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Here is a sample of one of my non-religious ceremony introductions
Ceremony copyright © Frank Woods

"In ancient times, before the written word, before the cities and before society, we may surmise that once, for the first time, a man and a woman stood side by side and took strength from each other. From their fears, together they found comfort, for their hunger, they shared food. For their pains, together they found comfort. And for their loneliness, together they found love and companionship. And as time passed, this love was nurtured, then grew and was renewed with the rising and setting of the sun each day.
And now, in this new age, we joyfully join in witnessing such a renewal of the human spirit with the couple standing before us. They are here to pledge their love, respect and dedication to each other. And as they journey through the rest of their lives, we know they will nurure each other and renew their commitment and passion for each other with every new day....just as that couple in ancient times did, standing side by side to take strength from each other after taking the first steps into the future."

Although the order of any wedding ceremony is really up to the Bride and Groom, traditionally a civil ceremony follows like this:

The bride enters and stands
besides the groom.
Welcoming remarks are made to the guests. The officiant speaks to the Bride & Groom.The Rose or Candle ceremony is conducted if desired. Vows are exchanged. Rings are exchanged. The Bride and Groom are pronounced Husband and Wife.

Of course, any number of variations are possible depending on whether the ceremony will follow ethnic, cultural or otherconsiderations such asVow Renewals or Life Partner Ceremonies.

CANDLE CEREMONY
This is not the full text of the Unity Candle Ceremony I usually use... this is meant only to convey the essense of the cermony as an example.

Groom (name) and Bride (name) The two separate candles symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. I ask that each of you take one of the lit candles and that together you light the center candle. The individual candles represent your lives before today. Lighting the center candle represents that your two lives are now joined into one light, and represents the joining together of your two families and sets of friends to one.

NON-RELIGIOUS WEDDING CEREMONY EXAMPLE

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall join_______________________ and ____________________________ in marriage.

Should there be anyone who has cause why this couple should not be united in marriage,
they must speak now or forever hold their peace.
 
____________________and _______________________ , I would ask that you always treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourselfs often of what brought you together today. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as they do to every relationship at one time or another - focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong. This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and happiness.

 VOWS
( You may change the vows as you wish or write your own.)

 (Groom) ________________, do you take _______________ to be your Wife? Do you promise to love,
honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others while holding only unto her forevermore?
 ("I do")
(Bride________________, do you take __________________ to be your Husband? Do you promise to love,
honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others while holding only unto him forevermore?"
(I do")
 
REPEATED VOWS
 (If rings are exchanged each does so and repeats the following vows - unless you have your own vows
or do not wish to repeat vows. It is not required that a couple exchange rings.) (Groom) I _____________, take thee, ________________ to be my Wife.
Wear this ring as a pledge of my fidelity and everlasting love. I _____________, take thee, ________________ to be my Husband.
Wear this ring as a pledge of my fidelity and everlasting love. (If there are children of either couple, sometimes couples will give a ring or small gift such as a necklace or ring to the child and say a short statement that they also are now part of the new family. I believe it very important to mention children's names in the ceremony, If you have minor children coming into the marriage, please provide their names so I will mention them as is appropriate.)

____________________________ and ___________________________ as the two of you come into this marriage uniting you as husband and wife, and as you this day affirm your faith and love for one another, I would ask that you forever remember to cherish each other as special and unique individuals, that you respect the thoughts, ideas and suggestions of one another. Be able to forgive, do not hold grudges, and 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.

Just as two threads woven in opposite directions will form a most beautiful tapestry, so too can your two lives merged together make a beautiful marriage. To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you truly want the best for each other. It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together. It will take faith, to go forward together without knowing exactly what the future brings. And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both pledge today to share together.

( If the Rose Ceremony is used, it is placed after the candle ceremony or in place of it.)

Pronouncement of couple as Husband and Wife

ROSE CEREMONY
This is an example of many of the Rose Ceremonies available.
It is added to the overall ceremony as an extra observence.
The version I use is very close to this one, but has additional elements.

"Your gift to each other today has been your wedding rings - which shall always be an outward demonstration of your vows of love and respect; and a public showing of your commitment to each other. As husband and wife, your first gift to each other will be a single rose. In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love, and a single rose always meant one thing..."I love you." So it is fitting that for your first gift - as husband and wife - it would be a single rose.

Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife. (Sometimes a special song can be played at this point).

In a way it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are still holding one small rose. But in fact, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.

_________ and _____________, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love. In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words. It is easiest to hurt who we most love and it is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love. Itcan be difficult some time to words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words. That rose says the words: "I still love you."

The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember
the love and hope that you both share today.

__________ and ________, if there is anything you remember of today, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."

A VERY BRIEF ELOPEMENT CEREMONY
This it a short non-religious ceremony
(Some couples want it even shorter)___________ & __________, today you celebrate one of life's greatest moments and give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, as you join together in vows of marriage. (Groom) ___________________, do you take ________________ to be your Wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her?("I do") (Bride_____________________ , do you take __________________ to be your Husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him, forsaking all others and holding only unto him? ("I do") Repeated Ring Vows...
although rings are not required (Groom),I _____________, take thee, ________________ to be my Wife, and pledge my love to your forever.(Bride), I _________________ , take thee _______________, to be my husband, and pledge my love to you forever. ________________________ and _________________________, in so much as the two of you have agreed to live together in Matrimony, have promised your love for each other by these vows, I now declare you to be Husband and Wife. Congratulations, you may kiss your bride.