Wedding Vows of Ivanka and Charlie

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, to recognize the worth and beauty of love and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite Ivanka and Charlie in marriage.

As the two of you come into this marriage uniting you as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your trust and love for one another, I would ask that you always remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to live each day that you may share it together – as from this day forward you shall be each other’s home, comfort and refuge, your marriage strengthened by your love and respect for each other.

May your love forever keep you strong. May you love one another with consistency, live joyously and laugh freely. May you dare to dream dreams not yet dreamt. May you always have a special sense of your mission in life together, and may you never tire of the endless possibilities of exploring your shared existence.

To make this relationship work will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It will take dedication to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it will take faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you.

Marriage is an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose friendship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. Today, Ivanka and Charlie proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them in the new life they now undertake together.

When we love, we see things other people do not see. We see beneath the surface to the qualities that make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen and known as we are known to no other. One who loves us gives us a unique gift; a piece of themselves, a piece that only they can give.

Love one another, but make not a bond of that love. Stand together, and yet not too near. For even the pillars of the temple must stand apart and oak tree and the cypress will not grow in each other’s shadow.

All that you have learned, every experience that you have encountered led you both to this moment. Time has tested you and you have passed its trials. You are a stronger couple for having overcome and conquered the challenges that were placed before you. Today you create the future.

Charlie: I today pledge to you all my tomorrows. May we never stop learning what it is to love. In sickness I will nurse you back to health. In health, I will encourage you on your path. In sadness, I will help you to remember. In happiness, I will be there to make memories with you. In poverty, I will do all that I can to make our love rich. And in wealth, I will never let our love grow poor.

Ivanka: I today pledge to you all my tomorrows. May we never stop learning what it is to love. In sickness, I will nurse you back to health. In health, I will encourage you on your path. In sadness, I will help you to remember. In happiness, I will be there to make memories with you. In poverty, I will do all that I can to make our love rich. And in wealth, I will never let our love grow poor.

Traditionally, the marking of the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These are the symbols of the vows taken here, circles of wholeness, perfect in form. These rings mark the beginning of a long journey together, filled with wonder, surprises, laughter, tears, celebration, grief and joy. May these rings glow in reflection of the warmth and the lives which flow through the wearers today. May these rings always remind you of your vows taken here today.

Ivanka: I give you this sign of our love, an ever present symbol of the vows we have made here this day. I give you this ring as I give you my love.

Charlie: I give you this sign of our love, an ever present symbol of the vows we have made here this day. I give you this ring as I give you my love.

With the blessings of all who are present, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. May you walk in the light of God forever.