Post your ceremony

[Pinkerbell1983]

I have a feeling this thread might have been done before, but I can't find it!

Anyway, I am having trouble deciding what ceremony to have. My officiant has sent me two, but neither has really grabbed me! I am having the unity candle. I just wondered what you guys included?

 

[Petals & Pixie Dust]

I have a feeling this thread might have been done before, but I can't find it!

Anyway, I am having trouble deciding what ceremony to have. My officiant has sent me two, but neither has really grabbed me! I am having the unity candle. I just wondered what you guys included?

Oh! Good idea! Thanks for posting this!

 

[Ember]

We wrote our own ceremony. There were things I didn't like that I didn't want included at all - such as anything along the "two hearts becoming one" line. While this is a very romantic notion it's also very improbable...

This is our finished ceremony, it took about 20 minutes.

GREETING

Good afternoon! We are gathered here today, not to witness the beginning of what will be, but rather what already is. We do not create this marriage, because we cannot. We can and do, however, celebrate with Brandy and Steven and their friends and families the wondrous and joyful occurrence that has already taken place.

Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered into romance. Today Brandy and Steven proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake together.

The joy we feel now is a solemn joy, because the act of marriage has many consequences, both social and personal. Marriage requires "love", a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. We may assume that love is some rare and mystical event, when in fact it is the outcome of time, work, and shared experience.

So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: a piece of ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us.

We who love, can look at each other's life and say, "I touched his life," or, "I touched her life," just as an artist might say, "I touched this canvas." Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. Such is the privilege of husband and wife - to be each himself, herself and yet another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.

To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. It is not a destination, but a journey.

The true art of married life is in this inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.

Brandy and Steven, this celebration is the outward token of your sacred and inward union of hearts, which friends and loved ones may bless, and the state make legal, but which no outside force can create or destroy. It is a union created by your loving purpose and kept by your abiding will.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

Steven, Do you take Brandy to be your wife? Do you promise to love her, honor her, inspire her, protect and provide for her above all others and to be with her through all of life’s challenges, chaos and joys? I DO!

Brandy, Do you take Steven to be your husband? Do you vow to love him, honor him, inspire him, protect and provide for him above all others and to be with him through all of life’s challenges, chaos and joys? I DO!

SAND CERMONY

Brandy and Steven, today you are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. Your relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these two individual containers of sand into one. One container of sand represents you, Brandy, while the other container of sand represents you, Steven. As you combine your sand together the individual colors become layered, symbolizing that the marriage is based on the strength of individuals. The layers are distinct, yet joined, just are you both are.

Dawn's reading # 1

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.

These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind. 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 tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you to hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.

And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

Sandra's Reading # 2

"A Dedication to My Wife" by T.S. Eliot

"To whom I owe the leaping delight
That quickens my senses in our waking time
And the rhythm that governs the repose of our sleeping time,
The breathing in unison

Of lovers whose bodies smell of each other
Who think the same thoughts without need of speech
And babble the same speech without need of meaning.
No peevish winter wind shall chill
No sullen tropic sun shall wither
The roses in the rose-garden which is ours and ours only

But this dedication is for others to read:
These are private words addressed to you in public."

MARRIAGE VOWS

Steven, please repeat after me…

I Steven take you Brandy / to be my wife / from this time onward. / To join with you / and to share all that is to come. / to be faithful and honest / to give and to receive / to speak and to listen / to inspire and to respond. / A commitment made in love / kept in faith / and eternally made new.

Brandy, would you please repeat after me?

I Brandy take you Steven / to be my husband / from this time onward. / To join with you / and to share all that is to come. / to be faithful and honest / to give and to receive / to speak and to listen / to inspire and to respond. / A commitment made in love / kept in faith / and eternally new.

RING VOWS

Traditionally, the passage to the status of husband and wife is marked by the exchange of rings. These rings are a symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end, no giver and no receiver for each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings always remind you of the vows you have taken.


Wayne… may I have the rings please?

(Each places the ring on the other’s finger and repeats this simple vow)

Steven: With this ring / I thee wed.

Brandy: With this ring / I thee wed.

