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Cilvil Ceremonies:

 

Welcome to family and friends:
Friends, we have come together today to witness the marriage of John and Mary. The legal requirements of this state having been fulfilled, and the license for their marriage being present, I must ask of each party if they come of their own free will and accord.

___________, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to ___________ as long as you shall live?

Groom answers "I do."

___________, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in Marriage to ___________ as long as you shall live?

Bride answers "I do."

Who presents ___________ to be married to ___________?

Bride's father (or representative) responds "I do."

Vows:
Please repeat the following after me:
I, ___________, do take you, ___________, to be my lawfully wedded wife. I promise from this day forward to be your faithful husband, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as I shall live.

Please repeat after me:
I, ___________, do take you, ___________, to be my lawfully wedded husband. I promise from this day forward to be your faithful wife, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, as long as I shall live.

Rings
The wedding ring seals the vows of marriage as a signature bears witness to a written covenant. As the ring is placed upon the finger, will you repeat these words:

In pledge of the vow of marriage made between us, I offer you this ring. Let it be to you and to me, and to all the world, the symbol of the covenant of marriage we have accepted.

We have come together in this place and have heard the willingness of ___________ and ___________ to be joined in marriage. They have come of their free will and in our hearing have made a covenant of faithfulness. They have given and received a ring as the seal of their promises.

Therefore, by the power vested in me by the state of New York I pronounce that they are husband and wife.

 

 

 

---OR---

 

 

 

Welcome to family and friends:
We are here to participate in a wedding. By this act we unite __________ and __________ as husband and wife. What we do today is done in conformity to the laws of the state of Ohio and in the tradition of men and women of all places and times.

__________ and __________, you stand before me having requested that I marry you. Do you both do this of your own free will, with no pressure upon you from other persons?

Groom & Bride answer "We do."

Do any of the witnesses know of any reason why we may not legally continue with this wedding?

Witnesses answer "We do not."

Vows:
Then let us continue. __________, if it is your desire to become the husband of __________, then repeat after me.

I, __________, take you, __________, to be my wife. In this moment I promise before these witnesses to love you and care for you all of our days. I accept you with your faults and your strengths, even as I offer myself with my faults and strengths. I promise to support you when you need support and to turn to you when I need support. I choose you as the one with whom I will spend my life.

I, __________, take you, __________, to be my husband. In this moment I promise before these witnesses to love you and care for you all of our days. I accept you with your faults and your strengths, even as I offer myself with my faults and strengths. I promise to support you when you need support and to turn to you when I need support. I choose you as the one with whom I will spend my life.

__________ and __________, you have shared promises in our presence. Do you have a token or symbol which you wish to exchange?

Couple replies "We do."

Rings
__________, will you give your token to __________ and repeat these words:

I give you this ring as a constant reminder of the promises we exchanged today. As you receive this ring, receive my promise of faithfulness to you.

__________, will you give your token to __________ and repeat these words:

I give you this ring as a constant reminder of the promises we exchanged today. As you receive this ring, receive my promise of faithfulness to you.

__________ and __________, you have exchanged your promises and given and received tokens in my presence. By these acts you have become husband and wife. According to the laws of the state of New York, I hereby pronounce you are husband and wife. You may seal your promise with a kiss.

 

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