A CEREMONY FOR THE RENEWAL OF MARRIAGE VOWS
We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to give
recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which
shall unite ________________________ and __________________ in marriage.
Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage,
they must speak now or forever hold their peace.
(If the bride is escorted forward)
Who is it that brings this woman to this man?
(The father, children, relative etc. may give the bride away. He/they answer "I
do", "I do on behalf of the family", or "her mother and I". This
person then steps back and the groom takes the bride’s hand.)
___________________ and __________________, life is given to each of us
as individuals, and yet we must learn to live together. Love is given to use by our family
or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together
is one of the greatest challenges of life - and is the shared goal of a married life. VOWS
(Vows used unless other vows are wished. You may change the vows as you wish)
(Groom)______________________, do you take _____________________ to be your Wife? Do
you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only
unto her?
(Bride) I,_______________________, do you take _____________________ to
be your Husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all
others and holding only unto him? RINGS (Rings are not required)
(If ring/rings are exchanged each does so before repeating the following vows - unless
you wish other vows or do not wish to repeat)
Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the
unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in
marriage.
(Groom) I,___________________, take thee __________________, to be my Wife. To have and
to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to
you. (With this ring, I thee wed.)
(Bride) I,____________________, take thee __________________, to be my Husband. To have
and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, and I promise my love to
you.
(If there are children of the marriage sometimes couples will give a flower or small
gift such as a necklace or ring to the child and say a short statement that they also are
now part of the new family. I believe it very important to mention children’s names
in the ceremony. If you have minor children coming into the marriage, if you provide their
names I will mention them as is appropriate.)
__________________________ and _________________________, as you this day renew
your marriage vows which united you as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your
faith and love for one another, I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other
as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of
one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and live each day that you may share
it together - as you shall remain each other’s home, comfort and refuge, your
marriage strengthened by your love and respect for each other.
BIBLE VERSE (1Cor. 13)
A marriage ceremony represents one of life’s greatest commitments. But it also is
a declaration of love. I wish to read to you what Paul wrote of love in a letter to the
Corinthians. I believe it is a true model of love and it is a model of love I hope you
pursue in your marriage:
"Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud.
Love is never haughty or selfish or rude.
Love does not demand it’s own way. Love is not irritable or touchy. Love does not
hold grudges and will hardly notice when others do it wrong.
Love is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out.
If you love someone, you will be loyal to them no matter what the costs. You will
always believe in them, always expect the best in them, and will always stand your ground
in defending them."
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, our hearts are filled with great happiness as _________ and
__________ renewal their marriage vows and today reaffirm their faith and love for one
another. Grant that they may ever be true and loving, living together in such a way as to
never bring shame or heartbreak into their marriage. Temper their hearts with kindness and
understanding, rid them of all pretense or jealousy. Help them to remember to be each
other’s sweetheart, helpmate, friend and guide, so that together they may meet the
cares and problems of life more bravely. And with the passage of time, may they find great
contentment in the rich joy of senior companionship. May the home they are reaffirming
today truly be a place of love and harmony, where Your Spirit is always present. Bless
this marriage we pray and walk beside _________ and ___________________ throughout all of
their lives together.
We ask these things in Jesus name; Amen
UNITY CANDLES
(If unity candles are used/optional. If the Rose Ceremony is used, it is placed after
the unity candle ceremony or in place of it.)
______________ and ___________________, the two separate candles symbolize your
separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. I ask that each of you
take on of the lit candles and that together you light the center candle.
The individual candles represent your lives before you first married. Lighting the
center candle represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and represents
the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one.
(For couples who are adding music to the ceremony, it is usually placed
either here or after the vows are repeated earlier.) PRONOUNCEMENT
______________ and ____________________, in so much as the two of you have agreed to
live together in Holy Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, the
joining of your hands and the giving of these rings, I now declare you to be Husband and
Wife.
Whom God hath joined together, let no one put asunder.
Congratulations, you may kiss your bride.
Your gift to each other for your wedding today has been your wedding rings
- which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a
public showing of your commitment to each other. You now have what remains the
most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of
"husband" and "wife."
For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single
rose. In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose
always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is
appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single
rose. Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.
SPECIAL MUSIC
In someways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment
ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some
ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no
different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received
one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the
gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage. _________
and _____________, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether
it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very
special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion
you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a
recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.
In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right
words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most
hurt by who we most love. It might be difficult some time to words to
say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I
am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a
rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters
most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.
That rose says the words: "I still love you." The other should
accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that
you both share today. __________ and ________, if there is anything you
remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it
is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage
shall endure."
