WELCOME
JP: Ladies and gentlemen, my name is Blank, and I would like to welcome you all on this very special day, at this very special place, for the marriage of Amanda and Ryan.
Who gives this woman to be married? (Dad: Her mother and I do).
JP: INTRODUCTION
In as much as this is a celebration of what has gone on before, it is also a beginning: this is an affirmation of the love, friendship and trust you already share.
The wedding is one of the few widely practiced, deeply rituals that carries with it the steadying and magical power a tradition can give.
Your wedding has to do with the moment, your marriage has to do with time. Marriage is the joining of two people… the union of two hearts. It lives on in the love you give each other and never grows old, but thrives on the joy of each new day.
The marriage begins in the giving of words: giving our word.
And so, we are gathered here today, to celebrate the marriage of
Amanda and Ryan.
I ask you both, as you stand in the presence of your family and friends, to remember that love and loyalty alone WILL avail as a great foundation of a happy & enduring union.
No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those that you now assume and if these solemn vows are kept sacred, and if you steadfastly endeavor to live according to the best that is within you, your life together will be full of joy and the home that you are establishing will abide in peace.
JP: “I would like to call on Heidi, Amanda’s sister, who will read a poem by E.E. Cummings.”
Reading
I carry your heart with me (I carry it in my heart)
I am never without it (anywhere I go you go, my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)
I fear no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet)
I want no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
Here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
I carry your heart (I carry it in my heart).
JP: “I would now like to call on Karissa, Ryan’s sister, who will read a poem by Wilferd Arlan Peterson.”
Reading:
Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.
A good marriage must be created.
In the art of marriage the little things are the big things...
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude
of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation
and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience,
understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,
dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.
It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.
JP: To Groom “Ryan, will you take Amanda to be your wedded wife? Will you love her, comfort her, and honor her with patience and understanding, in sickness and in health and be faithful to her for as long as you both shall live?” Groom: “I will.”
JP: To Bride “Amanda, will you take Ryan to be your wedded husband? Will you love him, comfort him, and honor him with patience and understanding, in sickness and in health and be faithful to him for as long as you both shall live?” Bride: “I will.”
The Hands of the Bride and Groom
JP: Amanda, please face Ryan, and hold his hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and vibrant with love, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as he promises to love you all the days of his life.
These are the hands that will work along side yours, as together you build your future, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach, until he too, feels his child stir within you.
These are the hands that look so large and strong, yet will be so gentle as he holds your baby for the first time.
These are the hands that will work long hours for you and your new family.
These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes: tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief wrack your mind.
These are the hands that will tenderly lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into his eyes: eyes that are filled completely with his overwhelming love and desire for you.
Ryan, please hold Amanda's hands, palms up, where you may see the gift that they are to you.
These are the hands of your best friend, smooth, young and carefree, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as she pledges her love and commitment to you all the days of her life.
These are the hands that will hold each child in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and knowing when it is time to let go.
These are the hands that will massage tension from you neck and back in the evenings after you've both had a long hard day.
These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times.
These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick, or console you when you are grieving.
They are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, for a lifetime of happiness.
These are the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, each time she tells you that you are to have another child, that together you have created a new life.
These are the hands that will give you support as she encourages you to chase down your dreams. Together as a team, everything you wish for can be realized.
MARRIAGE VOWS
JP: “I will now ask Amanda and Ryan to face each other, to join hands and say their vows.”
Groom: I, Ryan Middle, take you Amanda Middle, to be my wife…
Bride: I, Amanda Middle, take you Ryan Middle, to be my husband…
EXCHANGING OF RINGS:
As by these rings you symbolize your marriage bond. May their meaning frill your hearts and bind your lives together with devotion and faithfulness to one another.
May your lives together give you joy to share with your family and friends. Have courage when the road is rough and humility when fortune favors you.
JP: “These rings are an outward and visible sign of an inward love, signifying to all, the uniting of Amanda and Ryan in matrimony.”
JP: GIVES THE RING TO GROOM TO BE GIVEN TO THE BRIDE:
JP: “REPEAT AFTER ME”: “With this ring, I thee wed.”
JP: GIVES THE RING TO BRIDE TO BE GIVEN TO THE GROOM:
JP: “REPEAT AFTER ME”: “With this ring, I thee wed.”
ENGAGEMENT RING
JP: The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise has been fulfilled. Ryan, please place the engagement ring on Amanda's finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage.
JP: We have gathered today to celebrate and witness this love and commitment between Amanda and Ryan. Marriage is finding the person whom you not only love right now, but you will love tomorrow and the next day.
I know that everyone here today wishes you everything that you wish for yourselves. May you never stop appreciating the little things in life. From this day forward you shall be each other’s comfort and refuge; your marriage strengthened by your already existing love, respect and friendship.
And by the love that has brought you here today, by the vows you have exchanged, and by the integrity of your commitment, in the presence of the witnesses here, it is my very great pleasure to pronounce you husband and wife. Ryan, you may kiss your bride!
What do you ladies think?