Monday, January 28, 2008

A Short Civil Ceremony

MINISTER: We have gathered to witness the joining together of Erez and Leah in marriage.

Leah will you have Erez to be your husband, to live together in the commitment of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, always be faithful to him?
THE BRIDE: I Will

MINISTER: Erez will you have Leah to be your wife, to live together in the commitment of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others, always be faithful to her?
THE GROOM: I Will

MINISTER: Marriage is a deep and life-long commitment of a man and woman to each other. It is in marriage that secure and loving families get their start, and it has been such for thousands of generations. Marriage is based on trust, protection, hope, patience, kindness and humility. It is taking the best we have to give and offering it completely to another. It is now time for Erez and Leah to repeat their vows to each other.

THE GROOM: (to Leah) I Erez, take you Leah, 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, for as long as we both shall live.

THE BRIDE: (to Erez) I Leah, take you Erez, 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, for as long as we both shall live.

MINISTER: Please hand me the rings.

THE GROOM: Leah, I give you this ring as a sign of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.

THE BRIDE: Erez, I give you this ring as a sign of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.

THE MINISTER: (to Erez and Leah) Erez and Leah, be true and loving toward one another as you live your lives together. Treat each other with kindness and understanding and be each other’s sweetheart, helpmate, best friend and guide. May your home be a place of love and peace.

Now that you have given yourselves to each other by repeating solemn vows, with the joining of hands, and the giving and receiving of rings, I announce to all, that you are husband and wife together.

You may kiss your bride.

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