Saint Andrew's Church - Marriage Service Details

The Marriage Service

Pastoral Introduction

This may be read by those present before the service begins.

A wedding is one of life’s great moments, a time of solemn commitment as well as good wishes, feasting and joy. St John tells us how Jesus shared in such an occasion at Cana, and gave there a sign of new beginnings as he turned water into wine.

Marriage is intended by God to be a creative relationship, as his blessing enables husband and wife to love and support each other in good times and in bad, and to share in the care and upbringing of children. For Christians, marriage is also an invitation to share life together in the spirit of Jesus Christ. It is based upon a solemn, public and life-long covenant between a man and a woman, declared and celebrated in the presence of God and before witnesses.

On this their wedding day the bride and bridegroom face each other, make their promises and receive God’s blessing. You are witnesses of the marriage, and express your support by your presence and your prayers. Your support does not end today: the couple will value continued encouragement in the days and years ahead of them.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13.4-7

The Marriage Service

Introduction

The Welcome

The minister welcomes the people using these or other appropriate words

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

the love of God,

and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit

be with you

All and also with you.

This sentence may be used

God is love, and those who live in love live in God

and God lives in them.

1 John 4.16

This prayer may be said

All God of wonder and of joy:

grace comes from you,

and you alone are the source of life and love.

Without you, we cannot please you;

without your love, our deeds are worth nothing.

Send your Holy Spirit,

and pour into our hearts

that most excellent gift of love,

that we may worship you now

with thankful hearts

and serve you always with willing minds;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Preface

In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

we have come together

to witness the marriage of N and N,

to pray for God’s blessing on them,

to share their joy

and to celebrate their love.

Marriage is a gift of God in creation

through which husband and wife may know the grace of God.

It is given

that as man and woman grow together in love and trust,

they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind,

as Christ is united with his bride, the Church.

The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together

in the delight and tenderness of sexual union

and joyful commitment to the end of their lives.

It is given as the foundation of family life

in which children are [born and] nurtured

and in which each member of the family,

in good times and in bad,

may find strength, companionship and comfort,

and grow to maturity in love.

Marriage is a way of life made holy by God,

and blessed by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ

with those celebrating a wedding at Cana in Galilee.

Marriage is a sign of unity and loyalty

which all should uphold and honour.

It enriches society and strengthens community.

No one should enter into it lightly or selfishly

but reverently and responsibly in the sight of almighty God.

N and N are now to enter this way of life.

They will each give their consent to the other

and make solemn vows,

and in token of this they will [each] give and receive a ring.

We pray with them that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them,

that they may fulfil God’s purposes

for the whole of their earthly life together.

The Declarations

The minister says to the congregation

First, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now.

The minister says to the couple

The vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God,

who is judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts;

therefore if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry,

you must declare it now.

The minister says to the bridegroom

N, will you take N to be your wife?

Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her,

and, forsaking all others,

be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

He answers

I will.

The minister says to the bride

N, will you take N to be your husband?

Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him,

and, forsaking all others,

be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

She answers

I will.

The minister says to the congregation

Will you, the families and friends of N and N,

support and uphold them in their marriage

now and in the years to come?

All We will.

The Collect

The minister invites the people to pray, silence is kept and the minister says the Collect

God our Father,

from the beginning,

you have blessed creation with abundant life.

Pour out your blessings upon N and N,

that they may be joined in mutual love and companionship,

in holiness and commitment to each other.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son,

who is alive and reigns with you,

in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All Amen.

Readings

Sermon

The Marriage

The couple stand before the minister.

The Vows

The minister introduces the vows

N and N, I now invite you to join hands and make your vows,

in the presence of God and his people.

The bride and bridegroom face each other.

The bridegroom takes the bride’s right hand in his, and says

I, N, take you, N,

to be my wife,

to have and to hold

from this day forward;

for better, for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish,

till death us do part;

according to God’s holy law.

In the presence of God I make this vow.

They loose hands.

The bride takes the bridegroom’s right hand in hers, and says

I, N, take you, N,

to be my husband,

to have and to hold

from this day forward;

for better, for worse,

for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health,

to love and to cherish,

till death us do part;

according to God’s holy law.

In the presence of God I make this vow.

They loose hands.

The Giving of Rings

The minister receives the rings, and says

Heavenly Father, by your blessing,

let these rings be to N and N

a symbol of unending love and faithfulness,

to remind them of the vow and covenant

which they have made this day

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All Amen.

The bridegroom places the ring on the fourth finger of the bride’s left hand and, holding it there, says

N, I give you this ring

as a sign of our marriage.

With my body I honour you,

all that I am I give to you,

and all that I have I share with you,

within the love of God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

They loose hands and the bride places a ring on the fourth finger of the bridegroom’s left hand and, holding it there, says

N, I give you this ring

as a sign of our marriage.

With my body I honour you,

all that I am I give to you,

and all that I have I share with you,

within the love of God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

The Proclamation

The minister addresses the people

In the presence of God, and before this congregation,

N and N have given their consent

and made their marriage vows to each other.

They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands

and by the giving and receiving of rings.

I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife.

The minister joins their right hands together and says

Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

The Blessing of the Marriage

The husband and wife kneel

Blessed are you, O Lord our God,

for you have created joy and gladness,

pleasure and delight, love, peace and fellowship.

Pour out the abundance of your blessing

upon N and N in their new life together.

Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts,

and a crown upon their heads.

Bless them in their work and in their companionship;

awake and asleep,

in joy and in sorrow,

in life and in death.

Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that banquet

where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home.

We ask this through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever.

All Amen.

The minister says to the couple

God the Father,

God the Son,

God the Holy Spirit,

bless, preserve and keep you;

the Lord mercifully grant you the riches of his grace,

that you may please him both in body and soul,

and, living together in faith and love,

may receive the blessings of eternal life.

All Amen.

Registration of the Marriage

Prayers

These or other suitable prayers are used. The prayers usually include these concerns

and may follow this sequence:

Thanksgiving

Spiritual growth

Faithfulness, joy, love, forgiveness and healing

Children, other family members and friends

Prayer

Faithful God,

holy and eternal,

source of life and spring of love,

we thank and praise you for bringing N and N to this day,

and we pray for them.

Lord of life and love:

All hear our prayer.

May their marriage be life-giving and life-long,

enriched by your presence and strengthened by your grace;

may they bring comfort and confidence to each other

in faithfulness and trust.

Lord of life and love:

All hear our prayer.

May the hospitality of their home

bring refreshment and joy to all around them;

may their love overflow to neighbours in need

and embrace those in distress.

Lord of life and love:

All hear our prayer.

May they discern in your word

order and purpose for their lives;

and may the power of your Holy Spirit

lead them in truth and defend them in adversity.

Lord of life and love:

All hear our prayer.

May they nurture their family with devotion,

see their children grow in body, mind and spirit

and come at last to the end of their lives

with hearts content and in joyful anticipation of heaven.

Lord of life and love:

All hear our prayer.

The prayers conclude with the Lord’s Prayer.

As our Saviour taught us, so we pray

All Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,

and the glory are yours
now and for ever.

Amen.

The Dismissal

The minister says

God the Holy Trinity make you strong in faith and love,

defend you on every side, and guide you in truth and peace;

and the blessing of God almighty,

the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

be among you and remain with you always.

All Amen.

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