Preparation for the Rings
Prepares the bride and groom for the ring exchange.
Preparation for the Rings 1
The ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle; for love that is given comes back round again.
Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are a couple.
Preparation for the Rings 2
These rings are made of precious metals; purified by the heat of many fires. They are a symbol of the wealth that resides inside each of you and the purity of your love for one another.
Preparation for the Rings 3
Though we have heard the vows, which have been shared by BRIDE and GROOM, words, once spoken, are carried away on the wind. Therefore, the wedding ring is a visible symbol of the promises that have been made.
Preparation for the Rings 4
The circle has frequently been used to symbolize eternity.
The ring, like the circle, is a reminder of the perfection and endurance of BRIDE and GROOM’s commitment to and love for one another.
Preparation for the Rings 5
These rings represent the vows and promises you’ve willingly exchanged. They reflect the commitment those words inspire and all your hopes and dreams for the future.
Preparation for the Rings 6
Let us now have the rings brought forward and presented by the ring-bearer.
Preparation for the Rings 7
May these rings symbolize your inherent wholeness and unity with one another, giving you the strength to happily honor your commitments to each other. May they remind you that marriage is not a destination but a journey, with no beginning and no end, just a moment to moment opportunity to love and be loved to the best of your ability.
Preparation for the Rings 8
Throughout human tradition, when you make a pledge, it has been deemed good to have a token to remind you of that pledge. For this purpose you have chosen rings.
They are appropriate to the task because they are circles never ending, like the promises you make to each other today. And they are made of precious metal, never to be tarnished, like the love you have expressed before me and these witnesses. Please take these rings and honor each other in their giving.
Preparation for the Rings 9
A circle is the ancient symbol of wholeness and peace. It also represents the boundaries beyond which the special ness of a particular relationship does not extend. In the form of a ring the circle is the accepted token of a marriage covenant.
As these rings are fashioned from one of the earth’s most precious materials, so may your love, nourished and sustained by the love of God, be the most precious and durable of the values you share.
In giving and receiving these rings, you again acknowledge that your lives remain joined in one unbroken circle, wherever you go, you will always return to your shared life together.
Preparation for the Rings 10
The wedding ring is a symbol of married love, the precious metals show that your love is your most precious possession, and the unending circle symbolizes that your love may never cease.
Preparation for the Rings 11
Marriage is a state in which two people come together and create a union that is greater than the sum of its parts. It is difficult to express in words the profound relationship that is love.
Since the beginning of time, the ring has been an emblem of the sincerity and permanence of a couple’s love for one another and regard for their marriage.
As the circle can begin anew at any point, so a good marriage can pick any point to renew itself. These rings are symbols of your eternal love.
Preparation for the Rings 12
The ring is a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.
Preparation for the Rings 13
I hold in my hand two beautiful rings, symbolic of a binding contract, to be given and received as bonds of never-ending love and devoted friendship, circles of life and circles of love. May these rings be blessed as the symbol of this affectionate unity.
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Bless, O Lord, these rings to be signs of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other. Amen.
Preparation for the Rings 15
What token of your devotion do you offer your beloved?
Preparation for the Rings 16
May the Lord bless these rings which you give as your sign of love and devotion. Amen.
Preparation for the Rings 17
Now with these rings, symbolizing the continuous circle of unity and love with the marriage relationship, and ultimately symbolizing the unity and wholeness within the Self, ____ and ____ will finalize their vows.
Preparation for the Rings 18
From the earliest of times, the circle has been a symbol of completeness, a symbol of committed love. An unbroken and never-ending circle symbolized a commitment of love that is also never ending. As often as either of you looks at this symbol, I hope that you will be reminded of these commitments to one another, which you make today. May these rings be blessed by God as the changeless symbol of this affectionate unity.
Preparation for the Rings 19
The giving and receiving of rings is the most important part of a marriage ceremony, because the rings are made in the symbol of that which is eternal. There is no beginning and no end, and as you place these symbols on each other’s finger, it signifies that there shall be no end to your marriage, and no end to the happiness that you will both share together. But let me remind you that these are also the special symbols you will wear before the world, certainly when you go back to your family, and friends, and co-workers. In fact, you will notice the response when you walk away from this beautiful place tonight. For when people look at you, they will look at your hand and notice the ring on your finger. They will know that you belong to someone special and that someone special belongs to you. Everyday for the rest of your lives, every time you wash your hands or reach out to touch each other, these rings will be there to remind you of the great love that you share and of the wonder that the person standing in front of you loves you as much as you love them. So when you place these rings upon each other’s fingers, wear them with love and with honor.
Preparation for the Rings 20
Wedding rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward spiritual grace and the unbroken circle of love, signifying to all the union of this man and this woman in marriage.
Preparation for the Rings 21
These rings mark a new beginning in your journey together, filled with wonder, surprise, laughter, tears, celebration, grief and joy.
Let us pray: Bless, O god, the giving of these rings, that they who wear them may live in your peace and realized potential. Amen.
Preparation for the Rings 22
The wedding ring is justly regarded as a fitting emblem of the purity and perpetuity of marriage. It is symbolic of the circle of eternity, as it is so fashioned as to have neither beginning nor end; while gold is so incorruptible that it cannot be tarnished by use or by time. So may this marriage, at this time celebrated, be incorruptible in its purity and more lasting than time itself.
Preparation for the Rings 23
The ring is an ancient symbol, perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle: for love that is given comes back round again.
Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are as a couple.
Preparation for the Rings 24
And so we come Bride and Groom, to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love.
The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and the power of God. The sky and the earth are round. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the glorious union that you are now creating.
God, bless these rings and the two who exchange them. Fill them with your Holy Presence. Keep them safe in the circle of Your protection and love.
Ring Warming 25
Having this love in their hearts for each other BRIDE and GROOM have chosen to exchange rings as a symbol of their vows. The wedding rings are the most visible sign of the bond these two people are about to make. A commitment to life, to each other and to the future.
What I now ask BRIDE and GROOM’s families to do is to warm these rings by passing them down the row. As you hold them in your hands, pause for a moment, and make your wishes for the couple and for their future before you pass them on to the next person.
These rings will not only be a gift from one to another but will be given with the love, support and wisdom of their family and friends.
Ring Warming 26
Before BRIDE and GROOM say their vows and exchange rings, they have asked that the people before them participate in the “warming of the rings.” If you are unfamiliar with this ceremony, take the opportunity to wish them health, happiness, and all that is noble and good in life when the rings pass to your care. Hold them for but a moment and warm them with your love, making a silent wish for the future this couple will share. When returned, these rings will contain in their precious metals that which is all the more precious–your love and pledge of support for their union.
