Text for a Wedding Ceremony in English

Modify the text below according to your taste, taking care to
replace BN with the bride's name; GN with groom's name.
Or you can download a formatted text, in Microsoft Word

Wedding Ceremony
of
BN
&
GN

Church of ...

Date ...

"On this day I marry my best friend,

the one I laugh with, live for,

love and dream with,

whose dreams I’ll share

for the rest of my life".

Wedding Party (inside cover)

(insert the names)

 

Entrance

Music: . . . . .

Priest: In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

All: Amen.

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

BN and GN light two candles, symbolising their coming here together as two separate individuals. 

Penitential Rite

Priest: My brothers and sisters to prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries

let us call to mind our sins.

All: I confess to Almighty God and to you my brothers and sisters that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done,

and in what I have failed to do; through my fault, through my fault,

through my most grievous fault;

therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints,

and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God..

Priest: May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.

All: Amen.

Priest: Lord have mercy.

All: Lord have mercy.

Priest: Christ have mercy.

All: Christ have mercy.

Priest: Lord have mercy.

All: Lord have mercy.

Gloria

All: Glory to God in the highest

and on earth peace to His people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you,

we give you thanks for your great glory,

Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,

Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,

You take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us;

you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer;

You are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For You alone are the Holy One, You alone are the Lord,

You alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,

with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen

Opening Prayer

Priest: Let us pray: Father, you have made the bond of marriage a Holy mystery, a symbol of Christ’s love for his Church. Hear our prayers for BN and GN. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Liturgy of the Word

FIRST READING

Read by (N)

A Reading from the Book of ____

Insert text here

This is the word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Responsorial Psalm

Music: . . .

SECOND READING

Read by (N)

A Reading from the Book of ____

Insert text here

This is the word of the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.  

Gospel Acclamation

All: Alleluia, Alleluia,

As long as we love one another

God will live in us.

And His love will be complete in us.

Alleluia.

Gospel Reading

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to __.

All: Glory to you, Lord .

Insert text here

This is the Gospel of the Lord.

All: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

The Rite of Marriage

The priest addresses BN and GN

Priest: BN and GN, you have come to this church so that the Lord may seal your love in the presence of the priest and this community. Christ blesses this love. He has already consecrated you in baptism; now by a special sacrament, he strengthens you to fulfil the duties of your married life.

BN and GN, you are about to celebrate this sacrament. Have you come here of your own free will and choice without compulsion to marry each other?

Both: We have.

Priest: Will you love and honour each other in marriage all the days of your life?

Both: We will.

Priest: Are you willing to accept, with love, the children God may give you and bring them up in accordance with the law of Christ and his Church?

Both: We are.

Declaration of Consent

Priest: I invite you then to declare before God and his Church your consent to become husband and wife.

GN: BN, do you consent to be my wife?

BN: I do.

BN : GN, do you consent to be my husband?

GN: I do.

BN & GN:

We take each other as husband and wife and promise to love each other truly for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, all the days of our life.

Priest: What God joins together man must not separate.

May the lord confirm the consent you have given and enrich you with His blessing.

Blessing of the Ring

Priest: Almighty God, bless this ring as symbol of faithfulness and unbroken love.

May BN and GN always be true to each other, may they be one in heart and mind, may they be united in love forever,

Through Christ, Our Lord.

All: Amen.

GN: BN , wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

BN: GN , wear this ring as a sign of our faithful love.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Symbol of Unity

BN and GN together light the centre candle, symbolising their unity in marriage.

Prayers of the Faithful

1: We pray for the parents, family and friends of BN and GN. We pray especially for those who have had some part in bringing them to this happy day. May God bless them with the gift of his own undying friendship.

Lord hear us. 

All:  Lord graciously hear us  

2: For all those that are sadly not here today. For the faithful departed and those whom we ourselves have loved, that God will one day unite us again in the joys of our eternal home.

Lord hear us.