SIGNING OF THE MARRIAGE REGISTRY

A joining is a partnership, not two people becoming one. Two minds cannot fuse, two souls cannot merge, two hearts cannot keep the same time. You are two who choose to walk the same path, to bridge the differences between you with love. You must remember and respect those differences, for they are part of what made you come to love in the first place. Love is patient, love is willing to compromise - love is willing to admit it is wrong. There will be hard times; you must face them side by side. There will be pain - but pain shared is pain halved, as joy shared is joy doubled.

You must not pledge yourselves thinking that you can change each other. That is disrespectful, for no one has the right to change another. You must not pledge yourselves thinking that there will be no strife between you. That is fantasy, for you are two and not one, and there will inevitably come conflict. You must not pledge yourselves thinking that all will be well from this moment on. That is a dream, and dreamers must eventually wake. You must come to this joining fully ready, committed, and respectful of each other.

Now you will no longer fear the storm, for you find shelter in each other. Now the winter cannot harm you, for you warm each other with love. Now the darkness holds no danger, for you will be the light to each other's path. Now you will defy despair, for you will bring hope to each other's heart. Where there were two paths, there is now one. May your days together be long upon the earth, and blessed with joy in each other.

In as much as you have consented together in this ceremony to live in wedlock and have sealed your vows in the presence of this company and by the giving of these rings, it gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are Husband and Wife.

FIRST KISS

Congratulations, you may now share your first kiss!

PRESENTING OF COUPLE

May I present the newlyweds... Steven & Brandy

 

[OceanGdss]

DH's Uncle wrote and performed our ceremony. We wanted it to be truly personal and we love what he came up with:

(ETA: you can find our personalized vows on Stan's site under 'Megan & Daniel/SBP" http://stvsvideo.com/sneakpeeks/sneakpeeks.html)

Welcome those who are present and those who could not be here. Although those absent could not be here physically, they are here in the hearts of those who could.

Prayer for God’s blessing on the ceremony

Parents are very special to a bride and groom. They have helped shape life to this point. Their continued love and support are needed. We want to give the parents of both the bride and groom the opportunity to publicly affirm your relationship.

Groom's parents:
Jerry and Leslie, do you welcome Megan into your family and give your blessing to this marriage.

Bride's parent: We/I affirm your relationship, welcome DJ into our/my family, and give our/my blessing to your marriage.


Opening scripture

Colossians Chapter 3:12-14 “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you many have against on another. Forgive as the lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

DJ and Megan, my family and I are honored to be a part of this special day. DJ, I have watched, while from a distance, you grow into a man. Megan, while you have only recently joined our family, I look forward to seeing you at Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, the birthday of the month parties, anniversaries and whatever other reasons we can think of to get together and eat….

But seriously, in preparation, God laid on my heart to express the meaning of marriage to you…and since you can’t go anywhere until I am finished….you're gonna have to listen.

Many times when you hear a Christian perspective of marriage you often hear about how a man is to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife but seldom is this act explained. The phrase “leave and cleave” comes from Genesis. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" ( Genesis 1:1). "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our likeness'...("Us" and "Our" refers to the Holy Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.) "So God created man in His own likeness. He created him in the likeness of God. He created them as male and female" (Genesis 1:26). "the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being" (Genesis 2:7). Then God made a woman. He made her from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to him. “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Genesis 2:23-24 KJV). "So a man must not separate what God has joined together" (Matthew 19:6). I want to point out the phrase "one flesh" used at the end of the verse is not meant to be taken literally. Rather it intends that a married couple with God first in their lives will eventually reach the point where they have unity of purpose in all that they do. They learn to work together and in cooperation with one another. They put aside all conflict and live according to God's Word manifesting positives (joy, peace, patience, trust etc.) in their marriage relationship. THIS TAKES TIME. There will be days where you might like to other very much and there will be days where you ask yourself “what have I done?” But I can assure you that love is stronger than anything. I marriage filled with love will stand the test of time.


