I loved every meeting I had with Coty and Abbigale.  The best was the big hug I got from Coty when I arrived on a beautiful Sunday morning to marry them at Avon Gardens in Avon, IN.  They wanted to get married among the beauty of Avon Gardens and the only way they could afford it was at 10:30 on a Sunday morning.  It was perfect!

Abbigale's dress was amazing.  It was like she just wanted to float through the garden as she walked down the aisle. I don't think there was a dry eye after they finished exchanging their vows.  (Including mine)  I loved the entire ceremony they chose.  Short and sweet and perfectly theirs!

Hello and welcome, Today we are here to witness the act of love.  Love is the magic that has brought Abbigale and Coty together and through that magic we are joining them today. 
Marriage is a supreme sharing, perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure in the most intimate of human relationships.  It is the joyful uniting of two people whose care and affection and understanding have flowered into a deep and abiding love. Those who take it’s sacred vows have their lives blended together into one, as the water of two rivers are joined when they come together to form and even greater one. 

Our reading for today is From Blue-Eyed Devil.  Written by Lisa Kleypas

"I no longer believed in the idea of soul mates, or love at first sight. But I was beginning to believe that a very few times in your life if you were lucky, you might meet someone who was exactly right for you. Not because he was perfect, or because you were, but because your combined flaws were arranged in a way that allowed two separate beings to hinge together."

Vows

​Coty, from this day onward, do you choose Abbigale to be your wife, your best friend and your only love? To live together, play together and laugh together; To work by her side and dream in her arms; To fill her heart and feed her soul; To always seek out the best in her; Always loving her with all your heart, until the end of your forever?

Abbigale, from this day onward, do you choose Coty to be your husband, your best friend and your only love? To live together, play together and laugh together; To work by his side and dream in his arms; To fill his heart and feed his soul; To always seek out the best in him; Always loving him with all your heart, until the end of your forever?

Now, You have vows you’ve written for each other.   

Ring Exchange

May we have the rings please? 

The ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end.It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace.
It is a circle; for love that is given comes back round again. Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage.
They remind you of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going.
As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are a couple.

Coty, as you place the ring on Abbigale’s finger, please repeat after me:
Abbigale,I give you this ring, with all that I am and all that I ever will be, wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you. 

Abbigale, as you place the ring on Coty’s finger please repeat after me:
Coty, I  give you this ring, with all that I am and all that I ever will be, wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you.  

Hand Ceremony

Now, while you are holding hands and facing each other, take a moment to appreciate the gift that you are to each other:

These are the hands of your best friend, loving, caring that are holding yours on your wedding day, as each of you pledges your love and commitment to one another all the days of your life.

These are the hands that will work alongside yours as you build your future together, as you laugh and cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.

These are the hands that will welcome you home after a very long day.

These are the hands that will wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of Joy!

These are the hands that will hold you tight when you struggle through difficult times.

These are the hands that will comfort you when you are sick and console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will love you and cherish you throughout the years for a lifetime of happiness.

These are the hands that will give you support knowing that together as a team everything you wish for can be realized.

May your hands always be held by one another.

May they have the strength to hold on during the storms of stress and the darkness of disillusionment.

Keep them tender and other in wondrous love.

Today, Abbigae and Coty honored you with their invitation to be present with them today for this ceremony. And so, this day, they declare before all of us that they shall live together in marriage.

In the traditional way, they entered into their marriage with the joining of hands, the making of vows and promises, and the giving and receiving of rings, an outward symbol of their voluntary commitment to one another.

Therefore, it is my pleasure, that I now pronounce them husband and wife. 

Mr and Mrs...!

Rachel and Dominic's wedding at Valle Vista was short, sweet, traditional, filled with laughter, a few tears and it was, of course, perfect!  The ceremony included a prayer shared by Rachel's grandfather and a Tree Planting Ceremony. 

Rachel looked amazing!  She was calm, collected and totally put together.  Dominic was a nervous and excited groom!  I think he had heard the movie quote from Four Weddings and a Funeral when Andie MacDowell's character says this about getting married:  "It's pretty easy. Just say 'I do' whenever anyone asks you a question."  He got it out with the vows and then again when he was supposed to repeat after me for the rings. And, it was adorable!  All I could think afterwards was, if he was thinking about Ross's wedding to Emily in the TV show Friends there was no way he could go wrong because he was actually marrying Rachel, the love of his life!

There procession started with Rachel's grandfather walking 2 grandmother's down the aisle.  He was dressed in his dress military uniform.  He came up in the middle of the ceremony to read a prayer.  It was a great way to honor her him and have him participate in the ceremony.  It was a beautiful moment.   

Rachel and Dominic chose a Tree Planting Ceremony as their unity ceremony using dirt from each of their parent's back yards.  

​Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Rachel and Dominic in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family.  Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.
We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Those who were unable to be here and those who have gone on to greater things. We know that they are here with us in spirit.  

Rachel and Dominic, Today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life.There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together.  May you be enriched by the unique view of the other!

Wedding Prayer 
(Read by Rachel’s Grandfather)

Lord Jesus, grant that Rachel and Dominic may have a true and understanding love for each other. Grant that they may both be filled with faith and trust Give them the grace to live with each other in peace and harmony. May they always bear with one another’s weaknesses and grow from each other’s strengths.
Help them to forgive one another’s failings and grant them patience, kindness, cheerfulness and the spirit of placing the well being of one another ahead of self.
May the love that brought them together grow and mature with each passing year. Bring them both ever closer to You through their love for each other. Let their love grow to perfection. Amen.
Dominic, from this day forward, do you choose Rachel to be your wife, your best friend, and your only love? To live together, play together and laugh together;
To work by her side and dream in her arms; To fill her heart and feed her soul;
To always seek out the best in her; Always loving her with all your heart, until the end of your forever?
Rachel, from this day forward, do you choose Dominic to be your husband, your best friend, and your only love? To live together, play together and laugh together;
To work by his side and dream in his arms; To fill his heart and feed his soul;
To always seek out the best in him; Always loving him with all your heart, until the end of your forever?

The rings please…
The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things.  From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you of the endless circle that they are.  Like love, there is no beginning and no end.  They will remind you daily that you are married.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. 

please repeat after me....

