Sample Ceremony (less traditional)                   Home     Back Introduction   Friends and family! We are here today with Bride and Groom, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather to celebrate what already is! In so doing, bride and groom have invited us to participate in the celebration of a love which they have nurtured for the past .... years. Theirs is a partnership freely chosen and founded on love, friendship, trust and respect. A partnership that encourages not only open communication, self expression and the sharing of knowledge, but also an enthusiasm for life. For the record, I am David Fowler and I am a Humanist Officiant duly licensed by the Province of Ontario and the Humanist Association of Canada to solemnize marriages. We have no objections to anyone taking pictures during any part of the ceremony. As Bride and Groom selected both the duration and the words of this ceremony, I ask for your utmost attention. Opening Bride and Groom, you have come to love each other deeply and sincerely. That love has given you the desire to unite in marriage. In this ceremony, you are dedicating yourselves to give happiness and well being to each other. Your marriage is an act based on love and rational thinking. It must not be based on the vain hope of what the other will or will not do, might become or might not become. It must be based on the firm belief in your own individual worth and that of the other. Your pledge today is an expression of your devotion. The words spoken in this ceremony will validate your marriage only if your love and commitment to one another are strong enough to sustain it. Statement Of Intention Bride and Groom, you have invited us to witness the happiness that you have found in each other. Did you come here freely and are you ready to make the pledges to which you commit yourselves to each other in love? (Answer: "Yes") Declaration Do you bride and do you groom solemnly affirm that you do not know of any lawful impediments against you getting legally married? (I do.) Are both of you prepared to accept one another as your legally wedded spouse? (We are) Acknowledgement It is appropriate that you, the family and friends are here to participate in this wedding. The ideals, the understanding, and the mutual respect, which these two bring to their marriage, have roots in the love, friendship, and guidance, with which you have provided them. (No answer is required.) Readings (use one or more of the suggested ones or pick you own and write them into your proposed ceremony) They can be read by either me, or people selected by you. Reading The quiet thoughts of two people a long time in love touch lightly like birds nesting in each other's warmth, you will know them by their laughter. However, to each other they speak mostly through their solitude. If they find themselves apart, they may dream of sitting undisturbed in each other's presence, of wrapping themselves warmly in each other's ease. As each Fall, when the trees shed their leaves...to prepare for the next Spring's growth and fruit...May each year also bring closure shedding the spent and bringing rebirth to the spirit of your marriage. Look ever to the future, for in it lays the creative power for your own lives. May you grow together like flowers and grass, and may your life be a dance to the music of love. Vows (The vows do not have to be the same for the bride and groom) I, Groom, take you, Bride, to be the wife of my days, to be the mother 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 share together our store of goodness and plenty and love. I, Bride, take you, Groom, to be the husband of my days, to be the father 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 share together our store of goodness and plenty and love. Ring Exchange Introduction (if desired) A circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth, and of the universe. It is a symbol of wholeness, and perfection, and of peace. The rings you give and receive this day, then, are symbols of the circle of shared love into which you enter together as husband and wife. Instruction: Groom please take bride 's left hand and lovingly present her with her ring while repeating after me: Bride please take groom 's left hand and lovingly presenting him with his ring while repeating after me: Ring Exchange "With this ring, I marry you, and to you I will be true, as long as we both shall live." Kiss Please seal your vows with a kiss. Signing of the Register Pronouncement For as much as Groom and Bride have consented together in marriage, declaring their love for one another, I, David Fowler by the power vested in me by the Marriage Act of Ontario, pronounce them husband and wife. Words of Closure We your friends and family wish for you that this marriage be great and remain so, as you begin your journey down the road of life together. We don't know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. Nevertheless, as a community we are prepared to help you to make the best of whatever comes your way. We wish for you that you hug each other often, talk, and laugh a lot. That you continue to enjoy each other as you did when you first met. May you realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including yourselves. May you respect each other's likes and dislikes, opinions and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears. May you learn from each other and to help each other to grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. May you realize that there is a purpose in your lives, and if you hold onto each other, you will know that things have a way of working out for the good. May you create for your children a peaceful, stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives. But most of all, may you keep lit the torch of love' that you now share in your hearts so that by your loving example you may pass on the light of love to your children and to your children's children forever. Please help congratulate and welcome ................