Roderick D. Tamney
Humanist Officiant /
Chaplain
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Sample Wedding Ceremony
THE OPENING STATEMENT
Friends and families ! 1._____ and 2._____ are here today
to happily proclaim their intention to marry. In so doing
they are allowing us to participate in the celebration of
a love which they have nurtured for some time. Theirs is
a partnership freely chosen and founded on friendship,
trust and respect. A partnership that encourages not only
open communication, self-expression and the sharing of
knowledge, but also an enthusiasm for life. It is based
on the belief that each is equally important and that any
pretense of superiority by either would be injurious to
both.
1._____ and 2._____ believe that marriage is essentially
a human institution. Therefore this ceremony finds its
deepest meaning in the celebration of being human.
THE QUESTIONS
( to a parent or parents )
Your son and your daughter have been nurtured in your
love and guided by your personal counsel. As they become
partners in marriage they ask for your affectionate
blessings. Do you give them your blessings ? Answer: We
do.
(to the couple )
Do you come with joy and anticipation to this moment when
you will be legally joined in marriage ? Do you pledge to
treat each other with kindness, respect and compassion;
to listen to each other and to speak to each other with
honesty—always ?
Answer: We do.
THE CHARGE TO THE COUPLE
You have come to love each other deeply and sincerely.
That love has given you the desire to unite in marriage
and to establish a home together. In this ceremony you
are dedicating yourselves to give happiness and
well-being, each to the other. Your marriage is an act of
faith. It must not be based on the vain hope of what the
other will do or will not do, might become or might not
become. It must be based on the firm belief in your own
individual worth and that of the other. Your pledge today
is an expression of your devotion. The words spoken in
this ceremony will validate your marriage only if your
love and commitment to one another are strong enough to
sustain it.
Today you announce your love for each other in the
presence of families and friends. We rejoice with you and
we wish you well !
THE BETROTHAL
(each shall declare)
I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful
impediment why I, 1._____/2._____ may not be joined in
matrimony to 2._____/1._____
2._____/1._____ will you have 1._____/2._____ as your
partner in life ? Will you love her ( him ) , care for
her ( him ) and respect her ( him )? Will you cherish her
( his ) uniqueness and respect her ( his ) individuality
as you enter into this union of love and trust ? Answer
:I will.
THE FIRST READING
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created. In the art of marriage,
the little things are the big things. It is never being
too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say, “I
love you.” It is cultivating flexibility,
understanding, and a sense of humour. It is having a
mutual sense of values and common objectives, standing
together and facing the world. It is forming a circle of
love that gathers the whole family. It is speaking words
of appreciation and demonstrating your love for each
other in many thoughtful ways. Happiness in marriage is
doing things for each other in the spirit of love and
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.
THE EXCHANGE OF VOWS
(May be repeated phrase by phrase after the officiant or
read individually by the bride and groom. Memorization is
not recommended!)
2._____/1._____, I accept you as my partner in marriage./
I promise to share my life openly with you./ I promise to
tenderly care for you./ I promise to encourage you/ in
the fulfillment of your dreams,/ throughout the changes
in our lives.
I call upon these persons here present to witness that I,
1._____/2._____ , do take you, 2._____ /1._____, to be my
lawful wedded wife (or husband).
THE EXCHANGE OF RINGS
The officiant asks for the rings and holding them says:
The circle has no beginning and no end. The rings you are
about to give to each other symbolize the unity and
oneness of your two lives.
Placing the rings on each others fingers the bride or
groom repeats:
2._____ /1._____, with this ring I marry you and I
promise you my love and respect.
MEDIATION
We cannot know what the future will bring
into the lives of 2._____ and 1._____ but we hope that
they may be equal to the demands of all their tomorrows.
May their marriage be a shared adventure, rich in moments
of serenity as well as in moments of excitement.
May their home be a place of peace, where the concerns
with the self do not overshadow those for others, and
where the warmth of laughter can put crisis into its
proper perspective.
May they encourage each other in whatever they set out to
achieve.
May they, trusting each other, trust life itself and may
their love endure forever.
THE SECOND READING
Look to this day !
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course lie all the verities and realities of
your existence: The bliss of growth, the glory of action,
the splendour of beauty; For yesterday is but a dream,
and tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well-lived, makes every yesterday a dream of
happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this
day!
Kalidasa
THE PRONOUNCEMENT
Inasmuch as you have pledged yourselves, each to the
other, and inasmuch as you have declared the same in the
presence of this company by exchanging vows and by giving
and receiving rings, I, Roderick Tamney, by virtue of the
powers vested in me by the Marriage Act do hereby
pronounce you 1._____ and 2._____ husband and wife.
BENEDICTION
May you always communicate openly and honestly with each
other. May your relationship remain one of love and of
trust.
May you continue to respect the individuality of the
other.
And may the happiness you share today be with you always.
THE KISS
THE SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE LICENCE AND
REGISTER
THE INTRODUCTION OF THE COUPLE TO THE
GATHERING
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I present to you, Mr. & Mrs. 1._____ & 2._____
_______