We are gathered here today
to celebrate the marriage of Richard and April. For them,
this marriage is both a pledge of enduring love, and an
expression of their commitment to each other grounded in
law. For the rest of us, this marriage is an occasion
where we are reminded of the bonds to our own families and
friendships and how important and wonderful these bonds
are to us.
April, is it true that you
come of your own free will and accord? (Yes, it is
true.)
With whom do you come and
whose blessings accompany you? (She comes with me, her
father, and is accompanied by the blessings of her
family.)
Richard and April,
marriage is dedication. You give yourself, your life and
love, into the hands of the one another. You do so
trustingly and generously. By the same token, each of you
receives a gift, the life and love of the other. You
receive this gift not only from the one you love, but also
from the parents who brought you into the world and reared
you and from the personal world of friends and family who
are joined in friendship and faith in your marriage.
Family love is an
awareness of time, a shared belonging to a chain of
generations. We collaborate together to root each other in
a dimension of time longer than our own lives.
Let us take a moment to
silently remember and celebrate the lives of those who are
looking down from The Heavens on us now and are with us in
Spirit.
In relationships, the
early stages of falling in love is soon replaced by the
arduous drama of staying in love. The words "in sickness
and in health, for richer, for poorer, till death do us
part," set love in the temporal context in which it
achieves its meaning. As time begins to elapse, one begins
to love the other because they have shared the same
experiences. Selves may not intertwine; but lives do, and
shared memories become as much of a bond as the bond of
the flesh. Richard and April, it is this bond that brings
you here today.
Richard, will you please
give the testimony of your love for April? (Richard
speaks)
April, will you please
give the testimony of your love for Richard? (April
speaks)
Richard, please repeat
after me: I, Richard, take you April, To be my 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, cherish, and support, Until we are parted by Earthly
death. With my earnest and complete devotion, I give you
my love.
April, please repeat after
me: I, April, take you Richard, To be my 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,
cherish, and support, Until we are parted by Earthly
death. With my earnest and complete devotion, I give you
my love.
May I have the rings?
Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and
wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a
symbol of your unbroken circle of love. Love freely given
has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no
giver and no receiver , for each is the giver and each is
the receiver. May these rings remind you always of the
vows you have taken here today.
Richard, if you will
please place the ring on April’s finger and repeat after
me: This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire, that
you be my wife from this day forward.
April, if you will please
place the ring on Richard’s finger and repeat after me:
This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire, that you
be my husband from this day forward.
In closing, I would like
to read to you these words from an Apache wedding prayer:
Now you will feel no
rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no
cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now you will feel no
loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the
other.
Now you are two
bodies, but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your
dwelling place, to enter the days of your life together.
And may your days be
good, and long upon the earth.
And now, may the
confidence, trust, and affection you have for each other
on this day, sustain you as you go forth upon your journey
of life together with its joy, its laughter, its sorrow,
and its pain. May you fulfill your personal goals with
each other’s help and guidance. May you dwell together in
peace, love, and joy.
Richard and April, having
witnessed your vows for marriage with all who are
assembled here with you and those who are with you in
Spirit, I announce with great joy that you are from this
time on, husband and wife. Richard, you may kiss your
bride.
Ladies and gentlemen,
family and friends, I happily announce to you Mr. and Mrs.
Richard...!
