Pledge Examples
These are a selection of pledges that have been made by couples over the years. They are collected together for your convenience and to give you an idea of what others have done. These pledges may be varied in progression, they may be cut and pasted and indeed you may design something totally unique. The only caveat I have is that Australian Federal Law requires you to say somewhere --- that the "intention of the marriage is life long". This can be said in you own words.
Example 1
PLEDGES.
JOINT PLEDGES (May be lengthened shortened or modified)
Celebrant: John Smith and Mary Brown have you come here today freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? ----- Response: We have.
Celebrant: Will you love and honour each other as man and wife for the rest of your lives? --- Response: We will.
Celebrant: Will you accept responsibility for and care lovingly for any children that may eventuate from this union? Response: We will.
PERSONAL PLEDGES
I John Smith take you Mary Brown to be my lawful wedded wife, to love, to care for and to share my life, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health. I promise to be faithful and to forgive, to practice Sila - morality, Samadhi - concentration and Panya - wisdom, and to go for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, so long as we both shall live.
Mary Brown please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
I, Mary Brown take you John Smith to be my lawful wedded wife, to love, to care for and to share my life, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse, in sickness and in health. I promise to be faithful and to forgive, to practice Sila - morality, Samadhi - concentration and Panya - wisdom, and to go for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma and the Sangha, so long as we both shall live.
John Smith please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now declare you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
Example 2
PLEDGES (Using a rose instead of or as well as a ring to exchange)
John Smith Speaks: Mary Brown, the heart of this rose holds my heart. I give it into your keeping.
Mary Brown Speaks: This rose reflects to purity of my love for you. My love and this rose are yours John Smith.
John Smith Speaks: I will love and care for our children and any that may follow from this union. My love and pladge is given freely and completely for as long as we both may live.
Mary Brown: I will love and care for our children and any that may follow from this union. My love and pledge is given freely and completely for as long as we both may live.
Mary and John go on to give their personal pladges
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
Example 3
PLEDGES.
JOINT PLEDGES (May be lengthened shortened or modified)
Celebrant: --- John Smith and Mary Brown have you come here today freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? --- Response: We have.
Celebrant: --- Will you love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives? --- Response: We will.
Celebrant: --- Will you accept responsibility for and care lovingly for the children that may eventuate from this union. Response: We will.
PERSONAL PLEDGES
John Smith Speaks:
I am taking this step with you to our future because of what I know today and what I have learned. I trust the beauty of our meeting, our courting and our day-to-day lives.
I love you for your friendship, your fun, your beauty within and your beauty without and also for your unreserved love care and openness.
By our marriage today I am making my life long commitment to our lives future and enlightenment.
Mary Brown will you marry me and continue to be my best friend and lover, and be with me in life long love and commitment. I will bring you all the love and wisdom available in me so that you and I both may be fully true to ourselves for all the days of my life.
Mary Brown Speaks:
I am taking this step with you to our future because of what I know today and what I have learned. I trust the beauty of our meeting, our courting and our day-to-day lives
I love you for your friendship, your fun, your beauty within and your beauty without and also for your unreserved love care and openness.
By our marriage today I am making my life long commitment to our lives future and enlightenment.
John Smith will you marry me and continue to be my best friend and lover, and be with me in life long love and commitment. I will bring you all the love and wisdom available in me so that you and I both may be fully true to ourselves for all the days of my life.
CELEBRANT:
By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
PRESENTATION
I have pleasure in presenting to you Mr. & Mrs. John Smith and I wish them wealth happiness and long life together and most importantly may they grow in truth and wisdom.
Example 4
PLEDGES.
JOINT PLEDGES (May be lengthened shortened or modified)
Celebrant: John Smith and Mary Brown have you come here today freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage? --- Response: We have
Celebrant Will you love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives? --- Response: We will.
PERSONAL PLEDGES
John Smith speaks.
In taking this step with you I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask no more than you can give in return.
I promise to accept you the way you are. I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities and outlook on life that you have.
I won't try to shape you into any different image.
I promise to respect you as a person, as someone with your own interests, desires and needs, and to realize that they are sometimes different from my own, but no less important than my own.
I promise to share with you my time and close attention and to bring joy, strength, and imagination to our relationship.
I promise to keep myself open to you and to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears, feelings, secrets and dreams.
I promise to grow along with you and to be willing to face change together in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting.
I promise to love you unconditionally with all I have to give and with all I feel inside in the only way I know how completely and forever.