Rachel, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  

Dominic, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  

Tree Ceremony
​
Rachel and Dominic, long before you two had the pleasure of knowing each other, your families provided you with a foundation of love and support which has made you the people we see before us. To honor your families and all they have given you, you each will start by adding dirt from your childhood homes’. Just as your families have been the foundation of who you have become, this dirt will be the foundation of your new family. 

Rachel and Dominic will plant this tree in their new home signifying the joining of their lives together, the commitment that they have made to one another, and the strength and nurturing each will provide to the relationship as they grow and mature together. 

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding
as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife.”
Dominic, you may now kiss your bride!

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you..!

Jodi and Sandy booked their first day of summer wedding in the dead of winter! The two of them came in from Michigan accompanied my friends and family from all over.  Sandy was a student in Indianapolis for part of their relationship which made it special to them.  Indy is also centrally located between much of their family and friends which made it convenient for everyone. 

I've married more than one couple that chose Indy as their destination wedding spot for that same reason.  It's very easy to get married in Indy.  It's less expensive than many surrounding states and there is no waiting period which makes it a great destination spot for a daytrip or a weekend.  If you live in Tennessee, and you have family on Oklahoma and Wisconsin, Indy can be a very good options as a central meeting point. 

Sany and Jodi's first choice of locations to elope in Downtown Indianapolis was Monument Circle.  That was changed once we found out that there would be hundreds of people doing yoga at that time.  We ended up marrying them on the Indy Canal Walk at the Ohio Street Basin.  It was well located within walking distance to their hotel and the restaurant they'd chosen for dinner.  

While wedding ceremonies are important, for most people, they've already made their commitment to one another and the actual wedding is to sign the papers and make everything legal.  That makes it an excellent opportunity to have a little fun with the ceremony while celebrating their relationship and time with family and friends.  That's exactly what Jody and Sandy did.  I also thought  it was pretty funny when Jodi's dad stopped to buy 3 bottles of water while escorting her down the steps to the wedding!

Welcoming Words

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, the joining of Stacy and Jodi in marriage. 

For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, and possibly a touch of friendly stalking, the extraordinary happened. They became inseparable, even while living a state apart they fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding today. Romance is fun, but true love is something far more and it is their desire to love each other for life and that is what we are celebrating, as they promise to embrace conflicts as well as peace, to work as well as play, to struggle as well as coast, to give as well as receive, and to be with, stay with, and move toward one another. 

But today is also a celebration for the rest of us, for it is a pleasure for us to see love in full bloom, and to participate in the union of two people so perfectly suited to one another, and to enjoy the beautiful scenery. As you all hold a place in their hearts reserved for those that they have chosen to call family and friends they are deeply grateful for each and everyone here today. 

Words about love and marriage  

Corinthians One says that love is patient and kind. It is not jealous or boastful, not irritable or resentful, not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. It does not rejoice in the wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes in all things and endures all things. Love never ends. This marriage is a symbol of Stacy and Jodi’s commitment to that love. 

Vows

Do you Stacy take Jodi as you partner for life,  Do you Promise to always park on the top floor of parking ramps, Do you vow to take her in sickness and in health, in the happy and sad moments, Do you promise to love and honor her above all others, Do you promise to keep her safe and secure and always protect her and cherish her for all the days of your life? 


Do you Jodi take Stacy as your life partner? Vow to continue taking his socks even when he buys you your own, vow to take him in sickness and in health, in the happy moments and sad moments, vow to support him even when his days are heavy, do you promise to love and honor him above all others for all the days of your life? 

Rings

The fitting of this ring with its unending circle, symbolizes my everlasting love for you. The placing of this ring on your finger, is the fulfillment of my dreams, to have you as my best friend, my lover, my accomplice in mischief, my husband/wife to live as one forever.


Final Blessings
​
Stacy and Jodi have come a long way from when they first met, to learning to thrive in a long distance relationship and actually getting engaged here in Indy to declaring their devotion to each other today..
The two of you are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever you go, may you always return to one another in your togetherness. May you two find in each other the love for which all humans long for. May you grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home that you establish be such a place of sanctuary that all who visit will find there a friend. May you always provide each other with a cherry coke and continuous inside jokes that the two of you may always giggle about together and may the Lord bless you and keep you forevermore. 

Gina and Jimmy, together at last, together forever!  I love small family weddings. I love stories of couples getting together "after all this time..." of knowing each other. Stories of middle-aged adults finding themselves divorced and at a place in their life when they know exactly what they are looking for and find it in the craziest ways - long distance, on social media, with an old friend.  

Gina was beyond excited with their wedding planning.  They had originally chosen the Clocktower at Coxhall Gardens to elope but changed to their living room the day before due to rain.  I always think your living room is a great place to get married.  You can have all the privacy you want or need.

This small family wedding was perfect!  They chose many Christian elements to their ceremony and wrote their own vows.  Gina had vows for Jimmy's daughter and words of love for all the family member present.  

Everyone had an amazing sense of humor. There was laughter through tears and loud claps of thunder at all the best moments during a wedding ceremony.  "I now pronounce you husband and wife!"  BOOM!  It happened during the vows too. It was perfect!

Welcome!  Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever.
 We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Gina and Jimmy in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, and honor one another as individuals, as they look forward, with joy, to spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you – their family.   Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.
 
Let us begin by welcoming in the presence of God in each of us.
 
Dear Heavenly Father: As we lift into the loving that joins us together as one,
Let us surround Gina and Jimmy with our love, our prayers, and our best wishes for them on this, their wedding day, and throughout their journey together as wife and husband. In your blessed name we pray. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen
 
Gina and Jimmy, today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your love and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life. There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together.  May you be enriched by the unique view of the other!
 
Jimmy will now share a poem entitled “Today I Marry My Best Friend”:
 
Today I marry my best friend:
The one I have laughed and cried with,
The one I have learned from and shared with,
The one I have chosen to support, encourage and give myself to,
Through all the days, given to us to share,
Today I marry the one I love.
  
And now Gina will share from Shakespeare’s As You Like It.
 
No sooner met but they looked, no sooner looked but they loved, no sooner loved but they sighed, no sooner sighed but they asked one another the reason, no sooner knew the reason but they sought the remedy; and in these degrees have they made a pair of stairs to marriage.
 
VOWS 

Gina and Jimmy have written their own vows. Jimmy will go first.

