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

Linnea & Jerry- Favorite Ceremonies

So many great memories came out of Linnea & Jerry's wedding ceremony! The walled-garden at Mellon Park with it's glorious fountain, the a capella group singing in delicious harmonies, the fantastic coordination of Soiree by Souleret, but first and foremost was Linnea and Jerry themselves. 

They're a quirky pair, those two. They wanted things mostly non-traditional, but with some traditional leanings. They were realists at heart, but true romantics in spirit. They wanted to express themselves and their love to their families and friends, yet still have the day focus on their love for each other. They wanted an experience for all involved, not just a ceremony and a party. And they love games of all types. And so, that's what we did. They wrote some amazing things on their questionnaires (you'll see quotes from them throughout the ceremony that I used as I saw fit in the moment), but they were also doing personal vows. I never like stepping on a couple's toes, so I invented a little trivia game instead of a personal minister's address. It was perfect for them, and really got the crowd warmed up for their personal vows!

Also, this ceremony features an awesome take on the Rock Ceremony (aka Stone Ceremony, Pebble Tradition). It was a great moment of interaction between the couple and their guests.

The Wedding of Linnea Warren & Jerry May

June 22nd, 2013

Note: Silent presentation

Welcoming Words

Whoever you are, wherever you’re from, whatever you believe and whomever you love, Jerry and Linnea 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.

All seated

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

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 Linnea and Jerry 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. 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”

Charge to the Couple

Linnea and Jerry, you have made a very serious and important decision in choosing to marry each other today.
You are entering into a sacred covenant as life partners.
As in tending the flowers in a garden, the quality of your marriage will reflect the effort you put into nurturing this relationship.
You have the opportunity to go forward from this day to create a faithful, kind, and tender
relationship.
It is up to you to keep the blessings flowing each and every day of your lives together.
We wish for you the wisdom, compassion, and constancy to create a peaceful sanctuary in which you can both grow in love.

Reading

Sonnet XVII, Pablo Neruda

Reader: Meredith Stewart, friend of Jerry and Linnea

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Officiant’s Address

The best gift we can give other people is our whole selves in truth. By doing so we give them a true and accurate mirror that allows them to see themselves. We also give ourselves the best opportunity to grow. As Danny Kaye once said, “Before we can give ourselves to the world, we must first accept ourselves.” Or as my dad used to say “A man who can give himself a hug every day truly has the arms of an orangutan”

Of course, you give each other precious gifts everyday- your friendship, humor, vulnerability, sensitivity, and kindness.

Anyone who knows the two of you can see for themselves how much you love and like each other and how well you know each other.

But I’d like to find out how well you actually do know each other.

I know your mutual love of games so I’ve devised a little trivia game for you. Each of you has written some wonderful things about the other, so I am going to preface each question with something wonderful that you wrote.

Keep in mind, you are not playing against each other, you are playing for each other. If you get the majority of these questions correct I will permit you to smooch each other at the end of the ceremony. Less than that, and you will have to smooch me. Jerry, you have a lot to lose.

To Linnea, She has a sense of humor that is simultaneously unique and perfectly tuned to my own; I never met someone with more wit- it's what got me hooked in the first place!

What is Jerry’s favorite color?

To Jerry, I think he is adorable and is the type of guy I always pictured myself with--tall, blue eyes, sweet smile... He is confident in his personality, but at the same time slightly self-deprecating and humble. It’s no wonder he is loved by everyone he has ever met.

In what year was the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution ratified and what does it make illegal?

Linnea, She makes me feel that nothing can go wrong when I am with her. Not only the sense of being organized and well-planned, but in the sense of making every circumstance happier by her presence.

What is Jerry’s shoe size?

Jerry,  Everyone always teases Jerry that he is pretty much already a dad, his jokes are so cheesy. While we’re still a FEW (many few) years away from that, I can picture our family so clearly--it is full of fun and love and laughter and part of me can’t WAIT. (But the other parts of me definitely can! :)

What is the full name of the State of Rhode Island?

