Baha’i Marriage

The following is an excerpt from Marriage: A Fortress for Well-Being, a
compilation of Baha’i writings on the topic of marriage.

When a man and woman marry in the Baha’i Faith, each says to the other,
before witnesses:  

We will all, verily, abide by the Will of God.
-Baha’u’llah

      Although the vow is simple and short, its meaning is profound.  It affirms the
fact that marriage is not only a contract between two people.  It involves their
relationship with God…. When two people agree on and submit to the same
principles, they have both freedom and unity in their relationship….  Thus the
marriage vow expresses the immutable foundation of a spiritual marital union.  

      For union to be maintained, a power of attraction must operate to hold two
people together:

Each sees in the other the Beauty of God reflected in the soul, and finding this
point of similarity, they are attracted to one another in love. This love will make
all men the waves of one sea, this love will make them all the stars of one
heaven and the fruits of one tree. This love will bring the realization of true
accord, the foundation of real unity.

      (Abdu'l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 180)

The Ceremony

We look forward to your joining us at our marriage ceremony.  

The ceremony will take place on Saturday, March twenty-seventh 2004 at the
San Francisco Baha’i Center at 170 Valencia Street.  It will begin at 5:00pm.  

Information on parking will be available soon.

A reception will follow the ceremony.

The Nature of the Ceremony

Baha’i marriage ceremonies are encouraged to be very simple and free of ritual.

…the ceremony should be as simple as possible, the parties using the words
ordained by Baha’u’llah and excerpts from the writings and prayers being read, if
desired. (Shoghi Effendi, The Baha’i Community, p 43-44)