peace.

Scripture Reading

To The Bride, Groom, And Audience

This Bible is filled with God’s perfect wisdom for married couples. A primary example is in the book of Ephesians chapter 5, where the Apostle Paul gives instructions for married couples. He writes: Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.  In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.  After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church for we are members of his body.  “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” …However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. (Ephesians 5:21-31, 33, NIV)

Sermon

To The Bride, Groom, And Audience

Submission is not a popular idea today in a world that champions independence and equality. But we must notice here that the Bible paints a picture of the ideal marriage as mutual submission between both the husband and wife. The husband submits to the wife and the wife to her husband out of their respect for Christ.A great marriage is not a husband lording his power over his wife, and it is not a wife domineering her husband. No, God’s design for marriage is a beautiful unity of mutual submission and service to one another in love.To better understand this, Paul uses the analogy of Christ and the church. He says a wife is like the church and the husband is like Christ. Now, he is not saying that the husband is perfect and worthy of worship. Instead, he is saying that a wife should serve her husband like the church seeks to serve Christ. And the husband should model Christ in the way he gives up his life to serve his wife.Marriage is a beautiful unity of two people who become one. It is not a competition or a power struggle. A strong marriage is built on loving, caring, service to one another, just as you love and care for your own body.When one person celebrates, the other celebrates. When one person hurts, the other hurts. When one person wins, the other wins too. Because the husband and wife are no longer two individuals; they are now two who have become one.So (Groom) and (Bride), you must understand: if you want your marriage to flourish, you must base it upon a foundation of mutual love and respect for one another through a shared faith in Jesus Christ.As Jesus said in Matthew 23:11, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (NIV). And Jesus modeled this loving service perfectly for us. He loved us so much that he died for us. He took our burden of sin upon himself so that we could be free. My prayer is that your marriage would be a picture of Jesus’ loving sacrifice for us.(Groom), put the needs of (Bride) ahead of your own. Humble yourself to a posture of serving her in love, and your marriage will grow strong.And (Bride), put the needs of (Groom) ahead of your own. Humble yourself to a posture of serving him in love, and your marriage will grow strong.Love is more than a feeling. It’s an action. It is something you must both choose to do every day in the way that you serve one another.

Vows

Option 1:

Traditional Vows

Now as a sign of their promise to one another, (Bride) and (Groom) will exchange their vows. Please join hands and face one another.We will start with you (Groom). Repeat after me.*(Groom): As God is my witness – I (Groom) – take you (Bride) –  to be my lawfully wedded 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 –  Till death do us part.*(Bride), please repeat after me.*(Bride): As God is my witness – I (Bride) – take you (Groom) –  to be my lawfully wedded 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 –  Till death do us part.*

Option 2:

Written Vows

Now as a sign of their promise to one another, (Bride) and (Groom) will exchange their vows. (Groom) and (Bride) have written their own vows of marriage, allowing us to see their heart for one another.Would you please turn and face one another.  We will start with you, (Groom). *(Groom says vows)*Thank you, (Groom). And now (Bride), would you please share your vows with (Groom).*(Bride says vows)*

Ring Exchange

To The Bride And Groom

(Groom) and (Bride) will now exchange rings as a symbol of their commitment to each other. May I have the rings, please.Best man hands rings to pastorThough small in size, these rings are large in significance. They are meant to be a daily reminder and a public declaration of the promise you have made today. Notice the shape of the ring. It is a circle that has no beginning and no end. It is an eternal circle meant to represent your life-long vow to love each other. The ring is also made from purified, precious metals. This is symbolic of the purity of your promise to remain faithful to one another.(Groom) please put this ring on (Bride's) finger and repeat after me:With this ring – I thee wed – and pledge to you – my loyalty and love – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Amen.(Bride) please put this ring on (Groom's) finger and repeat after me:With this ring – I thee wed – and pledge to you – my loyalty and love – in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Amen.

Additional Elements

Bride And Groom Communion Option

Communion

As a sign of their commitment to one another and to the Lord, (Groom) and (Bride) are now going to take communion together. In the taking of the bread and the cup they remember the great love that Jesus had for us in laying down his life for us. It is also a reminder of their responsibility to sacrifice themselves for one another. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26, NIV) The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. Bride and Groom take communion

Unity Candle

Now, as a sign of their commitment to one another (Groom) and (Bride) are going to participate in a lighting of a Unity Candle. The individual candles represent their individual lives before they met. But their love for one another and their marriage today has joined them together as one. Just as God said when he created marriage, a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and the two become one (Gen 2:24).Bride and Groom light unity candle

Sand Ceremony

As a sign of their commitment to one another (Groom) and (Bride) are going to participate in a sand ceremony. The flowing sand and blending of the colors in the Sand Ceremony symbolize the bringing together of two lives into one. The separate sands once poured into the unity vase can never be put back into their separate vases. They are forever entwined just as the lives of the Bride and Groom. Just as God said when he created marriage, a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and the two become one (Gen 2:24).Bride and Groom pour sand

Blessing

Bible Passage

May the LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.

Announcement

To The Bride, Groom, And Audience

Inasmuch as (Groom) and (Bride) have consented together to marriage, and have made their vows before God and these witnesses, and have symbolized their vows by giving and receiving rings, I now by my authority as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, pronounce them to be husband and wife. May those whom God has joined, let no one separate. You may now kiss the Bride! *Bride & Groom kiss*Ladies and Gentlemen, may I be the first to present to you: Mr. & Mrs. (Groom) & (Bride) (Last Name)!

Recessional

Order Of Exit

The Bride and Groom exit first, followed by the wedding party.

Closing Comments

To The Audience

On behalf of both families, I would like to thank you for coming, and invite you to celebrate with us… (details or directions to reception). Thank you.