Wedding Ceremony Part 2
Dustin: Do you, Amanda, promise to be a loving friend and partner in your marriage? To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate, to respect and cherish Josh as your husband? Do you promise to support, comfort, and strengthen him through life’s joys and sorrows? Do you promise to be faithful to him as long as you shall live?
Amanda: I do.
Dustin: Josh, do you promise to be a loving friend and partner in your marriage? To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate, to respect and cherish Amanda as your wife? Do you promise to support, comfort, and strengthen her through her life and joys and sorrows? Do you promise to be faithful to her as long as you shall live?
Josh: I do.
Dustin: Today, Amanda and Josh opted to share their own vows before they exchange traditionals. And, apparently Amanda gets to go first.
Amanda: Josh, we've been together for over 11 years now, and I really had no idea how to compress all of my love for you and my promises for the future into a short set of vows. But I want you to know how truly grateful that I am, every day, that I have you in my life. I love your kind heart, your dry sense of humor, your sharp wit, and your intelligence (but don't let my saying that go to your head!). (
laughter) I love that I can send you a text message with an obscure reference, and you can immediately tell what show or movie it's from. I love your endless patience, even when I eat all the cookie pieces out of our Blue Bell ice cream or all the M&Ms from our trail mix. I love your warmth, your compassion, and your ability to make me laugh.
(
deep inhale) So today, I make a promise. I promise to devote myself to you wholly and without reservation. I promise to be a constant voice of support and encouragement. I promise to stand beside you through the good and the bad. I promise to try my hardest to resist breaking out my Christmas decorations and music before November 1st. (
laughs) I promise to be a loyal partner and your forever friend. More than anything, I promise that my love for you will be unconditional, unwavering, and true for all the days of my life.
Dustin: Josh?
(Josh pulls out his vows)
Amanda: (
stifled) Oh wow, it's double sided.
Josh: Amanda, you are the most amazing woman I have ever met. From our first interactions debating which Sailor Scout was the best, to our first phone conversation where you thought I was someone else (
laughter), to the day we first met and your beauty took my breath away, and all the years ever since. You have always understood me, supported me, and inspired me in ways no one else ever has. Your smile can make my day magical in an instant. I love you with all my heart, and I'm so lucky to be able to stand here with you today.
I promise to be the best husband I can be, to value you, and to serve your needs to the best of my abilities. I promise to be the best father I can be, regardless of whether our children have two legs or four legs and fur. (
Amanda laughs) I promise to be the best partner I can be, to support you in all your endeavors. I promise to be the best friend I can be, to comfort you when you are sad, and to share in the joys of your happiness.
I promise to be patient at all times. I promise to be faithful forever, and I promise to love you with all my heart for the rest of my life.
Dustin: Amanda, please repeat after me. I, Amanda Noelle, take you, Joshua Paul, to be my husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
Amanda: I, Amanda Noelle, take you, Joshua Paul, to be my husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
Dustin: Josh, please repeat after me. I, Joshua Paul, take you, Amanda Noelle, to be my wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
Josh: I, Joshua Paul, take you, Amanda Noelle, to be my wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.
Dustin: In the tradition of marriage, rings have come to symbolize eternal love and the union of body, mind, and spirit. These rings will be worn by Josh and Amanda to show the world their love and commitment to one another. May the presence of these rings always remind you of the eternal love you have pledged. These rings are a symbol of love and faithfulness. They represent the lifelong vows you made today. Melissa, would you hand Amanda her ring? Amanda, please take Josh's hand once more and repeat these words.
Dustin: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is always present, even when I am not.
Amanda: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is always present, even when I am not.
Dustin: You may now place the ring on his finger. (
Amanda places the ring on Josh's finger) And Shawn, the ring please? Take Amanda's hand and repeat after me. I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is always present, even when I am not.
Josh: I give you this ring, as a symbol of our love, for today and tomorrow, and for all the days to come. Wear it as a sign of what we have promised on this day and know that my love is always present, even when I am not.
Dustin: Place the ring on her finger. (
Josh places the ring on Amanda's finger) Josh and Amanda, you have just sealed your marriage with the exchanging of rings, and this is a pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives.
Today, this union will also be symbolized through the pouring of two vials of sand. One, representing you, Josh, and one representing you, Amanda, and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be. They can each stand on their own, but when blended together, they represent something even more lasting and beautiful.
As these containers of sand are poured together, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined as one. (
Amanda moves to start pouring her sand) Proceed if you'd like. It's not when you said you'd proceed… but.
(
Amanda and Josh pour unity sand)
Just as these grains of sand can never be separated, our prayer for you today is that your lives together will forever be blended and that your loving bond be inseparable. It is kind of prettier together, I guess. (
laughter)
Amanda: I'm trying to get it even…
Dustin: Love is not even. Just put the sand in where you can. (
laughter)
(
Josh and Amanda pour)
Josh: Did you get it all?
Amanda: Yep.
Dustin: Amanda and Josh, you have professed your love by exchanging your vows. You have symbolized your commitment by exchanging rings. And you have expressed the end of your individual lives and joining together by the pouring of the unity sand. And now, by the power vested in me by the Universal Life Church, I pronounce you husband and wife. Josh, you may kiss your bride.
(
Josh and Amanda kiss)
Amanda: We're married!! (
laughter)
Dustin: Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce to you, for the first time as a married couple: the Bowmans!
I'm happy with it. Even the parts where I think I look fat and/or kind of derpy. Haha.
Love it!
As for the carriage, that's a tough call. It definitely isn't cheap. But, in my opinion, it was worth it. You don't actually spend much time inside of it (we were in for probably like 10-15 minutes total), but it's a once in a lifetime thing and something unique to a Disney wedding. It was an awesome feeling being in there!
That is our ceremony location 