  
You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep. You're going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple premise to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there. You're teaming up and saying to the other, "Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of."
 
Will you, Jimmy, keep Gina as your favorite person — to laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life's tough moments, be proud of her, grow old with her, and find new reasons to love her every day?


Will you, Gina, keep Jimmy as your favorite person — to laugh with him, go on adventures with him, support him through life's tough moments, be proud of him, grow old with him, and find new reasons to love him every day?

Will you, Gina and Jimmy, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely — for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?
​  
Gina and Jimmy, you have made your vows to each other. And now Gina would like to make a vow to Jim's daughter.
 
I am so happy that I am joining your family. I want you to know that I will always protect you, care for you, love you, and I promise to always be there for you. I love you.
 
Maggie, could you please present the rings…
Bless, O Lord, These rings To be signs Of the vows By which this man And this woman Have bound themselves To each other.  Amen.
 
Jimmy, please repeat after me:  Gina, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I will always love you. 

Gina, please repeat after me: Jimmy, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I will always love you. 
 
Gina and Jimmy, 
May all your days be blessed with love and friendship. May each day and night of your lives be a new beginning. May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer’s day.   May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight, healing and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart. May God bless and keep you always.\

By the power vested in me by the state of Indiana I now pronounce you Husband and Wife!  You may kiss your bride!!  Introducing Mr. and Mrs...!

Charlotte and Daniel chose a Sunday afternoon in Indy to get married. Daniel had his heart and his mind set on getting married outside under the Pergola next to the lake at The Montage in Indianapolis.  From the way it was POURING down rain on Saturday night it didn't look like that was going to happen. But, when we all woke up on Sunday morning the sun was out and it was drying up and the outdoor wedding happened!

Daniel is a teacher and as soon as classes let out for the summer he was full speed ahead into wedding planning and 100% involved.  I love the ceremony they chose. The words they chose to express their thoughts and feelings are perfect. 

​Charlotte learned to sew and made her own wedding dress.  She looked absolutely beautiful!  The two of them split up after the rehearsal dinner on Friday night and didn't see each other again until the ceremony.  Yes, Charlotte definitely took Daniel's break away!  (sigh...)

​Ladies and Gentlemen, before we begin, Please take a moment to silence your phones and refrain from taking taking pictures during the ceremony.  It is important to Charlotte and Daniel that you be present with them and share the moment as they make their wedding vows.  

Welcome! We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Charlotte and Daniel in marriage. As they promise to love, trust, and honor one another, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together, they are surrounded by you- their friends and family. Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

Charlotte and Daniel, today as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you realize your dreams, and that you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires, and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life. There was a time when your loves were two separate paths. Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together. Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path. We gather today to celebrate with you the new life that you now undertake together.

People are like cities: We all have alleys and gardens and secret rooftops and places where daisies sprout between the sidewalk cracks, but most of the time all we let each other see is a postcard glimpse of a skyline or a polished square. Love lets you find those hidden places in another person, even the ones they didn’t know were there, even the ones they wouldn’t have thought to call beautiful themselves. 

But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. It is indeed a fearful gamble. Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature. To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation. It takes a lifetime to learn another person. When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling.

Take a moment and take a deep breath and remember this moment. 

Daniel and Charlotte, now you’ll say a few words that take you across of life, for after these vows, you’ll say to the world, this is my husband and this is my life.  

Declaration of Intent

Groom, do you come here today, in the presence of these witnesses, with love in your heart and with a conscious desire to be united in marriage with Bride?  Do you promise to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your lives together and to give to Bride all the loving support she needs to become the person she is destined to be?

Groom:  I do

Bride, do you come here today, in the presence of these witnesses, with love in your heart and with a conscious desire to be united in marriage with Groom?  Do you promise to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your lives together and to give to Groom all the loving support he needs to become the person he is destined to be?

Bride:  I do


Vows
​
The rings, please.  They will have each other's rings

The ring is an ancient symbol, so perfect and simple. It has no beginning and has no end. It is round like the sun, like the moon, like the eye, like arms that embrace. It is a circle; for love that is given comes back round again. Your rings are precious because you wear them with love. They symbolize your commitment in marriage. They remind you of who you are, where you’ve been, and where you’re going. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are as individuals, but also who you are a couple.

Repeat after me:
Daniel, as you place the ring on Charlotte’s finger, please repeat after me:

I Daniel, take thee, Charlotte to be my Wife.
To have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
for richer or for poorer,
in joy and in sorrow,
and I promise my love to you,
for as long as we both shall live.
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.


Charlotte, as you place the ring on Daniels finger, please repeat after me
I Charlotte, take thee, Daniel to be my husband.
To have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
for richer or for poorer,
in joy and in sorrow,
and I promise my love to you,
for as long as we both shall live.
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.

Final pronouncement

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.

It is my great pleasure to pronounce you “Husband and Wife.” You may now kiss the bride.

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you: Mr. and Mrs....!

Lucas and Madison were in love with the Indianapolis Museum of Art and Newfields before they even moved to Indy. When they decided to get married there was no questions as to where they would have the ceremony and reception.  They had a Sunday brunch wedding so they and their guests could spend the day enjoying the gardens.  No, sunflowers are not in bloom yet this early in the summer but Madison was carrying a beautiful bouquet filled with them.  Luke is a published poet so I didn't think there was much I could offer him towards writing a ceremony other then what I have on my wedding ceremony sites.  They chose a perfect mixture of my Traditional Wedding Ceremony script mixed with the Modern Romantic Ceremony.  Their sister's served as their Maid of Honor and Best Woman and each shared a piece of poetry.  

Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Madison and Lucas in marriage. As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family.   Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Those who were unable to be here and those who have gone on to greater things. We know that they are here with us in spirit.  

Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever.

You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. And when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? You're standing on a stage, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by pretty much everyone who has meant anything to you in your life. So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so critical, we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others.

Why this moment?  Why does this one matter beyond all the rest?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you all are here to watch them stand up here. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity.

First reading

The Country of Marriage
by Wendell Berry
Part 3

Sometimes our life reminds me
of a forest in which there is a graceful clearing
and in that opening a house,
an orchard and garden,
comfortable shades, and flowers
red and yellow in the sun, a pattern
made in the light for the light to return to.
The forest is mostly dark, its ways
to be made anew day after day, the dark
richer than the light and more blessed,
provided we stay brave
enough to keep on going in.