Linnea, Jerry says that Every time he looks at you, thinks about you, tells a story about you, he can't imagine how he could be so lucky to spend his life with a woman of your beauty and unmatched character.

If you could spend the rest of your life with just one person, who would it be?

Jerry, is my best friend and has been the most amazing partner through all of the things we’ve been through over the past 6 years: College, graduation, moving to North Carolina, grad school, new jobs, new friends, planning a wedding, transitions. I cannot think of a more understanding, compassionate, and adventurous partner for anything that comes our way.

More than Michelle Branch and other girly pop-rock artists, who is the one person you love above all others?

“We don't want anyone else, and I know I can't wait to show the world: Look who I have! I win!”

Declaration of Intent

Linnea and Jerry, today I ask you to make a promise:
That whatever happens, you shall never walk alone;
That your hearts will be shelter to each other and your arms will be your
home;
That you’ll stand side by side and sleep in each other’s arms:
That Jerry, you’ll watch over Linnea and keep her from harm;
That Linnea, you’ll be the joy in Jerry’s heart and the food for his soul;
May you feel deeply loved for indeed you are; through your brightest days and your darkest
nights.
And so I ask, will you take each other into your hearts and pledge your love for this moment and forever?

Reading

May Our Friendship Last Forever, Nicholas Gordon

Reader: Tom Hutchinson, friend of Jerry and Linnea

May our friendship last forever;
May I sail upon your sea.
May we go through Life together,
May there always be a "we."
May I be your endless sky;
May you breathe my gentle air.
May you never wonder why
each time you look for me I'm there.
May we be for each a smile
like the warm, life--giving sun;
Yet when we're in pain awhile,
May our suffering be one.
May we share our special days,
the happiness of one for two;
And if we must go our separate ways
let my Love remain with you

Personal Vows

Jerry Reads his vows.

"Linnea, hearing the words spoken by your beloved Jerry, do you take this man to be your husband?"

I do.

Linnea reads her vows.

"Jerry, hearing the words spoken by your beloved Linnea do you take this woman to be your wife?"

I do.

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 Linnea and Jerry 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.

Jerry:

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

Linnea:

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

Unity Ceremony

(Each guest has been told to bring a stone with them.]

Before you met, your lives were on different paths with different destinations. But love has brought you together and joined these separate paths into one. Each one of your friends and family here today has brought with them a stone that represents their unique individuality and their presence at your wedding today. You also each brought a stone of your own that symbolizes your previous separate lives, separate sets of friends, separate families and the different life's journeys you once traveled.I will now ask that everyone please take out the stone you have brought and pause to make a wish or blessing for happiness and good will for the couple for the future of their marriage.

[Everyone pauses to make their wish.]Music begins, nice and low

Now, we will collect the stones. Please come to the front and place your stone in the vase. Jerry and Linnea will then add their individual stones to the container as well.

(Guests are asked to come forward row by row to greet the couple and place their stones in the vase)
[The couple adds their stones to the container.]

With the combining of these stones, you have now symbolically joined your once separate lives. As the stones have been combined with love into one container, so now are your friends and family joined, through you, into one. And your once solitary life's paths are also now one. All that was once separate is now shared, and in this sharing you both will find new strength and joy as together you forge a new life's path and destination.

Music ends

Declaration of Marriage

It was Linnea and Jerry’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.
Linnea and Jerry, 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.”

Apache Benediction

Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place,
To enter into the days of your togetherness.
And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
Amen.

And now it is my great pleasure to pronounce that Jerry and Linnea are husband and
wife.

Kiss

“The night Jerry and I first kissed, it was a surprise party for his 22nd birthday. I had left his apartment and was walking up to my dorm room when I got a call from him “Wait there!”. I was not in a part of North Oakland that one should really wait in near midnight, but it sounded important. I shifted from foot to foot in the cold until Jerry finally sprint-lumbered up the hill to meet me. He told me that I “left something at the party” and then kissed me for the first time. The line was as cheesy as they come and we were both freezing at night in late November. But it was just so sweet, I can’t help but get a little misty thinking about it.”
Celebrant (to Linnea and Jerry): You may kiss each other

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!