Civil Ceremony I - Ralph's Regal Weddings

Conveniently located in Spokane, WA

near East 17th Avenue and South Ray Street.

Also serving Coeur d’Alene, ID and Post Falls, ID

and other areas within Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho

To contact us:

Phone or Text: 509-599-5632

E-mail: Info@RalphsRegalWeddings.com

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Civil Ceremony I

Prince of Wales Package

Officiant: Please stand.

(Bride processes down the aisle with her chosen escort.)

Presentation of the Bride: (Optional)

Officiant: Who brings this woman to be married to this man?

Bride’s Father (or chosen escort): I do. (Or: Her mother and I.)

(Bride's escort places her hand in Groom's hand.)

(The Couple moves forward to stand in front of Officiant.)

(Bride’s escort moves behind Bride and is seated.)

(The Couple turns and faces each other.)

(If Bride’s gown has a train, Maid of Honor straightens it.)

Officiant: Please be seated.

Welcome and Marriage Reflections:

Officiant: Dear family and friends, out of affection for ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____, we have gathered here today to celebrate their wedding and to witness and bless the vows which will join this couple together in matrimony.

Officiant: Marriage is an honorable estate revered since time immemorial as the most profound and tender of human relationships. It is designed to unite two sympathies and hopes into one; and it rests upon the mutual confidence and devotion of each to the other. To this moment they bring their loving hearts, the dreams which inspire their lives, and two unique personalities and spirits.

Officiant: We have been asked as a community of loving friends to share their joy with them, and to pledge to support and honor their love. We rejoice with ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____ that out of all the world they have found each other, and that in this union of two hearts, a union created by friendship, respect, and love, they will henceforth find the deeper meaning and richness of human life in sharing it with each other.

Officiant: The union of these two in heart in heart, body, and mind is intended for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and deliberately. Into this honored estate these two persons come now to be joined.

Rose Ceremony: (Optional)

(Choice of Rose Ceremony honoring the couple’s mothers or families. Click on “Rose Ceremonies” Navigation Menu link at left to see ceremonies. A musical selection may be played softly during ceremony.)

Reading: (Optional)

(Choose the Reading below or choose another from our website: click on “Poems & Readings” or “Prayers & Religious Readings” Navigation Menu link at left to see other options.)

Officiant: This is a reading from 1 Corinthians 13:2, 4-8, 13.

. . . if I have all faith so as to move mountains,

but do not have love, I am nothing.

Love is patient, love is kind.

It is not jealous, love is not pompous,

it is not inflated, it is not rude,

it does not seek its own interests,

it is not quick-tempered,

it does not brood over injury,

it does not rejoice over wrongdoing

but rejoices with the truth.

It bears all things, believes all things,

hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.

So faith, hope, love remain, these three;

but the greatest of these is love.

Exchange of Vows: (Choice of the vows below or custom written vows.)

Officiant (To couple): Will you please join hands.

(Bride turns and gives her bouquet to Maid of Honor.)

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____ the step which you are about to take is the most important one which human beings can take. It is a union of two people founded upon mutual respect and affection. Your lives will change, your responsibilities will increase, but your joy will be multiplied if you are sincere and earnest with your pledge to one another.

Officiant: In your marriage, have patience with one another, for storms will come, but they will pass quickly. Always remember to be free in giving affection and warmth to each other. And above all, let the power of love and desire be the driving force of your relationship.

Officiant: Relationships that last are ones which are continually developing. Each person should strive to grow in knowledge and understanding of the other. This knowledge of one another is not something that can be achieved in a short time. Real understanding can only develop fully with years of intimacy and grows out of really caring for each other.

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____ remember that love and faithfulness will provide a solid foundation for a long and happy marriage. Through the sacred vows of marriage, you are saying that who you are, and who you want to be, can best be achieved through this union. In keeping faithfully to your vows, and in bringing to this marriage the best that is within you, your life together will be filled with grace and joy, and your home will be a place of peace.

Officiant: No other human ties are more tender and no other vows more important than those you are about to take. Both of you come to this day with the deep realization that the contract of marriage is sacred as are all of its obligations and responsibilities. This day not only signifies a celebration of shared values and commitment, but it attests to the fact that you have chosen to build your future together.

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____ do you take ___(Bride)_____ to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage. Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her; for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health; and forsaking all others, be faithful only unto her; so long as you both shall live?

Groom: I do.

Officiant: ___(Bride)_____ do you take ___(Groom)_____ to be your wedded husband, to live together in marriage. Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him; for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health; and forsaking all others, be faithful only unto him; so long as you both shall live?

Bride: I do.

Prelude to Ring Exchange:

Officiant: May I have the rings, please?

(Best Man (and Maid Of Honor) gives rings to Officiant. Officiant holds up the rings.)

Officiant: From the earliest of times the circle of the wedding band has been a symbol of wedded love. Being made of the purest of metals, your rings remind you daily to keep your love pure. Being a circle, your rings symbolize the sun, the earth and the universe. The circle is also a symbol of holiness, perfection and peace. Being one unbroken and never-ending circle, your rings symbolize a commitment to love that is also never ending.

Officiant: These rings mark the beginning of a long journey filled with wonder, surprises, laughter, tears, celebration, grief, and joy. May these rings glow in reflection of the warmth and love which flow through you today and may they be a constant reminder of this high moment when you have pledged your unending love to one another.

Officiant: We bless these rings which you give and receive this day. They are symbols of the circle of shared love and unity, in which your two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle.

The Exchange of Rings:

Officiant: Please join your left hands together.

(Couple joins their left hands with the Bride’s hand on top.)

(Officiant gives Groom the ring for Bride.)

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____, repeat after me. ___(Bride)_____, this ring I give to you, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.

(Groom repeats and places ring on Bride’s finger.)

(Couple turns their left hands over together, with the Groom’s hand on top.)

(Officiant gives Bride the ring for Groom.)

Officiant: ___(Bride)_____, repeat after me. ___(Groom)_____, this ring I give to you, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love.

(Bride repeats and places ring on Groom’s finger.)

Unity Ceremony: (Optional)

(Choice of Unity Ceremony. Click on “Unity Ceremonies” navigation menu link at left to see ceremonies. A musical selection may be played softly during ceremony.)

Final Blessing:

Officiant: Above you are the stars, below you are the stones, as time passes, remember: Like a stone should your love be firm, like a star should your love be constant. Let the powers of the mind and of the intellect guide you in your marriage. Let the strength of your wills bind you together and the strength of your dedication make you inseparable.

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____, here in the space between you both, lies all the future of the fragment of the universe which is your own. May the grace of this day carry forward with you all the days of your lives. May you find delight in each other and may your love continue to grow and nurture you throughout your lives. May every blessing and grace be yours, as your lives are now bound in each other’s keeping.

Pronouncement and Kiss:

Officiant: Forasmuch as ___(Groom)_____ and ___(Bride)_____ have consented together to join their lives in the bonds of matrimony, and in as much as they have exchanged vows, and have given and received rings in the presence of these witnesses; I now pronounce, by the authority vested in me, and in accordance with the laws of the State of ___(State)_____, that they are now married.

Officiant: ___(Groom)_____ you may now kiss your Bride.

(Officiant steps to the side while the Couple kisses.)

Optional Announcement: (Couple may have the Officiant make an announcement regarding the reception, family pictures, etc.)

(Officiant steps back to previous position.)

(Couple turns to face guests.) (Maid of Honor hands the bouquet back to the Bride.)

Introduction of the Couple:

Officiant: It is now my pleasure to present Mr. and Mrs. ___________.

(Couple recesses out followed by the wedding party.)

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