The Lord's Prayer - Christian Wedding Ceremony
Here is a Christian Wedding Ceremony that I put together using some of the selections from the many options offered on my Build A Wedding Ceremony website.
For the Invocation Element of this wedding ceremony, the prayer used is the Lord's Prayer. It can be a powerful and moving moment of fellowship, when all the guests, bride and groom and officiant all recite the words of the Lord's Prayer in unison.
The wording in the part of the invocation that prefaces The Lord's Prayer is slightly different than some of the other ceremonies that use the traditional invocation from the book of common prayer. I adapted it to include the line of scripture from Matthew 6:9, "Pray then, in this way:...".
For the Invocation Element of this wedding ceremony, the prayer used is the Lord's Prayer. It can be a powerful and moving moment of fellowship, when all the guests, bride and groom and officiant all recite the words of the Lord's Prayer in unison.
The wording in the part of the invocation that prefaces The Lord's Prayer is slightly different than some of the other ceremonies that use the traditional invocation from the book of common prayer. I adapted it to include the line of scripture from Matthew 6:9, "Pray then, in this way:...".
Many people know this prayer by heart and that's what makes it so special and such a lovely element to add to the wedding ceremony in which everyone can participate.
Greeting
The Wedding Minister/Officiant faces the guests. The Bride and her Attendants stand to the right of the Officiant. The Groom and his Attendants stand to the left of the Officiant. The Bride and Groom stand facing the Officiant/Minister.
Officiant:
Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to witness the uniting of ____________ and ____________, who present themselves before God, seeking the sacrament of Holy Marriage.
The Wedding Minister/Officiant faces the guests. The Bride and her Attendants stand to the right of the Officiant. The Groom and his Attendants stand to the left of the Officiant. The Bride and Groom stand facing the Officiant/Minister.
Officiant:
Dearly beloved, we are gathered together to witness the uniting of ____________ and ____________, who present themselves before God, seeking the sacrament of Holy Marriage.
Invocation
Officiant:
Let us pray, O gracious God, we give thanks to you for your gift of enduring love and your presence here with us now as we witness the vows of marriage between ____________and ____________. Let us all pray together in the words Jesus taught us, when he said, "Pray then in this way..."
Officiant and People in unison recite the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Officiant:
Let us pray, O gracious God, we give thanks to you for your gift of enduring love and your presence here with us now as we witness the vows of marriage between ____________and ____________. Let us all pray together in the words Jesus taught us, when he said, "Pray then in this way..."
Officiant and People in unison recite the Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
Presentation of the Bride or Bride and Groom
Officiant:
Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
The bride’s father responds: I do.
If the Bride has not already handed her bouquet to her Maid/Matron of honor, she will do so now, and her father gives her hand to the groom, he usually kisses his daughter and shakes the Grooms hand then he takes his seat. This Presentation of the Bride is optional and can be adapted to the situation or can be left out completely.
Officiant:
Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
The bride’s father responds: I do.
If the Bride has not already handed her bouquet to her Maid/Matron of honor, she will do so now, and her father gives her hand to the groom, he usually kisses his daughter and shakes the Grooms hand then he takes his seat. This Presentation of the Bride is optional and can be adapted to the situation or can be left out completely.
Charge To The Bride and Groom
Officiant:
I charge you both, as you stand in the presence of God, to take into profound consideration and thoughtfulness your mutual commitment to each other. The estate of wedlock should not be taken lightly and must be given prayerful consideration. It is indeed a time for joy and celebration harmonized with proper reverence, respect and wisdom.
The Pledge or Betrothal / Declaration Of Intent
Officiant:
Having freely and prayerfully chosen each other as partners for life, and in an expression of your total commitment to one another, I invite you to please join hands as you prepare to take your vows.
Bride and Groom face each other holding hands.
Officiant: To Groom:
____________, will you have ____________ to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you stand by her faithfully and love, honor and cherish her as long as you both shall live?
Groom Responds:
I will.
Officiant: To Bride:
____________, will you have ____________ to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you stand by him faithfully and love, honor and cherish him as long as you both shall live?
Bride responds:
I will.
Officiant:
Having freely and prayerfully chosen each other as partners for life, and in an expression of your total commitment to one another, I invite you to please join hands as you prepare to take your vows.
Bride and Groom face each other holding hands.
Officiant: To Groom:
____________, will you have ____________ to be your wife, to live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you stand by her faithfully and love, honor and cherish her as long as you both shall live?
Groom Responds:
I will.
Officiant: To Bride:
____________, will you have ____________ to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of faith, hope, and love according to the intention of God for your lives together in Jesus Christ? Will you stand by him faithfully and love, honor and cherish him as long as you both shall live?
Bride responds:
I will.
Wedding Vows
Officiant: To Groom: Repeat after me.
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Groom repeats:
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Officiant: To Groom: Repeat after me.
