Let us pray.  God, we ask for your blessings upon this man and woman, as we celebrate this momentous occasion in their lives.

Grant them happiness and contentment as they establish their new home, create a new family and explore the depths of their love for one another and for you.

Bless their families and friends and the relationships, which have supported, strengthened and sustained them throughout their lives.

Bless their home as a place of love and of peace.

And if times grow hard and tempers grow short, help them to look into their hearts and remember the love that brought them here today

Amen.

God, as you join us today, we ask for your blessings upon this couple as they unite in marriage.

Let all their days together be happy and all their words to each other be sweet.

Though their paths are intertwined, let them be aware of each other’s separateness. Bless their home and allow it to be a place of joy and serenity.

Remind them to nurture each other’s body with mutual love, honor and respect.  Let their spirits dwell within.

As they learn from one another, may they grow stronger as individuals and closer as a couple.

And as their wedded life begins today with prayer, so may they continue it, praying for and with each other.

Amen.

In acknowledgment of this holy purpose, and of the power of this occasion, let us pray.

Dear God, One who gives us the longing for love and the capability of loving, we give thanks to You for BRIDE and GROOM, for their open hearts and willing spirits, and for the love that they embody here in our presence.

Be with them on this joyous occasion as two become one, and be with us, their witnesses, as we rejoice in what is said and witnessed here.

To open the ceremony we will begin with an invocation in the form of an ancient prayer or mantra.

The meaning of “mantra” is “that which protects.”

This mantra asks for protection, good fortune, strength, wisdom, and peace.

Mantras begin with “OM”, which is not a word or a name; it is the vibration of love heard from within the heart when the mind is at peace, the vibration of love from which creation emerged.

BRIDE and GROOM, take hold of your hands and look into each other’s eyes, and repeat after me:

Om
May we be protected together
May we enjoy the fruits of our actions together.
May we achieve strength together.
May our knowledge be full of light
May there never be discord between us
Om shantih, shantih, shantihi
Om. Peace, peace, peace.

Let us Pray: Dear God, thank you for this joyous day.

Thank you for Your Light that has entered Bride and Groom’s life.

Thank you for all the miracles and blessings.

Please bless this union.

Help Bride and Groom find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish.

Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them.

May all their future creations be blessed.

God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace.

Amen.

Father of mankind, whose nature is love, look with favor upon this woman and this man who desire to make their vows before you.

We are grateful for the providence that has led to this union.

Grant this to be more than an outward union, but also the blending of hearts and spirits and purposes.

Bless each with the inward qualities of integrity, trust, cooperation and forgiveness, that they may live together in love and peace.

Amen.

Adapted from Illuminata by Marianne Williamson

Dear God, Please make of this relationship a great and holy adventure.

May their joining be a sacred space. May the two of them find rest here, a haven for their souls.

Remove from them any temptation to judge themselves or each other or to direct each other.

May they surrender to You their conflicts and their burdens.

We know You are their Answer and their rock.

Help them not forget.

Bring them together in heart and mind as well as body and guide them in the ways of holiness.

May this relationship be a burst of light.

May it be a fount of love and wisdom for them, for their family, for their community, and for their world.

May this bond be a channel for Your love and healing, a vehicle of Your grace and power.

As lessons come and challenges grow, let them not be tempted to forsake each other.

Let them always remember that in each other they have the most beautiful woman, the most beautiful man, the strongest one, the sacred one in whose arms we are repaired.

May they remain young in this relationship.

May they grow wise in this relationship.

Bring them what You desire for them.

And show them how you would have them be.

Thank You, dear God.