Rachael & Chris- Favorite Ceremonies

Oh, this was a fun one and wonderfully sentimental and quirky!Rachael and Chris both were raised Christian, but found that their beliefs changed as they became adults. Rachael became Wiccan and Chris leaned in that direction as well, though he would probably decribe himself as humanist. Their parents, though loving and supportive, were not completely on board with their respective children's spiritual outlook. It happens. And so, they wanted a unique ceremony that captured their beliefs without distancing their families. It was also July, hot, and outdoors so we wanted something simple and on the shorter side. And so the scene was set. The ceremony was in-the-round, one of my favorite ceremony settings. The chairs are placed in a circle surrounding the couple, bringing more intimacy, more warmth and interaction, and, in this case, eliminating the need to use a microphone. There was a trombone solo to lead the bride in, and Irish bagpipes to lead our couple out. This ceremony features a handfasting, used here as a simple unity ceremony. However, instead of simply binding the two of them together with a cord, we passed the cords around so that all of the guests could take a moment, hold the cords and place whatever best wishes, blessings, or prayers that they had for the couple upon them. It truly made everyone involved feel as if they were an integral part of not only the ceremony, but also Rachael and Chris's lives. 

The Wedding of Rachael Shade & Christopher Neff

July 20th, 2013

Opening:

Family and friends, welcome to this celebration for Rachael and Chris.

With the horizon our only walls, the sky our only ceiling and the earth our floor, we meet here in nature to affirm their love. The fragrant blooms from the ground and the fiery heat from the sky attest to summer's warmth and abundance, and also the warmth and abundance of Rachael and Chris's desire for commitment. They want to welcome you to this celebration of their love for one another. Each of you has given something special to their lives. Your love and  encouragement will forever be appreciated. Thank you for sharing one of life's happiest moments with them. May you be as important a part of their tomorrow as you are of their today.

Honoring the Deceased:

Rachael and Chris would like to take a moment of silence to remember loved ones who share this day with us in spirit and memory. Let us dwell quietly for a moment on the enduring energy of their love. (silence)

Blessing of the Cord

Rachael and Chris have chosen a traditional Handfasting Ceremony.

The tradition is as old as the written language and is practiced in many cultures.

In Europe, until the mid 1700’s few unions were sanctified in a church or a synagogue.

Rather they were celebrated by a ceremony in which the couple joined hands over the village anvil, out in the fields or in a grove of trees.

The hands were then bound together with ribbon or rope.

This is where the terms ‘giving one’s hand in marriage’ and ‘tying the knot’ come from.

Today we will build on this tradition.

As this cord symbolizes the couple's joining, their bond also includes you in their lives. As family and friends, they ask that you place your blessings, energies, and positive thoughts on it. If you wish, please place your good intentions onto the cord.

Reading

What is Real?, from the Velveteen Rabbit, by Margery Williams

Reader: Christina, Chris’s mom

"What is REAL?" asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. "Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?"

"Real isn't how you are made," said the Skin Horse. "It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but really loves you, then you become Real."

"Does it hurt?" asked the Rabbit.

"Sometimes," said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. "When you are Real you don't mind being hurt."

"Does it happen all at once, like being wound up," he asked, "or bit by bit?"

"It doesn't happen all at once," said the Skin Horse. "You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand."

"I suppose you are real?" said the Rabbit. And he wished he had not said it, for he thought the Skin Horse might be sensitive.

But the Skin Horse only smiled.

"Someone made me Real," he said. "That was a great many years ago; but once you are Real you can't become unreal again. It lasts for always."

Mark’s Message

Omitted for this post

Reading

Looking for Your Face, by Rumi

Reader: John Shade, Rachael’s godfather

From the beginning of my life I have been looking for your face, but today I have seen it. Today I have seen the charm, the beauty, the unfathomable grace of the face that I was looking for. Today I have found you, and those who laughed and scorned me yesterday are sorry that they were not looking as I did. I am bewildered by the magnificence of your beauty, and wish to see you with a hundred eyes. My heart has burned with passion and has searched forever for this wondrous beauty that I now behold. I am ashamed to call this love human, and afraid of God to call it divine. Your fragrant breath, like the morning breeze, has come to the stillness of the garden. You have breathed new life into me. I have become your sunshine, and also your shadow. My soul is screaming in ecstasy. Every fiber of my being is in love with you. Your effulgence has lit a fire in my heart, and you have made radiant for me the earth and sky. My arrow of love has arrived at the target. I am in the house of mercy, and my heart is a place of prayer.

