Traditional Vows
by
Rev. Philip Chalker

We are joyful assembled in the beautiful Virgin Islands before God and these witnesses to celebrate the joining of two lives in marriage.

Please be aware that all of the experiences in your lives have led you to this moment.  All of life, of Heaven and Earth, has unfolded so that you are here now.  As you stand in the presence of God and these witnesses, remember that love, loyalty, and trust are the foundation of a happy and enduring marriage.

Marriage is the oldest of institutions, recognized by every civilization, culture, and religion on earth.  It is a formal way of marking a beginning, and commitment.  No other human ties are more tender, no other vows are more sacred.

Gathering
Groom and Bride have asked us to be with them in the making of this important commitment.  The essence of this commitment is the taking of another in his or her entirety as lover, companion, and friend.  It is, therefore, a decision that is not entered into lightly but rather with great respect.

Prayer
Let Us Pray:
O Heavenly Father, whose nature is love, bless this man and this woman who make these vows before you.  Grant this to be a true spiritual union.  Bless them each with the inner gift of trust, compassion, forgiveness, and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace. Amen.

Pledge
"Please Turn Toward One Another And Join Right Hands For Your Pledge"
Groom in taking Bride to be your lawful and wedded wife, do you promise to love and cherish her, to honor and sustain her, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, in the good that may lighten your ways, and in the bad that sometimes will darken your days, and to be true to her in all things? (I do)

Bride in taking Groom to be your lawful and wedded husband,  do you promise to love and cherish him, to honor and sustain him, in sickness and in health, in poverty and in wealth, in the good that may lighten your ways, and in the bad that sometimes will darken your days, and to be true to him in all things? (I do)

Exchange of Rings & Vows
"Do you have the rings?"
(Maid of honor takes flowers)
The ring is a symbol of the love you have for each other.  Its unending circle represents the eternal quality of your love, and the gold represents the purity of that love.  It serves as a reminder of this hour, and as a seal of the vows you take.

Now, Groom take Bride's ring and place it on her left hand.  Do you Groom give this ring to Bride as a token of your love for her? (I do)

Please repeat after me the following:
I, Groom take you Bride 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, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance, and therefore I pledge thee my love.

Now, Bride take Groom's ring and place it on his left hand.  Do you Bride give this ring to Groom as a token of your love for him? (I do)

Please repeat after me the following:
I, Bride take you Groom 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, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance, and therefore I pledge thee my love.
(Maid of Honor brings back flowers)

Native American Blessings
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you is shelter to the other.  Now you will feel no cold, for each of you is warmth to the other.  Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be a companion to the other.  Now you are two persons, but there is one life before you.  Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness.  And may your days together be good, and long upon the earth.

Declaration of Marriage
Now that you have given yourselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving of rings: By the authority vested in me by the Territorial Court of the United States Virgin Islands, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife.

©Rev. Philip Chalker

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