THE CELEBRATION AND BLESSING OF A MARRIAGE
At the time appointed, the persons to be married, with their witnesses
(minimum 2) assemble in the church or some other appropriate place.
During their entrance, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be sung, or
instrumental music may be played.
Then the celebrant, facing the people and the persons to be married,
with the woman to the right and the man to the left, addresses the congregation
and says:
Dearly beloved: We
have come together in the presence
of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in
Holy Matrimony. The bond and
covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus
Christ adorned this manner of life by his presence and first miracle at a
wedding in
The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is intended
by
God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in
prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of
children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore, marriage is not to be entered
into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance
with the purposes for which it was instituted by God.
Into this holy union W.W. and M.M. now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause
why they
may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else for ever hold your peace.
Then the Celebrant says to the persons to be married:
I require and charge you both, here in the presence of God, that if
either of you know any reason why you man not be united in marriage lawfully,
and in accordance with God's Word, you do now confess it.
THE DECLARATION OF CONSENT
The Celebrant says to the woman:
W., will you have this man to be you husband; to live together in the
covenant of marriage ? Will you
love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and,
forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
The Woman answers:
I will.
The Celebrant says to the man:
M., will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the
covenant of marriage ? Will you
love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and,
forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
The Man answers:
I will.
The Celebrant then addresses the congregation, saying:
Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to
uphold these two persons in their marriage ?
People: We
will.
If there is to be a presentation or a giving in marriage, it takes
place at this time. See end notes.
("Additional Directions").
A hymn, psalm, or anthem may follow.
THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD
The Celebrant then says to the people:
The
Lord be with you.
People
And
also with you.
Let us pray.
O gracious and everliving God, you have created us male and female
in
your image: Look mercifully upon
this man and this woman who come to you seeking your blessing, and assist them
with your grace, that with true
fidelity and steadfast love they may honor and keep the promises and vows they
make through Jesus Christ our Savior, who lives and reigns with you in the
unity of the Holy Spirit, one
God,
for ever and ever. Amen.
;
Then one or more of the following passages from Holy Scripture is
read. If there is to be a Communion,
a passage from the Gospel always concludes the
Old Testament:
Genesis 1: 26-28 (Male and
female he created them)
Genesis 2:4-9, 15-24
(A man
cleaves to his wife and they become one flesh)
Song of Solomon 2:10-13; 8:6-7
(Many waters cannot quench love)
Tobit 8:5b-8 (New English Bible) (That she and I may grow old together)
New Testament Epistle:
I Corinthians 13:1-13 (Love
is patient and kind)
Ephesians 3:14-19 (The
Father from whom every family is named)
Ephesians 5:1-2, 221-33
(Walk in love, as Christ loved us)
Colossians 312-17 (Love
which binds everything together in harmony)
I John 4;7-16 (Let us
love
one another for love is of God)
A Gospel:
Matthew 51-10 (the
Beatitudes)
Matthew 5:13-16 (You
are
the light … Let your light so shine)
Matthew 7:21, 24-29 (
Like a
wise man who built his house upon the rock)
Mark 10:6-9 (They are
no
longer two but one)
John 15:9-12 (Love one
another as I have loved you)
Between the
Appropriate Psalms are 67, 127, and 128.
When a passage from the Gospel is to be read, all stand and the Deacon
or Minister appointed says
The
Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ
according
to ________
People:
Glory
to you, Lord Christ.
After the Gospel, the Reader says
The
Gospel of the Lord
People
Praise
to you, Lord Christ.
A homily or other response to the
THE MARRIAGE
The Man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says
In the Name of God, I, M., take you, W., to be my 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, until we are parted by
death. This is my solemn vow.
Then they loose their hands, and the Woman, still facing the man, takes
his right hand in hers, and says
In the Name of God, I, W., take you, M., to be my 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, until we are parted by
death. This is my solemn vow.
They loose their hands.
The Priest may ask God's blessing on a ring or rings as follows
Bless, O Lord, this
ring to be a sign of the vows
by which this man and this woman have
bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The giver places the ring on the ring-finger of the other's hand and
says
W./M., I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I
am,
and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit (or:
in the Name of God).
