Wedding Ceremonies

A sample wedding ceremony (Casey & Ron 21-9-19)

Celebrant 6pm arrival.
Guests 6:30pm arrival for 7pm ceremony

WELCOME.
Celebrant says: I am Jennifer Perlstein, the registered civil marriage celebrant authorised to solemnise this marriage according to Australian law.

Welcome to this celebration of the wedding of Casey Smith and Ron Jones.

You are welcome to take photographs discretely but please no flash, and please put your mobiles on silent.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT/OF COUNTRY
Celebrant: This marriage is being held on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri & Boon Wurrung peoples of the Kulin nation, and I wish to acknowledge them as the Traditional Owners. I pay my respects to their Elders, past and present, and thank them for letting us conduct this marriage here today.
Celebrant: For Casey & Ron marriage is a commitment as partners, showing their belief in each other, love for each other, more important than any official definition of marriage. Already, with many years in friendship over the miles, this is the next progression in their relationship. Today is a confirmation that they are part of each other, committing to each other and seeking blessing from their family, friends and communities. Casey speaks of the special significance of Ron’s ‘faith’ when he has said to Casey, in times of difficulty in their journey… “Don’t worry, it will all turn out in Gods perfect time”.
A prophecy we are seeing fulfilled today.

Casey will now say a few words about Ron. Casey, please repeat after me…
Celebrant: I value & appreciate your loyalty, honesty,
Casey: I value & appreciate your loyalty, honesty
Celebrant: generosity of spirit, and your beautiful soul, Ron.
Casey: generosity of spirit, and your beautiful soul, Ron.
Celebrant: I love that you are here with me now
Casey: I love that you are here with me now
Celebrant: but I am going to miss all the beautiful emails!
Casey: but I am going to miss all the beautiful emails.

Celebrant: Ron will now say a few words about Casey. Ron, please repeat after me…
Celebrant: Casey, I value and appreciate your kindness and honesty
Ron: Casey I value and appreciate your kindness and honesty
Celebrant: Thank you for loving me genuinely
Ron: Thank you for loving me genuinely
Celebrant: and because of you, I can be myself
Ron: and because of you, I can be myself
Celebrant: I am so happy that we found each other.
Ron: I am so happy that we found each other.
Celebrant: From now on all those emails will be gone
Ron: From now on all those emails will be gone
Celebrant: because I can say all those words to you in person.
Ron: because I can say all those words to you in person.

Celebrant: With today’s marriage, they ask that you embrace them and hold them close in love.

READING.
Celebrant: and now a reading by Casey of the Jewish Five Blessings (Sheva Brachot) adapted by Gabrielle Kaplan-Meyer & Casey Dean

Celebrant: and now a reading by Ron of the Apache Prayer.

MONITUM.
Celebrant:
“I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law. Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life”.

We now come to the wedding VOWS
Celebrant says to Casey: REPEAT AFTER ME
“I call upon the persons here present” Casey repeats,
Celebrant: “to witness that I Casey”, Casey repeats
Celebrant: “take you, Ron”, Casey repeats
Celebrant: “to be my lawful wedded partner”, Casey repeats.

Turn to Ron
Celebrant: “I call upon the persons here present”, Ron repeats;
Celebrant: “to witness that I, Ron”, Ron repeats
Celebrant: “take you, Casey”, Ron repeats.
Celebrant: “to be my lawful wedded partner”, ‘Ron repeats.

DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE.
Celebrant: With the vows they have undertaken to each other, I now declare Casey and Ron to be married.

Casey and Ron & witnesses will now sign the Marriage Certificates.

Celebrant, Casey, Ron & Witnesses move to Signing table.

The SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES

PRESENTATION OF THE CERTIFICATE to the couple.

CELEBRANTS CONCLUSION – I now present the newlyweds Casey & Ron

Thank You.

A sample wedding ceremony (traditional)

LOCATION: Outdoor Venue

1. MUSIC/SONG

To be played as families process.

