1. The Lighting of the Unity Candle
   _______ and ______ , the two lighted candles symbolize your separate lives, your separate families, and your separate sets of friends. I would invite each of you to take one candle, and that together, you light the center candle. The individual candles represent your lives before today. Lighting the center candle, which is the Christ candle, represents that your two lives are now joined to one light, and the joining together of your two families and sets of friends into one, with the Lord Jesus illuminating your journey together. (Note: The Ceremony of The Sand can be done instead of the candle lighting ceremony).
   

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2. Intention of Marriage
   (Something like this...)
   ______and_______ have come together today in the presence of God and their families and friends to join their lives together into a new family unit under the peace and loving presence of their God. We are honored to be witnesses of their intention made public on this special day. I now invite you to enter into the exchange of your vows to each other.

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3. More traditional Intention of Marriage
   ______, will you have______ to be your wife so long as you both shall live? If so, declare so by saying "yes". ______ , will you have_______ to be you husband... "yes".
   

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4. Exchange of vows (Something like this...)
   (Bride to Groom)
   I_____ , take you______ , to be my husband, my faithful partner in life, and my one true love. On this special day, I give to you in the presence of God and all of these witnesses my sacred promise to you that I will stay by your side as your faithful wife in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in good times and in bad. I promise that I will love you unconditionally, comfort you in times of hardship, laugh with you and cry with you, grow with you, always be open and honest with you, and cherish you for all of eternity.
   (Groom to Bride)
   I_____ , take you______ , to be my wife............. for all of eternity.
   

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5. Exchange of rings (Something like this...)
   Following the pastor's direction to each in turn:
   with this ring I marry you and join my life to yours, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
   

1. As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to. lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I heard from my father. You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appoint you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another. John 15:9-17

2. And Ruth said, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me if anything but death separates you and me." Ruth 1:16,17

3. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Phil. 4:4-9

4. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or an clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophesies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For now we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man I put childish things behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Know I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three things remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. I Corinthians 13

5. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery. Ephesians 5:25-33

6. You must rid yourselves of all such things as these; anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language. Do no lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator ... Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord has forgiven you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And, be thankful. Colossians 3:8,9 and 12-15

7. Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If any one acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. I John 4:7-16

1. In the Name of God, I_____ take you,_____ to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow.

2. I,______, take you,______, to be my wife/husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life.

3. I betroth you to me forever, I betroth you to me with steadfast love and compassion, I betroth you to me in faithfulness.

4. I commit my life to our partnership in marriage. I promise to comfort you, to encourage you in all walks of life. I promise to express my thoughts and emotions to you, and to listen to you in times of joy and in times of sorrow.______, I love you, and you are my closest friend. Will you let me share my life and all that I am with you?

5. _______, I promise to give you my love, to accept and cherish your love, to help you when you need me, I promise to be your faithful wife/husband in joy and in sorrow, and in sickness and in health.

6. I promise to be your lover, companion and friend, Your partner in parenthood, Your ally in conflict, Your greatest fan and your toughest adversary. Your comrade in adventure, Your student and your teacher, Your consolation in disappointment, Your accomplice in mischief, Your strength in your need and vulnerable to you in my own, And most of all, Your associate in the search for enlightenment.

7. I promise you______, that I will be your loving and loyal husband/wife from now on and I will share with you all of life's joy and sorrow, pleasure and pain, until death parts us.

8. I_____, take you,­_____, just as you are, above all others, to share my life.

9. I,______, accept you,______ as my wedded partner to love, respect, and cherish. I promise to listen to you and encourage open and honest communication. When you need strength, I will offer mine. When you need words of encouragement, I will listen and provide support. When you need solace and comfort and the silent speech of love, I will understand. I place you in my heart today before all others, and I pledge to work from this hour forward to make our marriage a sound a joyful one.

10. I believe in you, in myself, and in us. I believe there is room in this love for both growth and solidity, both commitment and excitement, both spontaneity and trust. I believe there is opportunity for a continuous, challenging life together. I believe I have much to learn about life and about myself, and that, with you, we will come across new lessons, new challenges, and new ideas in all the days to come. I,_______, give myself to you as your partner.

11. How can I love you more? I can honor, respect, and remain loyal to you forever. Accordingly, on this our wedding day, I,_____ pledge the eternity of our union to you,_______, to our friends and family, and to God. Let us spend our lives together as husband and wife.

12. There was a time when I spoke to God of my need for a partner in life, a person who also walked in His grace and abided by His laws. God heard my voice and in time saw fit to bring you to my side. Today, I_______, offer myself to you,_______ . as your husband/wife. May God bless our union as He has blessed our meeting.

