One more wedding post – the ceremony

Posted on August 7, 2008 by jackieinpdx

Introduction
Address – commitment address
Prayer
Declaration of concent
Vows
Exchange of rings
Pronouncement of marriage
Final words

Tara & Kelly’s Wedding

Please, everyone can take a seat.

I am highly honored today to marry two of the most important people in the world to me and my best friends, Kelly and Tara.

Welcome family and friends in gathering today for this wonderful day to celebrate the marriage of Kelly and Tara.

Marriage is the promise of hope between two people who love each other. Who trust in that love, and honor one another as individuals in their togetherness and who wish to share their future together.

Marriage enables two separate people to share their desires, longings, dreams, memories, their joy and laughter, and help each other through their uncertainties. It provides the encouragement to risk more and thus to gain more. In marriage, husband and wife belong together, to provide mutual support and stability in which they will grow their love.
We have come together to witness the promise of Kelly and Tara in marriage, to share with them in their happiness and hope for the future.

Please join me in a prayer for Kelly and Tara:
Bless this marriage, as Kelly and Tara begin their journey down the road of life together. We don’t know what lies ahead for the road turns and bends. But help them to make the best of whatever comes their way.

Help them to hug each other often, talk and laugh a lot.Help them to continue to enjoy each other as they did when they first met.Help them to realize that nothing nor no one is perfect and to look for the good in all things and all people including themselves.Help them to respect each other’s likes and dislikes, opinion and beliefs, hopes and dreams and fears.Help them to learn from each other and to help each other grow together emotionally, and spiritually.

Help them to realize that there is design and purpose in their lives as in the world, and if they will hold onto each other, they will know that things have a way of working out for the best.Help them to create a stable home of love as a foundation on which they can build their lives.But most of all, dear God, help them to keep lit the torch of love’ that they now share in their hearts so that it will continue day by day and year by year. Amen
Ok, now on with the getting married stuff!!

Kelly and Tara please take hands and face each other.
Kelly do you take Tara to be your wife, to honor and cherish her, to help and support her, to understand and comfort her for this day forth, please say I do.
Kelly repeat after me – Before the presence of family and friends, I Kelly, choose to be your husband. Day by Day, I promise to love you and to honor you, to treasure you and to respect you, to walk with you side by side, in joy and in sorrow. Day by day, I promise to hold you in my arms, to laugh with you, to cry with you and to just be with you. This I promise you Tara – I will love you with all that I am and all I can ever be, today and for all the days of my life.

Tara do you take Kelly to be your husband, to honor and cherish him, to help and support him, to understand and comfort him, for this day forth, please say I do.
Tara repeat after me – Before the presense of family and friends, I Tara, choose to be your wife. Day by Day, I promise to love you and to honor you, to treasure and and to respect you, to walk with you side by side, in joy and in sorrow. Day by day, I promise to hold you in my arms, to laugh with you and to just be with you. This I promise you Kelly – I will love you with all that I am and all I can ever be, today and for all the days of my life.

The bride and groom will share three cups of sake in a gestur called San San Kudo or the way of three, three, nine times. Since three is an indivisible number it is concidered a sacred number in Buddhism. Three sips from three cups equals nine and means triple happiness for the future. This symbolized not only the uniting of two people but also the uniting of two families. The graduated size of the cup from small to large shows the love and wisdom and happiness in the marriage to grow and deepen over time.

Exchanging of rings have served as a reminder that the circle of love has no end. So with these rings that they have picked for each other, let’s finally get them on their fingers, so I can get my friends married.

Ok, Kelly please give me the rings. PANIC!!! Kelly is one of my best friends and I know him to well and I am not trusting him with the rings. Sorry Kelly, just kidding. WINK WINK

Kelly to Tara, Kelly repeat after me – with this ring, I give you my undying love and commitment, and pledge you my heart and my life. This ring is a promise to you and remind you I am honored to be your husband. Please look at this ring daily and remember that I could love know one more than you.

Tara to Kelly – Tara repeat after me – with this ring, I give you my undying love and commitment, and pledge you my heart and my life. This ring s a promise to you and remind you I am honored to be your wife. Please look at this ring daily and remember that I could love know one more than you.

Kelly and Tara are very proud and honored that their friends and family are here today and are willing to support them, and to be apart of their daily growth in love and marriage. They thank you all for our committement to them now and in the future.
OK, the moment we all have been waiting for, or at least Kelly has, the Kiss. Kelly you may kiss your beautiful bride.

I am so very proud to annouce Kelly and Tara, husband and wife.

Just reading this makes me cry.

Practicing the “sake ceremony”.