Micro Wedding Ceremonies

A Contemporary Marriage Service

Welcome

Dear friends, we gather here at this hour to witness and to celebrate the drawing together of two separate lives. We have come so that this man/woman, Name, and this woman/man, Name, may be joined in marriage. Two people in love do not live in isolation from the wider embraces of humanity. To achieve love is not to be absolved of social responsibility. So, it is that the institution of marriage is ordained as a public recognition of the private experience of love, and as a sanctifying of both parties to its great purposes. At the same time it represents the desire of Name and Name to share their joy in each other with you, their family and their friends.

(Optional)

The Presentation

Who presents Name to be married to Name? Who presents Name to be married to Name?

(Name(s)

We/I do

Declaration of Intent

Love is the most profound experience that can come to humankind. At its best it reduces our selfishness, deepens our personalities, and makes life far more meaningful. Its very nature is to want to give to another, and to feel joy in the joy of the other. Such love can call forth the best qualities in each of you. Marriage is an estate that is to embody, nurture and protect all the warm and precious values that grow in human companionship and love. Marriage symbolizes the ultimate intimacy between two people. Therefore, it is not to be entered into lightly, but with certainty, with mutual respect, and with a sense of reverence which can include beauty, humor and joy. A marriage that is to last will be continually growing. Yet the closeness which it assumes should not diminish but strengthen the individuality of each partner. The poet Rilke has written that, "Marriage is not a matter of creating a quick community of spirit by tearing down and destroying all boundaries, but rather a good marriage is that in which each appoints the other guardian of his solitude . . . once the realization is accepted that even between the closest people infinite distances exist, a marvelous living side by side can grow up, if they succeed in loving the expanse between them which gives them the possibility of always seeing each other as whole and before an immense sky."

(Optional)

Khalil Gibran echoed these sentiments in The Prophet, when he wrote:

"Let there be spaces in your togetherness,

And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.

And stand together yet not too near together:

For the pillars of the temple stand apart,

And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other's shadow."

Thus it is out of the resonance between individuality and union, that love, whose incredible strength is equal only to its incredible fragility, is born and reborn.

(Optional)

Brandock Lovely has written that-

"Love is a respect for the preciousness and worth of a person. Love gives and love receives. Love cannot live in itself, it must be nurtured with a mutual and ultimate sharing, a giving and taking. Love is the noblest passion a man or a woman can feel, for it surpasses all lesser desires. Love is precious because it is an ethical commitment to another, which honors the duties of the promises here, made, not only from a sense of obligation, but from the depths of the most divine sentiment we can enjoy."

Today's celebration of human affection is the outward sign of a sacred and inward commitment, which religious societies may consecrate and states may legalize, but which neither can create or annul. Such union can only be created by loving purpose, be maintained by abiding will, and be renewed by human feelings and intentions. It is in this spirit that these two come now to be wed.

Vows

Name and Name, in a moment you will exchange your vows with each other. These promises are meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. The beauty of these vows lie in the unknown. For you will be making promises about a future that you can’t be sure of, a life that you don’t know how it will turn out, and a marriage that you don’t know what it’ll face.

Name, do you take Name as your husband/wife/partner, promising to tenderly care for him/her, to respect his/her individuality, to cherish him/her as he/she is, to love him/her until death do you part?

Name

I do.

Name, please repeat after me-
I, Name, take you, Name, to be my husband/wife/partner from this time onward, to join with you and to share all that is to come, to give and to receive, to speak and to listen, to inspire and to respond, and in all our life together to be loyal to you with all my being.

Name

I do.

Those vows, those promises that you have just given to each other allows you accept each other as husband/wife/partners contain no hidden power within themselves. It is to the extent that they express in words your intention and commitment that they have meaning. In a world where pressures pushing people apart sometimes seem stronger than those drawing people together, your commitment to each other will need to be creatively re-expressed in the coming days and years. The expression in today's vows is an important and visible milestone in your journey together.

Rings

Rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple. Round they are, like the sun, like the eye, like the arms that embrace. Circles they are, for love that is given comes back round again. Party 1 and Party 2, may these rings remind you that your love, like the sun, illuminates; that your love, like the eye, must see clearly; and that your love, like the arms which embrace, is a grace upon this world.

(Optional)

Could Name(s) please set forward and gift us with the rings?

Thank you.

Name, as you place your ring on Name’s finger please repeat after me-

As I give you this ring, I give you my love.