13. I,______ , have been blessed to share in your love______. I will be kind and gentle, strong and forgiving. I will strive to be fair and honest, wise and true. May God always keep us and watch over our home.

14. There is no comprehension that surpasses our understanding of each other; there is no person, precondition, or approval I value more than our love; there is no obstacle I would not overcome to reach you. I give myself, without reservation, to our union. I,_______, welcome you,________, as my partner in life. May our love forever keep us strong.

15. My commitment is always to be there when you need me. I will comfort you and offer you the best person I know how to be from this day forward. Before these witnesses, freely and openly, I,________, give myself to you.

16. Remembering your ideals and ambitions, encouraging your freedom to grow, and remembering always that the most important lessons are to be learned from one another, I,_______, receive you,________, as my wedding partner. You made me a believer; believe with me in the promise of our love.

17. I,______, being of sound mind and true spirit, vow to follow the guidance of my heart, the dictates of our commitment, and the direction of our Lord as your husband/wife. Strong in my belief in you and confident in the lasting power of our love, I pledge to keep our partnership true. All that I am, I give to you.

18. I,______ , receive you,______, as my husband/wife. May we love one another with constancy, live joyously, laugh freely, and support our marriage through the trials and triumphs to come.

19. I,______, accept you,______, as a gift from our Heavenly Father; a gift more precious than any worldly possession. I pledge my devotion to you, second only to God; to respect and love you as commanded by Him. I vow to submit myself to you, to meet your ever changing needs, seek your approval, pursue your admiration, and to never withhold myself from you, just as God intended. Together, we will seek continual spiritual growth and common goals; placing this union above other priorities, that no earthly commodity may be of greater importance, than that which God has brought together.

1. Marriage Takes Three submitted by Tina Stracney

   Then their love will be firm and strong,
   Able to last when things go wrong.
   To be complete it's not enough for two to meet,
   They must be united in love by loves creator God above.
   Because they've felt God's love and know,
   He's always there and He'll never go away.
   And they have both loved Him in kind,
   With all the heart and soul and mind.
   And in that love they've found the way,
   To love each other, every day.
   A marriage that follows God's plan,
   Takes more than a woman and man.
   It needs a oneness that can be only from Christ.
   Marriage takes three.

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2. The Ring (Poem) submitted by Jennifer Cooper

   On bended knee, he asked her to be his wife.

   To share the joy and tears throughout their lives She accepted his proposal with joy in her heart Knowing they will join together and never be apart. A sparkling diamond was placed on her hand Soon to be joined by a round golden band. Together they will share whatever life throws their way.

   Two lives will blend as one on their wedding day.

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3. The Blessed Union submitted by Hiram Babineaux

   Friends and family gather round with smiles, they look upon the service now to be performed as two would become one.

   They gaze into each others eyes and recite their vows of love.
   Separate souls, joined as one on earth and up above.

   In the end a sign is placed for the entire world to see
   the symbol of fidelity -­ two matching golden rings.

   A perfect union on this day as their love is felt by all,
   holding tight and praising God for all that He has wrought.

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4. Go My Children With My Blessing

   Go my children with my blessing. You are not alone. Waking, sleeping I am with you, you are my own.
   In my love's baptismal river, I have made you mine forever. Go my children with my blessing. I am yours forever.

   In this union I have joined you, husband and wife.
   Now my children live together, as heirs of life.
   Each the other's gladness sharing, each the other's burdens bearing. Now my children live together, as heirs of life.

   I, the Lord, will bless and keep you. I will give you peace. I, the Lord, will smile upon you. Yes, I will give you peace. I, the Lord, will be your Father, your Savior, and Comforter. Go my children, I will keep you and I will give you peace.

   Go then friends, and God go with you. A cord of three make we. Grow in love and love by serving, joyful and free.
   Each the other's gladness sharing, each the other's burdens bearing.
   Go then, friends, go with our blessing, joyful and free.
   --Words adapted from text by Jaroslav Vajda

   NOTE: "Go My Children With My Blessing" has been used frequently as a substitute for a traditional benediction.
   

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Music services: (specifically, portable piano) available through Mr. Randy C. Wall who comes very highly recommended. You may reach him at 763-784-5764.

Soloists are available through members of the Apollo Male Chorus. contact me for a specific referral.

Limousine Services available through Cadillac Chauffeur (www.cadillacchauffeur.com) (612-332-4917)

Professional photographic and/or videographic services are also available at a very reasonable cost.

If you are interested in any of these additional services, please talk to me about that.

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