OFFICIANT (to congregation):

We are gathered here today before friends, family, and above all else, God, to witness the holy matrimony of _________ and _________.

We thank the Lord for all the blessings that brought us here today and those that brought _________ and _________ together to make this day possible.

And we are thankful for the blessings of another day with our loved ones and especially grateful for this day when we can be around friends and family – some of whom have traveled great distances to be here.

Love and marriage are truly one of God’s greatest gifts and accomplishments. Yes, the heavens and the Earth are pretty impressive, but the Lord has filled all of us with love and allows us to grow that love exponentially by sharing it with someone else. And so, by giving selflessly to another, we make ourselves stronger and our lives that much richer. It’s truly one of the greatest miracles we’ve been given.

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Thank you, Lord, for bestowing upon us your blessings and for giving us, not just another day together, but this most very special day, where _________ and _________ will be joined in holy matrimony.

I’d now like to read a section of Corinthians 13 that offers a beautiful reminder of what it means to love.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

OFFICIANT (to couple):

And now I ask the _________ and _________ to stand facing one another with their hands intertwined.

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________, do you promise to love, honor, cherish and respect _________ above all others, from this day forward until your very last day on earth?

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________, do you promise to love, honor, cherish and respect _________ above all others, from this day forward until your very last day on earth?

OFFICIANT (to ringbearer):

May I have the rings please?

OFFICIANT (to couple):

These rings represent love, pure and simple. The love God has for all creatures great and small and the love you, _________ and _________, have for one another. When you place that ring on your partner’s finger, know that you are giving not just the gift of a ring, but also the gift of the love your creator has filled you with.

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________ please repeat after me:

_________, please accept this ring as a token of my true, pure love for you. With this I give you my heart and my soul. They are yours forever more.

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________, please repeat after me:

_________, please accept this ring as a token of my true, pure love for you. With this I give you my heart and my soul. They are yours forever more.

OFFICIANT (to couple):

We thank God for bringing _________ and _________ together and for blessing them now and always. I feel personally blessed to have shared this day with you, _________ and _________. Now, by the power vested in me by the Universal Life Church and the State of _____________, I pronounce you married.

You may now kiss!

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Beginnings are important. So important it’s the 1st noun in the Bible, which starts with “In the beginning.” What follows are the heavens and the earth; water and life; humanity. And now here we are at the beginning of _________ and _________’s married life. You’ve got a great beginning here _________ and _________ – now it’s up to you to keep in your hearts that love and warmth given to you by God. Begin and end each and every day together with love, and you will enjoy an amazing marital life filled with joy and bliss.