Allison And Davy's Small, Family Wedding Ceremony Script, Carmel Gazebo, Carmel, Indiana

Allison and Davy's wedding ceremony was what I'd consider a small, family wedding.  Allison is an Indiana native and Davy is French.  They had this small wedding at the Gazebo in Carmel, Indiana with Allison's family and a few of their Indiana friends and then flew to France the next day to do it all over again with Davy's family and friends.  

They were married over the 4th of July weekend so Allison's family had to time to gather in Indy to visit and cerebrate the holiday together before the wedding.  It's usually much easier and less expensive to get married in Indiana than it is to get legally married in another county or another state.  I always recommend to get legally married in Indy and then you can have a ceremony and party anywhere.  

The Carmel Gazebo can be formally reserved through the City of Carmel.  The Gazebo is right outside of City Hall.  It's big enough for a good size crowd.  I'm married couples under the gazebo just the two of them, and I've have couples have their entire reception under the gazebo.  It was a hot day and the gazebo kept everyone in the shade.  Davy had to make a deposit to reserve the Gazebo and as Carmel residents they received the full deposit back after leaving the area clean and ready for the next group.  

I love this particular area in Carmel because on the other side of the Carmel City Hall is the Kawachinagano Japanese Garden.  It is perfect as a backdrop for pictures.  

Click here for more information about the Carmel Gazebo

Allison and Davy's Wedding Ceremony Script

Presentation

Who presents this woman to be married to this man?
Her mother and I.

Welcoming Words

We have come together, both families and friends, to witness Allison and Davy as they exchange their vows of marriage. We share with them their delight in finding love with each other, and we support their decision to be together from now until the end of time. As this couple enters into marriage, they do so with thought and reverence. They give thanks for the past, which brought them to this place and look forward with hope to what the future will bring. Marriage is like a great umbrella that shelters love from the elements.

1 Corinthians 13 NIV says:

4 Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
This marriage is an expression of Allison & Davy’s commitment to that love.

Words about loving others

The ability and desire for one human being to love another is perhaps the most precious and fulfilling gift. Loving someone is a reason to stretch beyond our limits, to become more for the sake of the other. It is to look into the soul of your beloved and accept what you see. Loving is the ultimate commitment which challenges humans to become all that we are meant to be. As they join in marriage today, Allison and Davy are announcing to the world that they are welcoming that endeavor.

Words about Love

But what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities, which make our beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty and remember why we love. And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: a piece of ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us. We who love, can look at each other’s life and say “I touched his life” and “I touched her life.”

Davy added his own loving thoughts and feelings about Allison here:

I just wanted to say a word about your heart. You have a lot of love and joy to give. I think everyone can feel it. Not just everyone you surround yourself with today, but all those from childhood, parents, and old friends alike. And now, I know it too. And so as I love you, I want you to be happy and for us to create a life where you can freely & fully express your love, in safety and in confidence. I too want to express myself and you seem to welcome that. A testament to your great character and the great people that brought you here. Thank you.


Words about Marriage

Marriage is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together. The secret of love and marriage is to be in love and in trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith in each other, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both. The true art of married life is an inner spiritual journey. It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities. It is, ultimately, the emergence of the Highest Selves of each person. Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. It is also a lifelong responsibility — a journey really. They are taking the first step of their new beginning; their new life together.

Vows

We are here today to celebrate the love, which Allison & Davy have for each other, and to give social recognition to their decision to commit their lives and accept each other totally. Rejoice! with and for them, in the new path of life they will now walk together.

Do you Davy, take Allison, to be your lawfully wedded wife, to share your life openly, standing with her in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love forever?

Davy: I do,

Do you Allison, take Davy, to be your lawfully wedded husband, to share your life openly, standing with him in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in hardship and in ease, to cherish and love forever?

Allison: I do.

Rings

Victoria: 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 around 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 as a couple.

Davy, as you place the ring on Allison’s finger, please repeat after me:
I, Davy, take thee, Allison, to be my Wife.
To have and to hold,
and I promise my love to you.
And with this ring,
I take you as my Wife,
for as long as we both shall live.

Allison, as you place the ring on Davy’s finger, please repeat after me:
I, Allison, take thee, Davy, to be my Husband.
To have and to hold,
and I promise my love to you.
And with this ring,
I take you as my Husband,
for as long as we both shall live.

Final Blessings

Go into the world and fulfill your dreams.  Love, support, and help one another as you grow.  Seek out opportunities to be good to each other. 
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May the seeds of your love, now planted in marriage, continue to grow.  May your life together be as a pebble dropped in a pond; an example of love and unity spread outward to your family, your friends and the wider circle of the world. 

Pronouncement

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 Husband and Wife! You may kiss. Congratulations!