Music while guests waiting

Music with the arrival of the bride

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The Celebrant, facing the people and the persons to be married, with the woman to the right and the man to the left, addresses the congregation and says:

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Dearly Beloved, we have come together to witness the joining together of this man and this woman in civil matrimony. The union of husband and wife in heart, body, and mind is for your mutual joy; for the help and comfort given one another in prosperity and adversity, and when it is your wills, for the procreation of children and their nurture and education. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently and deliberately.

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Into this civil union NN and NN (how you wish to be addressed should be stated here).  Now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not lawfully be married, speak now; or else forever hold your peace. 

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Then the Celebrant says to the persons to be married:

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I require and charge you both, here in the presence of witnesses, that if either of you knows any reason why you may not be united in marriage lawfully you do now confess it.

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The Declaration of Consent

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The Celebrant says to the woman:

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N., will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live? N, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort, honour and keep him, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?

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The woman answers:

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I will

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The Celebrant says to the man:

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N., will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health; and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?

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The man answers:

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I will

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The Celebrant then addresses the congregation, saying:

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Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage?

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Your guests will answer "Yes"........

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At this point, you may want to consider readings or poems or special addresses or music

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For my duty as a Public Official and for your guidance I shall now read the following articles of law out of the civil code of the Italian Republic, which relate to the mutual rights and duties of married couples:

 

Art. 143

By marrying husband and wife acquire the same rights and undertake the same duties.  Marriage imposes mutual duties of faithfulness, moral and material assistance, cooperation in the interest of the family and cohabitation. Both husband and wife, each according to his or her own means and capacity in the professional or domestic field, must attend to the needs of the family.

 

Art. 144

The husband and the wife must agree upon the direction of their family life. The family residence will be established taking into account the requirements of the family. Both husband and wife have the power to put into action the direction they have agreed upon.

 

Art. 147

Marriage imposes on both spouses the obligation to support, teach and educate their children, taking into account the abilities, natural talents, and aspirations of the children themselves.

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The Marriage

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The man, facing the woman and taking her right hand in his, says:

 

I N. take you, N. to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my promise.

 

The woman, facing the man and taking his right hand in hers, says:

 

I N. take you, N. to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until we are parted by death. This is my promise.

 

The giver places the ring on the ring finger of the other’s hand and says:

 

N., I give you this ring as a symbol of my promise, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honour you.

 

This is repeated to the other person.

 

Then the celebrant joins the right hands of husband and wife says:

 

Now that N. and N. have given themselves to each other by official promises, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of a ring, and by the civil authority committed to me I pronounce that they are officially husband and wife.

 

Then music and signatures.  

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END OF CEREMONY

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