Name, as you place your ring on Name’s finger please repeat after me-
As I give you this ring, I give you my love.

Closing

Name and Name, as a collection of words, this ceremony would count for little, were it not for the love and commitment you have pledged to one another. Your vows may have been spoken in minutes, but your promises to each other will last a lifetime.

May all blessings attend you,

May joy pervade your lives together,

May your home be forever a place of peace and true fulfillment.

Love's Tapestry

Welcome

Today we are greeted by one of life's greatest gifts. The love between two people who have chosen to be married today, this beautiful ----------. We are welcomed by the love and friendship of all that are gathered here, and Name and Name thank you for being here with today. They knew what it took to be here, some of you have traveled far, some just for a few minutes, but you took out the time today to celebrate with us, and it is very much appreciated.

Declaration of Intent

Marriage is a commitment to life, the best that two people can find and bring out in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other relationship can equal. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. The success of a marriage is based on a strong foundation of trust, respect, and dedication to one another. As we unite Name and Name today, they will continue to be an inseparable pair traveling through life perfecting the art of compromise, while continuing to discover the true joys of life. Just as two very different threads woven in opposite directions can form a beautiful tapestry, so can your two lives merge together to form a very beautiful marriage. You have come here today from your varied life experiences to make public and official your commitment to one another. In a few moments you will promise to inspire strength and confidence in each other and to share and support each other’s dreams, values and goals. You promise to give your marriage the highest priority in your lives.

Vows

Name and Name, in a moment you will exchange your vows with each other. These promises are meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. The beauty of these vows lie in the unknown. For you will be making promises about a future that you can’t be sure of, a life that you don’t know how it will turn out, and a marriage that you don’t know what it’ll face.

Name, are you ready to enter this sacred union of marriage? And do you pledge to give yourself to Name to a life of adventure, passionate love, and unbreakable trust, not just today, but every day of your life, sharing all that life has to offer?

Name

I do

Name

I do

Name- please repeat after me

I Name, take you, Name to be my beloved wife/husband. I promise to love you and be your faithful partner, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health. I will be true and loyal and cherish you for all the days of our lives.

Name- please repeat after me

I Name, take you, Name to be my beloved wife/husband. I promise to love you and be your faithful partner, for better for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, and in health. I will be true and loyal and cherish you for all the days of our lives.

(Optional)

You have just promised to love, honor and cherish each other. Walter Rinder had the perfect words to echo what you have just committed to. It is called-

WHAT IS LOVE?

Love is just not looking at each other and saying "You're wonderful".

There are times when we are anything but wonderful.

Love is looking out in the same direction.

It is linking our strength to pull a common load.

It is pushing together towards the far horizons, hand in hand.

Love is knowing that when our strength falters,

we can borrow the strength of someone who cares.

Love is a strange awareness that our sorrows will be shared and made lighter by sharing;

that joys will be enriched and multiplied by the joy of another.

Love is knowing someone else cares that we are not alone in life.

Rings

Name and Name, you have rings to exchange as a symbol of your marriage. The wedding ring is symbolic of the security offered in marriage. It is an outward symbol of the inward promises you’ve made to each other and yourselves. These rings symbolize the wholeness that marriage provides. When you slide your fingers inside these rings, you are accepting responsibility for the success of your marriage, acknowledging that the health and happiness of your marriage is in your hands, your hearts and your souls, determined by your integrity in upholding the vows you have just made to each other.

(Optional)

Could Name(s) join us and take out the rings.

Thank you.

Name and Name, realize that these are the first gifts that you will give to each other as a married couple. Hold it in your hand, warm them, you can even hold it up and breathe on it, infuse it with love you have for this amazing person standing in front of you, who just promised to share their life with you.

Name, as you place your ring on her/his finger and repeat after me-I give you this ring, as a symbol of our marriage, and our faithful devotion to each other.

Charge to the couple

Marriage is a commitment between two hearts, two souls, two friends, two lovers. It is the highest promise that two people can make, toward finding and bringing out the best in each other. Marriage offers mutual lifelong support. It is a physical and an emotional joining that is promised for a lifetime. Today, we will make public and official the promises you’ve already made to each other privately, heart to heart, soul to soul, friend to friend, lover to lover.

The vows you have just taken, pledging love, mean far more than mere words ever can. Remember it is your humanness that you love most in one another. It is what has made you each so special that you have chosen to spend the rest of your lives exploring all the many wondrous qualities you have to give to each other.