All: Lord graciously hear us  

3 : For all those who suffer injustice and hardship in the world, and for those deprived of love and affection that they may someday find peace through God’s love.

Lord hear us. 

All:  Lord graciously hear us  

4 : That the Lord may bless the world with the peace and the protection of his love for all married couples everywhere.

Lord hear us. 

All:  Lord graciously hear us  

Liturgy of the Eucharist

Offertory

Music: . . .

Priest: Pray, brothers and sisters, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable to God the almighty Father.

All: May the Lord accept the sacrifice at your hands for the praise and glory of His name, for our good and the good of all His Church.

Prayer over the Gifts

Priest: Lord, accept our offering for this newly married couple, BN and GN. By your life and providence you have brought them together, bless them all the days of their married life. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Eucharistic Prayer

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: Lift up your hearts.

All: We lift them up to the Lord our God.

Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.

All: It is right and just.

Priest: Father, all powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give You thanks. You created us in love to share your divine life. We see our high destiny in the love of husband and wife, which bears the imprint of your own divine love. Love is our origin, love is constant calling, love is our fulfilment in heaven. The love of man and woman is made holy in the Sacrament of Marriage, and becomes the mirror of Your everlasting love.

Through Jesus Christ the choirs of angels and all the Saints praise and worship your glory. May our voices blend with theirs as we join in their unending hymn of praise.

All: Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts,

Heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest.

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Hosanna in the highest..

Priest: reads whichever Eucharistic Prayer he has chosen, ending with:

Through Him, with Him, in Him,

In the unity of the Holy Spirit,

All glory and honour is yours,

Almighty Father, for ever and ever.

All: Amen.

Communion Rite

Priest: At the Saviour’s command and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:

All: 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 sins as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: Deliver us, Lord, from every evil, and grant us peace in our day. In your mercy keep us free from sin and protect us from all anxiety as we wait in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ..

All: For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever.

Nuptial Blessing

Priest: Let us ask God to bless GN and BN, now married in Christ and unite them in his love through the sacrament of his body and blood.

Pause for silent prayer, then the priest continues:

God, our Father, creator of the universe, you made man and woman in your own likeness and blessed their union.

We humbly pray to you for BN and GN, today united in the sacrament of marriage. May your blessing come upon them. May they find happiness in their love for each other, be blessed in their children and enrich the life of the church.

May they praise you in their days of happiness and turn to you in times of sorrow. May they know the joy of your help in their work and the strength of your presence in their need. May they worship you with the Church and be your witnesses in the world.

May old age come to them in the company of their friends and may they reach at last the kingdom of heaven.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Rite of Peace

Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles,

Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,

look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,

and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will.

Who live and reign for ever and ever..

All: Amen.

Priest: The peace of the Lord be with you always.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: Let us offer one another the sign of peace.

Music: ___

Priest: May this mingling of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ bring eternal life to us who receive it.

All: Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.

Priest: Behold the Lamb of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world. Blessed are those called to the supper of the Lamb.

All: Lord, I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof,

but only say the word and my soul shall be healed.

Communion

Music: ____

Prayer after Communion

Priest: Let us pray. Lord, in your love you have given us this Eucharist to unite us with one another and with you. As you have made BN and GN one in this sacrament of marriage and in the sharing of one bread and one cup so now make them one in love for each other. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

All: Amen.

Concluding Rite

Priest: The Lord be with you.

All: And with your spirit.

Priest: May God the eternal Father keep you steadfast in your love.

All: Amen.

Priest: May you have children to bless you, friends to console you and may you live in peace with all people.

All: Amen.

Priest: May the peace of Christ dwell in your home. May the angels of God protect it

and may the Holy family of Nazareth be its model and inspiration.

All: Amen.

Priest: May almighty God bless you, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

All: Amen.

Priest: The mass is ended. Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All: Thanks be to God.

Signing of the Register

Message of Thanks

Thank you to our parents, family and friends for sharing this special day.
We are honoured to celebrate our marriage surrounded by such wonderful people
and we hope to share many more happy and joyful times together in the future