Second Reading

Blessing the Boats
by Lucille Clifton

may the tide
that is entering even now
the lip of our understanding
carry you out
beyond the face of fear
may you kiss
the wind then turn from it
certain that it will
love your back    may you
open your eyes to water
water waving forever
and may you in your innocence
sail through this to that

Community Affirmation

Will all of you gathered here give your pledge to honor and uphold Madison and Lucas; to recognize them as a family in this community, to guide and pray for them in times of trouble, to celebrate with them in times of joy, and to respect the bonds of their covenant?  If so, please say "we will." 

People: We will. 

Vows
Do you Lucas, take Madison, to be your wife, to have and to hold, through laughter and tears, enjoying with her the good times and supporting her through the difficult times, loving and cherishing her from this day forward?

Luke:  I do. 

Do you Madison, take Lucas, to be your husband, to have and to hold, through laughter and tears, enjoying with him the good times and supporting him through the difficult times, loving and cherishing him from this day forward?

Madison:  I do. 

The rings please…

The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things. From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you that love, like a circle has no beginning and no end. They will remind you daily that you are married.  They will remind you of the commitment that you have made. Above all, they will remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. 

Luke: Madison, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I love you. 

Madison: Luke, I give you this ring  as a symbol of my love and lifelong devotion, wear it and know that I love you. 


Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding
as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife.”

You may now seal your marriage with a kiss!!!  

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you: Mr.and Mrs.!!!

​

Ethan and Alex were married under the Covered Bridge at the Indiana State Fairground.  Who knew there were fabulous places to get married at the fairgrounds?  

I had a lot of fun getting to know Alex over coffee with her mother at Starbucks over a year before the wedding.  Alex said that she and Ethan were passionate about their dog "Slink" and Harry Potter.  I got so excited about Harry Potter.  My husband and I have had so much fun with Harry over the years.  Listening and reading sessions and having fun with the absolute belief that magic is real! 

I'd been waiting for the opportunity to write a Harry Potter wedding ceremony script and Alex was all over it!!  I was able to work Slink into this wedding too! 

The wedding was absolutely wonderful.  Ethan and Alex were both in tears exchanging their wedding vows and everyone has so much fun with the whole ceremony!  You can also view another Unbreakable Vow wedding ceremony I wrote here.  

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us today.  Please silence your phones and refrain from taking pictures during the ceremony.  Thank you.  

Welcome

Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Alex and Ethan in marriage.  As they promise to love, trust in that love, 
honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together.  They, are surrounded by you - their friends and family.   Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

Moment of Silence

We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Either those who couldn’t be here today or who are no longer with us.  We Know that they are here with us in spirit

Alex and Ethan, Today, as you two are joined in marriage, there is a vast and unknown future stretching out before you. The possibilities and potentials of your married life are great. We join with you in hoping you make real your dreams!  That you are reborn in each other as you share your loves and dreams, wants and desires and together are enriched by them. Through your commitment to each other, may you grow and nurture a love that makes both of you better people, a love that continues to give you great joy, and also a passion for living that provides you with energy and patience to face the responsibilities of life. There was a time when your lives were two separate paths.  Gradually, they were joined as you grew closer together.  Today, you proclaim to the world your choice to stay on the same path together.  May you be enriched by the unique view of the other!

I know there was a lot of discussion as to whether or not Slink, the wonder dog was going to be here today.  He’s such an important part of your lives.  That’s why, I think this reading is perfect for today.  We all learn from each other and we can learn a lot from dogs!

How Falling in Love is like Owning a Dog 
by Taylor Mali

First of all, it’s a big responsibility, owning a dog or falling in love...
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t nobody going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
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.
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!
Sometimes love just wants to go out for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise. It will run you around the block
and leave you panting, breathless. Pull you in different directions
at once, or wind itself around and around you
until you’re all wound up and you cannot move.
But 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.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.


Now, I don’t think that two big Harry Potter fans, like Ethan and Alex, could think about getting married without making The Unbreakable Vow and declaring Until Avada Kedavera do us part!  To you muggles that are unfamiliar with the magical lingo, The Unbreakable Vow is when you make a vow in such seriousness, if you should break the vow, you will die.  On the other hand, Avada Kedavera is the killing curse!  Oh, to think that nothing could ever separate you other than a killing curse in a duel!

There are a few things we can learn about love and marriage from the magical world of Harry Potter…

Albus Dumbledore said “We can’t choose our fate but we can choose others,”  He also goes on to say that we should “be careful in knowing that.”  We know that you have made a very careful choice in deciding to get married today, and you have chosen each other, knowing that whatever fate might bring, the two of you, together, know that you can face it.  

There may be things you face over the lifetime of your marriage that seem insurmountable, like a 12 foot mountain troll.  But remember this Potter quote, “There are some things you can’t share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a 12 foot mountain troll is one of them.”  Remember when you face the mountain trolls of life, you will find out things about yourselves and each other, that you would have never seen, had you not been put to the test.  Good things like strength and wit, and of course, cleverness, bravery and friendship.   

Perhaps the best vows to make today is what James Potter declared  when he said “Until the very end.”  The interesting thing about that quote is that James Potter said it from beyond the grave.  So, with that, may your vow today be beyond the typical “until death do us part.”  May your love always connect you on a level beyond our physical understanding knowing that is where the actual magic is.    

 Dumbledore declared, “Let us step into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure.”   We hope your marriage is full of adventure!   

Along your adventure, Listen to Ron who said, “When in doubt, go to the library.”  

When things get challenging, remember Dumbledore also said, “Time will not slow down when something unpleasant lies ahead.”  But I hope you have a helpful Marauders Map to show you what’s along the way when you need it. And may you also know when it’s exactly the right time to say “Mischief Managed!” 

Remember that your marriage will take on a life of it’s own and your relationship will grow.  “It matters not what someone is born, it’s what they grow to be”  Your marriage starts today, it’s born today,  you can control what it grows to be by your choices and actions.  “What’s comin’ will come and we’ll meet it when it does.”  
Know that, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times if one only remembers to turn the light on.”

Slughorn said, “It is impossible to manufacture or imitate love.”   Love, simply is, you can choose to let it flow through you or not.  Love is the power behind the magic.