Vows:

Chris: Our love is like our garden, and we are the caretakers.

Over time, we have made it grow, made it blossom.

It has taught us the patience to know that things can’t be rushed.

It has made us more connected and showed us that, together, we can tackle anything.

Rachael, today we plant a tree in this garden. It is the tree of our life together.

It will need nourishment and love. The more we care for it, the bigger it will grow.

It will give us our food. It will shelter us under its branches.

It will provide for others in need who seek it.

Storms may batter it, but it will remain standing.

And it will still be there long after we are gone, as a monument of our devotion.

Rachael: Because of you, I laugh, I smile, I dare to dream again.

I look forward with great joy to spending the rest of my

life with you, nurturing you, being there for you in all life

has for us, and I vow to be true to you for as long

as we share our paths together.

Ring Exchange:

Your rings are circles and a circle is the symbol of the sun, the earth, the universe, of wholeness, perfection, peace and unity. Like circles, your rings have no beginning and no end and in the sacred tradition of marriage rings have come to symbolize eternal love and the endless union of

body, of mind, and spirit. These rings will be worn by Rachael and Chris to show to the world their love and commitment to one another. May the presence of these rings always remind you of the devotion you willingly share with one another from this moment on.

Let each of us in his own way, may it be prayer, may it be by a thought, whatever you and I would

wish for this couple, let's pray or have our own thoughts as a blessing upon these rings. Let us

pause at this time for these silent blessings.

(Pause)

These rings, now blessed are a symbol of love and faithfulness. They seal the vows of marriage and represent a promise of forever love.

(Chris places ring on Rachael's finger silently, kisses her hand. Rachael does the same to Chris).

Hand fasting:

As this knot is tied, so are your lives now bound.

Woven into this cord, into its very fibers, are all the hopes of your friends and family, and of yourselves,  for your new life together. With the entwining of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished here in this place to your lives for as long as love shall last.

In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound, one to

another. By this cord you are thus bound to your vow.

May this knot remain tied for as long as love shall last.

Closing:

May your days together shine brightly. May your communication continue to deepen. May your lives together be filled with love, abundance and joy. Friends and family, may I now introduce Mr.

and Mrs. Chris and Rachael Neffshade!

Kiss

Par-tay

Emily & Michael- Favorite Ceremony

Canadians have a stereotype. I like to describe them as "just like Americans, only polite". And it's true! I've yet to meet a Canadian I didn't like. Emily was no exception. She's a very unique woman- quiet, polite, congenial, yet with a slightly rebellious undertone. Obviously, that's why Michael was so attracted to her. Emily and Michael had quite a unique outlook on their wedding ceremony, too. Though neither was religious, they felt drawn to various cultural and spiritual paths. Their wedding ceremony combined elements from Hinduism, Greek mythology, Buddhism, Sandol Stoddard Warburg's amazing poem "I Like You", and some fantastic personal vows. Sound confusing? It wasn't at all! In fact, it was a completely wonderful border-crossing, unifying, world-appreciating, loving moment that blew away everyone in attendance.

The Wedding of Emily Berkes & Michael Bury

September 1st, 2013

Welcoming Words

Welcome friends and family, today we celebrate the joining of two loving hearts into a joyful, compassionate union.  

In India, when people meet and part they often say "Namaste," which means I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the place in you of love, of light, of truth, of peace. I honor the place within you where if you are in that place in you and I am in that place in me, there is only one of us.

That place knows no boundaries. It crosses land, rivers, great lakes, cultural, geographical, and political borders. It travels in and through us and out into the world, through the electronic devices at our fingertips and the gentle touch of our hands.

These two delightful people here with us today, Emily and Michael,  have found that place in each other and today they wish to welcome all of us also into that place. And so, from them to you, I say Namaste.

First Reading

"I Like You" by Sandol Stoddard Warburg

I like you and I know why.

I like you because you are a good person to like.

I like you because when I tell you something special, you know it's special

And you remember it a long, long time.