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Groom repeats:
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Officiant: To Bride: Repeat after me.
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Bride repeats:
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Bride repeats:
I, ____________, take you ____________, to be my wedded 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, 'til death do us part: and together we will love and serve as Christ commands as long as we both shall live.
Blessing of the Rings
Officiant: To the Best Man or Ringbearer: May we now have the rings?
The designated person gives the rings to the Officiant. Or in a smaller/simpler ceremony without a Best Man or Ringbearer the Officiant will already have the rings.
Officiant:
The wedding ring is the outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to everyone the uniting of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, the giving of these rings, so that they who wear them may abide in peace, and continue in thy favor. Amen.
Officiant: To the Best Man or Ringbearer: May we now have the rings?
The designated person gives the rings to the Officiant. Or in a smaller/simpler ceremony without a Best Man or Ringbearer the Officiant will already have the rings.
Officiant:
The wedding ring is the outward sign of an inward and spiritual grace, signifying to everyone the uniting of this man and this woman in holy matrimony. Let us pray. Bless, O Lord, the giving of these rings, so that they who wear them may abide in peace, and continue in thy favor. Amen.
Exchange Of Rings
Officiant: To Groom:
____________ will you take this ring and place it upon ____________’s finger, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
Officiant:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
Groom repeats:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
Officiant: To Bride:
____________ will you take this ring and place it upon ____________’s finger, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
Officiant:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
Bride repeats:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
____________ will you take this ring and place it upon ____________’s finger, and as you do, repeat after me, these words:
The following can be broken down line by line instead of said all at once.
Officiant:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
Bride repeats:
With this ring, I thee wed and with it I bestow upon thee my pledge of faithfulness and enduring love.
Wedding Prayer / Blessing
Officiant:
God of love, bless the marriage of ____________ and ____________. Surround their relationship and their home with an ever-growing love. May they always be aware of Your presence and Your care in their lives. And now, ____________ and ____________, may the grace of Christ attend you, the love of God surround you, and the Holy Spirit keep you. Amen.
Officiant:
God of love, bless the marriage of ____________ and ____________. Surround their relationship and their home with an ever-growing love. May they always be aware of Your presence and Your care in their lives. And now, ____________ and ____________, may the grace of Christ attend you, the love of God surround you, and the Holy Spirit keep you. Amen.
Pronouncement As Husband And Wife
Officiant:
Inasmuch as you ____________, and you ____________, have thus consented in holy matrimony and have witnessed the same before God and this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the State of ____________, I now pronounce you husband and wife and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. You May Kiss The Bride!
Officiant:
Inasmuch as you ____________, and you ____________, have thus consented in holy matrimony and have witnessed the same before God and this gathering and by the authority vested in me by the State of ____________, I now pronounce you husband and wife and what God hath joined together, let no man put asunder. You May Kiss The Bride!
Benediction
Officiant:
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Announcement As Newlyweds
Officiant:
It is with great honor I present to you Mr. and Mrs. ____________!
The Maid/Matron of Honor hands the bouquet to the Bride. The Bride and Groom walk down the aisle first, followed by their attendants.
Free Download - The Lord's Prayer - Christian Wedding Ceremony Free PDF Fillable Form
This file is in PDF format for easy viewing, printing or download. I made the form as a fillable form so you can easily tab thru the document and enter the name of the bride and groom, the name of the applicable state where the wedding is being performed and the newlyweds new last name in the last field. You only need to enter the name of the bride and groom once and it fills all the corresponding fields with their names.
Click here to view a video showing how to use the fillable form.
In order to use it as a fillable form be sure to save it when downloading, as opposed to just viewing it with your browser plug-in.
It's formatted very nicely for officiants and couples. Including the color coded Bride and Groom speaking parts.
Click on the file below for Free PDF of The Lord's Prayer Christian Wedding Ceremony....
Click here to view a video showing how to use the fillable form.
In order to use it as a fillable form be sure to save it when downloading, as opposed to just viewing it with your browser plug-in.
It's formatted very nicely for officiants and couples. Including the color coded Bride and Groom speaking parts.
Click on the file below for Free PDF of The Lord's Prayer Christian Wedding Ceremony....
| The Lord's Prayer Christian Wedding Ceremony |
FREE Word .docx of this Christian Wedding Ceremony Adaptation
Free Download - The Lord's Prayer Christian Wedding Ceremony
Free Microsoft Word document for editing if you wish. Please Read the Terms of Use for Forms, Files and Downloads.
| the_lords_prayer_christian_wedding_ceremony.docx |
If you find these files useful please include a link back to the How To Be A Wedding Officiant website from your website or social media pages. Here’s the link…
Or here is the HTML code for a text link...
Thanks for posting a link to HowToBeAWeddingOfficiant.com, I appreciate it! ~ Avary