2. PROCESSION OF THE FAMILIES

The groom’s family assembles in one corner of the Gardens.
On the diagonal corner, about 200 metres away, the bride’s family assembles.
Both families, accompanied by music, meet at midpoint, at the podium where the celebrant and Groom await and the ceremony began with Bride leading followed by attendants. The symbolism is wonderful, for it is clear that it was not just two persons but two families, two networks of people, coming together. (Adapted from Dally Messenger)
Ushers then conduct family/ older people etc to the reserved front row seating.
All parents to sit in front rows..

3. PROCESSION OF BRIDE

After processioning with the person giving her away, and attendants casting rose petals along the path to the ceremony podium, Bride stands to one side of the podium. Bride joins Groom, holds his hand, and gives flowers to witness. Bride stands next to her mother holding her hand on the other side to Groom. Catherine- witness, stands to one side.

4. WELCOME.

Celebrant says: Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to this celebration of the wedding of Groom and Bride. This wedding ceremony between Groom and Bride is creating a new family structure and this wedding is celebrating a family event. This is a warm and wonderful occasion to celebrate this new family. Bride, as Bride’s child, is very important to Bride and Groom.
Celebrant addresses couple: This is your wedding and today strengthens the relationship between you both, and reflects your emotional bond . (Adapted from http://www.jennifercram.com.au/index.html)

5. ACKNOWLEDGMENT/WELCOME TO COUNTRY

6. INTRODUCTORY STORY.

Celebrant says: How do couples meet? Everyone loves to know! Whilst some of you here may know this story for the Bride and Groom, not all of you may do so. Eg .When the Bride and Groom met it was clear that the connection would continue andso it did! And so now we come to today!

7. GIVING AWAY

Or the presentation of the bride.
Celebrant asks: ‘and who gives this bride in marriage’. The person giving away the Bride steps forward and says ‘I am’ taking Bride’s hand and giving it to Groom. He steps back and is seated.

8. READING(S)

Bride’s parents
Celebrant: And now a reading from Bride’s mother and her husband (they read alternate paragraphs)

The great medieval philosopher, Thomas Aquinas, when asked to define true love, said that it was ‘to will the good of the other person’. If you truly love someone you want their success, their happiness, everything that is best for them. In the history of the world great lovers have died for the one or the ones they love.

Nothing like that is called for here but Groom and Bride do want you to know why they are marrying today. They could have chosen simply to live together. This seemingly is a ‘safer’ course, would give them more options, sustain their freedom, and with fewer risks. They have thought about this, and have decided that for them it is not enough.

They see this ceremony today as a stronger commitment to their relationship. They call you together, their friends and family, to make this commitment clear to you and to call on your acknowledgement and support. They publicly call on each other to take the relationship much more seriously.

Groom and Bride recognise that they are very happy with one another. They recognise that they would not be happier with anyone else — that no distant fields are greener.

There is another element in all this. They love each other. With the philosopher, they will each other’s good. They will each other’s success, fulfilment and happiness. They know the main danger in a marriage relationship is the danger of taking each other for granted, of not appreciating each other enough. So they want to stay aware of each other.

They know they must communicate with each other and be open to communication. This, they know, is a lot harder than it sounds. Words must be said softly, listened to carefully.

Their relationship must be sustained by the will to express it — the loving word, the loving smile, the loving embrace, the loving favour, the giving with graciousness and generosity. They know not to take without giving, give without taking.

A true lover knows what the demands of love sometimes cost the partner — so they will be sensitive, be appreciative. And they remind themselves today that they must do these things without dominating, without smothering, without suffocating the other.
They have assessed happily that their relationship is for life. They have found each other, they like each other, they love each other, they want it to last, they intend it to last, they will it to last.

More than that, they will it to get better, they will it to get deeper. They want to be husband and wife. They want people to look at them and quote, as it were, the poet, Homer, who said, 800 years BCE ‘There is nothing nobler or more admirable than when two people who see eye to eye keep house as man and wife, confounding their enemies and delighting their friends’.
(Dally Messenger)

9. MONITUM

Celebrant:

I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law. 

Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

10. THE ASKING/VOWS

Celebrant says: Repeat after me “I call upon the persons here present” Groom repeats,
Celebrant: “to witness that I”, Groom”, Groom repeats
Celebrant: “take you, Bride,” Groom repeats
Celebrant : “to be my lawful wedded wife.” Groom repeats.

Celebrant says: Repeat after me “I call upon the persons here present” Bride repeats,
Celebrant: “to witness that I”, Bride”, Bride repeats
Celebrant: “take you, Groom,” Bride repeats
Celebrant : “to be my lawful wedded husband.” Bride repeats.

11. RING CEREMONY

The couple stay in the same position. The celebrant takes the bride’s ring from the witness, and gives it to the groom, who holds it over the tip of the appropriate finger, and repeats the words, phrase by phrase, after the celebrant. The groom then slides the ring onto the bride’s finger. If there are rings for both, this procedure is repeated by the bride.
Groom: Bride, This ring I give you, it is my personal gift, my personal promise of love and trust, and pride that you are my wife.
Bride: Groom, This ring I give you, it is my personal gift, my personal promise of love and trust, and pride that you are my husband.

12. BLESSING/PRAYER FOR THE COUPLE

Today we celebrate this marriage, and that you protect this new family and keep them always in your care…” (Adapted from http://www.dfwx.com/officiates.html Mark Ovard)

13.READING

Groom’s parents: 1 Corinthians 13.

14.DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE

Celebrant: I now declare Groom and Bride husband and wife.

15. MUSIC/SONG

During signing of the Marriage Certificate.

16.PRESENTATION OF THE CERTIFICATE

Marriage certificate is given to the couple.

17. CELEBRANTS CONCLUSION

Acknowledgments to relevant people and instructions to audience. Celebrant, on behalf of Bride and Groom, invites all the parents to walk with them to the photographic area after the ceremony.

A sample wedding ceremony (simple)

INTRODUCTION
JENNE CELEBRANT:
I am Jennifer Perlstein, the Authorized Marriage Celebrant able to solemnize this marriage according to Australian law.

Welcome to the marriage today of Sue Wong & Jane Ali.

Sue & Jane want to start with a reading about how they feel about each other.
“A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we’re pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we’re safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.” – Richard Bach

JENNE CELEBRANT
MONITUM
I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law.
Before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter. Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

THE VOWS

JENNE CELEBRANT: Please repeat after me:
“I call upon the people here present,…………to witness that I, Jane …………… take you, Sue ……………..to be my lawfully wedded wife……………… from this day forward.”
JENNE: Sue repeat after me:
“I call upon the people here present………… to witness that I, Sue…………….take you, Jane ………………….. to be my lawfully wedded wife……………….. from this day forward.”

RING CEREMONY
The couple stays in the same position. The best woman …….gives Jane’s ring to Sue who holds it over the tip of the appropriate finger, and repeats the words, phrase by phrase, after the celebrant.
Sue then slides the ring onto Jane’s finger. This procedure is repeated by the other bride.

JENNE CELEBRANT Repeat after me:
Sue:
Jane, This ring I give to you……..as a symbol of our eternal love and trust,……………. and pride that you are my wife.

The best woman gives Sue’s ring to Jane.

JENNE CELEBRANT Repeat after me:
Jane:
Sue, This ring I give you, ………..as a symbol of our eternal love and trust,……………. and pride that you are my wife.

DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE

JENNE CELEBRANT:
Ladies and Gentlemen, Sue and Jane have declared before all of us that they will live together in marriage. They have made special promises to each other. They have symbolized it by joining hands, taking vows, and by exchanging rings.

So, therefore, on your behalf and on behalf of the community, I now declare Sue and Jane to be wife and wife.

The Bride and Bride kiss.

JENNE CELEBRANT: Sue and Jane will now sign the marriage register.

THE SIGNING
Of the marriage certificate/ register.
Witnesses: Sam and Mohammed.
Presentation of the certificate to the couple

CELEBRANTS CONCLUSION:
I now present, wife and wife, Sue and Jane Wong-Ali.
CELEBRANT: on behalf of happy couple , they wish to thank everyone, family and friends, for coming today.

Congratulations!