This is a beautiful way to involve your wider circle of family and friends.
As your guests arrive to the wedding venue they are encouraged to take your wedding rings in their hands, hold them and give a prayer, blessing or good thought over the rings. You appoint an usher to stand by the rings, give instructions to the guests before they take their seats.
Before you take your seat
Please take a moment to participate in the warming of
C&C wedding rings
Hold the rings in your hand for a moment.
Warm them with your love and make a silent prayer or wish for the couple.
One that will accompany them into a long and lasting marriage.
This is an example of this ritual in a wedding ceremony.
Rings and the Warming of the Rings
Celebrant: May I please have the rings (Usher or appointed person hand them to celebrant).
Rings have been used for thousands of years to symbolise betrothal. The circular shape of the ring came to symbolise the eternity of the couples love for each other. From the earliest of days, rings have been given as a symbol of everlasting and eternal love an embrace with no beginning, no end.
- Jeremy Taylor wrote that the marriage ring signifies both the union of the hands and hearts.
So now we move to the exchange of the rings.
To the guests:
As you came in this morning you were alerted to the wish of Cameron and Carolyn to have you to participate in a ritual called the ‘warming of the rings’.
You, their extend family and friends, represent the wider circle of their love and support. As such, Cameron and Carolyn value your blessings and good wishes upon the commitment of their new life together.
To Cameron and Caroline:
The celebrant holds the rings in her hand up high before the guests so that they can see the rings.
Cameron and Caroline, these rings have been held with the warmth and love of your family and friends. They are saturated with good wishes, love, good thoughts and blessings.
You can now exchange these rings.
Cameron: Caroline, I give you this ring as a symbol of my eternal love for you.
Caroline: Cameron, I give you this ring as a symbol of the peace and eternal love that we share.
- *Put the rings on each others ring fingers.
Celebrant: Blessing of the Rings.
An ancient prayer blessing of the rings: (Adapted)
- Placing their hands on top of each other.
Wear these rings as a symbol of the circle of love that now makes you one.
Knowing that the blessing and love of your family and friends goes with you and empowers you.
Bless these rings, which we here today also bless.
May they be a reward of your unbroken faithfulness to each other.
May peace and wisdom be also entwined in your mutual love.
Note: **This is an example of a poem that could be read out by a Grandmother before the warming of the rings ceremony. The Grandmother would read the poem as she holds the rings in her hands. She would then pass them to the celebrant for the ceremony…
Poem for the Warming of the Rings
Hands of Love
I hold these rings warmly in my hands
Hands aged by wear and care
Hands who have seen the passage of time
Who know what it is to give comfort
To sooth a troubled brow
Smooth your tousled hair
Hands clasped together
That pray for you to flourish
A life full of joy and promise.
Hold each others hands
Never let them go
Hold on to the blessings that these rings hold
As they pass from my hands to yours
May you know that you to are held and loved
by Lisa Hunt-Wotton
The rings are given to the celebrant by the grandmother.
