Wedding Services »

The pastor fills a unique role in wedding service planning. This slim volume helps the pastor offer care with sensitivity while addressing the spiritual needs and complexities of weddings in today’s world. Following a brief introduction to a variety of wedding situations, including interfaith and second marriages, the author provides prayers, litanies, Scripture readings, and meditations for every aspect of the wedding service from processional to declaration of intention, Scripture and other readings, prayers, exchange of vows and rings, unity candle and other uniting rituals, and more.

The Pastor’s Wedding Toolkit includes guidance on:

• Local Legal Requirements


• Church Policy Statement


• Pastor’s Policy Statement


• Interfaith Marriages


• Second and Subsequent Marriages


• Wedding Information Form


• Basic Music Guidelines

Brief Wedding Meditations on:

• A Christmas Wedding


• The Music of Love


• The Genesis of Marriage


• To Blossom in Marriage


• To A Well Known Young Couple


• There Is Love


• Renewing Your Vows


• And more . . .

Ch. 1 The Pastor's Basic Toolkit 1

Local Legal Requirements 1

Church Wedding Policy Statements 2

Pastor's Policy Statements 3

Interfaith Marriages 3

Second or Subsequent Marriages 4

Wedding Information Forms 4

Basic Music Guidelines 5

Ch. 2 Wedding Service Components 9

Processional 10

Gathering 11

Greeting 11

Charge to the Couple 15

Declaration of Intent 16

Presentation 18

Mothers' Rose Presentation 19

Response of Families, Children, and Congregation 20

Opening Prayer 22

Scripture Readings 24

Additional Readings 32

Intercessory Prayer 33

Exchange of Vows 35

Blessing and Exchange of Rings 39

Unity Candle Ceremony 43

Alternatives to Unity Candle 47

Declaration of Marriage 55

Blessing of the Marriage 56

Dismissal with Blessing 59

Introduction of Couple 60

Recessional 61

Ch. 3 Wedding Meditations 63

Love Is in the Air 64

A Joyous Festival and Celebration 65

A Christmas Wedding 67

The Music of Love 68

The Genesis of Marriage 69

To Blossom in Marriage 71

To a Well Known Young Couple 72

A Daughter and Her Husband 74

Once Upon a Time 75

The Doorway to Love 77

There Is Love 78

Renewing Your Vows 79

Redeeming Love 80

Appendix A Wedding Information Form 83

Appendix B Pastor's Wedding Policy Statement 87