Wedding Ceremony

PARTNERSHIP WITH ADDED “HANDS” SEGMENT

Dear friends and families.

MY NAME IS DOUG DAVIES AND I AM A MARRIAGE COMMISSIONER APPOINTED UNDER THE MARRIAGE ACT OF THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO.

We are gathered here today to witness and to celebrate the marriage of BRIDE and GROOM and to be with them as they pledge themselves to each other.

Theirs is a partnership freely chosen and founded on love, friendship, trust and respect, a partnership that encourages a deep and gentle caring for one another.

You are the people with whom they want to share their joy as they enter into marriage and they hope that, in the years ahead, your love will be a continuous source of strength for them.

Marriage is a way of life that none should lightly undertake.

If anyone present knows a reason why Bride and Groom may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now or hereafter hold your peace.

Charge to Bride and Groom

You are here today with your families and friends to publicly declare your love for one another.

Do you pledge to treat each other with kindness, respect, and compassion, to actively listen to each other, and to speak to each other, with honesty, always?

The couple will answer: We do

REPEAT AFTER ME ,

I BRIDE, do solemnly declare

that I do not know of any lawful impediment

why I may not be joined in matrimony TO GROOM.

I, GROOM, do solemnly declare

that I do not know of any lawful impediment

why I may not be joined in matrimony TO BRIDE.

The Wedding

DOUG

Your marriage is an act of faith, which must not be entered into lightly.

It must be based on the firm belief in your individual worth and in that of the other, remembering that the pledges you make today will only remain valid as long as you look upon them as an expression of your devotion and freedom.

Today you are dedicating yourselves to that most fragile of all endeavours, a human relationship.

The words spoken in this ceremony will not validate your marriage unless your love and your commitment to one another are strong enough to sustain it.

You must promise to love, respect, and support each other in all the rough times, the sad times, and to celebrate all the happy times together.

GROOM, will you take BRIDE to be your wife, to love her, comfort her, honour and protect her; and forsaking all others to be faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?

The groom shall answer: I will.

GROOM, repeat after me…

I call upon these persons here present,

to witness that I, GROOM,

do take you, BRIDE,

to be my lawful wedded wife.

BRIDE, will you take GROOM to be your husband, to love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and forsaking all others to be faithful to him for as long as you both shall live?

The bride shall answer: I will.

BRIDE, repeat after me…

I call upon these persons here present,

to witness that I, BRIDE,

do take you, GROOM,

to be my lawful wedded husband.

Exchange of Rings

BRIDE, please face GROOM and hold HIS hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

DOUG to Bride

Ø These are the hands of your best friend, young, strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.

Ø These are the hands that will hold you in tender love, soothing you through life’s challenges, supporting and encouraging you along the way.

Ø These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.

Ø These are the hands that will, in countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

Ø These are the hands that will give you support as he encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, as a team. Everything you wish for can be realized.

DOUG

May I have the first ring, please? (BRIDE receives ring for GROOM’S finger.

BRIDE, place the ring on GROOM’S finger, hold it there and say these words to him.

With all my love I give you this ring,

an everlasting symbol,

of the vows we have made to each other,

and as a token of my love.

Doug to Groom:

GROOM, please hold BRIDE’S hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

v These are the hands of your best friend, young, and carefree that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.

v These are the hands that will hold you in tender love, soothing you through life’s challenges, supporting and encouraging you along the way.

v These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you are grieving.

v These are the hands that will, in countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

v These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together, as a team. everything you wish for can be realized.

May we have the other ring, please? (GROOM receives ring for BRIDE’S finger)

GROOM, place the ring on BRIDE’S finger, hold it there and say these words to her.

With all my love I give you this ring,

an everlasting symbol, of the vows we have made to each other,

and as a token of my love.

TO BOTH - join hands

May these hands always be held by one another. Look to them for strength during the storms of stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as you nurture each other in your growing love. May these hands continue building a relationship founded on caring and devotion.

The Declaration of Marriage

BRIDE AND GROOM, from this day on, may you always communicate openly and honestly. May you live in each other's company in peace, trust and joy.

May you endlessly delight in each other, and love and fulfill each other always.

You have chosen each other in love and freedom. You have declared your purpose before your family and friends gathered here today and you have made your pledges one to the other.

Therefore I, DOUGLASS R. DAVIES__ by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Marriage Act; do hereby pronounce you GROOM AND BRIDE to be husband and wife.

The Nuptial Kiss You may now seal these vows with a kiss.

Signing of Documents

Introduction of Newly Married Couple