You say, Remember when you told me something special

And both of us remember

When I think something is important

you think it's important too

We have good ideas

When I say something funny, you laugh

I think I'm funny and you think I'm funny too

Hah-hah!

I like you because you know where I'm ticklish

And you don't tickle me there except just a little tiny bit sometimes

But if you do, then I know where to tickle you too

You know how to be silly

That's why I like you

Boy are you ever silly

I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you

If you go away, then I go away too

or if I stay home, you send me a postcard

You don't just say Well see you around sometime, bye

I like you a lot because of that

If I go away, I send you a postcard too

And I like you because if we go away together

And if we are in Grand Central Station

And if I get lost

Then you are the one that is yelling for me

I like you because if I think I am going to throw up

then you are really sorry

You don't just pretend you are busy looking at the birdies and all that

You say, maybe it was something you ate

You say, the same thing happened to me one time

And the same thing did

If I break my arm, and if you break your arm too

Then it's fun to have a broken arm

I tell you about mine, you tell me about yours

We are both sorry

We write our names and draw pictures

We show everybody and they wish they had a broken arm too

I like you because I don't know why but

Everything that happens is nicer with you

I can't remember when I didn't like you

It must have been lonesome then

Even if it was the 999th of July

Even if it was August

Even if it was way down at the bottom of November

Even if it was no place particular in January

I would go on choosing you

And you would go on choosing me

Over and over again

That's how it would happen every time

I don't know why

I guess I don't know why I really like you

Why do I like you

I guess I just like you

I guess I just like you because I like you

Address

the ancient Greeks believed that the original humans were created much differently than our current form.

They were large, rolly-polly creatures with two heads, four arms and four legs- loud, boisterous, rather obnoxious. Would tumble about the earth like acrobats, bringing mischief and mayhem, and being generally annoying. In fact, they irritated the gods so much that the gods pleaded with Zeus to do something.

Zeus loved his creations and didn’t wish to destroy them. He fired down his mightiest bolts of lightning cleaving the creatures in two and scattered them about the earth. Thus creating the human race and the nations of the world, and leaving us always searching for our other half.

To find our soul mate, to find that person who completes us.

I believe that a soul mate isn’t something that you find, but is something you become.

It’s not enough to look for the person who completes you, but to love the person who loves you completely. And I know this is what you have done.

It’s like that most eloquent and erudite poet Sylvester Stallone said in Rocky:

I got gaps; you got gaps; we fill each other's gaps.

And these words from Siddhartha Gautama show how you become that soul mate, the ways you love each other completely and to completion:

Declaration of Intent

The Buddhist Scriptures; The Buddha's Sermon At Rajagaha; Verses 19-22

Do not deceive, do not despise each other anywhere. Do not be angry nor bear secret resentments; for as a mother will risk her life and watches over her child, so boundless be your love to all, so tender, kind and mild.

Cherish good will right and left, early and late, and without hindrance, without stint, be free of hate and envy, while standing and walking and sitting down, whatever you have in mind, the rule of life that is always best is to be loving-kind.

Bride and Groom, hearing these words, do you come in freedom and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Emily and Michael: We do

Vows

Repeated, In Unison

Hindu Marriage Poem

Emily and Michael, please look into each other’s eyes and say:

Emily and Michael: You have become mine forever.

Yes, we have become partners.

I have become yours.

Hereafter, I cannot live without you.

Do not live without me.

Let us share the joys.

We are word and meaning, unite.

You are thought and I am sound.

May the nights be honey-sweet for us.

May the mornings be honey-sweet for us.

May the plants be honey-sweet for us.

May the earth be honey-sweet for us.

Personal Vows?

To Michael from Emily:

I am so glad that the OkCupid gods led me to your profile, despite being way out of my preferred 50 km search radius. Lookit that sweet beard, I thought, and upon reading your profile (one of the few that genuinely interested and not repulsed me), I knew you were the one for me. He will be mine, oh yes, he will be mine. It felt like a cruel joke to then look under "Location" and see Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Not my city. Not my province. Not even my country. OH CRUEL FATE.

