Including Children in your Ceremony

How to involve children in your wedding ceremony has much to do with the children themselves. Young Flower Girls and Ring Bearers are the most precious little things on two legs. They usually perform pretty close to task but even the little deviations in plan are usually well recieved. For older children the examples below may spark your creative process!

Family Unity Candle
“ Annie and Steve, will you now come to the altar as Husband and Wife, to light the candles representing your personal history and the separate families that shall also be joined as one this day?”
Bride and Groom step behind the altar and light the tapers of their individual past
“ Taking the candle of your family and your past in hand, and using it to light the center candle, you are now offering both yourselves and all that has come to pass unto each other, towards the creation of your future, and to all that is yet to come.”
Bride and Groom light Unity Candle
“ Above you below you, forever surrounding you shall be the pledge you make unto each other today. Is the pledge of the truth and purity of your every breath. The constant friendship of your hearts. The passion and fire of your spirits and the deepest love your souls have to give. It is the pledge of all that is within you. The only true pledge that one heart can offer to another.“
Bride and Groom place the tapers back in their holders,
and snuff their flames
“ Your love shall nourish the family unit that is also created this day. Richie, Valerie, Steven and Sarah will you now come to the altar and help to light the family candle?”
Children step up to the altar and together with their parents and together they light the shorter pillar that sits in front of the Unity Candle (the family unity candle)  Leaving the tapers lit they encircle the two center  pillars as a sign of support and individuality within the unity of family
" The lights that remain are the lights of God's Love, as divinely inspired as the constellations in the heavens themselves, They are representitave of the light by which you are all forever joined."
" Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present Mr. and Mrs. Annie and Steve Woytysiak and Family!"
*******
Children's Ring Ceremony
“ Often marriage is viewed as the union of two persons.
Yet marriages not only unite the couple, as Laura and Brendan have said, they unite families. As part of the family nature of this marriage we would like to now recognize Daniel and John and their importance. For children are among the most precious and sacred treasures of the world. They are the foundation of life itself. They love with an unconditional love that only a child can give. They press us to continue forward when the world would rather us stand still. And they inspire us with nothing more than a smile.”
Laura: “In the placing of these rings,”
Brendan: “We pledge to you, Daniel and John,”
Laura: “A life time of all our love and support.”
Laura places ring on John’s finger
Brendan: “A life time of all our love and support.”
Brendan places ring on Daniel’s finger
********
Food and Drink for the Soul
Chalice is held up for all to see
“ The chalice is a symbol of Divine Love, the well
spring or vessel of the heart, of rebirth, creation and
limitless potentiality”
Chris and Ron take the chalice
They face each other, each with both hands on the chalice
“ Chris, drink of Ron’s love and let it touch your
heart.”
Ron gives Chris to drink. Chris drinks, they kiss.
“ Ron, drink of Chris’s love and let it resonate
through to your soul.”
Chris gives Ron to drink. Ron drinks, they kiss.
“ Neither of you shall ever again thirst for total
love, total acceptance, understanding or companionship.
Now as you hold the chalice in your hands feel how great
your love is for these children.”
Ron and Chris put their feelings into the chalice
“ Nicky, Tina, and Amber, drink of your parents
love and know that you are as you have been, a family.
They love you more than words can express, and as time
goes by remember, you all drink from the same cup.
Ron and Chris, still holding chalice together, give Nicky, Tina &
Amber to drink, The children drink, Parents kiss them,
Couple gives chalice back
Bread is held up for all to see
“ Bread, representative of the Earth’s bounty. As
food nourishes the body, so does love nourish the soul. In
this manner so shall each of you be as sustenance to the
other.”
Ron and Chris take the bread
They break off a piece of bread and together they feed each other.
They kiss, then give each of the children bread and a kiss.
“ Remember now, as you feed each other, you will
never again hunger in your heart or in your soul. For
families eat from the same plate and if ever one should be
lacking the others will have plenty to share”

More Ceremony Samples