In the end, remember, “You are protected, in short, by your ability to love.”  And when someone asks, “Even after all this time?”  May your answer be, “Always.”  

Vows

Do you Ethan, take Alex, to be your wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward through all your adventures in life together?

Do you Alex take Ethan, to be your husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward through all of your adventures in life together.

Alex and Ethan would now like to share their own vows here

Ring Exchange
​
The rings are the universal symbols of marriage.  They mean many things.  From now on you will wear these rings and they will remind you...  They will remind you of the endless circle that they are.  Like love, there is no beginning and no end.  They will remind you daily that you are married.  Sometimes they will remind you of the commitment that you have made - for better or worse.  But, may they always remind you that there is one other person in the world that has pledged to love you forever, through thick and through thin and with all that they have. 


Alex, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you.

Ethan, I give you this ring with all that I am and all that I ever will be.  Wear it and know that I love you.  With this ring, I marry you.  

The Hand Ceremony

And now as you are holding hands take a moment, so that you may see the gift that you are to each other.

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 countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy.
These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams.
These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it.
These are the hands that will lift your chin and brush your cheek as they raise your face to look into eyes that are filled with overwhelming love for you.

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.

Final Blessing

Alex and Ethan, May all your days be blessed with love and friendship. May each day and night of your lives be a new beginning.
May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer’s day.    
May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight, healing  and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart.
May you always feel that what you have is enough.

The Pronouncement

It is my great pleasure to acknowledge your union as “Husband and Wife.”
You may now seal your marriage with a kiss!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs...

Katie and Cory did a lot of customization on their short and sweet wedding ceremony script.  They started with Romantic Ceremony 2 from my Elopement Ceremony Scripts and added prayers, blessing and other readings.  They had originally chosen from pre-written vows but decided to write their own vows instead.  What was really interesting to me was they each had chosen different pre-written vows that they wanted to say instead of both saying the same thing.  I'd never really thought it about it from that angle before but I really liked  it when I saw it.  

It was an absolutely beautiful Friday evening for their wedding at Avon Gardens in Avon, Indiana.  

Opening Prayer

​In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have come together to witness the marriage of Katie and Cory. To pray for God’s blessings on them, to share their joy and celebrate their love.

Words about Love and Marriage
​
Marriage symbolizes the intimate sharing of two lives. This sharing must not diminish, but enhance the individuality of each partner. You do not shed your individuality, for that is what brought you together in the first place. Marriage is the loving declaration that you should be no other than yourself. A lasting marriage is not stagnant. The relationship and each individual are continually growing and developing. Your understanding of each other deepens and evolves. It is not this ceremony or the state of being married that will truly join and hold you together, but your ongoing commitment to your relationship and to the kind of life you wish to make together. In this way, your marriage will not be just a symbol; it will be more than that. It will be an action, something you work actively on every day.

Only once in your lifetime, I truly believe, you find someone who can completely turn your world around.  You tell them things that you’ve never shared with a soul and they absorb everything you say, and actually want to hear more.  You share hopes for the future, dreams that will never come true, goals that were never achieved and the many disappointments life has thrown at you.  They are not embarrassed to cry with you or laugh. They build you up and show you the things about yourself that make you special. There is a quiet calmness when they are around.  You can be yourself because they love you for all you are. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, and you are quite content. Things that never interested you before become fascinating.  You open your heart and experience a love and joy that you never dreamed possible. You find that being vulnerable is the only way to feel true pleasure and it’s so real it scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend who will remain loyal to the end.  Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your only hope and security is in knowing that they are part of your life.

Treat Yourselves and Each Other with Respect

Treat yourselves and each other with respect,  and remind yourselves often of what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness, and kindness that your connection deserves.  When frustration, difficulties, and fear assail your relationship, as they threaten all relationships at one time or another, remember to focus on what is right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you can ride out the storms  when clouds hide the face of the sun in your lives... remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the sun is still there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and delight. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Vows 

Cory would like to say a few personal words to Katie...

Katie, I take you as my wife, with your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help and turn to you when I need help. I choose you, every day, as the person with whom I will share my life. I pledge to to love, cherish and protect you for all of my days with all my heart and soul. When the ups and downs of life happen, I will stand by your side and we will face them together because I am strongest when I am by your side. I promise you forgiveness, understanding and friendship. I will listen to you and be present in the moment with you and not worry about challenges or triumphs that tomorrow may bring.From this day until forever, I am yours.

Katie would like to say a few personal words to Cory.

Cory, For nearly a decade, you have loved me with such unconditional patience and care. You are my safe space. When I see you, I see home, and no matter what may come our way, I will always fiercely protect my home and I promise that I’ll always choose you and love you above all others.  I am the best version of me when I’m with you. You keep me grounded and motivated to better myself. I want to be the woman you deserve and I promise to spend the rest of my life earning your love. I promise to love you fully, encourage you, respect you, support, and believe in you. I promise to listen with an open mind and an open heart.  I promise to have patience through the dark times and be a safe space for your secrets and vulnerabilities. I promise to stand beside you in sickness and in health, in times of prosper and decline, in peace and in turmoil, as long as we both shall live. I am forever committed to you as your friend and as your loving wife and I cannot imagine continuing this journey with anyone but you, the love of my life. I love you.

Ring exchange

This is the point in the ceremony where we usually talk about the wedding bands being a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end.  But we all know that these rings do have a beginning. Rock is dug up from the earth. Metal is liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees, then molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished.  Something beautiful is made from raw elements. Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, made by imperfect beings. It's the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all.

Cory, please repeat after me:  Katie, this ring is my promise to accept your imperfections and appreciate all that makes you unique and beautiful.

Katie, please repeat after me:  Cory, This ring is my promise to accept your imperfections and appreciate all that makes you unique and beautiful.

Final Blessings

Katie and Cory, May all your days be blessed with love and friendship. May each day and night of your lives be a new beginning. May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer’s day. May you find peacefulness and beauty, challenge, and satisfaction, humor and insight, healing and renewal, love and wisdom, as in a quiet heart and may you always feel that what you have is enough.

