Man:
[Walks down aisle arm-in-arm with both his parents.]

Woman:
Thank you for coming here today and sharing your positive energies with us on this important occasion of our lives.

Man:
We ask you to witness the vows we make to one another as we enter this union of our deepest selves. We know we will at times look to all of you for support in achieving these goals. We likewise want to be a source of support to all of you in the years to come.

Woman:
Today we are leaving our families of birth to become family with one another. As we make this transition, we would like to take the opportunity to offer a special thank-you to our parents for the many gifts they have given us through the years.

Woman:
Mom and Dad, you have offered me nurturing, guidance, laughter, and sustenance. There are no words that can express the gratitude I feel towards you for being there for me all these years. In addition to the love and care you have given me, you have also given me some other very important gifts that I will take with me as I make this passage into marriage.

You have modeled for me a growing, happy, and healthy marriage--not, by your words but by your deeds. By watching you love, I learned how to love. By watching you forgive, I learned forgiveness. By watching both of you work and struggle through the difficult complexities of maintaining a successful marriage, I learned perseverance and patience. Thank you for teaching me how to love.

Man:
Mother and Father, today I start a new life, with a new family in which I will play a very different role. I want to take this time to express my appreciation for the family atmosphere you provided for me. When I look back on our life together as a family, I remember camping trips filled with joyous adventures. I remember eating popcorn and watching corny science fiction movies together. I remember litters of bouncy puppies and drives to the ice cream store for double scoops. I want to take this time to say thank you for creating a family life filled with fun and warmth. I hope to create such a family.

Two other gifts I want to thank you for are of a different kind. I want to thank you for being really interesting and enlightened people. I feel so grateful that I grew up in a home where the mother and father related as equals--where mom knew how to use a power saw, and had equal say in all family decisions. I am thankful that I had a father who knew how to be gentle, and washed clothes, and cooked a great Sunday dinner. Lastly, you taught me the importance of following one's heart. As a young man I sensed that even after two decades of marriage there was still passion in your marriage, and it inspired me to settle for nothing less than a vibrant, exciting love.

Woman:
We would like to begin our marriage vows by proclaiming our love for one another and defining the goals we have for this marriage.

Woman:
______, we have shared a deep and abiding love for several years now. You have become my closest friend. I find you to be a fascinating, wonderful, human being. The longer I know you, the more I have come to love you, and the more I cherish the relationship we have with one another.

______ today I stand before my family and friends to ask you to become my husband. In order that I may know that we share the same dreams and aspirations for this union, let me speak to you of my vision of our future life together.

--I want to a create a home where it's okay to have feelings and express them. I want to know that I can yell when I'm mad, and that you won't run away because you know that anger is a natural part of living and loving.

--I envision a home where friends and neighbors drop by unannounced, knowing that we will reach out and welcome their friendship and companionship. I see the years of our lives made richer from potluck dinners that lead to fascinating philosophical and political debates till wee hours of the morning. I see our home as a gathering place; a place for pumpkin carving parties, and solstice celebrations in the backyard.

--I dream of being your date at the monthly square dances year after year, and slow dancing with you in the living room on boring rainy days.

--I want a family that goes canoeing together, hikes in the woods to enjoy the autumn colors, and finds time to have snowball fights. I want a living room without a TV and I want to create a family which comes together each night for a dinner of "real food". I want a partner that is committed to building a family that is a source of love and strength.