Man:
I am.

Man:
______, I love you. I've struggled to define what I mean by those words. The first thing I mean by the words "I love you" is that I have a deep respect for you as a person. I also mean that I feel passion towards you, that intangible yet so important part of a loving relationship. In saying I love you I mean that I continually delight in your company. Whether we are discussing the meaning of life, cleaning the house, or sharing a movie, I always find that my life is richer because you are a part of it.

Man:
Because of this deep love we share, I am ready to have our relationship take on a new depth and level of commitment by becoming marriage partners. Today I stand before this congregation to ask you to become my wife. In order that I may be assured that we want the same things out of life, let me share with you my heart's desires.

--I have come to realize how important it is to me to live a life of simplicity. The more I remove the material clutter and hecticness from my life, the more able I am to hear the inner callings of my soul. I want to have time to make strawberry jelly and home-made soup, walk under the stars, and sit on the porch on summer nights and look at the moon. The life I envision is filled with hard work and a minimum of luxuries, but a richness of spirit.

--I want a relationship where there's room to grow and change and be fully myself.

--I dream of a better world and I want to feel that we as a family are connected to our community and to the people with whom we share this planet. I would like us to set aside time each month to do community service together --perhaps we can plant trees, work on the recycling truck, or spend time with troubled teenagers. I also want to tithe part of our income; I want to share with those less fortunate than us.

--I look forward to raising children with you. I treasure the thought of seeing the world through five-year-old eyes again. I look forward to sharing our wisdom with our children, as well as gaining new kinds of wisdom as our children ask us questions that make us stretch our minds in new ways.

Man:
______ do you share these dreams of mine, and are you willing to pledge yourself to creating such a life together?

Woman:
I am.

Man:
We believe that in a healthy marriage, partners should allow one another the freedom to enjoy friendships with other people. We also know that, as much as we enjoy one another's company, we each need time to pursue our individual interests and goals.

Woman:
However, we believe that partners must reserve their passion and sexuality for one another. We therefore make the following pledge to one another in the presence of all of you. ______, in order to nurture the rich, intimate passion we share, I hereby make a commitment to be monogamous with you throughout our marriage.

Man:
______, in order to nurture the rich, intimate passion we share, I hereby make a commitment to be monogamous with you throughout our marriage.

Officiate:
______ and ______ you have proclaimed your willingness to enter into a state of marriage. It is apparent from the words you have spoken that you have a deep passion, caring, and respect for one another. As a representative of this community I need to also ask you to affirm that you are willing to accept the legal parameters of marriage. By becoming marriage partners you are entrusting one another to serve as legal guardian over one another's bodies, both in sickness and in death. Do you hereby accept the responsibility to make all decisions for one another during sickness and at death?

Man:
I do.

Woman:
I do.