I. Procession

II. Ritual – simple handoff of bride

III. Opening Words
Celebrant: Welcome Family and Friends!
We have come together to bless the marriage of Jessica Christian and James Frances. Today, they will be making a sacred covenant whereby their hearts, their bodies and their souls shall be united as one in marriage for the rest of their days. And it is our honor and privilege to stand witness. For this blessed act, is magnificent and so tender to behold.
In their appreciation and honor of many cultures and traditions, Jessica and Jim have chosen rituals that represent and celebrate their oneness as well as their uniqueness.
Today, we bless this union under a wedding canopy called a chuppah in the Jewish tradition. It represents shelter, sanctity, and peace. The four poles correspond to the four directions, as Jessica and Jim love spans to the four corners of the earth. The chuppah is the house of promises. It is the home of hope. Its four sides are open, symbolizing the importance of community and of participation in each other’s lives. Friends and family fill the home. It represents the home they have made together and the four pillars represent the support of their loved ones who join us, as one family.

IV. 1st Reading – The Art of a Good Marriage by Wilfred Arlan Peterson read by Leigh Shuman

V. Declaration of Intent and Blessing of Hands
Celebrant: Since it is your intention to join in marriage, kindly join hands and with hands your hearts.

Celebrant: In the ancient Celtic tradition of joining of the hands, the hands convey the warmth of the heart, and the hands placed in an infinity symbol conveys 'forever'. This is where we will actually “tie the knot’ in a wedding ceremony.

Please place your right palms together, then place your left palms over them. This creates a figure eight, or infinity symbol.

Your joined hands represent something within yourselves yet infinitely greater than yourselves has brought you together. As you hold each others hands, you are now bound heart, mind, body, and soul.

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other all the days of your life. These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving. They are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you throughout the years, for a lifetime of happiness.

Please bow your heads as we take a silent moment before Jessica and Jim exchange their vows.

VI. Vows
Celebrant: What is a vow
But an intention
Spoken out before the world
So that the world, in hearing
Might take part
In aspirations
Of the willing heart? – Maureen Tolman Flannery

Jessica and Jim:
Today, I join my life to yours. You are my dearest love, my best friend and now my family.
I promise to communicate openly and honestly, and to take time to listen to you. To challenge and support you as you grow intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually. To celebrate our successes and offer comfort in difficult times. To believe in you even when you doubt yourself. I promise to be faithful, patient, respectful, and understanding and to love and cherish you always.
(Repeat vows after celebrant)

VII. Rings - Blessing & Exchange
Celebrant: The vows which have been exchanged by Jessica and Jim have been offered in our hearing. But, words are fleeting and the sound of them will soon be gone. Therefore, the wedding ring becomes an enduring symbol of the promises, which have been made today. May these rings be a reminder to Jessica and Jim of the vows they have shared today and a witness to all the world of their commitment in marriage.
Jessica and Jim: I give you this ring, and with it, all that I have and all that I am.

VIII. 2nd Reading – Blessing of the Apaches read by Keith LaMattina

IX. Closing Blessing & Pronouncement
Celebrant: Do all those assembled affirm this marriage and give it your blessing? Please answer, “We do!”
Congregation: We do!
Jessica and Jim have chosen each other from the many men and women of the earth, have declared their love and purpose before this gathering, and have made their pledge to each other symbolized by the holding of hands and the giving and receiving of rings.
Celebrant: I ask that everyone together please repeat after me, “We, your family and friends, now pronounce you married.”
Congregation: We, your family and friends, now pronounce you married.
Let all others honor them and the threshold of their house. May they carry into their marriage the beauty and the tranquility of this moment, and keep in it always the sense of exploration.
May they find here the good beginning of their married life and the fruitfulness of many years.

X. Kiss
Celebrant: You may kiss.

XI. Presentation
Celebrant: It is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Jim and Jessica Hughes in their new relationship as husband and wife.

XII. Recession