Processional
 
To the Congregation of Friends
            True marriage is more than the joining in the bonds of matrimony of two persons. In its right relation, it is the uniting of  two souls already attuned to each other.
 
            When such a true bond already exists between a man and a woman, it is proper that an outer acknowledgment be made.  This acknowledgment, through the exchange of promises, vows, and marriage symbols, is the prime object of this gathering and this ceremony.  We are here to bear witness to the entry into the   closer relationship of husband and wife of these two beloved friends who are already one in spirit.
 
To the Bride and Groom
            You are performing an act of utter  faith, believing in each other to the utmost.
            Never forget, deny or lose the vision you now share with each other. It will become like precious jewels in your lives, which you will keep forever.  You will reap the rewards of growth through the challenges and treasures which each of you brings to the other, and which each of you discovers in the other.  The true beauty of each other will be revealed as you stay in touch with your inner self, the inner source of wisdom.  Be unmoved in your trust and in your devotion.  Remain confident in yourself and in the truth of the bond between you.  Amid the seeming             imperfections which may become apparent, remember that the vision of the ideal of your partner and your relationship will still exist, and that when you rise above this vision, you have touched each others' souls.  Feel safe and severe that in true reality, this vision which you now share is always seeking to grow and express through you and your partner.
 
            The perfection of the inner self is always the final truth.  You see it now, and it will always exist.  ____________, this is the man, and _____________,this is the woman that you love.  Nurture this image of their perfection in your inmost heart.  Make this image real in your united lives, and your home will be a place of  "repair and safe harbor," a dwelling place of serenity, contentment, and abiding joy.
 
Prayer
            Let us pray:  Beloved Presence, at every turning place in our lives, we stop to seek your blessing and guidance.  We thank you, Father, for being Love, and we thank you for creating us after your own image and likeness, of Love.   Richly bless these two lives now to be made one by this bond of love.  May they live their lives experiencing and expressing Love, Happiness, Prosperity, Health, and Joy. Amen.

The Promises
            (To the Groom)
 
            Do you, ______________take_____________ to be your Wife, to love her, to inspire her with courage, and to share with her the journey to a fuller life?
 
            (To the Bride)
 
            Do you, ______________take_____________ to be your Husband, to love him, to inspire him with courage, and to share with him the journey to a fuller life?
 
            Now hear the words of  a Poet on Love:
 
                                                  This Is Friendship
            I love you, not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
            I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
            I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
 
            I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the frivolous and weak things that you can not help seeing there, and drawing out into the light all the beautiful, radiant things that no one else has looked quite far enough to find.
 
            I love you for ignoring the possibilities of the fool in me and for laying firm hold of the possibilities of good in me.
            I love you for closing your eyes to the discords in me, and adding to the music in me by (faithfully) listening.
                                                                                   -Mary Carolyn Davies (adapted)
 
The Blessing of The Ring

            May I have the rings, please.  These rings, by their shapes, are symbols of Eternity, without beginning or end, and are true emblems of the endless spiritual love that    links you now, spirit to spirit and soul to soul.  A ring also signifies Completeness.  Each of you was complete in yourselves before your partner came into your life.            These rings, then signify a further level of completeness in your lives together.  The substance of which they are made is a symbol of Purity.  Right now, they are perfect, even as your love is.  Over the years they will accumulate slight nicks and scratches, even as your relationship will.  Indeed, their beauty will be enhanced through these nicks and scratches, even as your relationship is strengthened and deepened through the working through of the "nicks and scratches" which it will sustain.
 
            They will remain symbols of Eternity, Completeness, and Purity, and  their quality is not lessened, and their beauty is not dimmed.  Indeed, their beauty is enhanced, even as your personal love relationship is deepened and expanded through the passage of time.
 
The Exchange of Vows
 
            (To the Groom)
 
_________________ take ________________'s ring, place it on her third finger, left hand, and repeat after me:  " __________, with this ring I thee wed, and with it I bestow upon thee, all the treasures of my mind, heart, and body."
 
            (To the Bride)
 
_______________________take ________________ 's ring, place it on her third finger, let hand, and repeat after me:  "_________________, with this ring I thee wed, and with it I bestow upon thee, all the treasures of my mind, heart, and body."

The Pronouncement
 
            (Minister places her hand over theirs)
 
__________ and ___________, with your mutual declaration of love, in the name of the Holy Spirit who performs every true marriage, and by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you "Husband and Wife."
 
            You may now share your first married kiss.
 
Benediction
           
                           A Blessing for A Marriage by James Dillet Freeman

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring,
and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another-
not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness.
A mountain needs a valley to be complete;
the valley does not make the mountain less, but more;
So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another,
and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I Love You!"
and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart,
May both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of
one another's presence-
no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side,
and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another!
 
 
                                     Thank you, God,
                                      for Your presence here with us
                                      and Your blessing on this marriage.
                                      Amen.
The Introduction
 
      It is my happy privilege to be the first to present to you, Mr. and Mrs.____________.