By our marriage today I am making my life long commitment to our.lives future and enlightenment.
Mary Brown, will you marry me and continue to be my best friend and lover, and be with me in life long love and commitment?
Response: I will.
Ditto Mary Brown
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
Example 5
PERSONAL PLEDGES -
John Smith first:
I, John Smith take you Mary Brown to be my life companion from this day forward till death do us part.
- IN JOY I WILL RECEIVE,
- IN ANGER I WILL FORGIVE,
- IN FEAR I WILL ACCEPT,
- IN SADNESS I WILL UNDERSTAND,
- IN LOVE I WILL LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE,
- IN TRUST I WILL BE LOVED FOR WHO I AM,
- WITH FAITH I WILL BE HONEST AND COMMUNICATE ALL OF MY EMOTIONS
WHOLENESS................FREEDOM................PEACE.
Mary Brown next
I, Mary Brown take you John Smith to be my life companion from this day forward till death do us part.
- IN JOY I WILL RECEIVE,
- IN ANGER I WILL FORGIVE,
- IN FEAR I WILL ACCEPT,
- IN SADNESS I WILL UNDERSTAND,
- IN LOVE I WILL LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE,
- IN TRUST I WILL BE LOVED FOR WHO I AM,
- WITH FAITH I WILL BE HONEST AND COMMUNICATE ALL OF MY EMOTIONS
WHOLENESS................FREEDOM................PEACE.
CELEBRANT:
By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
Example 6
PLEDGES.Explain the flower symbol again and how it is to be used.
John Smith and Mary Brown to hold a rose each and exchange them with their pledges.
JOINT PLEDGES. (May be lengthened shortened or modified)
Celebrant: --- John Smith and Mary Brown have you come here today freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other?Response: We have.
Celebrant: --- Will you love and honour each other as husband and wife for the rest of your lives? Response: --- We will.
Celebrant: --- Will you accept responsibility for and care lovingly for the children of this union? Response: --- We will.
PERSONAL PLEDGES
I John Smith take you Mary Brown to be my wife, to respect and honour you always, to love you unconditionally, and to help you grow spiritually.
Please accept this flower as a symbol of my pledge.
Then Mary Brown
I Mary Brown take you John Smith to be my husband, to respect and honour you always, to love you unconditionally, and to help you grow spiritually.
Please accept this flower as a symbol of my pledge.
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
Example 7
PLEDGES
JOINT PLEDGES OPTIONAL
(Use examples above)
PERSONAL PLEDGES
John Smith first:
I John Smith take you Mary Brown to be my wife from this day forward, to love to cherish, to have and to hold for richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, within the refuge of the Buddha the Dhamma and the Sangha, so long as we both shall live.
Mary Brown please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
Mary Brown next:
I Mary Brown take you John Smith to be my husband from this day forward, to love to cherish, to have and to hold for richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, within the refuge of the Buddha the Dhamma and the Sangha, so long as we both shall live.
John Smith please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
PLEDGES Example 8 (Slight Variation)
JOINT PLEDGES OPTIONAL
(Use examples above)
PERSONAL PLEDGES
John Smith first:
I John Smith take you Mary Brown to be my wife from this day forward, to love to cherish, to have and to hold for richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we both shall live.
Mary Brown please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
Mary Brown next:
I Mary Brown take you John Smith to be my husband from this day forward, to love to cherish, to have and to hold for richer for poorer, for better for worse, in sickness and in health, so long as we both shall live.
John Smith please accept this ring as a symbol of my pledge.
Celebrant: By the authority given to me I now pronounce you husband and wife.
(Holy water may be used as blessing if part of ceremony)
PERSONAL PLEDGE Example 9
Today I make this promise to you and to myself in the front of our friends and family,
I John Smith take you Mary Brown, as my wife. I pledge to share my life openly with you, to speak the truth to you in love. I promise to honour and tenderly care for you, to cherish and encourage your own fulfillment as an individual.
I will trust and value your opinions, and stand by your actions. I pledge to always treat you as my best friend, and equal. I will ask for help when I need it and offer help when necessary. Let us be friends and lovers, to grow old together.
I promise to love, honour, protect and respect you, to practise mindfulness, moralilty, wisdom and to seek refuge in the Buddha Dhamma and the Sangha
Mary Brown, please accept this ring as a symbol of my lifelong pledge and my love for you
Mary Brown says: I will. (John Smith places ring on Mary's finger).
John Smith Says: My love is given freely and completely for as long as we both may live.
Mary Brown ---- DITTO
