San Diego Wedding Officiant Offers Ideas On Including Children In Your San Diego Beach Wedding Or Family Unity Wedding Ceremony In Coronado, La Jolla Or Balboa Park

FAMILY UNITY CEREMONY

INCLUDING CHILDREN IN YOUR WEDDING CEREMONY

Often marriage is thought of as the joining of two people. In reality, marriage joins many lives which is most apparent when the Bride and/or Groom have children. The lives of your children change with yours on your wedding day and your marriage becomes the proclaiming of a new family. Without a loving commitment to those children, a wedding ceremony is incomplete. The presentation of a token of family unity such as a necklace or ring is just one of many ways of honoring your children during the ceremony.

Depending on their age, personality and ability level, there are several ways in which your child can be an active part in your wedding ceremony. In a family unity ceremony, The Bride and Groom make vows and take an oath to their children. This is usually done after the Bride and Groom's ring exchange. The Bride and Groom can present the child(ren) with a token of family unity, if they wish. After the parents make their vows to the child or children, a ring or necklace would be presented as a symbol of the new blended family, but a gift is not mandatory, as making vows to your children followed by your loving embrace is just as effective. An great source for more info on tokens of family unity is www.FamilyMedallion.com.

Family Uity

FAMILY UNITY RING CEREMONY

GROOM and BRIDE, today as you have sealed your commitment to each other by the giving and receiving of rings, you too make a commitment to CHILD(REN). We lovingly recognize the significant role that CHILD(REN) plays in this marriage celebrated today. GROOM and BRIDE'S love for CHILD(REN) has no boundaries and they commit today to be the best parents they can be for CHILD(REN) as he/she/they travel through the journey of life.

CHILD(REN), would you please come up and join BRIDE and GROOM in a commitment to each other and your new beautiful, blended family.

GROOM/BRIDE, do you promise to be a good role model, patient and loving with CHILD(REN). Do you promise to be a caring, nurturing, and supportive parent and always encourage him/her/them. Will you always be his/her/their strength and provide unconditional emotional support when he/she/they needs it and always love him/her/them like your own? (I do or We do)

CHILD(REN) do you promise to love, honor and respect your father's/mother’s new wife/husband? Do you promise to be supportive and encourage GROOM and BRIDE'S new life together? (I do or We do)

The ring is a circle… an ancient symbol of eternal love. This ring represents your family and your love for each other. In the giving of this ring, do you both pledge to CHILD(REN) your commitment to surround and support him/her/them with unconditional love as you all share in your new life together? (We do) At this time, Bride and Groom place the ring on CHILD(REN)'s finger.

Present Child with Token of Family Unity
(ring, necklace, keepsake, etc.)

Family Sand Ceremony

Vows to the Child
A third vow which is included for the
step-parent. The child and step-parent
might brainstorm and compose their
vows to each other together.

Lighting of a Family Unity Candle

Child Places Their Hands on Top of
the Joined Hands of the Couple
During their exchange of vows.
This indicates both a blessing of the
union and inclusion as an equal.

The Child May Compose a Poem
or words that he or she wishes to say,
or they may wish to read a quote
about togetherness and love
from a favorite story.

TOKEN OF FAMILY UNITY CEREMONY

As part of the family nature of God’s creation we recognize CHILD(REN) and the significant role he/she/they plays in this marriage being celebrated today. BRIDE/GROOM would like to present this (ring, necklace, family unity pendant, etc.) as a symbol of family unity, representing the hope and joy made visible through this marriage being celebrated today.

GROOM/BRIDE, please repeat after me:

Not only do I vow to be a good and faithful husband/wife to you, BRIDE/GROOM, but I also vow to be a patient, loving father/mother to CHILD(REN), caring for him/her/them and providing for him/her/them as my own. I vow to be his/her/their strength and his/her/their emotional support, loving him/her/them with all my heart from this day forward.

CHILD(REN), please accept this token as our promise to love and cherish you, stand by you in all your endeavors, share in your joys and sorrows. We will be there whenever you need us and we will love you with all of our hearts, always and forever.

At this time, Bride and Groom present the CHILD(REN) with the token of family unity.

FAMILY UNITY CEREMONY – THE PROPHET

CHILD(REN), would you please come up and join BRIDE and GROOM.

GROOM and BRIDE, the rings you have given to one another are symbols of your commitment to one another, but they are also more. For today you are also making a commitment to CHILD(REN). Today you are pledging your love to him/her/them as well, committing to him/her/them that you will create a family together. Let the perfect circle of the wedding ring embrace CHILD(REN), as well as the two of you. For our children are gifts entrusted to us.

BRIDE and GROOM, you have begun the adventure of parenting together. Do you both promise to work together as CHILDR(REN)'s parents, to share with one another the joys and sorrows of raising him/her/them, and to cherish your family as you cherish one another? (We do)

Do you BRIDE and GROOM promise to honor and protect CHILD(REN), and to provide for him/her/them to the best of your ability? Do you promise to make his/her/their home a haven, where trust, love, and laughter are abundant? And do you make these promises lovingly, and freely, and vow to honor them all the days of your lives? (We do)

As you embark on your journey as CHILD(REN)'s parents, consider these words from The Prophet: You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts. You may house their bodies but not their souls, for they dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams. You may strive to be like them, in their innocence, but seek not to make them like you. For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday. You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

FAMILY UNITY CEREMONY– HOPE AND JOY

I would now like to invite CHILD(REN) forward to join BRIDE and GROOM.

GROOM/BRIDE, please repeat after me:

GROOM/BRIDE, I have pledged my love to you and promised to be a faithful husband/wife. Now I want to add another, different kind of vow. I promise to love CHILD/CHILDREN for all of our days and to treat them as if they were my own. I gladly accept the obligations that go along with this pledge. I love CHILD/CHILDREN and want them to be part of my life.

FAMILY UNITY CEREMONY– A NEW LIFE

GROOM: I love you, BRIDE, and I love (our/your) children (CHILDREN'S NAMES) as my very own.

Today as we become husband and wife, we also will become a true family. I promise to be faithful to you, and a loving father to our children, and I will be there for you and for the children always. No matter what circumstances life brings our way, we will face them together as a family. I commit myself to all of you from this day forward and forevermore.

BRIDE: I love you, GROOM, (our/your) children (CHILDREN'S NAMES) as my very own..

Today, as we become husband and wife, we also will become a family and begin a new life together. I promise to be your faithful wife and loving mother to our children. I promise I will be there for you and for the children always. I commit myself to all of you from this day forward and forevermore.

Have You Set the Date for Your Wedding? Let's Talk! E-mail me at ren@abeautifulwedding.us or call (858) 576-6919