Closing Prayer

God, we ask for your blessings upon this man and woman, as we celebrate this momentous occasion in their lives. Grant them happiness and contentment as they establish their new home, create a new family and explore the depths of their love for one another and for you. Bless their families and friends and the relationships, which have supported, strengthened and sustained them throughout their lives. Bless their home as a place of love and of peace.
​
And if times grow hard and tempers grow short, help them to look into their hearts and remember the love that brought them here today. Amen.

In the presence of this good company, by the power of their love, Katie and Cory have given themselves to each other by solemn vows with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings.  In the name of God the father, the son, and the holy spirit, I pronounce you husband and wife!

You may kiss your bride!

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs...
​

I kicked off Pride Month in Indy with a BANG!  I married Dorothy and DaWonda on June 1st.  it was an absolutely spectacular ceremony. I was literally flying high by the time we finished.  I don't think we left anything out. 

Both brides wore amazing white wedding dresses - all of their guests wore white too! Both brides were escorted by male family members.  We remembered their father's in a Unity Candle of Remembrance Ceremony and a Moment of Silence.  We celebrated the coming together of a beautiful family with a sand ceremony and we ended the ceremony by jumping the broom! 

I literally don't think there was a dry eye in the room when the brides finished sharing their personal vows.  Yes, that included me too! 

This ceremony is the perfect mix of secular and Christian aspects as well as giving new meaning to the traditional unity ceremonies. 
​

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us today.  Before we begin the ceremony, I’d like to ask you to refrain from sharing anything about the ceremony on social media until the reception.  DaWonda and Dorothy are coming together today before God in the celebration of their marriage and would like the focus at this time to be on the ceremony.  Thank you. Let us begin!

Welcome

Welcome  to this celebration of love and the blessing of the new life being joined together by the marriage of DaWonda and Dorothy. They come to dedicate themselves to God and to each other, and with His eternal help, to fashion their house into a home, their family into a unity of His Kingdom, and to achieve within their lives a hint of eternity. Dorothy and DaWondna have come to publicly proclaim their love and devotion through holy marriage.

Opening Prayer

Because this is a special day, we want to begin it in a special way, and that is with a moment of prayer. I’m going to ask that you close your eyes and turn within yourselves. And now, call forth that divine presence from within you, knowing that as you do so, God’s blessings are now being poured out upon you both. “Through the presence and power and the activity of God within you, we now see you blessed with an abundance of all good. We see your minds illumined by divine wisdom, your hearts quickened by divine love and your bodies purified and blessed with divine substance. This we do affirm through the power of the living presence of God within each of you. Amen.

The Presentation of the Brides

DaWonda and Dorothy, being assured that your love and your choice of each other as lifelong companions is in God’s will and that you have your families’ blessings, I now ask:

Who gives this woman DaWonda to be Married?

Her mom and Nephew:  We do

Who gives this woman Dorothy to be Married?

Her mom and Brother:  We do

Welcome and Remembrance
DaWonda’s Daughter has written a few words that she would like to share.  
Daughter comes up and reads.

Unity Candle

At this time, we’d like to take a moment to celebrate family.  Those of you who are here today and those who are not here today or no longer with us.  We would especially like to remember the father’s of both Brides (Names inserted here) who are not here.  As we light the unity candles we do so remembering them especially. We know that they are here with us in spirit.

Brief Moment of Silence

As you can see here, there are 3 candles.  The two on the outside represent all of you and those who we are remembering today.  One candle represents DaWonda and her family, friends and experiences that make her who she is today, ready to enter into marriage.  The other candle represents Dorothy and her family, friends and experiences that make her who she is today, ready to enter into marriage.  We will now have their sisters, each representing their family come up and light the outside candles.

Sisters come and light the candles

Now, we will have Dorothy and DaWonda light their candle together. As they do so, your two families are officially joined.  

May your light burn brightly for many years to come!


The Address

True marriage is more than the joining of two persons in the bonds of matrimony. In its right relationship, it is the uniting of two souls already attuned to each other. When such a true bond already exists between two people, it is proper that an outer acknowledgement be made. This acknowledgement is the prime objective of the ceremony.

We are here to bear witness to the entry of these two loving friends, who are already one in spirit into the closer relationship of marriage. DaWonda and Dorothy,  you are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of one in the world, whom you love most dear, and the dynamic flow of love is the heart of marriage. This love emerges from, responds to, and is fellowship with God and each other. It is the challenge to create an atmosphere of freedom in which you both can develop your potentials. It is working together in an attitude of service for common goals. It is sharing from the depths of your being in the understanding presence of each other. It is a union of persons which respects individuality. It is the covenant of love which accepts weakness as well as strength.

You are adding to your life not only the affection and the response that your hearts desire, not only the happy companionship of hours together, but a deeper trust as well. It is the implied trust of loving. You are finding in each other that which complements your life. You are agreeing to be a tower of strength to one another. You are agreeing to carry a part of each other’s responsibilities. You are entering on an adventure of pure faith in which you give of yourselves to the utmost.

Listen to the words of the Apostle Paul, and let them fill your hearts:

If I speak with the eloquence of men and of angels, but have no love, I become no more than blaring brass or crashing cymbal. If I have the gift of foretelling the future and hold in my mind not only all of human knowledge but the very secrets of God, and if I also have that absolute faith which can move mountains, but have no love I amount to nothing at all. If I dispose of all that I possess, yes, even if I give my own body to be burned, but have no love, I achieve precisely nothing. This love of which I speak is slow to lose patience – it looks for a way of being constructive. It is not possessive: it is neither anxious to impress nor does it cherish inflated ideas of its own importance. Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. It is not touch. It does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, it is glad with all good men when truth prevails.  Love knows no limit to its endurance, no end to its trust, no fading of its hope; it can outlast anything. It is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen. In this life, we have three great lasting qualities – faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

(Insert Name Here) will now come up and share the reading

Why Marriage?
By Mary Nichols Haining

Because to the depths of me, I long to love one person, With all my heart, my soul, my mind, my body.
Because I need a forever friend to trust with the intimacies of me, who won't hold them against me,
Who loves me when I'm unlikable, who sees the small child in me, and who looks for the divine potential of me. Because I need to cuddle in the warmth of the night with someone who thanks God for me, with someone I feel blessed to hold. Because marriage  means opportunity to grow in love and friendship, because marriage is a discipline to be added to a list of achievements, because marriage do not fail, people fail when they enter into marriage expecting another to make them whole. Because knowing this, I promise myself to take full responsibility for my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness. I create me. I take half of the responsibility for my spiritual, mental and physical wholeness. I create me. I take half of the responsibility for my marriage. Together we create our marriage. Because of this understanding, the possibilities are limitless.

