Wedding Ceremony
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1151 views
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~12 minute ceremony
Written by ULC Minister Yoly Lopera
Love knows no language barrier, and neither should your wedding ceremony. This spiritual bilingual wedding script is available in both English and Spanish, delivering a heartfelt experience that honors diverse backgrounds while uniting everyone in a shared celebration of love. With meaningful blessings and inclusive wording, these side-by-side script versions can be referenced interchangeably to ensure that every guest feels connected to the moment. You can find the Spanish version of the script here.
Welcome and Wedding Sermon
Officiant (to guests):
Dear Friends and family, we have gathered today in this beautiful place to celebrate the union of _________ and _________, in a sacred moment that transcends time and space. Today, we are not only here as witnesses of a commitment of love, but also as participants in a spiritual celebration that unites two souls on a new path of happiness. Marriage is much more than a ceremony or a contract; It is a profound spiritual act that binds two people together in a promise of love, respect, and mutual support. In this union, _________ and _________ not only commit to walk the path of life together, but also to support each other in their spiritual growth, and to share their dreams and challenges as a sacred unit.
Today we celebrate not only the love they feel for each other; but also the spiritual connection that binds them together. May this day be the beginning of a life filled with blessings, growth, and a love that blossoms and grows stronger over time. So, with open hearts and with the presence of the divine in our minds, we welcome you to this celebration of love and togetherness. May all of us, as we witness this act of love, also be inspired to value and nurture sacred relationships in our own lives.
Blessing
Officiant:
I want to invite you to close your eyes and remind all those loved ones who cannot be with us today; especially:
Here we mention all those loved ones who are no longer on this plane, but who from that window of heaven accompany you today.
* Mention the names of parents, grandparents, siblings, or loved ones that the couple wants to remember on this day. *
Receive that blessing that is given to you from heaven today and although you are no longer in physical presence, you are in your spiritual presence. Now we visualize them, and thank them for their blessings, while we also bless the couple.
Memory Lane:
Officiant:
* Write a short story about the couple, highlighting the most beautiful moments they have experienced until today. The date and place where they met and how it happened. A funny situation they have had or something relevant that they want to share on this special day. *
Optional: On Marriage Equality (For Same-Sex Unions)
Officiant:
Grooms and/or Brides,
Marriage is an institution that has evolved throughout history. Marriage equality is not about changing the core values of our society, but about expanding them to include all people, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is about recognizing that love and commitment are universal and that everyone has the right to live their lives with dignity and respect. Marriage equality is an affirmation that diversity is a strength, not a weakness, and that respect for human rights is the foundation of a just and equitable community. Today with this ceremony you both are leaving a legacy and an example for your families and society about the importance of sharing love with freedom and respect.
On Marriage:
Officiant:
In many religions, marriage is considered a sacrament or sacred rite, a ceremony in which the divine presence is invoked to bless the union. From the spiritual point of view, it is seen as a holy union that transcends the physical and legal plane, connecting two people on a deep soul level. It is often regarded as the reunion of two souls who have been guided by fate or their divine purpose to meet and unite.
As a divine reflection through marriage, couples can experience and express this divine love in their everyday lives, nurturing not only their relationship but also their connection to themselves. To maintain a good marriage, we must invite into our homes the sacred and divine presence of God. By looking for that wisdom that teaches us to learn from each other through selfless love, compassion, forgiveness, and patience. The challenges and joys of marriage are important spiritual lessons, which will help you evolve and gain a greater understanding of yourself and the universe.
Speak Now (Optional)
Officiant:
Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace.
Declaration of Intent
Officiant (to the couple)
Please join hands and look into each other's eyes. In the eyes of God, of your family and friends gathered here, do you affirm your desire to voluntarily enter this covenant that will unite your souls forever?
Couple: Yes we do.
Officiant (to Partner 1):
_________, do you take _________ to be your husband/wife, to live together in (holy) matrimony, to love him/her, to honor him/her, to comfort him/her, and to keep him/her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?
Partner 1: I do.
Officiant (to Partner 2):
_________, do you take _________ to be your husband/wife, to live together in (holy) matrimony, to love him/her, to honor him/her, to comfort him/her, and to keep him/her in sickness and in health, forsaking all others, for as long as you both shall live?
Partner 2: I do.
Hand Blessing Ceremony: (Optional)
Officiant:
Our hands are the vehicle through which we project our greatest godly gift, which is LOVE. With them we touch to caress and hug, we applaud to celebrate, with them we work to create, and they are also the ones who put them together and will help us to pray and give thanks!
Today, I’ll bless your hands before exchanging your wedding rings, so they will be prepared to carry that ring with love and pride but first I want you to listen carefully to this beautiful text:
Hand Blessing
Officiant:
These are your best friend's hands. They're taking yours on your wedding day; while promising to love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work together to build a future.
These are the hands that will accompany you over the years supporting you, taking care of you and appreciating you every time they touch you.
These are the hands that will watch over you when fear or sadness grips your mind.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it most.
May these hands always cover you with love, tenderness, and respect.
May these hands build a love that lasts a lifetime every day.
Wedding Vows:
Officiant:
The couple will exchange their wedding vows and their promise of love. There is no promise more sacred, no more intimate than the promise you make to each other today! Wedding vows are seen as a sacred covenant, not just between the couple but also before a higher power, such as God, the universe, or the divine.
