Opening Remarks Sample 1
We are gathered here to join this man and this woman /this couple in marriage. This is an act as ancient as the history of the human race and as new as each morning, for it speaks of the past and of the future, of life of the individual and the existence of the community.
Because marriage is concerned with the most fundamental of human relationships, it must not be regarded lightly. Those who enter into this relationship shall cherish for each other a mutual esteem and love, bear each other’s' infirmities and weaknesses, comfort each other in sickness, trouble and sorrow, encourage each other in trials of the spirit, and live together as the heirs of life.
Because the family/couple is the foundation of human fellowship, marriage is not to be entered into by any unadvisedly, but with devotion and discretion. Love and loyalty will avail as the foundation of a happy and enduring home, and if the solemn vows you are about to make are kept with honor and integrity, your life will be full of peace and joy, and the home you are establishing will be one of warmth and understanding.
Opening Remarks Sample 2
_______ and _______ are here today, with their family and friends, to declare publicly their love for one another, and to be joined in marriage. This is much more than a social and civil occasion, because it is the declaration of their hearts, built upon experience, and enriched by their love. With love it is possible to live a life together, each seeking and encouraging the joy, the comfort, the health, and the enrichment of the other, all of which will divide sorrow and multiply satisfactions.
Opening Remarks Sample 3
Friends, _______ and _______ have invited us here today to share in the celebration of their marriage. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. This marriage is one expression of many varieties of love. Love is one, though its expressions are infinite.
We live in a world of joy and fear and search for meaning and strength in the seeming disorder. We discover the truest guideline to our quest when we realize love in all its magnitudes. Love is the eternal force of life. Love is the force that allows us to face fear and uncertainty with courage.
For the giving of yourself in love is difficult, for you must learn to give of your love without total submission of yourself. Therefore, in your giving, give your joy, your sadness, your interest, your understanding, your knowledge - all expressions that make up life. But in this giving, remember to preserve yourself - your integrity, your individuality. This is the challenge of love within marriage.
Opening Remarks Sample 4
Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of these witnesses, to join ___________ and ___________ in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among all men; and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly – but reverently, discreetly, advisedly and solemnly. Into this holy estate these two persons present now come to be joined. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together – let them speak now or forever hold their peace.
Opening Remarks Sample 5
Friends, we have been invited here today to share with ______ and ______ a very important moment in their lives. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured, and now they have decided to live their lives together as husband and wife.
Opening Remarks Sample 6
Dear Friends, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of ________ & ________. Having come to love each other deeply and sincerely, they now wish to unite their lives. In this ceremony they dedicate themselves to the happiness and well-being of each other, and we their friends and family join with them in this celebration and dedication.
Marriage is a spiritual art form. In marriage, two unique people surrender to the Greatest Love and commit to the process of co-creating an environment that will elicit their highest potential as human beings. Through their marriage, ________ & ________ will become more of who they truly are. From joys and sorrows shared, they will grow in love and loyalty. From any pain given and forgiven, they will grow in mutual understanding and compassion. Their life together will move toward the fulfillment of what we celebrate here today.