The Ceremony Details
Location
We are going to have our Ceremony on the family farm, behind my grandmother's house. It is on a slight hill, so it overlooks the valley. We are going to have an arbor near the fence line and the chairs will be placed in the yard.
Officiant
FI's cousin will be our officiant, she is getting ordained just for our wedding. I can't imagine having a stranger marry us, and I know that FI wanted to find some way of including some of his closest family members.
We are going to have our Ceremony on the family farm, behind my grandmother's house. It is on a slight hill, so it overlooks the valley. We are going to have an arbor near the fence line and the chairs will be placed in the yard.
Officiant
FI's cousin will be our officiant, she is getting ordained just for our wedding. I can't imagine having a stranger marry us, and I know that FI wanted to find some way of including some of his closest family members.
The Ceremony Script
Welcome-A
Consent
A: J, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to L as long as you shall live?
J: I do
A: L, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to J as long as you shall live?
L: I do
A: Who presents this couple to be married?
Our parents (together): We do
A: Thank you, you can please be seated.
Reading
S:
"Union" by Robert Fulghum
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same. For after today you shall say to the world –This is my husband. This is my wife.
Address-A
Marriage Vows/Exchange of Rings
A:
J and L, you have chosen this day to marry each other in the eyes of family and friends. You will marry with the traditional and symbolic wedding rings, which you will give to each other. These rings are priceless to you for many reasons; they symbolize an unending love for each other; they are a measure of your desire to show each other and the world that you are married. They are made of precious metal signifying that you express a value for each other. Will you now speak your vows?
J:
I, JHL, take thee LCO to be my wedded 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 us do part.
L:
I, LCO, take thee JHL to be my wedded husband, 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 us do part.
J:
L C O, with this ring, I thee wed. As we are husband and wife today, I vow to be honest and true to you. I vow to love, to honor, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live, and to express that love often. You are more precious to me than the gold of this band, and you will always be my one and only love. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.
L:
J H L, with this ring, I thee wed. As we are husband and wife today, I vow to be honest and true to you. I vow to love, to honor, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live, and to express that love often. This ring is a symbol of strength and the trust I hold in you. You are the love of my life and always will be. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.
A:
J, please take the engagement ring. This ring is the symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise fulfilled. Please place this ring on L’s finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage. Let these rings serve not as locks binding you together, but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever.
Reading
La:
Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
Lo:
So think long and hard before deciding on love. On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
La:
When you’re walking down the street late at night and you have a leash on love, ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Lo:
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable. Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
La:
On cold winter nights, love is warm. It lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises.
Lo:
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs. It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
La:
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long. But come home and love is always happy to see you.
Lo:
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life, but you can never be mad at love for long.
La:
Is love good all the time? No! No! Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Lo:
Love makes messes. Love leaves you little surprises here and there. Love needs lots of cleaning up after. Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
La:
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper and swat love on the nose, not so much to cause pain, just to let love know, don’t you ever do that again!
Lo:
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk. Because love loves exercise. It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
La:
It pulls you in several different directions at once, or winds around and around you until you’re all wound up and can’t move.
Lo:
Because love makes you meet people wherever you go. People who have nothing in common but love stop and talk to each other on the street.
La:
Throw things away and love will bring them back, again, and again, and again. But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
Lo:
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
Declaration of Marriage
A:
J and L, join hands now as husband and wife, hold to one another. Be as constant and as untarnished as the metal in these bands. By your choice and by the pleasure of those assembled here, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Josh, you may now kiss your bride.
Presentation of the couple:
A:
May I now present Mr. and Mrs. Low!
Consent
A: J, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to L as long as you shall live?
J: I do
A: L, do you come to this union of your free will, and with the intention of being faithful in marriage to J as long as you shall live?
L: I do
A: Who presents this couple to be married?
Our parents (together): We do
A: Thank you, you can please be seated.
Reading
S:
"Union" by Robert Fulghum
You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry. From that moment of yes, to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married”, and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all those late night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.” Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past few years. Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same. For after today you shall say to the world –This is my husband. This is my wife.
Address-A
Marriage Vows/Exchange of Rings
A:
J and L, you have chosen this day to marry each other in the eyes of family and friends. You will marry with the traditional and symbolic wedding rings, which you will give to each other. These rings are priceless to you for many reasons; they symbolize an unending love for each other; they are a measure of your desire to show each other and the world that you are married. They are made of precious metal signifying that you express a value for each other. Will you now speak your vows?
J:
I, JHL, take thee LCO to be my wedded 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 us do part.
L:
I, LCO, take thee JHL to be my wedded husband, 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 us do part.
J:
L C O, with this ring, I thee wed. As we are husband and wife today, I vow to be honest and true to you. I vow to love, to honor, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live, and to express that love often. You are more precious to me than the gold of this band, and you will always be my one and only love. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.
L:
J H L, with this ring, I thee wed. As we are husband and wife today, I vow to be honest and true to you. I vow to love, to honor, and to cherish you as long as we both shall live, and to express that love often. This ring is a symbol of strength and the trust I hold in you. You are the love of my life and always will be. This I promise for as long as we both shall live.
A:
J, please take the engagement ring. This ring is the symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise fulfilled. Please place this ring on L’s finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage. Let these rings serve not as locks binding you together, but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever.
Reading
La:
Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog by Taylor Mali
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
Lo:
So think long and hard before deciding on love. On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
La:
When you’re walking down the street late at night and you have a leash on love, ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Lo:
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable. Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
La:
On cold winter nights, love is warm. It lies between you and lives and breathes and makes funny noises.
Lo:
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs. It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
La:
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long. But come home and love is always happy to see you.
Lo:
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life, but you can never be mad at love for long.
La:
Is love good all the time? No! No! Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Lo:
Love makes messes. Love leaves you little surprises here and there. Love needs lots of cleaning up after. Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
La:
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper and swat love on the nose, not so much to cause pain, just to let love know, don’t you ever do that again!
Lo:
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk. Because love loves exercise. It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
La:
It pulls you in several different directions at once, or winds around and around you until you’re all wound up and can’t move.
Lo:
Because love makes you meet people wherever you go. People who have nothing in common but love stop and talk to each other on the street.
La:
Throw things away and love will bring them back, again, and again, and again. But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
Lo:
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
Declaration of Marriage
A:
J and L, join hands now as husband and wife, hold to one another. Be as constant and as untarnished as the metal in these bands. By your choice and by the pleasure of those assembled here, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Josh, you may now kiss your bride.
Presentation of the couple:
A:
May I now present Mr. and Mrs. Low!