God made the man first and then the woman. God Himself brought her to him. God Himself ordained that they would be joined together in holy matrimony from the very beginning of the world. He said that the two of them would become one flesh. This is a picture of marital intimacy—the act of love that is never to be between anyone else but the two of them. To "cleave" means to adhere to, stick to or join with. It is a unique joining of two people into one entity and it means we don't cop out when things aren't going right. It includes talking things out, praying things through, being patient as you trust God to work in both of your hearts, being willing to admit when you're wrong and asking forgiveness, hanging in there with your spouse when everything seems to be going wrong, and seeking God's counsel regularly in His Word.

The "leave and cleave" in the marriage bond is also a picture of the union God wants us to have with Him. "You shall follow the Lord your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cleave to Him" (Deuteronomy 13:4). It means we leave all other gods, whatever form that may take, and join to Him alone as our God. We cleave to Him as we read His Word and submit to His authority over us, and through believing prayer. Then, as we follow Him closely, we find that His instruction to leave father and mother in order to cleave to your wife/husband is to discover commitment and security, just as He intended. It leaves behind the option of divorce, which is never a solution, but rather an exchange for more complex problems. God takes our wedding vows seriously. So, leaving and cleaving is God’s plan for those who marry and when we follow God’s plan, we are never disappointed. To help illustrate this point, I want you to imagine a triangle. With God at the top of the triangle and you on the bottom axis, visualize how you grow closer together as a couple as you each draw closer to God. As you grow in your relationship with the Lord, you will find his blessings manifested in your marriage. But conversely, you see that as you slide down the axis, your marriage will see times of strife and struggle. But through the grace of our Lord, you will always be able to reverse directions. The direction you move is totally up to you. DJ and Megan, it is my prayer today and for the future that you will always seek the Lord’s guidance in the decisions you make as a married couple.

Charge to Groom and Bride

Colossians Chapter 3 provides very clear and simple instructions on the relationship between husbands and wives. Based upon these instructions, I want to charge you both to remember, that your future happiness will only be found in 1) a growing relationship with the Lord and 2) mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence, and affection. DJ, it is your duties to love Megan as yourself, provides tender leadership, and protect her from danger. Megan, it is your duty to treat DJ with respect, support him, and create a healthy, happy home. It is the duty of each of you to find the greatest joy in the company of the other; to remember that in both interest and affection, you are to be one and undivided.

Turn and take each other by the hand

Vows

DJ repeat after me/Megan repeat after me
"I, ___, take thee, ___, to be my wedded husband/wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part, according to God's holy ordinance; and thereto I pledge thee my faith/myself to you."


Insert your own vows here

Exchange of rings

"The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is a perfect circle which has no ends symbolizing your love for one another. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you ___, may place a ring on the finger of your bride." 
DJ, repeat after me:

"Megan, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you in the name of the Father. With this ring, I thee wed."
"By the same token Megan, you may place a ring on the finger of your groom." 
repeat after me:

"DJ, I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you in the name of the Father. With this ring, I thee wed."



Pronouncement of Married couple

Because DJ and Megan have desired each other in marriage, and have witnessed this before God and our gathering, affirming their acceptance of the responsibilities of such a union, and have pledged their love and faith to each other, sealing their vows in the giving and receiving of rings, I do proclaim that they are husband and wife in the sight of God and man. Let all people here and everywhere recognize and respect this holy union, now and forever.

Prayer

DJ, you may kiss your bride!

Ladies and Gentleman, It is my honor and privilege to be the first to utter the words, Mr. and Mrs. Daniel (full name)

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

Thanks Guys They're really beautiful.
Any more?

 

[Pinkerbell1983]

Bump

 

[rpmdfw]

Here's the link to ours.

Our officiant worked with us to create a custom ceremony.

We loved it.

http://www.disboards.com/showpost.php?p=28320005&postcount=1535

 

[MegKate]

Bump! I'm starting on my ceremony now. Any thoughts would be great!

Also - who did your readings? The officiant or someone in your family and friends?

 

[mermaidbride1108]

Welcome those who are present and those who could not be here. Although those absent could not be here physically, they are here in the hearts of those who could.

I love this line!

 

[OceanGdss]

I love this line!

thank you both of our grandmothers were very important to us and we both lost them unfortunately. So we wanted to make sure their memories were very present in our day.