Planning a ceremony for same sex weddings and writing a unique script that is powerful enough to convey all the reasons the moment exists requires careful thought. You have met your match in life and the one you want to spend the rest of it loving. If you are like most of us, you will probably spend at least a year planning the day you say your wedding vows. These sample scripts for same sex weddings should help you create the moment the way your heart imagines it.
Generic Introduction for Same Sex Weddings
Same sex weddings are as unique as each individual relationship. While your version will take its own shape, we have the following sample introduction that will work for any wedding:
We gather gather here today with (Partner 1) and (Partner 2) in the presence of family and friends to join this couple together in the bonds of marriage, and to share in a celebration of their undying love for one another. We have the honor to be here with them, to rejoice, to celebrate and witness this magical moment, as they stand here before us committing to one another forevermore.
Readings and Stories Make it Meaningful
You will probably want to add a few lines to define love or your unique relationship. If you are a poet or writer, this is your opportunity to take the floor and make the ground move beneath their feet. If not, you can always borrow some words from a great author. We recommend defining love in a way similar to this:
Love is perhaps the greatest gift of all. What is love? Is love a friendship. Is it family. Is it the thing created at the depths of the great abyss of passion and romance? These borrowed words from Corelli’s Mandolin define love as “ . . . a temporary madness [that] erupts like volcanoes and then subsides." It’s when " . . . your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. [L]ove is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. [L]ove itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.” This fortunate accident is nothing less than the beauty of fate that brought (Partner 1) and (Partner 2) together.
This is your ceremony and there are no rules that limit the number of readings or stories you add to the occasion. You might want to choose one or two. Sometimes, the couple takes turns reading to one another. It is common for the officiant or another member of the wedding party to read aloud. If you have chosen a special reading, you might announce it in the following way:
(Partner 1) and (Partner 2) have chosen a meaningful excerpt from [insert source] that represents their love, relationship and the commitment they wholeheartedly make today.
Vows and the Exchange of Rings for Same Sex Weddings
The wedding vows are the most important part of same sex weddings. This exchange of words is the reason for the gathering and the celebration to follow. You might choose to write your own meaningful vows or borrow something generic. Both ways are completely acceptable. Either way, the officiant will say some words to guide you through the exchange of rings, which might be similar to the following:
(Partner 1), If you have come here freely and without reservations in your heart to give yourself in marriage to (Partner 2), please take their hands in yours and look into their eyes as we continue.
Do you, (Partner 1), take (Partner 2) to be your lawfully wedded partner, to live together in matrimony, to love, to comfort, honor and keep in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live? [Allow for the response]
What have you chosen to offer as a gift and token of your love? [Allow for the response: I choose this ring]
As you place this ring on (Partner 2)’s finger, please repeat after me. I give you this ring, as a token of my love, and just as it is a circle without end, so is my love for you. With this ring, I thee wed and pledge to spend the rest of my life loving you as your partner in marriage.
(Partner 2), If you have come here freely and without reservations in your heart to give yourself in marriage to (Partner 1), please take their hands in yours and look into their eyes as we continue.
Do you, (Partner 2), take (Partner 1) to be your lawfully wedded partner, to live together in matrimony, to love, to comfort, honor and keep in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live? [Allow for the response]
What have you chosen to offer as a gift and token of your love? [Allow for the response: I choose this ring]
As you place this ring on (Partner 1)’s finger, please repeat after me. I give you this ring, as a token of my love, and just as it is a circle without end, so is my love for you. With this ring, I thee wed and pledge to spend the rest of my life loving you as your partner in marriage.
Rituals for Same Sex Weddings
A unity candle or sand ceremony can be performed during same sex weddings to make the moment more meaningful. A unity candle is a trio of candles, consisting of one larger pillar and two separate tapered candles. The officiant begins the ceremony by explaining the deep meaning behind the ritual. The tapered candles are lit by either the officiant or the parents of the couple. The couple uses their tapered candle to simultaneously light the pillar candle. The flames represent the love and souls of each, and lighting the pillar together is symbolic of joining the love and binding the souls in marriage. A sand ceremony signifies the coming together in unity in a very special way. It contains powerful symbolism and is a piece of art for keepsake. Colored sand is poured into a glass vase by the couple to create a layered effect of colorful sand art. This unique idea is based upon the same concept as a unity candle, but with a slightly artistic method.
Finalizing the Ceremony of Same Sex Weddings
The most powerful and meaningful moment is realized when the pronouncement is made. In a landmark case, the U.S. Supreme Court made same sex weddings a constitutional right, making this moment powerful for all the reasons it gives the relationship status and public recognition. The officiant will have some variation of the following words that will finalize the ceremony:
By the authority vested in me by the State of [State], I now pronounce you married, according to law, with all of the rights, benefits and enjoyment granted by this beautiful relationship. And let it be known by all that (Partner 1) and (Partner 2) are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate. You may seal this ceremony with a kiss!
Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine
While all the magic of same sex weddings comes from the heart, the fairy tale wedding can be created at Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine. Meet with the in-house designers and planners to create the wedding of your dreams. This luxurious wedding venue bundles all of the furnishings, designs, décor, staff and services into an affordable wedding package. Step inside of the design studio to hand select your colors and centerpieces from a treasure trove of décor. Walk the red carpet to a fairy tale designed just for you at Crystal Ballroom Saint Augustine.
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