I am so glad that despite the odds and distance, we developed a relationship that grew and wouldn't be stopped by our lack of money, passport or vacation time. Although it was difficult spending the past almost two years apart, you made it easy by always being there for me the best you could. No one could be as sweet, supportive and loving from afar as you have been. I never have to question your dedication or loyalty to me. You make me laugh every day, something I value greatly. You make me happy when skies are grey.....that special someone who wants to watch the Price is Right, Catfish and the Anna Nicole Smith Lifetime movie with me.

I can't wait to have you back in Canada with me and to never have to say goodbye in another airport or bus station again. I adore and care for you more than I could ever express, and look forward to growing old and gross with you. You're my big  frog and I love you very, very much.

To Emily from Michael:

Emily, for me relationships are like colors. Sometimes you mix to colors together and you get something ugly like grey or brown. Other times colors complement each well when mixed together, like when you mix yellow and blue.

These past two years have been a blur for me. It feels like just yesterday I watched you walk through the lobby of the airport. We were both incredibly nervous, but there was such a strong connection between us. It was right then that I knew I loved you for sure.

It's hard for to put into words how much I love you, but please believe me when I say it is a whole lot. I love your big blue eyes. I love your sense of humor. I love how you make smoothies and wraps everyday for meals. I love that you wrap yourself up in the comforter like a caterpillar when you sleep. I love that when you were a kid you drew a picture of your blanket than cried. You are the kindest, funniest, most amazing person I have ever met. I love how you’ve brought a whole rainbow of colors into my life.

For the first time in my life I am making green instead of brown or grey. You are the yellow to my blue and I am ready to spend the rest of my life with you.

Ring Vows

Rings are an ancient symbol, blessed and simple. Round like the sun, round like the eye, and round like arms that embrace. May these rings symbolize that your love, like the sun, illuminates and warms the others heart, like the eye, you must see clearly even amid the adversity of life, and like arms that embrace as grace upon the world. May they also remind you that love given comes back around again and again.

Michael/Emily, please place this ring on Emily’s/Michael’s finger and say:

Emily/Michael I give you this ring;

wear it with love and joy.

I choose you to be my partner,

to have and to hold, from this day forward,

for better or for worse, for richer or poorer,

in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish,

as long as we both shall live.

Conclusion

Emily and Michael, may your home be a place of happiness for all who enter it;

a place for growing and a place for sharing, a place for music and a place for laughter, a place for hope and a place for love.

May those who are nearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty and the bounty of your love for one another, may your work be a joy of your life that serves the world, and may your days be good and long upon the Earth.

Declaration of Marriage

And so, with these words resonating in our minds, by the power of eternal love and in the presence of these family and friends, I now declare that Michael and Emily are husband and wife.

You may kiss!

Brie & Patrick- Favorite Ceremonies

Brie and Patrick wanted something unique and personal that reflected their love of their families, friends...and baseball. While they were at it they also were selected to be on TLC's show "Four Weddings"! So, yeah, this ceremony (and my bald spot) has been on TV. Their ceremony featured a handfasting- an ancient tradition made new where a couple's hands are bound together with cords. For their handfasting- used here as a Declaration of Intent or a prelude to their vows- Brie & Patrick stuck with their Pittsburgh Pirates theme and used a gold cord, a black cord, and a white piece of lace from Brie's mom's wedding gown. Both Brie's mom and Patrick's mom took part in the binding of their hands making for a wonderfully warm and humorous family moment. Brie and Patrick also took some standard vows and made them their own.

The Wedding of Gabrielle Berkopec & Patrick Lee

September 8th, 2013

Welcoming Words

Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, whatever you believe and whomever you love, Patrick and Gabrielle want to welcome you to this celebration of their love for one another. Each of you has given something special to their lives. Your love and encouragement will forever be appreciated. Thank you coming from distances near and far to share in one of life's happiest moments with them. May you be as important a part of their tomorrow as you are of their today.

Presentation of Brie

Who, with love and support, presents this woman to be married to this man?

Brie’s mother and step-father: “We do.”

In Memoriam

At this time, we would also like to honor those who could not be with us today. Our thoughts are especially with those who have passed and those who could not make it today. Although they are not here with us physically, we feel blessed they are with us in spirit on this beautiful day.

Community Vow

Brie-  May I call you Brie?

and Patrick- May I call you Dimples McDreamy?

