How Do I Love Thee... Short and Sweet Wedding Ceremony Script

The readings in a ceremony really set the tone.  There is something about the phrase, "How do I Love thee?  Let me count the ways..." That brings a classic romance to mind.  The second reading this couple chose compliments the first.  

Not all ceremonies choose "readings."  Often scripts are created from bits and pieces of passages that speak to you and your relationship. 

Welcome! We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Bride and Groom in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family. Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion

Moment of Silence 

We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Let us take this time to remember those who are here with us in spirit today: names mentioned here.

(Moment of Silence) 


Love has brought Bride and Groom together. But what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not. We see beneath the surface to the qualities, which make our beloved special and unique.  To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be known, as we are known to no other. We who love, can look at each other’s life and say, “I touched his life,” or, “I touched her life,” just as an artist might say, “I touched this canvas.” “Those brushstrokes in the comer of this magnificent mural, those are mine. I was a part of this life, and it is a part of me.” Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. The secret of love and marriage is to be in love and in trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. The true art of married life is an inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments, which diminishes neither, but enhances both It is, ultimately, the emergence of the Highest Selves of each person. 

First Reading

Our first reading is: 

How Do I Love Thee? 
By Elizabeth Barrett Browning 

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height 
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight 
For the ends of being and ideal grace. 
I love thee to the level of every day's 
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight. 
I love thee freely, as men strive for right; 
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise. 
I love with a passion put to use 
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith. 
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose 
With my lost saints, I love thee with the breath, 
Smiles, tears, of all my life! and, if God choose, 
I shall but love thee better after death. 
​
Second Reading

Or second reading is:

Marriage Advice 
by Jane Wells 

Let your love be stronger than your hate and anger. 
Learn the wisdom of compromise, 
for it is better to bend a little than to break. 
Believe the best rather than the worst. 
People have a way of living up or down 
to your opinion of them. 
Remember that true friendship 
is the basis for any lasting relationship. 
The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies 
and kindnesses you bestow on your friends. 
Please hand this down to your children and your children's children. 

Vows 

Bride and Groom will now share the wedding vows they’ve written for each other.

Ring Exchange 

May we have the rings please?

Groom, as you place the ring on Bride's finger, please repeat after me:
Bride, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be. Wear it and know that I love you. With this ring, I marry you. 

Bride, as you place the ring on Groom's finger, please repeat after me:

Groom, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be. Wear it and know that I love you. With this ring, I marry you. 


UNITY SAND CEREMONY

Today, this relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand one, representing you, Bride, and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other representing you, Groom, and all that you were and all that you are, and all that you will ever be. As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be.

Bride and Groom pour their sand and then come back together to join hands for the final blessing. 

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity. May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess. May you need one another, but not out of weakness. May you want one another, but not out of lack. May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence. May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all. 

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife.” You may Kiss the bride!   Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you: Mr. And Mrs. ...! ​

I am open to marrying any couple. It is my goal to meet each couple where they are and help them to have a positive wedding experience.  In order to meet you where you are, I approach every wedding with an open mind - I don’t know anything about you until you tell me and that’s only if you choose to tell me.  Wedding ceremony scripts have been written for years for brides and grooms. Now, bride and bride or groom and groom are very common. Some couples are choosing to forego traditional gender roles altogether and are  using the terms spouse or partner. If you have made the choice to use non-traditional pronouns, please let me know and I am happy to honor your preferences.   Any wedding ceremony script can be changed to reflect your personal preferences.