Opening Words

Welcome friends, families, and honored guests. We are here to celebrate love. Love organizes our large and
sometimes unpredictable world. It is that which enshrines and ennobles our human experience. It is the basis
for the peace of family, and the peace of the peoples of the earth. The greatest gift bestowed upon humans
is the gift of love freely given between two persons.

In marriage, two people turn to each other in search of a greater fulfillment than either can achieve alone.
Marriage is a bold step, taken together, into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who
we can be. Only in giving of ourselves fully, and sharing our lives with another, can the mysterious process of
growth take place. Only in loyalty and devotion bestowed upon another can that which is eternal in life
emerge and be known. Two among us, who have stood apart, come together now, to declare their love and
to be united in marriage.

The words we say today have no magic or prophetic powers. The power of the wedding vows is merely a
reflection of a reality that already exists in the hearts and minds of these two people. Arley and Chase,
nothing I can say, or nothing you can say to each other, will ensure a long and happy, satisfying and
committed marriage. Only your love for one another, and your integrity to make your commitment real, can
do that. I humbly offer the words of author William A. Peterson in “The Art of Marriage,” who has captured in
words, the essence, of that commitment. I hope you will keep his words upon your heart, and refer to them
again.

The little things are the big things.!

It is never being too old to hold hands.
!It is remembering to say, “I love you” at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
!It is at no time taking the other for granted;!the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,!it should
continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
!It is standing together facing the world.!It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.!It is doing
things for each other!not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,!but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation!and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.!
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo!, or the wife to have the wings of an angel.!
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,! understanding, and a sense of humor.!
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere !in which each can grow.
It is not only marrying the right partner,! it is being the right partner.! This is “The Art of Marriage”.

Reading #1 – Karen Gyatt

Reading #2 – Marriage is a Promise of Love! by Edmund O’Neill

Marriage is a commitment to live — to the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers
opportunities for sharing and growth no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining
that is promised for a lifetime. Within the circle of its love, marriage encompasses all of life’s most important
relationships. A wife and husband are each other’s best friend, confidant, lover, teacher, listener, and critic.
There may come times when one partner is heartbroken or ailing, and the love of the other may resemble the
tender caring of a parent for a child.

Marriage deepens and enriches every facet of life. Happiness is fuller; memories are fresher; commitment is
stronger; even anger is felt more strongly, and passes away more quickly. Marriage understands and forgives
the mistakes life is unable to avoid. It encourages and nurtures new life, new experiences, and new ways of
expressing love through the seasons of life. When two people pledge to love and care for each other in
marriage, they create a spirit unique to themselves, which binds them closer than any spoken or written
words. Marriage is a promise, a potential, made in the hearts of two people who love, which takes a lifetime
to fulfill.

Parent and Community Blessing

People have been united in marriage in all lands and all cultures. In marriages everywhere, two individuals
leave the families that raised them, to begin a new family. At this time, we ask the parents of the Bride and
Groom to stand to bless this marriage.
Do you, [Parents of the Bride and Groom] who have lovingly raised and nurtured these two individuals, offer
your blessing for their marriage, promising to support them, understand them, and encourage them in their
solemn endeavor, in the years ahead? If you agree, please say, “We do.” [Parents respond.]
And to the witnesses and honored guests here today, I ask the same question. Do you offer your blessing for
their marriage, promising to support them, understand them, and encourage them in their solemn endeavor,
in the years ahead? If you agree, please say, “We do.” [Audience responds]

Reading #2 – Union! B y Robert Fulghum

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some
point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making
promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a
meal or during long walks — all those sentences that began with “When we’re married” and continued with
“I will and you will and we will” — those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and
“maybe” — and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and
more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying
to one another, “You know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed — well I meant it all,
every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been
many things to one another — acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher,
for you have learned much from one another in these last few years. Now you shall say a few words that take
you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you two. For after these
vows, you shall say to the world, this — is my husband, this — is my wife.

Vows
Arley
Chase

Exchange of Rings
Do you Arley, accept this man, Chase, as your husband — joining with him today in matrimony — offering
your friendship and loving care — honoring his growth and freedom as well as your own — cherishing and
respecting him, loving and embracing him in times of adversity and times of joy? (Arley responds, “I do.”)

Please repeat after me:

With this ring / I thee wed. / Take it as a sign / of my everlasting / and unconditional love / with all that I am /
and all that I have / from this day forward / as your wife.

Do you Chase, accept this woman, Arley, as your wife — joining with her today in matrimony — offering
your friendship and loving care — honoring her growth and freedom as well as your own – cherishing and
respecting her, loving and embracing her in times of adversity and times of joy? (Chase responds, “I do.”)

Please repeat after me:

With this ring / I thee wed. / Take this as a sign / of my everlasting / and unconditional love / with all that I am
/ and all that I have / from this day forward / as your husband.

Love freely given has no giver and no receiver. You are each the giver and each the receiver. The wedding
ring is a symbol, in visible form, of the unbroken circle of your love, so that wherever you go, you may always
return to your shared life together. May these rings always call to mind the power of your love.
Pronouncement
Arley and Chase, in the presence of your family and friends who have joined you to share this moment of joy,
you have declared your deep love and affection for each other. You have stated your wish to live together,
always open to a deeper, richer friendship and partnership. You have formed your own union, based on
respect and honor. Therefore, it is my joyful responsibility to officially acknowledge your union as “Husband
and Wife.” You may now seal your marriage with a kiss.

Final Blessing
May the glory which rests upon all who love you, bless you and keep you, fill you with happiness and a
gracious spirit. Despite all changes of fortune and time, may that which is noble and lovely and true remain
abundantly in your hearts, giving you strength for all that lies ahead.
Introduction of Bride and Groom
Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Chase and
Arley _______!