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A Traditional Marriage Ceremony

We would like to credit and thank the Swedenborgian Church of San Francisco for this collection of readings. It is a beautiful place to be married, and welcomes all faith traditions.

Dear Family and friends of _________________________ and ___________________, we are gathered here in the presence of the Lord to celebrate their union in marriage. The holy relationship of marriage was instituted by the Lord from the beginning, and being of divine appointment it is therefore honored among all peoples. It is to be entered into joyfully, thoughtfully, lovingly and reverently. With this desire these two persons come now to be united.

Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Faith,  hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (I Corinthians 13:4-7, 13)


My beloved speaks and says to me: 'Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land.  Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away. Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death, jealousy is cruel as the grave. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it.' (Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:7)


Put on then, as God's chosen ones, compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, and patience, forbearing one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12-15)

________________________ and _____________________, your marriage relationship offers you the highest and most intimate experience of love. A growing bond of affection, trust and mutual concern can bring you into a fuller life than either of you can achieve alone. As you share with each other your creative differences, your life together can become richer, more complete and more soul-satisfying. Marriage, in this high sense, is a uniting on all the levels of your being: body, mind, heart and spirit. The longer you live together, the more you grow and develop as individuals, the more you will have to contribute to your marriage.

The very nature of love is to want to give to another, to give ever more fully, feeling joy in the joy of another. How true this is of the marriage love that brings you together! This love calls forth the best qualities in each of you, seeking to break down the barriers of selfishness and mistrust, and all that would keep you apart. This love opens the way to a deeper understanding and sensitivity, enabling you to respond more fully to the desires and needs of each other. In this mutual growing together, you can gain an increasing respect for each other as persons, because marriage love never seeks to dominate or possess.

As you stand here, in this high moment, remember that love, loyalty and trust are the foundations of a happy and lasting marriage. As you strive to fulfill the commitment you make here, your life together can be increasingly full of joy, of satisfaction and of peace. I pray that in all the events of life you will hold fast to the vision and the promise of this, your wedding day.

Minister to the Groom: __________________, in the light of this vision of life together, will you take this woman to be your wife, that you may live together in the holy bond of marriage? Will you strive to love and honor her, will you comfort her and be faithful to her, so long as you both shall live?  Groom answers: I will.

Minister to the Bride: ____________________, in the light of this vision of life together, will you take this man to be your husband, that you may live together in the holy bond of marriage? Will you strive to love and honor him, will you comfort him and be faithful to him, so long as you both shall live?  Bride answers: I will.

Minister: Who presents __________ to be married to _____________?
Answer: We (I, Her mother and I, etc.) do.

Minister: Will all of you present do all that is in your power to encourage and support the promises that ___________and__________
make here today; if so, please signify by saying, 'We will.'  (We will.)

Groom repeats after Minister:  I ____________________, take you, ________________,  to be my wedded wife; to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish; so long as we live; and thereto, I  pledge you my faith.

Bride repeats after Minister:  I ____________________, take you, ________________, to be my wedded husband; to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse; for richer, for poorer; in sickness and in health; to love and to cherish; so long as we live; and thereto, I  pledge you my faith.

O Lord, our God, we ask your blessing upon these rings that they may be constant symbols of unending love and devotion. Amen.

In turn, both groom and bride repeat after the Minister:
With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge my faithful love.
______________________  and _____________________ will now approach the altar to light together a center candle that is taller and stronger than their individual candles, representing to all who are present, but most especially to themselves, that from this day forward they will be guided by the new light of their marriage.

O God, our Heavenly Creator, the fountain of all life and love in heaven and on earth, we ask your blessing upon these solemn vows of love and duty which _________________ and ___________________ have here assumed. Give them a deep and abiding sense of their dependence upon you that they may continually look to you for help and direction. Quicken in their hearts that supreme love to you, which alone can make their love for each other pure, unselfish and abiding. May the burdens and trials which they must mutually bear draw them ever nearer to you and to each other.

May they be truly grateful for the precious blessings, which are the fruits of this holy relation. Make them ever thoughtful and gentle, patient and forbearing, regardful of each other's feelings and opinions, and lenient to each other's infirmities. In all the experiences of life, give them one heart, one mind and one way. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.

Forasmuch as you______________________ and you _________________________ have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed the same before the Lord and this company, giving and pledging your faith each to the other, I do now pronounce that you are husband and wife; in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.

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