Wedding - Template 1

Entrance

As the people gather, music appropriate to the praise of God may be offered. At the appointed time the bride, groom, and other members of the wedding party enter and come and stand before the minister. The families of the bride and groom may stand with the couple. During the entrance of the wedding party, the people may stand and sing a psalm, hymn, or spiritual. Or an anthem may be sung, or instrumental music played.

Call to Worship

24 This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Congregation may be seated

Statement on the Gift of Marriage

The minister says:

This day we gather in the presence of God to give thanks for the gift of marriage, to witness the joining together of (HER) and (HIM), to surround them with our prayers, and to ask God’s blessing upon them, so that they may be strengthened for their life together and nurtured in their love for God and one another.

God created us, and gave us marriage so that husband and wife may help and comfort each other, living faithfully together in abundant times and in scarce times, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health, for the rest of their days.

We rejoice that marriage is given by God, blessed by our Lord Jesus Christ, and sustained by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let marriage be held in honor by all.

Know and remember “God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them.”

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God is love, and those who abide in love, abide in God, and God abides in them.

PRAYER – Community and ceremony

Our loving father, provider, protector and priest we here pray that we as a community may be a support for this marriage and that the ceremony today honors you and represents what marriage should be in your eyes, may it be a sweet fragrance to you oh Lord. We pray for your blessings, Spirit and peace be upon this gathering, and people this day, AMEN

Giving away of the Bride

Marriage is both an individual act and a communal act in which people and families that were once apart are now grafted together

Father may return to seat and be seated

AFFIRMATIONS OF THE FAMILIES

The minister may address the families of the bride and groom:

May the parents, grandparent and siblings of the bride and groom please stand – You may answer the question with WE Do

do you give your blessings to Erin. And TJ.,

and promise to do everything in your power to uphold them in their marriage?

The families of the bride and groom answer: -

We (I ) do.

The parents of the bride and groom may be seated.

PRAYER

The minister says:

Minister: Let us pray. Gracious God, you are always faithful in your love for us. Look lovingly upon Erin and TJ who have come seeking your blessing and presence in their marriage. Let your Spirit rest upon them so that with steadfast love they may honor the promises they make this day. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

Song – Marcus

Reading of Scripture

The Charge to the Bridge and Groom

The relationship of marriage was established by God in creation. Scripture commands that marriage is sacred and is to be honored. Because of its sacredness, marriage must not be entered into carelessly, or from selfish motive, but responsibly and with reverence.

Jesus summarized all the law and the teachings of the prophets into two commandments; which inspire all goodness: to completely love the Lord and to love thy neighbor as thyself. No where are these two commandments more valuable than in the context of marriage. TJ and Erin, I challenge you and encourage you to put God first in your lives, to love God with all the love that God deserves and to love one another with all the love that each of you deserve.

Please understand

For a healthy and successful marriage we need the triune God

God to bring us together and orchestrate our relationship and bring us together when we may be feel apart or are physically apart

Christ for the example of sacrificial love

And Holy Spirit to empower us to stay together despite ourselves

I will share at least 3 principals you should do for a healthy marriage

1- Constant communication with God

Prayer, study and church fellowship

Not just emergency get out of jam prayers or 2x year services

2 - To Leverage the Holy Spirit

This is what allows your flesh or humanity to take second place to your spouse and God, the agape love

To enable you to sacrifice your desires for the other and if done right by both of you, you get your desires but from the other vs just taking your desires for yourself

3 - And to Be committed to the commitment

No matter what has been said or done

No matter how your feelings have been hurt

No matter how you may feel you are misunderstood or unappreciated

Work to improve your marriage. It works like most things in life … you usually get out what you put in. When in trouble here, with this principle … Refer to principals 1 & 2 as your relationship instructions. Marriage is not just pie in the sky, vacation like living. The honeymoon ends IF you don’t work at it.

TJ & Erin

I thank you for inviting me into your pre-martial counseling process. It was a privilege to serve you and God in this special endeavor. As I worked with you I saw an increased effort and interest in spiritual matters, in seeking God, please nurture that and don’t neglect it Your lives are busy with work, travel, friends, and all the hustle and bustle of a young and successful couple. However, Speaking in financial terms Putting God first will return guaranteed exponential returns in perpetuity.

Furthermore, We talked and learned about some growth areas, from our sessions, readings and the prepare enrich assessment... By the way these are common and can be reflected in many people. So community please be helpful and not hurtful as you have come and stood to be a help. For us to progress and make an active change in relationship statistics we must all grow to help one another with communication, conflict resolution and spiritual beliefs… These are very important aspects for our relationships. Areas that we can all improve in. So TJ & Erin remember what we learned and continue to learn more and practice those techniques with the help of God and community. Look out there, look at me you will always have someone to confide in, discuss a scripture with, vent to, cry with or just keep in touch with. You are never alone. Not with God or with the community that loves you.

Marriage is a process, a journey and not just an end destination.

