The Partnership in Life Ceremony
Marriage Commissioner:
Dear friends and families,
we are gathered here today to witness and to celebrate the marriage of John
and Jane 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 not only self expression,
understanding and the development of wisdom through the sharing of knowledge,
but also an enthusiasm for life and living. It must be done with respect,
consideration and 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.
Charge to the Couple
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 listen to each other, and to speak to
each other with honesty always?
The couple will answer: We do
Marriage is a way of life that none should lightly
undertake. If anyone present know a reason why John and Jane
may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now.
John and Jane,
if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry, you must also
declare it now.
Repeat after me…(each
of the participants in turn)
I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why
I,___________________may not be joined in matrimony to ____________________.
The Wedding
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 pledge you make today will
only remain valid as long as you look upon it 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.
John, will you have this
woman as part of your life? Will you love her, care for her and respect her?
Will you promise to cherish her in honesty, tenderness and faithfulness as long
as you both shall live?
The groom shall answer: I will.
I call upon these persons here present, to witness that I, ____________, do
take you, _____________, to be my lawful wedded wife (or to be my lawful wedded
partner or to be my lawful wedded spouse),
Jane, will you have this man
as part of your life? Will you love him, care for him and respect him in
honesty, tenderness and faithfulness, as long as you both shall live?
The bride shall answer: I will.
I call upon these persons here present, to witness that I, ____________, do
take you, _____________, to be my lawful wedded husband (or to be my lawful
wedded partner or to be my lawful wedded spouse),
The Marriage Vows
(the couple face each other and join hands.)
Repeat after me…(each
of the participants in turn)
Jane, I take you as my wife,
to love, cherish and respect. 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 and your individuality, throughout the changes in our lives.
John, I take you as my
husband, to love, cherish and respect. I promise to share my life openly with
you; I promise to encourage you in the fulfillment of your dreams and your
individuality, throughout the changes in our lives.
The Exchanging of Rings
The perfect circle of a ring symbolizes eternity. In the
years to come these rings should remind you of the overwhelming joy of this
special occasion when you were united in marriage.
SOLEMNIZER TO GROOM:
Place the ring on her
finger, hold it there and say these words to her.
Jane, 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 for you.
SOLEMNIZER TO BRIDE:
Place the ring on his
finger, hold it there and say these words to him.
John, 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 for you.
The Declaration of
Marriage
John and Jane, from this day on, may
you always communicate openly and honestly with each other and live these days
of joy. May you live in each other's company in peace and trust May you
endlessly delight in each other and love and fulfill each other always.
John and Jane,
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.
I, ________________________, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the
Marriage Act, do hereby pronounce you __________________________ and
____________________ to be husband and wife (married/partners in marriage).
The Nuptial Kiss