David and Katrina’s Wedding Ceremony
April 6th, 2002 at 5 pm
There will be a Cello and Classical Guitar duo playing as guest arrive and during the ceremony.
Pastor Miller, David and Jimmy come out
Groomsmen and Bridesmaids Enter: Michelle and Jason
Crystal and Russ
Casey and John
Junior Bridesmaid Enters: Devin
Ringbearer #1 Enters (w/pillow) Alex
Maid of Honor Enters: Kelley
Ringbearer #2 Enters (w/bell) Matthew
Wedding March played: Katrina enters (mother and father meet her at end of aisle to give her away)
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, we turn to you asking that you be glorified by what takes place this evening. That this ceremony would honor you, and reflect the seriousness of the vows to be spoken. Might this service be a reminder to us who have spoken similar vows to our spouses in the past and instructive to those considering such a commitment in the future. Might it also be a fitting beginning for David and Katrina as they commit themselves before you to pursue a loving and lasting life together. We ask it in Jesus’ name, Amen (Thank you, you may be seated.)
Opening Remarks:
We have been invited to hear David and Katrina promise to face the future together as husband and wife. David and Katrina, you must recognize that this covenant is much more than a legal contract. This is a union of love made in heaven. It is to be entered into with reverence and great consideration. You are about to assume mutual relationships and responsibilities and to promise undying devotions. Nothing is easier than saying words, nothing harder than living them day by day. What you promise today must be renewed and rededicated every day. At the end of this ceremony you will legally be husband and wife, but you still must decide each day that stretches out before you that you want to be married.
Giving away of the bride:
Pastor: Who gives this woman to be married to David?
Mom and Dad: We do.
Pastor: It is on this day that Katrina and David should leave their individual families to start a family of their own, combining their two families together also. And that is how it was meant to be, for as God created man, he also created woman to be his friend and companion. God created this woman from a rib of the man. This was because he wanted the man and woman to be part of each other. Woman was not created from the man’s head to rule over him, nor from his feet to be trampled upon, but rather from his side to be equal to so that they may be partners in every way.
To the Bride and Groom:
Real love is something beyond the warmth and glow, the excitement and romance of being deeply in love. It is caring as much about the welfare and happiness of your marriage partner as you do about yourself. You will be looking in the same direction together. Burdens will be lighter because you divide them. Joys will be more intense because you share them. It makes you both stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.
No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred then these you are about to assume. You are entering into a holy estate and the very sacrament of divine love. Now as you stand in the presence of God, you must remember the responsibilities of a husband and a wife.
Let me charge you both to remember that your future happiness is to be found in mutual consideration, patience, kindness, confidence, trust, and affection. It is the duty of each to find the greatest joy in the company of the other; to remember that in interest as in affection you are to be henceforth one and undivided.
First Poem: (Read by Rebecca Greene)
Art of Marriage
The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say, "I love you" at least once a day.
It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.
It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy.
It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.
It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.
It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and
the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner,
it is being the right partner.
Second Poem: (Read by Karen) Foundations of Marriage by Regina Hill
Love, trust, and forgiveness are the foundations of marriage.
In marriage, many days will bring happiness, while other days may be sad.
But together, two hearts can overcome everything...
In marriage, all of the moments won't be exciting or romantic, and
sometimes worries and anxiety will be overwhelming.
But together, two hearts that accept will find comfort.
Recollections of past joys, pains, and shared feelings will be the glue that
holds everything together during even the worst and most insecure moments.
Reaching out to each other as a friend, and becoming the confidant and companion
that the other one needs, is the true magic and beauty of any two people together.
It's inspiring in each other a dream or a feeling, and having faith in each other
and not giving up... even when all the odds say to quit.
It's allowing each other to be vulnerable, to be himself or herself,
even when the opinions or thoughts aren't in total agreement or exactly what you'd like them to be.
It's getting involved and showing interest in each other, really listening and being available,
the way any best friend should be.
Exactly three things need to be remembered in a marriage
if it is to be a mutual bond of sharing, caring, and loving throughout life:
love, trust, and forgiveness.
Declaration of love:
Pastor to both: And now, in token that your hearts are joined together, will you please join your right hands.
Pastor to Groom: David, this woman whom you hold by the hand is to be your wife. She has given you one of the most sacred things under heaven: a woman’s life and love. It is your duty to be a considerate, tender, faithful and loving husband. You may bring her great joy or cause her deep sorrow. Instead, support, guide and cherish her in prosperity and trouble. It is not what you bring her in a material way that will make true happiness – riches without love are nothing. The gift without the giver is bare. Everyday, thoughtfully and carefully enlarge the place she holds in your heart. The practices of those virtues as a husband will keep your two hearts close forever.
Do you vow here, as you have promised Katrina, that you will be true and loyal, patient in sickness, comforting in sorrow, and understanding in times of trouble? Will you stand by her no matter what comes to pass and make whatever adjustments are necessary so that you can genuinely share your life with her? Do you promise to always keep yourself completely open to her, being her best friend as well as her lover and forsaking all others, keep yourself for her alone so long as you both shall live?
Groom: I do.
Pastor to Bride: Katrina, this man whom you hold by the right hand is to be your husband. It is your duty to be a considerate, tender, faithful, and loving wife. On your life, your love and devotion he will lean for strength and inspiration. He is going to look to you for encouragement, for cheerfulness and confidence. You must be his council, his comfort and his best friend. No matter what the world may say or think, people may forget him, lose confidence in him, and turn their backs upon him, but you must not. You must show him the unfailing evidences of your affection and make the place he holds in your heart broader and deeper as time passes. May your life and your love be the inspiration that will constantly lead and guide him.