Vows

DaWonda and Dorothy, on this day do you affirm the love that the two of you share share, looking to the future to deepen and strengthen it? Will you affirm that love in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in failure and in triumph. Together will you dream and break bread?  When you stumble will you restore one another? Will you share all things, serving one another and your fellow man? Will you cherish and respect, comfort and encourage one another? Be open with one another, and stay with one another as long as you both shall live, bound by your love?

Dorothy, do you choose DaWonda, to be your wife, your friend, and your love?

DaWonda, do you choose Dorothy, to be your wife, your friend, and your love?  


You now have vows you’ve written for each other.

Ring Exchange

May we have the rings please?

​The circle has frequently been used to symbolize eternity. The ring, like the circle, is a reminder of the perfection and endurance of DaWonda and Dorothy’s commitment to and love for one another.  May the Lord bless these rings which you give as a sign of of your love and devotion.

Dorothy, Please repeat after me as you place the ring on DaWonda’s finger:
DaWonda,  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, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed.

DaWonda, Please repeat after me as you place the ring on Dorothy’s finger:
Dorothy, 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, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. With this ring, I thee wed."

Unity Sand Ceremony

Now that DaWonda and Dorothy have been united in marriage, they want to do something that represents their coming together as a family.  They are going to do that with a sand ceremony. Each of them, (Insert names here) have their own small container of sand.  It’s their own color and it represents their own beauty and uniqueness.  In just a moment, they will pour their sands together, never to be separated again. When the sand has been poured, they will have a created a work of art, of which, each of them are an integral part in it’s beauty.  Together, they are better then the sum of their parts. While the sand can never be separated again, remember that you are still you, you are made better by your connection as family.

Everyone pours their sand and then takes their seat, except for DaWonda and Dorothy, they come back together to be pronounced married.

Let up pray:

Dear God, thank you for this joyous day.
Thank you for Your Light that has entered DaWonda  and Dorothy’s life.
Thank you for all the miracles and blessings.
Please bless this union.
Help them to find the perfect place in this world for their love to flourish.
Let the radiant light of their love shine on all those around them.
May all their future creations be blessed.
God, bless them with the inner gifts of trust, compassion, forgiveness, and truth that they may live and grow together in love and peace.

The Pronouncement

Dorothy and DaWonda, you came here today to affirm your love for one another and formally acknowledge that which your hearts already knew...

That your lives are meant to be shared as one, that you are stronger together than you are apart, and that, for all your days yet to come, you wish to share together all life's joys and challenges, committed one to the other.  
I now pronounce you Married!  
You may seal this marriage with a Kiss!

Jump the Broom

We end this ceremony with the African American tradition of jumping of the broom. Slaves in this country were not permitted to marry, so they jumped a broom as a way of ceremonially uniting.  As Dorothy and DaWonda jump the broom, they physically and spiritually cross the threshold into the land of matrimony. It marks the beginning of making a home together. It symbolizes the sweeping away of the old and the welcoming of the new; the sweeping away all negative energy, making way for all things that are good to come into your lives. It is also a call of support for the marriage from the entire community of family and friends. The brides will now begin their new life together with a clean sweep!
​
The broom is laid

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mrs. and Mrs.(Insert Name Here)!

Jump the broom!

​

Matt and Kayley.  Kayley and Matt.  Ahhh...Yes, I really like these two.  Ever since I met them our conversation was a bit of a running joke.  When I first sat down with them I asked them if there was anything they had to have in their ceremony and anything they definitely didn't want in their ceremony? The answer might me "I have to have this reading" or "I definitely don't want you to read off of an iPad, I think it's tacky." Most couples really don't know enough about wedding ceremonies to have an answer.  When I asked Matt and Kayley this question, Matt got quiet for a little bit and then said "God and Trump." 

Religion and politics are thing that you would have to actually request for me to put in your ceremony.  I'm happy to pray, but I'm not an ordained minister with a church so I don't automatically assume any couple wants an sort of religious aspect in their ceremony.  Politics, um, no, not at all. The interesting thing is, Matt and Kayley area complete opposites when it comes to politics. Considering how the current political climate has basically polarized much of the population, Kayley and Matt getting married gives me hope. 

Kayley and Matt chose wedding vows and verbiage in their ceremony that really transcends current politics to what marriage and love itself, should be.  They were last minute ceremony editors and I enjoyed reading every new thing they sent over and I was moved by it keeping in context who they are as individuals and a couple.  I especially enjoyed performing their wedding ceremony!

Mustard Seed Gardens is a lovely venue in Noblesville, IN. Their outdoor ceremony spaces are beautiful. Kayle and Matt chose to use the tree as a backdrop instead of the gazebo.  It was a chance of thudershowers all day and even as I was getting ready to leave for the wedding it was raining.  But it stopped, everything was dried off and the wedding was outside.  Music was provided by The Deoc Ensemble and Track 7 DJ provided the music.  A string trio for the ceremony and DJ for the reception.  

Oh, and, last but not least.  Matt and Kayley included their birds in the ceremony.  Chico and Pearl, the parrots were the honorary Flower-Bird and Ring Bearer.  

​Presentation of the Bride

Officiant: Who presents this woman to be married?
Father:  Her Mother and I do
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Welcoming Words 

Welcome!  We are gathered here today to celebrate and to witness the joining of Matt and Kayley in marriage.  As they promise to love, trust in that love, honor one another as individuals, and anticipate with joy spending the rest of their lives together. They are surrounded by you - their friends and family. Thank you for gathering here to witness their marriage and to share in the joy of this special occasion.

Moment of Silence

We’d like to take a moment to remember those who are not with us here today. Those who couldn't attend and those who have passed away.  We know they are here in spirit.  We would especially like to remember  (Leo & Norma Florey, Ralph & Aggie Dotson, Charles & Jenny Humm, Jim & Helen Snyder.)

(Moment of Silence)  This is just one deep breath.  

Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever. You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. And when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? You're standing on a stage, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by pretty much everyone who has meant anything to you in the past twenty-something years. So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so critical, we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others.