Blessing

May the spirit of love always be a part of your lives so that the union we celebrated today be worthy of continued celebration tomorrow and every tomorrow. May you always share with each other the gift of love. Be one in heart and in mind. May you always create a home together that puts into your hearts the joys of love, generosity and kindness. May you never take each other for granted but always experience the wonders of your union. May your love consist not only in gazing into each other’s eyes, but also in looking outward in the same direction.

Closing

Today has been the beginning to a great journey. And it is my great honor to conclude this ceremony today by pronouncing Name and Name now married.

You may kiss

Enter the Days of Your Togetherness

Welcome
We are gathered here today to take part in the most time-honored celebration of the human family, uniting this couple in marriage. Name and Name have come to witness before us, telling of their love for each other. We remember, theirs is a love whose source is the affection of those who loved them into being. In joining together today we remind them that Name and Name are performing an act of complete faith, each in the other; that the heart of their marriage will be the relationship they create. In a world where faith often falls short of expectation, it is a tribute to these two who now join hands and hearts in perfect faith. Today, we are gathering together for more than the bond of true love and marriage, but to celebrate the growth of true love and the unity of two families. We are here to witness a new relationship, the highest level of physical and spiritual connection between two people who are already one in spirit. This is a significant step in life, to open your heart completely, to care for the happiness of someone else before your own. Not only are you adding the affections of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibility and love. At the end of this ceremony, you will be husband and wife, but still you must decide, every day, that you want to be married. Make such a decision and remain faithful to it, for the most important thing in life is to love, to be loved.

Declaration of Intent
Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. Today Name and Name proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together. Marriage requires "love," a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. We may assume that love is some rare and mystical event, when in fact it is our natural state of being. So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not see. 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 seen, and known, as we are known to no other. That person standing before you today gives you two unique gifts: a piece of yourself and a piece of themselves, It is that piece that only they could give us, that creates a new wholeness in your lives.
We know that when share love, we 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 similar to that of religion itself. It is the emergence of the larger self. It is the finding of one's life by losing it. Such is the privilege of husband/wife, partners in life - to be each himself, herself and yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.

Vows
We have now come to the part where you promise to love, honor and cherish each other until the end of time. Everyone has words of wisdom for newlywed couples, I too have some words of wisdom to share not only with Name and Name but with everyone gathered here today.

It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is promising to love and cherish you throughout the good times and bad times.
It is remembering to put dirty clothes in the hamper and to replace the toilet paper roll when it's empty.
It is comforting you when your teams loses and drink beer with you when they win.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is loving each other for who you each are for each other.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

Name, will you receive Name as your husband/wife/ partner in life? Will you pledge to him/her your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing him/her with loyalty and devotion?
Name
I will.
Name, will you receive Name as your husband/wife/partner in life? Will you pledge to him/her your love, faith and tenderness, cherishing him/her with loyalty and devotion?
Name
I will

Name please repeat after me
I, Name take you, Name to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love.
Name please repeat after me
I, Name take you, Name to be no other than yourself, in all the ways life may find us, tending you in sickness and rejoicing with you in health, as long as we both shall live to love.

Rings
Will you now give and receive a ring?
Name and Name
We will.
The ring, by its shape, is a symbol of the bond that exists between the two of you, continuous and never ending. By placing these rings on your fingers, you seal the vows that you have made to each other here today. May you live together in unity, happiness and true love.

Please repeat after me and place the ring on Name's finger-
I, Name, take you Name, to be my wife/husband/partner. To share the good times and hard times side by side. I humbly give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth and peace and pledge my faith and love to you.
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal and my commitment to you will never end.

Charge to the Couple
Today we spoke to Name and Name of love, in which the trust and freedom of the other person becomes as significant as the trust and freedom of oneself. We spoke of generosity, which gathers the beauty of earth for riches, and the kindness we all in this world need, want and deserve. Everyone who has gathered here today hopes for continued growth through patience, and of confidence to create new levels of understanding, discovered in experiences of joy and the challenges that life brings. Name and Name, may you always need one another, not to just fill the emptiness, but to help you realize your fullness. May you always be each other’s light, not only to fill the darkness but to shine brighter together. To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love. It takes 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. While love is our natural state of being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey.
The true art of married life is in this 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. May you support each other’s strengths and weakness and continue to learn and grow together. Remember to praise each other and say ‘I love you’ and say it often.