Marriage is the promise of hope between two people who love each other, who honor each other as individuals, and who wish to unite their lives and share the future together. In this ceremony, they dedicate themselves to the happiness and well-being of each other, in a union of mutual caring and responsibility. Therefore, it is all the more important that those of you here with Brie and Patrick may stand as witnesses to the happiness which they have found together, and to the promises they have made to each other. As they join their lives in marriage, they also bring you together in a new relationship, creating new bonds of trust and ties of affection.

Now as important as all of you are , there is one person in particular who i must address at this point. You see, when Brie and Patrick were first dating, Patrick put so much emphasis on the fact that if Grandma Joan didn't like you, there's no way it's going to work out. So after spending an entire evening of Brie nervously cozying up to Grandma, Patrick told Brie, "Yeah, she hated you".  As Brie says “I was in the middle of hyperventilating when I looked over and saw his smirk and realized he was kidding. I was so relieved when I realized I was in the clear!”

So, Grandma Joan, is Brie in the clear?

Now that Grandma has given her okay...

Will all of you by God’s grace, do everything in your power to preserve this marriage? Will all of you, who have supported these two in friendship and love, now bestow your blessing upon them? If so please show them your support by saying, "We will”

Officiant’s Address

Standing in the hallway today, there was a young family with a little girl. The little girl was fascinated by the goings on. Her eyes lit up as the bridesmaids went by, looking beautiful in their dresses and the groomsmen looking... as groomsmen do. The mom explained to her that someone was getting married.  The  little girl thought about this for a moment, looked up at her father and asked  “daddy, why do people get married?” I didn’t hear the dad’s answer, but I did hear the slap that he got from his wife. I decided not to stick around after that.

But that is a really good question. Why do people get married? Brie and Patrick, why are you getting married?

Now as those of you who have programs can see this is a baseball-themed wedding. You might be expecting me to play upon a theme… to ramble off terrible, forced metaphors about how marriage is like baseball.

I could.

I could say something like “Brie and Patrick have finally quit warming the bench and now they step up to the plate…”

or “now you each have a teammate for life”

or how you’ve “made through the season and today you win the pennant”

or how they have loaded the bases with

Pedro Love on first,

Jose Compassion on second,

Jimmy Security on third,

and now Commitment is up to the plate. (Full name: Andrew McCommitment)

I could say that a successful marriage takes teamwork, dedication, a solid game plan, and ice cream in little helmet-shaped bowls.

but I’m not going to say any of those things.

I was never very  good at baseball. I’d steal second, feel bad about it, then go back.

Those that can’t play, coach, and those that can’t coach, umpire.

The simple fact is that you, Brie and Patrick,  are here because you love one another, you are good for each other, and you want to spend the rest of your lives together.

It’s apparent in everything you do:

Brie, Patrick loves you for your generous, giving nature, your caring heart, your genuine warmth towards himself and others and

your astounding ability to cook for a man once rated Time Magazine’s “Pickiest Eater of the Year”.

You are everything that he has ever wanted in a partner and more and he cannot imagine his life without you.

Patrick, you keep Brie centered, you make her feel safe and treat her like gold. You bring stability and constancy into her life, reminding her that every problem is temporary and that if can be fixed you will fix it together. You take care of the big things, but it’s the little things you do everyday that show Brie how much you care and make her feel like the luckiest woman in the world.

Brie and Patrick, you have shared so many happy moments together, from that moment that Patrick walked into PNC bank to cash a check and Brie conveniently forgot to give his license back, to the Pirates games, the dinners at Monte Cello’s, the hikes at McConnell’s Mills, and that moment on a December evening on windy Mt. Washington when you trekked freezing through the slush and ice (with Brie in heels...ahem) and Patrick dropped a knee deep in the snow, presented the ring and asked the question and suddenly…

suddenly,  it wasn’t cold anymore. That moment which brings us all here today.

What you mean to each other, how much you love each other and care about each other is obvious to all of here today.

Even though all of us gathered here would like to give you the gift of happiness, it is not ours to give. This marriage will be created by the two of you.

Each day, as you face your lives together, you will renew the wedding vows you make today when you act toward one another from a place of love and caring;

when you consider each other's integrity and intentions;

when you support each others dreams and goals, and when you keep yourselves well-acquainted with laughter and joy.

When there are troubles, stand by each other as you weather the storms together. 

  Don't ever try to change each other, because if you do, you will lose exactly what you fell in love with.

