A Simple Wedding in Key West
Key West Wedding Vows
Ceremonies by Colleen…
Phone: 305-292-3195
I love performing ceremonies!
Since becoming a Florida notary in 2003,
I’ve had the pleasure of marrying couples
from all over the world. I look forward to
being a part of your happy occasion.
Below is my standard ceremony along with
optional vows, poems and endings.
I hope you like them…
INTRODUCTION
This wedding is a celebration of the love and commitment you both share. In presenting yourselves here today to be joined in marriage, you perform an act of faith. This faith can grow and develop and last, but only if you both decide to make it so. If you would have the foundation of your marriage be the love and devotion you have for one another, not just at this moment, but for all the days to come, then treasure the hopes and dreams that you bring here today.
Your marriage is an outward symbol of an inward union of your hearts. Always remember that your love is a special gift and never forget how lucky you are to have found each other. Establish that your love will never be obscured by the ordinary in life. Always laugh together, cry together and love together because life is more precious when you share it with the person you love. Treat yourselves, each other, and your relationship with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Let everything you do, be done out of love. Only with this spirit can you forge a union that will strengthen and endure all the days of your lives.
VOW EXCHANGE
The exchanging of vows is a commitment to make a life together and to share the uncertainties of the future, knowing that your love for one another remains constant through it all. Today’s bond of marriage is the next step in your life together.
Please face each other and join hands.
_______ please repeat after me.
I, ______, take you, ______, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, asking you to be no other than yourself, in all the ways that life may find us.
RING EXCHANGE
You have chosen to exchange rings as the sign and seal of the promises you are making today. The ring is an ancient symbol of such vows, as the circle is considered to be the most perfect form of all forms in nature. As one unbroken circle, your ring symbolizes your unending love and commitment to each other.
_______, place the ring on ______ finger, please repeat after me:
I give you this ring, as a symbol of our marriage, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear this ring as a sign of my love, and as a reminder, of the promises we exchange today.
ENDING
May this day shine eternally in your lives.
May you care for each other in all sadness.
May you give cheer to each other.
May you give strength to each other in all undertakings.
May your life together be a source of inspiration to yourselves, your families, your friends, and to all whose lives you touch.
Pronouncement and KISS!
Optional Intro and Endings
OPTIONAL BEACH INTRO (replaces standard intro)
As we stand witness beside the ocean tide, may your love always be as constant and unchanging as these never ending waves, floating endlessly from the depths of the sea touching softly upon the sands, as did your love come softly upon your hearts.While these waters nourish the earth and sustain life, so may you never have a day without love for each other, love that will nourish and sustain you until the end of time. And, like these waters, may your love be limitless and flowing. Today, you pledge your lives and love to one another for all of your days. And, we celebrate your commitment to a strong, loving relationship.
OPTIONAL ENDING: APACHE BLESSING (replaces standard ending)
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you
Will be warmth for the other.
Now there is no loneliness
For each of you
Will be companion for the other.
You are two persons,
But there is only one life before you.
OPTIONAL ENDING: IRISH WEDDING POEM (replaces standard ending)
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.
May the light of friendship guide your paths together
May the sound of laughter grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips,
A twinkle from your eye.
May you be poor in misfortunes and rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness…from this day forward.
And, today, may the Spirit of Love
Find a dwelling place in your hearts.
Optional Vow Exchanges
I, ______, take you ______, to be my (wife/husband), for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as we both shall live.
OPTIONAL VOW EXCHANGE #2
I take you to be my partner in life and my one true love, today, tomorrow and forever
I will trust you and honor you, I will laugh with you and cry with you
I will love you faithfully, through the best and the worst, the difficult and easy
As I have given you my hand to hold, I also give you my heart to keep
Hand Ceremony
These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.
These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future.
These are the hands that will love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.
Step Parent Vows
Today is also a celebration of your life together as a family. You are not only committing your love to each other, but to (child) as well. You bind not only your own union, as husband and wife, but also unite your families together as one.
OPTION ONE:
(Bride/Groom) please repeat:
I promise to care for (child) for all of our days and to treat him/her as my own. I gladly accept the obligations that go along with this pledge. I love (child) and want her to be a part of my life.
OPTION TWO:
Do you, (bride/groom), take (child) to care for, encourage and support as a part of your family?……………”I do”
(Note: You may present a special gift, such as a ring or necklace, to the child.)