Then the Celebrant joins the right hands of the husband and wife and
says
Now that W. and M. have given themselves to each other by solemn vows,
with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, I pronounce
that they are husband and wife, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son,
and
of the Holy Spirit.
Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.
People
Amen.
THE PRAYERS
All standing, the Celebrant says
Let us pray together in the words our Savior taught us
People and Celebrant
Our Father, who art in heaven
Our
Father in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name
,
hallowed
be your Name,
thy kingdom come,
your kingdom come,
thy will be done,
your will be done,
on earth
as it
is in heaven.
on earth as in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
Give
us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
Forgive
us our sins
as we forgive
those
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
who sin against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
Save
us from the time of trial,
but deliver us from evil,
and deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, the
For
the kingdom, the power,
Power, and the
power, and the
and the glory are yours,
glory, for ever and
ever. Amen.
Now and for ever. Amen.
If Communion is to follow, the Lord's Prayer may be omitted here.
The Deacon or other person appointed reads the following prayers, to
which the People respond, saying,
Amen.
Let us pray.
Eternal God, creator and preserver of all life, author of salvation,
and giver of all grace: Look
with
favor upon the world you have made, and for which your Son gave his life, and
especially upon this man and this woman whom you make one flesh in Holy
Matrimony. Amen.
Give them wisdom and devotion in the ordering of their common life,
that each may be to the other a strength in need, a counselor in perplexity, a
comfort in sorrow, and a companion in joy.
Amen.
Grant that their wills may be so knit together in your will, and their
spirits in your spirit, that they may grow in love and peace with you and one
another all the days of their life.
Amen.
Give them grace, when they hurt each other, to recognize and
acknowledge their fault, and to seek each other's forgiveness and yours. Amen.
Make their life together a sign of Christ's love to this sinful and
broken world, that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt,
and
joy conquer despair. Amen.
] Bestow on them, if it is your will, the gift and heritage of
] children, and the grace to bring them up to know you, to
] love you, and to serve you.
Amen.
Give them such fulfillment of their mutual affection that they may
reach out in love and concern for others.
Amen.
Grant that all married persons who have witnessed these vows may find
their lives strengthened and their loyalties confirmed. Amen.
Grant that the bonds of our common humanity, by which all your children
are united one to another, and the living to the dead, may be so transformed by
your grace, that your will may be done
on earth as it is in heaven; where, O Father, with your Son and the
Holy
Spirit, you live and reign in perfect unity, now and for ever. Amen.
THE BLESSING OF THE MARRIAGE
The people remain standing.
The husband and wife kneel, and the Priest says one of the following
prayers
Most gracious God, we five you thanks for your tender love in sending
Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the
way of the cross to be the way of life.
We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of man and woman in his
Name. By the power of your Holy
Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man and this
woman. Defend them from every
enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon
their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and
in
their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their
death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast
for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you
and
the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Or this
O God, you have so consecrated the covenant of marriage that in it
is
represented the spiritual unity between Christ and his Church: Send therefore your blessing upon
these
your servants, that they may so love, honor, and cherish each other in
faithfulness and patience, in wisdom and true godliness, that their home may be
a haven of blessing and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and
the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
The husband and wife still kneeling, the Priest adds this blessing
God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy spirit, bless, preserve,
and
keep you; the Lord mercifully with
his favor look upon you, and fill you with all spiritual benediction and
grace; that you may faithfully live
together in this life, and in the age to come have life everlasting. Amen.
THE PEACE
The Celebrant may say to the people
The
peace of the Lord be always with you.
People
And
also with you.
The newly married couple then greet each other, after which greeting
may be exchanged throughout the congregation.
When Communion is not to follow, the wedding party leaves the
church. A hymn, psalm, or anthem
may be sung, or instrumental music may be played.
At the Eucharist:
The liturgy continues with the Offertory, at which the newly married
couple may present the offerings of bread and wine.
Preface of Marriage
At the Communion, it is appropriate that the newly
married couple receive
Communion first, after the ministers.
