Marriage ceremonies sometimes have blessings, like this Old Irish Blessing: ... 𝒎𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗱𝘀 ... Your choice, your ceremony, your story. Together, we can co-create a unique script and program that will make your ceremony meaningful and memorable.
Marriage ceremonies sometimes have readings. One that I adapted from Robert Fulghum's work, is called “Union” and follows:
"You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way.
All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will”; “all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe”; and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.
The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed? ... well, I meant it all, every word."
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another “acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, parents, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same.
For after today you shall say to the world: This is my husband. This is my wife."