We are all human and will miss the mark often but if we have laid the ground work, made the deposits have the word of God written in your hearts your marriage will endure the trials of humanity and the tests of time to get you through all the seasons of life… the beginning part of marriage, the next 5 years, possible children, career changes, disappointments, your spouse fulfilling dreams while your dreams may be left unsatisfied, retirement – but growing hopefully to the point that you understand and love your spouse to finish each others sentences, and still hold hands in old age,

Know You must have love in your heart to be able to give it and

True never ending love only comes from God

There even when the flesh fails the true love we have in us shines through and allows our failings to be covered and for our spouse to see us in a different why

Almost like that first time swept off of my feet love when that the person could do no wrong

But true love isn’t the type that fades once the infatuation wears off it is the kind that endures and loves thru pain, disappointment, hurt, betrayal … the love that gives strength, discernment and forgiveness

TJ & Erin please remember these things especially when you are down and maybe doubting

TJ

Remember what made you turn the car around to see Erin for that second meeting

Remember the reason you bought those advance airline tickets for courtship

Remember feeling okay to be goofy and appreciating each other moon walking and laughing together

Erin

Remember looking at TJ and thinking you could see TJ as being the one

Remember staying up all night just talking

Remember the comfort of feeling protected in the presence of TJ and how important that is to you

TJ & Erin Remember each others needs: to be more affectionate, compassionate, confident and patient with one another.

When it is done right, marriage can be the highest and happiest of human relationships. And it is that highest relational joy and love that we are all here today to witness in you and thru you.

Scripture to close - Remember one of our core scriptures

READING FROM SCRIPTURE

31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

VOWS – Couple

The couple desired to share some special sentiment to one another

The people may stand.

The minister addresses the couple:

VOWS – Minister

Minister to Groom: TJ, Do you take this woman who is by your side to be your lawful, wedded wife, to live together in the Holy state of Matrimony? Do you vow to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health: and be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

Groom: I do

Minister to Bride: Erin, Do you take this man who is by your side to be your lawful, wedded husband, to live together in the Holy state of Matrimony? Do you vow to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

Bride: I do

Minister to Groom: Please face one another, and TJ, repeat after me. I, TJ take thee Erin to be my lawful, wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part, according to God’s Holy Ordinance, and I pledge my word of Honor.

Minister to Bride: Erin, Please repeat after me. I, Erin, take thee

TJ to be my lawful, wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God’s Holy Ordinance, and I pledge my word of Honor.

Minister to Bride and Groom: TJ and Erin what symbols of your love do you give to each other as a sign that you will keep the promises you have just made?

Bride and Groom: These rings

Minister: May these rings become symbols of your love toward each other. They are made of precious metal, and they remind us that love is not cheap or common, but to be treasured and cherished. The wedding ring is an unbroken circle which symbolizes unending and everlasting love, and it is a visible symbol which represents your inner commitment to one another. As you wear these rings, may they remind you both of God’s never ending love for you, and of the never ending love that you have vowed to have for each other.

Minister to Groom: TJ, Place this on Erin’s ring finger and repeat after me:

With this ring, I thee wed, and give you all my love and devotion, as long as we both shall live.

Minister to Bride: Erin, Place this on TJ’s ring finger and repeat after me:

With this ring, I thee wed, and give you all my love and devotion, as long as we both shall live.

Unity Candle

The couple has chosen to light a unity candle during the wedding ceremony as a special way to symbolize their two lives joining together as one.

Erin and TJ, together as you light this candle of unity, you symbolize the flame of your own individual selves joining to ignite the partnership of marriage. It represents the light of two people in love.

You also bring the warmth, strength and wisdom of your family’s fire as kindling for your own.

As you light this candle today, may the brightness of the flame shine throughout your lives.

Even as Erin and TJ, your flames are separate, yet they feed the same fire.

May it give you courage and reassurance in darkness; warmth and safety in the cold; and strength and joy in your bodies, minds, and spirits.

From this day onward, may you bask in the beauty of the light of your love and indeed in God’s light, may the light shine bright and steady upon your path together and may its heat keep you warm through all the days of your lives and beyond.

May your union be forever blessed.

Minister: For as much as TJ and Erin have consented together in Holy Matrimony by coming to this altar, by the exchange of Wedding Vows by giving and receiving Wedding Rings, by together lighting a Unity Candle and by commitment before God through prayer. By the powers vested in me, I declare you are husband and wife, those whom God has joined together in Holy Matrimony, let no one put asunder.

Minister: Let us pray, May the grace of Christ always be with you,

the love of God surround you,

the Holy Spirit keep you,

that you may live in faith,

thrive in hope,

and grow in love,

both now and forevermore.

Amen.

Minister to Groom: TJ. you may kiss YOUR or bride.

Turn and face the community

Presentation of Couple

Minister: For the very first time, It is my great honor to present to you Mr. & Mrs. Edwards