In place of the usual post-communion prayer, the following is said
O God, the giver of all that is true and lovely and gracious: We give you thanks for binding us
together in these holy mysteries of the Body and Blood of your Son Jesus
Christ. Grant that by your Holy
Spirit, N. and N., now joined in Holy Matrimony, may become one in heart and
soul, live in fidelity and peace, and obtain those eternal joys prepared for
all who love you; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
As the wedding party leaves the church, a hymn, psalm, or anthem may be
sung; or instrumental music may be played.
Additional Directions
The Celebration and Blessing of a Marriage may be used with any
authorized liturgy for the Holy Eucharist.
This service then replaces the Ministry of the Word, and the Eucharist
begins with the Offertory.
After the Declaration of Consent, if there is to be a giving in
marriage, or presentation, the Celebrant asks,
Who gives (presents) this woman to be married to this man ?
Or the following
Who presents this woman and this man to be married to each other ?
To either question, the appropriate answer is, "I do." If
more than one person responds, they do so together.
For the Ministry of the Word it is fitting that the man and woman to be
married remain where they may conveniently hear the reading of Scripture. The may approach the Altar, either for
the exchange of vows, or for the Blessing of the Marriage.
It is appropriate that all remain standing until the conclusion of
the
Collect. Seating may be provided
for the wedding party, so that all may be seated for the Lessons and the
homily.
The Apostles' Creed may be recited after the Lessons, or after the
homily if there is one.
When desired, some other suitable symbol of the vows may be used in
place of the ring.
At the Offertory, it is desirable that the bread and wine be presented
to the ministers by the newly married persons. They may then remain before the Lord's
Table and receive Holy Communion before the other members of the congregation.
1.- Date & Time of
wedding
2.- Location of wedding
– and arrival instructions if not in
3.- Where bridal couple is
staying, and telephone number in
5.- Bride's Full Name;
6.- Bride's date and place of birth;
7.- Complete names of Bride's
(a) father and
(b) mother;
8.- Bride's present address;
9.- Bride's Civil status: single, divorced, widowed
10.- (a) Whether the Bride is Baptized (Yes / No) 11.- Groom's Full Name; 12.- Groom's date and place of birth; 13.- Complete names of Groom's 14.- Groom's present address; 15.- Groom's Civil status: single, divorced, widowed 16.- (a) Whether the Groom is Baptized (Yes / No) 17.a)
Date and location of first marriage; 17.b) Spouse's
full name; 17.c-1) Whether or not there are children from this union; 17.c-2) If there are children, their full names, ages, and custodial
arrangements; 17.d) Date of
the final divorce decree; 17.e) Reason
for the divorce. 17.f) Whether
or not the other spouse has remarried 18.a) Witness No. 1's Name: 18.b) Witness No. 1's Address: 18.c) Witness No. 2's Name: 18.d) Witness No. 1's Address: 19.a) Name of your wedding Coordinator (private or hotel supplied) 19.b) Local telephone for this person 19.c) E-mail address for this person
(b) If so, in what church (denomination,not congrergation):
(c) Is she confirmed in that or another church (indicate church): (Yes / No) and
(d) Is she an active communicant in the denomination where she was confirmed: (Yes / No)
(a) father and
(b) mother;
(b) If so, in what church (denomination, not congregation):
(c) Is he confirmed in that or another church (indicate church): (Yes / No) and
(d) Is he an active communicant in the denomination where he was confirmed: (Yes / No)
C.- If either the Bride or
the Groom have been previously married to a person still living more
information is required:
If Coordinator information is not supplied, I shall accept no responsibility
for any failures in communication concerning any aspect of the wedding ceremony,
rehearsal, or other related events organized by the Coordinator.
If either of the couple have been previously married, even after all of
the information required has been supplied, the Diocesan Bishop must authorize
the celebration of the religious marriage. Please understand that this takes
time.
It is much easier to get his authorization if the couple has been (or shall have been)
married by the State (civil authorities) before receiving the Church's blessing
of their marriage.