for
(the names of the bride and groom)
THE BEGINNING
1. The guests enter first, while the bride and groom wait outside until all the wedding party has come in and taken their places; the parents of the bride and groom sit in the first row;
2. The wedding march (Mendelssohn);
3. The bride, the groom, and their attendants enter the church arranged in the following order — the best man on the left, the bride on the right, and behind them the groom, with the maid of honor to his right; coming before the pulpit they take their places in this order — the first couple to the left, the second couple to the right, after which the bride and groom, who are in the middle, step up onto the platform and sit in the chairs prepared for them, while the attendants take their seats in the first row next to the parents.
4. The message (about 20 min.)
ADDRESS TO THE BRIDE AND GROOM
Dear bride and groom, (the names of the bride and groom),
The marriage covenant you are entering into today is a holy ordinance
- established by God the Father at creation;
- honored by the Lord Jesus Christ at the wedding in Cana of Galilee;
- commended by the Holy Spirit in the letters of the apostle Paul.
God, who created the woman to be a helper to the man,
- did not take her from his head, that she should rule over him and command him;
- nor did He take her from his feet, that she should be trampled by him;
but He took her:
- from his side — that she should be his equal;
- from beneath his arm — that she should be protected by him;
- close to his heart — that he should love her, and that she should be the mistress of his love.
(The name of the groom), today you make a solemn vow and take upon yourself a lifelong responsibility — to be her lawful husband. The woman of your choice becomes today your
- marriage partner;
- fellow heir of your possessions;
- queen of your home.
In no other way could she show her love for you more fully. She leaves her home, her family, and her friends — everything — for one reason only: to share with you the joys and the sorrows of the rest of her life. From this day forward she will live with you and for you.
(The name of the bride), you too take upon yourself a lifelong responsibility. (The name of the groom) will look to you, seeking comfort in the hour of grief.
- Your smile will be his brightest day;
- Your voice — his sweetest music;
- Your home — his greatest treasure;
- Your prayers — his best advocate before the heavenly court.
THE VOWS
(The pastor invites the gathering to stand — “If you please, let us stand.”)
(The name of the groom),
Do you take (the name of the bride) to be your lawful wife?
- Do you promise before God, before the angels, and before this holy assembly to love her just as Christ loved the Church and gave His life for her?
- Do you vow to be with her in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty?
- Do you resolve to be faithful to her, to defend her, to protect her, and to care for her until death parts you?
(Here the groom is expected to say “I do.”)
(The name of the bride),
Do you take (the name of the groom) to be your lawful husband?
- Do you promise before God, before the angels, and before this holy assembly to submit to him as to the Lord and to honor him as the head of the family for the whole of your life?
- Do you vow to be faithful to him and to stand by him in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness, in wealth and in poverty, until death parts you?
(Here the bride is expected to say “I do.”)
THE RINGS
(The rings are placed upon the Bible. The pastor takes the groom’s ring and gives it to the bride, and the bride’s ring — to the groom.)
The rings are of gold — gold is a symbol of God’s love and holiness. May your love also be holy.
The rings are round — the circle is a symbol of the infinite and the eternal. May your love also know no bounds.
To the groom:
(The name of the groom), may the ring you are about to place on the hand of your beloved be a sign of your heartfelt love for her, a love that never fades, in the name of Jesus! Please, go ahead!
(The groom places the ring on the bride’s hand.)
To the bride:
(The name of the bride), may the ring you are about to place on the hand of your beloved be a sign not of chains or of mastery, but of devotion and love! Please, go ahead!
(The bride places the ring on the groom’s hand.)
THE PRAYER
(The pastor says to the bride and groom: “Please kneel.”) There follows a prayer of blessing over the young family, which closes with the words: “… I join you together in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit into one family. From this day forward you shall be one! Amen!”
THE DECLARATION
(The pastor invites the bride and groom to stand and turns to them with the words:)
By the authority given to me by God, I declare you husband and wife.
(He then turns to the assembly, saying:)
Brothers and sisters, dear friends:
I present to you the new family — the (the surname of the new family) family! Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate!
CONGRATULATIONS
(The pastor takes the opportunity to be the first to congratulate the bride and groom.)
- Congratulations!
(Here an opportunity may be given to the worship team or to individual well-wishers to greet the bride and groom with songs, and for the whole church to sing hymn No. 431 — “All Creation Trembles in Beauty.”)
THE CLOSE
As they leave, the wedding march sounds once more. The bride and groom go first, the attendants after them, and last of all the parents. They all take their place at the church’s exit to receive congratulations.