So, each day try to find one more thing that is beautiful in your mate and each day know that the next day will be more beautiful than the one before.

And know this:

‘When God put you two together, He truly hit a homerun.’

Handfasting

In ancient times, before the Irish were even called Irish, most marriage ceremonies were not performed in a church, instead they were held in God’s own cathedral- a grove of trees, on a riverbank, or in a verdant field.

The hands of the couple were tied together by ivy, rope or ribbon. It was meant to signify the strength of two souls united now to face the world in whatever life may bring (or perhaps to keep one of them from running away!)

This is where the terms ‘giving one’s hand in marriage’ and ‘tying the knot’ come from.

Today Brie and Patrick will build on this tradition.

Pre-emptive question

Are you willing now and always to make this commitment to each other?

Please join your right hands

Mothers (Amy and Chris) come forward with the cords

The questions

Will you stand side by side for the rest of your days together? We will.

First cord is placed and tied loosely

Will you bring fun, laughter, joy and happiness to your relationship? We will.

Second cord is placed and tied loosely

And as the years pass and your hands become aged and wrinkled, will you continue to reach out and be there for each other, to give each other that unspoken tenderness with just a touch? We will.

Third cord is placed and tied loosely

As your hands are bound together now, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust.

The knots of this binding are not formed by these cords, but rather by the actions, emotions and words you speak to each other every day.

For always you hold in your own hands the fate of this union.

Personal Vows

And now as your hands are bound together, I ask you to declare your vows to each other.

Patrick:

Brie / Patrick, I promise before God, our family and friends,

to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, to share my

life with you, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in

health, in good times and in bad times,

and i promise i won’t delete your girly shows to make room for sports center or Duck Dynasty

for as long as we both shall live.

Brie:

Brie / Patrick, I promise before God, our family and friends,

to be your loving and faithful husband/wife, to share my

life with you, in wealth and in poverty, in sickness and in

health, in good times and in bad times,

and I promise to not to schedule plans during the game, or hijack the remote during Duck Dynasty,

for as long as we both shall live.

Ring Vows

Rev. Mark will ask for the rings.

Your rings are circles and a circle is the symbol of the sun, the earth, the universe, of wholeness, perfection, peace and unity. Like circles, your rings have no beginning and no end and in the sacred tradition of marriage rings have come to symbolize eternal love and the endless union of body, of mind, and spirit.
These rings will be worn by Brie and Patrick to show to 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 and devotion you willingly share with one another from this moment on.
Let each of us in his own way, may it be prayer, may it be by a thought, whatever you and I would wish for this couple, let's pray or have our own thoughts as a blessing upon these rings. Let us pause at this time for these silent blessings. (Pause)

These rings, now blessed are a symbol of love and faithfulness. They seal the vows of marriage and represent a promise of forever love.

Patrick:

With this ring, I thee wed. And with this heart, I promise you
all that I am, and all that I hope to become.

Brie:

With this ring, I thee wed. And with this heart, I promise you
all that I am, and all that I hope to become.

Declaration of Marriage

It was Brie and Patrick’s hope that all of you would leave here today knowing how
much they love you; that you would have learned more about their love for each other
and that you would realize that you are not here merely to bear witness to their
marriage, but to celebrate it with them.
Marriage creates from two committed spirits one beautiful tree of life. Its roots are the
trust and devotion that underlie each action, thought and motive. Its branches are
experiences shared, hopes realized, and dreams pursued. And its blossoms are the
kisses, gentle words, and tender sighs that decorate each day and beautify the union of
two loving hearts.
Brie and Patrick, may your love grow like a beautiful tree, sending roots deep and
branches high, with new beauty every season of your life together.
May you find constant reward and challenge as you pursue the ongoing adventure of
learning who you are and where you want to go.
May you always have a special sense of your mission in life together, and may you never
tire of the endless possibilities of exploring your shared existence.
And long, long years from now, may you look at one another and be able to say, “With
you, I have lived the life I always wanted to live – with you, I have become the person I
always longed to be.”

Untie cords

And now it is my great pleasure to pronounce that Patrick and Brie are husband and
wife.

Patrick, you may kiss your Brie!

Family and friends, please join me in celebration as we greet for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Patrick and Gabrielle Lee!