OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Welcome family, friends, and loved ones. Please be seated.

It’s a Hebrew tradition that to begin weddings, we say a prayer to ask God’s blessing upon _________ and _________, and when translated into English, that prayer is this:

Let us all bow our heads:

Blessed are you, O Lord, King of the Universe, who created happiness and joy, bridegroom and bride, gladness, jubilation, dancing, and delight, love and brotherhood, peace and fellowship. Quickly, O Lord our God, may the sound of mirth and joy be heard in the streets of Judah and Jerusalem, and right here in (city), the voice of bridegroom and bride, jubilant voices of bridegrooms from their canopies and youths from the feasts of song. Blessed are you, O Lord, who makes the bridegroom rejoice with the bride.

Amen

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

The tradition of marriage goes back to the beginning of creation, when God created the first man and the first woman, and he married them together on that, the sixth day, when he created them, which is why we gather here together here on a Friday - to commemorate the first marriage - anointed by God.

The covenant that these two enter into is a sacred one dating back to creation itself, and it is done here under the canopy, in the presence of God and of we as witnesses so that we might all hold _________ and _________ to the vows they make today, as a family, and as a community of loved ones.

OFFICIANT (to couple):

_________, _________, the vows you make today are sacred, and they are made on a foundation of faith and trust. You make them to each other, but you also make them to God and to your families, and to all of these loved ones here gathered around you to lift you up and pour blessings upon you.

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Now it’s time for a traditional toast and prayer - a second tradition in which we raise a glass of wine to _________ and _________ and we ask for God’s blessing over their marriage. With this part of the ceremony, _________ and _________ have asked that you all make a silent wish for them and their marriage that we ask God to honor, and they in turn will make a wish for one another. Let us think of those wishes as we say the Brochot, the blessing: “Blessed art Thou, O lord our God, King of the Universe who hast created the fruit of the vine.” - Amen

OFFICIANT (to couple):

_________, _________, in the site of these witnesses and before Almighty God, are you ready to pledge yourselves to one another?

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Our final act of symbolism in this ceremony will be that of the rings. King Solomon, once considered the wisest man of his day, declared that people who are married should carry some kind of symbol - such as a ring - on their hands. He thought this was wise because we look at our hands all the time, and the ring is a constant reminder that we are bound to another. That our decisions affect their life and that their decisions affect our life.

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________, you’re about to enter into a sacred covenant with God, your family and loved ones here today, and your beautiful _________-to-be that is thousands of years old. Please look into _________’s eyes, and repeat after me as you place the ring on his/her/their finger: “I am my beloved’s and he/she/they is all mine.”

OFFICIANT (to _________):

_________, you’re about to enter into a sacred covenant with God, your family and loved ones here today, and your beautiful _________-to-be that is thousands of years old. Please look into _________’s eyes, and repeat after me as you place the ring on his/her/their finger: “I am my beloved’s and he/she/they is all mine.”

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Now that we’ve sealed the covenant between these two with the ring ceremony, it’s time for one last toast and the reading of the seven blessings upon them.

Blessed are you, O lord our God, King of the Universe who has created all things for Your glory.

Blessed art You, O lord our God, King of the Universe, creator of man.

Blessed art You, O lord our God, King of the Universe who made man in his image, after his likeness.

O Lord, make these two young people greatly rejoice even as you rejoiced in your creation in the Garden of Eden of old.

Blessed are You, O Lord, who makes this groom and bride rejoice this day.

Blessed art You, O lord our God, King of the Universe, who has created joy and gladness, bridegroom and bride, mirth and exultation, pleasure and delight, love, brotherhood, peace and fellowship.

Soon may there be heard in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem and of (place), the voice of joy and gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the jubilant voice of the bridegrooms from the canopies, and of youths from their feasts of song.

Blessed art you, O Lord who makes the bridegroom to rejoice with the bride.

As we raise our glasses to you, _________, and _________, we wish you all the joy that marriage, family, and your faith can bring you.

Amen, and L’Chaim!

OFFICIANT (to couple):

And now, as we come toward the close of today’s ceremony, I’d like to give you the priestly blessing of Aron,

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May God’s countenance be upon you, be gracious to you, as we wish you peace, Mazel Tov, and Siman Tov!
Amen

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

In closing, it is traditional to break the wine glass under foot, and to wish the new couple Mazel Tov, which, in Hebrew, means “good luck,” so as _________ steps on the glass please all wish them Mazel Tov with me.

OFFICIANT (to couple):

I now pronounce you husband/wife/partner and husband/wife/partner. _________ you may kiss your bride/groom/partner!

Ladies and gentlemen, by the power vested in me by God, the Universal Life Church, and the state of ________________ it is my pleasure to present to you Mr./Mrs./Mx. and Mr./Mrs./Mx. _________________!

OFFICIANT (to congregation):

Thank you so much for being a part of this special moment in the lives of _________ and _________. Shalom - peace be with you.