Do you vow here, as you have promised David that you will be loyal in adversity, taking care of him in sickness, comforting him in sorrow, and understanding in times of trouble? Will you stand by his side no matter what comes to pass and make whatever adjustments are necessary so that you can genuinely share your life with him? Do you promise to always keep yourself open to him, being his best friend as well as his lover and forsaking all others, keeping yourself for him alone so long as you both shall live?
Bride: I do.
Pastor to all: This is a moment of celebration. Let it also be a moment of dedication. The world does a good job of reminding us of how fragile we are. Individuals are fragile; relationships are fragile, too. Every marriage needs the love, nurturing, and support of a network of friends and family. On this wedding day, I ask you, the friends and family of David and Katrina not only to be friends of one or the other, but also friends of these two together as a couple, friends of the relationship. I ask you to support them through the tough times and rejoice in the good times. I ask that you help them find their way back to one another if ever their flame starts to flicker and to pray that their love will continue to be as strong as it is today.
David and Katrina have also prepared their own personal vows, which they would like to share with one another at this time.
Exchange of personal vows: They are located on the "OUR VOWS" page
Pastor to all: Your intentions and love for one another have been expressed through words and feelings. These can not be seen but only felt in the heart and soul. Let us now turn our attention to the visual symbol of the love shared. The wedding ring is the outward and the visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. The circle, the emblem of eternity; the material, the type of what is least tarnished and most enduring – it is to show how lasting and imperishable is the faith now pledged. Let the ring, a fit token of that which is unending, continue to be to you both a symbol of the value, the purity, and the constancy of true wedded love, and the seal of the vows in which you have both pledged your most solemn and sacred honor.
Exchange of Rings:
Pastor: David, repeat after me:
I, David, give to you Katrina, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed.
Katrina, repeat after me:
I, Katrina, give to you David, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed.
Unity candle: Will the parents of both the bride and groom please come up and light the individual candles.
The two outside candles on the table have been lighted to represent your lives up to this moment. They are two distinct lights, each capable of going their separate ways. To bring the happiness God designed for your home, there must be a merging of these two lights into one. This is what the Lord meant when He said, "On this account a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." From now on, your thoughts shall be for each other, rather than for your individual selves. Your plans shall be mutual, your joys and sorrows shall be shared. As you each take a candle, and together light the center one, and extinguish your own candles, you will be letting the center candle represent the union of your lives into one flesh. As this one light cannot be divided, neither shall your lives be divided, but a united home. May the radiance of this one light be a testimony of your unity in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Poem 3: Kathy Kincaid
Love Is
By Susan Polis Shultz
Love is being happy for the other person
When they are happy
Being sad for the person when they are sad
Being together in good times
And being together in bad times
Love is the source of strength
Love is being honest with yourself at all times
Being honest with the other person at all times
Telling, listening, respecting the truth
And never pretending
Love is the source of reality
Love is an understanding so complete that
You feel as if you are a part of the other person
Accepting the other person just the way they are
And not trying to change them to be something else
Love is the source of unity
Love is the freedom to pursue your own desires
While sharing your experiences with the other person
The growth of one individual alongside of
And together with the growth
Of another individual
Love is the source of success
Love is the excitement of planning things together
The excitement of doing things together
Love is the source of the future
Love is the fury of the storm
The calm of the rainbow
Love is the source of passion
Love is giving and taking in a daily situation
Being patient with each others needs and desires
Love is the source of sharing
Love is knowing that the other person
Will always be with you
Regardless of what happens
Missing the other person when they are away
But remaining near in heart at all times
Love is the source of security
Love is the source of life.
Poem 4: Kelley Smith
Even the Best Relationships Need to Remember This…
By Collin McCarty
If you can always find time to talk it out,
If you can listen with your hearts
If you can open up doors that sometimes
Get closed off to your innermost feelings,
If you can be gentle,
If you can be strong
If you can walk the unknown journey
And always take one another along,
If you can help each other over the rises,
If you can understand any tears that fall,
If you can build the bridges that will take
You over the highest walls,
If you can go to the special places
Where the most perfect truth exists…
You will discover that love
Will always be
The best thing that there is.
Pastor: We ask for thy gentlest blessings, O God, may the love of David and Katrina be strong, that no misunderstanding will loosen the bond and no passing of the years will have the power to dim the light that now glows in them. May they gain the wisdom to realize the true values of life early, and may no circumstances take from them the wholesome peace and inward satisfaction which only love can give.
David and Katrina, May your days and years to come be filled with the kind of integrity and joy, that will enable you to live through those times ahead which may be tough. May the blessing that rests upon all who love, rest also upon you, and fill you with spiritual grace. May the bond that unites you ever be strengthened. May you so love and work together in the days that are to come, that your lives will be enriched and ennobled by a true and deepening union of mind and heart and may your affection for each other grow, thus enriching and strengthening all of us.
This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and whoever loves is born of God and knows God.
May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace, both now and forever.
I would like to share one more blessing for the bride and groom.
Final Blessing: (Pastor)
Apache Blessing
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be the shelter for each other. Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be the warmth for the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before. Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your life together. And may your days be good and long upon the earth.
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, difficulty 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.
Pronouncement by Pastor:
In as much as you have each pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love and devotion, by the authority committed to me as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and according to the laws of the State of Tennessee, I now declare you, David and Katrina, to be husband and wife, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Go now in peace and love, and may these things touch your hearts, and be with you through all the days of your life together. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no one put asunder.
David, you may now kiss your bride.
I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Journeaux.