Closing
Inasmuch as Name and Name have declared their love and devotion to each other, before all the loved ones here, I now greet them with you as husband/wife/ partners in life. May you have happiness and find it in making each other happy. May you have love and find it in loving each other.
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be sanctuary to the other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other. Now there is no isolation for you. Now there is no more loneliness. Now you are two, but there is only one life in front of you.

In accordance with the laws of Colorado and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married!

Today We Become One

Welcome

Welcome and thank you for being here today!

We’ve been invited here to share with Name and Name a very important moment in their lives. In the years they’ve been together, their love and their understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they’ve decided to live their lives together as husband/wife/partners. On behalf of Name and Name, thank you for joining us. By your presence, you celebrate with them the love they have discovered in each other, and you support their decision to commit themselves to a lifelong relationship.

Charge to the Couple

You know marriage is a supreme sharing; it’s probably the greatest and most challenging of human relationships. It’s the joyful uniting of a two people whose care, affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and lasting love. We may want to consider that marriage is an act of metamorphosis; it’s a profound mystery of creation and rebirth, as two become one. It is not a giving up or loss of oneself, but rather a giving over of oneself to something greater–a transformation of self in which each partner can say, “I am no longer only I, but also we.” It’s a process in which each can be challenged to discover new possibilities in themselves, and in each other. This wedding ceremony is the gateway into this mystery. The lives that the two of you have lived up until this moment are now, in a sense, truly completed and over. Together, you will now live within the creation of something wholly new and transcendent, something which has never existed before–your miraculous marriage– an expression that is both public and private; precious, sacred, and truly unique to the two of you. And in this act, you open yourselves to a fuller experience of the great miracle of love. No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that–through love, patience, and perseverance–through talking and listening and trying to understand–through helping and supporting and believing in each other–through learning to forgive, learning to respect your differences, and learning to make the important things matter and to let go of the rest. But what this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.

Vows

We've come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another. But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love – which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance - will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. Before you speak these vows that take you across this threshold of being engaged to married, look down and see those hands holding yours. They may be a bit sweaty, they may be holding you tightly, or softly with love. But they are a gift to you because-

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future.

These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief temporarily comes your way.

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 tenderly hold your children.

These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

And finally, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Name, are you ready to enter this sacred union of marriage? And are you ready to give yourself to Name, to live a life of adventure, passionate love, and unbreakable trust, not just today, but every day of your life, sharing all that life has to offer?

Name

I do

Name, I take you as you are, loving who you are, I promise from this day forward.

To be grateful for our love and our life, to be generous with my time, my energy and my affection.

To be patient with you and with myself, to fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter.

To encourage you to grow as an individual, to love you completely.

These things I pledge to you

Name, are you ready to enter this sacred union of marriage? And are you ready to give yourself to Name, to live a life of adventure, passionate love, and unbreakable trust, not just today, but every day of your life, sharing all that life has to offer?
Name
I do

Name, I take you as you are, loving who you are, I promise from this day forward.

To be grateful for our love and our life, to be generous with my time, my energy and my affection.

To be patient with you and with myself, to fill our life with adventure and our home with laughter.

To encourage you to grow as an individual, to love you completely.

These things I pledge to you.

Rings

We have now come to the part where you exchange your rings. Wedding rings are made precious by our wearing them. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today.

Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me-

I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you

and as a reminder that I will always love you.

To be my love, my partner and my best friend, to the end of my days

Wear it, think of me, and know that I love you

Name, as you place the ring on Name’s finger, please repeat after me-

I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you

and as a reminder that I will always love you.

To be my love, my partner and my best friend, to the end of my days

Wear it, think of me, and know that I love you

Closing

Name and Name, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is love that brought you here today, it is only love that can make it a glorious union, and it is by love that your marriage shall endure. My friends, no one but you can declare yourselves married. You have begun it here today in speaking you vows before these witnesses and you will do it again and again in the days to come, standing by each other, sharing all the sweet and bitter of life. Each tender act, each loving word will be the declaration of what was marked here today. And so, as you, Name and Name, have openly declared your wishes to be united in marriage, and in the presence of these witnesses have pledged love to each other, and have confirmed the same by joining hands, exchanging rings and declaring your vows, I pronounce that you are now married!

Colorado Wedding Ministers

We Do I Do For YOU!