Now I invite you to express those promises of love and mutual commitment from that chakra of the heart, where God has placed LOVE in each one of us.
*Partners each deliver vows*
Unity Candle Ceremony: (Optional)
Officiant:
Here we invite the parents if they are present to light the candles for each of them.
Officiant (to couple and their parents):
Today, these two candles are the symbol that reminds you that it was through your parents that your two flames were ignited at birth and began to shine their light in this world!
As you place your trust in your daughter’s/son’s sacred union, they embrace your blessing to journey together as kindred spirits. We are grateful to you, dear parents, for the gift of life!
(You can present the parents with flowers or some other symbolic gift in a token of gratitude and love for lighting their candles)
Officiant (to couple):
These candles symbolize what the two have been so far: two spiritual beings with their light, two people full of illusions; with many plans, two independent paths, two souls who today have decided to join their lives to walk hand in hand and build a common project.
May this light remind you every year, every month, every day, and every moment of the promise to love each other that you make today in front of all your family and friends. Light together this new candle of unity that will guide and accompany you throughout your life as a couple. This lama that you light today will be called our HOME!
Reading of the Candle by Belgian Priest Phil Brosnan:
Officiant:
"Let a candle burn on your wedding day, it is a symbol that illuminates and accompanies. After a few years it must remind you of what you have promised yourselves today. The candle on your wedding day whispers in your ear: I have seen it. My flame was present when you held hands and gave your heart. I am more than just a candle. I am a mute witness in the house of your love and will continue to live in your home. On the days when the sun shines, when you feel great joy, when a beautiful star shines on the horizon of your life, you will not need to light me.
Light me when night falls, when a storm breaks upon you. Turn me on when the first step is to be taken and you do not know how; when an explanation is necessary and you cannot find the words; When you want to hug each other and your arms are paralyzed, turn me on. My light will be a clear sign for you. He speaks his own language, the language we all understand. I am the candle of your wedding day. Let me burn as long as it takes, until the two of you, joined together cheek to cheek, can extinguish me. Then I will tell you gratefully: until next time."
Sand Ritual (Optional):
* Children can participate and some couples also invite their godparents. *
Officiant (to the couple):
In these colors, we recognize ourselves as individual spirits who project our energy and light, which has accompanied them until now. By joining each grain, we will be creating a unique and wonderful blend that we will not be able to separate, and that will remind us of the value of acceptance and mutual respect as a symbol of the new life that begins today... Value this union and bring home this new container as a symbol of your commitment and acceptance.
Blue: It is a spiritual color, blue is the color that represents serenity, as it favors the balance of energies, understanding and communication with others. It is because of these characteristics that it is considered the most spiritual color of the entire spectrum that forms the rainbow.
Red: The life force, red is the color of love and unbridled passion, but it also represents the joy of life's moments and pleasures. A truly beautiful color that is all about energy and life force.
Yellow: The color of the yellow sun can represent different things. Many times, yellow is a symbol of wisdom, new birth, sunshine, and beauty.
Green: The color of healing, in addition to being a symbol of nature, its enormous energy offers a connection with inner strength. Following this, green is a symbol of new growth, since when spring begins everything takes on a green color.
Purple: A symbol of faith, purple is a color with a spiritual meaning that symbolizes the strength of faith. It also has to do with borderline mystical experiences and offers spiritual strength.
White: Purity, as it is well known, there are seven colors, and white is known as the eighth color. It is for this reason that it is believed that its dimension is farther away than can be observed. Its meaning is quite close to the divine, reflecting the spiritual path, good intentions, purity, generosity, and connection with the celestial plane.
Ring Exchange
Officiant (to the couple):
These wedding rings are a symbol made of a strong metal as your love should be and will remind you of the promises that have been made today before GOD and all those present here. A little treasure that from now on will speak to you silently and tell you.... someone is waiting for me at home!
In some countries, they wear wedding rings or wedding rings on the ring finger of the left hand that connects to the AMORIS vein! the one that goes straight to your heart!
Today I bless these alliances/rings with this holy water asking that in the name of GOD, you always have LOVE, HEALTH, PEACE, and ABUNDANCE Amen!
Officiant (to Partner 1):
_________, repeat with me as you place this ring on _________’s finger:
“I give you this wedding ring as a symbol of love and loyalty, and I promise to love, honor, and care for you, through thick and thin, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
Officiant (to Partner 2):
_________, repeat with me as you place this ring on _________’s finger:
“I give you this wedding ring as a symbol of love and loyalty, and I promise to love, honor, and care for you, through thick and thin, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.”
Blessing of the Union (Optional):
Officiant
We now bless and consecrate this new family to GOD and the Blessed Virgin.
Heavenly Father and our beloved Mother Mary, we ask for your blessing on this new family, and may this new path be filled with health, peace, and abundance. May in good times or in difficult times never lose faith or move away from your light. Love!
Pronouncement
Officiant (to the guests):
Having proclaimed your love and commitment before the eyes of God and these witnesses, by the power conferred upon me by Universal Life Church, I have the pleasure of presenting to you, for the first time as a married couple, _________ and _________!
Officiant (to the couple):
You may kiss!
Congratulations!
