Vows, Exchange of Rings, Closing Words
Examples of vows, exchange of rings, and closing words for weddings.
Sample Vows
1.
I, _______________, take you, _______________, to be my [wife/husband/spouse],
to have and to hold,
from this day forward,
for better and for worse,
for richer and for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish,
as long as we both shall live.
2.
I, _______________, take you, _______________, to be my [wife/husband/spouse] of my days,
to be the [mother/father/parent] of my children,
to be the companion of my house.
We shall keep together
what share of trouble and sorrow
our lives may lay upon us,
and we shall hold together
our store of goodness and beauty
and plenty and love.
3.
I, _______________, take you, _______________, in marriage,
and in so doing, commit my life to you,
encompassing all sorrows and joys,
all hardships and triumphs,
all the experiences of life;
a commitment made in love,
kept in faith,
lived in hope,
and eternally made new.
4.
I, _______________, take you, _______________,
To be my lifelong companion,
To be my love and my inspiration;
To be my partner in the struggle for a better tomorrow:
To join our voices for equality and justice and love,
To join our hands to work for justice and peace.
Together we will fulfill our aspirations and dreams
Guided by love for ourselves and humankind;
Together, we are more than two.
Exchange of Rings
1.
May I have ____________’s ring, please?
[officiant holds ring in hand]
The circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. It is a symbol of holiness and perfection and of peace. This ring is a symbol of unity, in which your two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle.
____________, please place this ring on ____________’s finger and repeat after me:
I give you this ring to wear upon your hand
as a symbol of our unity.
2.
May I have ____________’s ring, please?
[officiant holds ring in hand]
All of life is encompassed in a circle:
The sky above and the sun and moon;
The far horizon and the daily round;
The day and the night in the dome of sky;
The seasons add on to the circle of life, until death closes it.
So it is that the circle is a symbol of life, of time, of the earth.
____________, please place this ring on ____________’s finger and repeat after me:
I give you this ring to hold us together
in the unbroken circle of life.
Closing words
1.
May these two find happiness in their union. May they live faithfully together, performing the vow and covenant they have made between them; and may they ever remain in sympathy and understanding: that their years may be rich in the joys of life, and their days good, and long upon the earth.
2.
Tomorrow is unto us
as a door to be opened or closed,
as a journey, as an adventure.
Tomorrow is a springtime
and a harvest time;
and the grain to be gathered is life,
and the flowers and fruit
are harmony and understanding.
3.
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no loneliness for you; now there is no more loneliness.
Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place, to enter into the days of your togetherness,
And may your days be good, and long upon the earth.