Why this moment?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you all are here to watch them stand up here. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and at this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity. All of us here today have our own love stories. Some are short, others long. Some are yet unwritten, while others are just getting to the good part. There are chapters in all of our stories that are sad or disappointing — and others that are exciting and full of adventure.

And that brings them here. A time to pause, look back and smile at all the moments that brought them here. And a time to look ahead at all the moments that are still to come.

I'm here — we're all here — because we want those moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn't happily ever after, love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment — not even this moment. It's every moment. Big ones like saying "I love you," moving in together, getting engaged — but mostly a million little ones that come in between the big moments. Falling asleep next to one another, making dinner together, spending holidays with your families, binge-watching Netflix shows, getting a big hug when you get home from work… These everyday moments fuse together into one big experience. And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try and explain it. That's just the way it is with love — it's meant to be felt, not described.

But trying to describe love is one of our favorite pastimes. We use the words we have to write stories, and poems, and songs about love. And even though we describe love in different ways — and even though love can look different from one person to the next — we all know it when we see it. And we see it here.


Readings

 The first reading is
From "Union"
by Robert Fulghum
and will be read by Kayley’s Cousins 


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 promises and agreements in an informal way. All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks - all those sentences that began with "When we're married" and continued with "I will and you will and we will" - 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 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, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last couple years. Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this- is my husband, this- is my wife”

The second reading is
An Uncommon Love
by Terah Cox
and will be read by Matt’s Cousins

May you have the love only two can know.
May you go where only two as one may go.
May the sun rise and set in your bonded hearts and the moon never find you too long apart.
May you cherish each other’s dreams as your own and turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones.
May you brave life’s mountains and miles together.
May there be no storm your love cannot weather.
May you be lovers and allies and friends.
May your soul’s conversation never end.
May you capture on earth what’s in heaven above.
May your hearts know the rapture of an uncommon love.

Vows 


Kayley and Matt, as you make your marriage vows today, you are pledging to each other to be loving friends and partners. To talk and to listen, to trust and appreciate one another; to respect and cherish each other's uniqueness; and to support, comfort and strengthen each other through life's joys and sorrows. You are promising to share your hopes, thoughts, and dreams as you build our lives together. You now go forward striving to build a home that is compassionate to all, full of respect and honor for others and each other, allowing your lives to be ever intertwined with your love for each other and your fellow human beings.

Declaration of intent


Matt, do you promise to love Kayley and respect her, to share your life and your dreams, to build with her a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment, and growth?

Matt:  I do

Do you promise to be a companion to her in all of her successes and failures, her happiness and sadness, to always give to her your unwavering support and above all else, the freedom to be herself?

Matt:  I do

Kayley, do promise to love Matt and respect him, to share your life and your dreams, to build with him a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment, and growth?

Kayley:  I do

Do you promise to be a companion to him in all of his successes and failures, his happiness and sadness, to always give to him your unwavering support and above all else, the freedom to be himself?

Kayley:  I do

Vows

Matt, Please repeat after me:

Kayley, today I take you to be my wife, and vow to help create for us a life of honesty, fidelity, trust, and love. To love you not as some idea of you, but as you truly are. To grow with you, learn with you, and to live out our days hand in hand.

Kayley, Please repeat after me:

Matt, today I take you to be my husband and vow to help create for us a life of honesty, fidelity, trust, and love. To love you not as some idea of you, but as you truly are. To grow with you, learn with you, and to live out our days hand in hand.

Ring Exchange

May we have the rings, please?  Paul (best man) will have the rings - He will get them from the birds.
Thank you Pearl and Chico (and Matt)


Meaning of the rings

​You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep with the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees — molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements. Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It’s the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You’ve created something invaluable, and just as I know you’ll protect these rings, I’m confident you’ll protect the commitments you’ve made to one other today.

Matt, as you place the ring on Kayley’s finger, please repeat after me:

I Matt, take thee, Kayley to be my Wife.
To have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
for richer or for poorer,
in joy and in sorrow,
and I promise my love to you,
for as long as we both shall live.
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.


Kayley, as you place the ring on Matt’s finger, please repeat after me:

I Kayley, take thee, Matt to be my husband.
To have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
for richer or for poorer,
in joy and in sorrow,
and I promise my love to you,
for as long as we both shall live.
I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.


Glass Ceremony

Kayley and Matt, before each of you is a container of glass crystals, each represents your separate lives, your friends, your families. I will ask that you each pour the contents within your own vase into the middle vase together. As the glass from each individual vase is blended together it symbolizes the joining of your separate lives, friends and family, into one union, the beginning of your journey as husband and wife. 
This combined glass will be taken by an artist and blown into a beautiful vase, never to be separated again, so may your marriage be.
Marriage and this beautiful vase are alike. Both are examples of what can happen when raw, unfinished elements come together. They can be two separate entities, fluid and independent of each other and can have an exquisiteness of their own, but join them together and the result can be stunning in its beauty, inspiring in its strength , humbling in its function. Continual flow....no beginning and no end.
As with your marriage.... this vase requires great care. Cherish it, polish it, protect it from any harm. Keep from it that which can break it, or chip away at it, and it will remain a thing of beauty.

You come back together and join hands. 

Final Blessing 

Life and love are the greatest gifts bestowed upon humanity.
May your union grant you patience, tolerance, and understanding
as well as the passion and excitement every marriage should possess.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you support one another, as a sign of mutual independence.
May you continually rediscover your love in one another, as the greatest gift of all.


Now, it’s almost time to pronounce you husband and wife, but first, I want to step out of the way because you are going to have a big kiss and I’m sure you don’t want my face in the middle of it!

Second, you all found packets of birdseed on your chairs as you were seated.  Now, is the time to take them out and get ready.  No, the bird seed is not to feed the ring and flower birds, Chico and Pearl, the feathered members of the wedding party.  It’s to toss as Kaylee and Matt make their way down the aisle as Mr. and Mrs. Humm!  So get ready, because here it comes….


The Pronouncement

It is my great pleasure to now pronounce you husband and wife!

You may kiss your bride!

Ladies and Gentlemen, It is my pleasure to introduce to you: Mr. and Mrs. Humm



Tell guests to head towards the patio for cocktail hour. Ask family to stay for photos.