I. OPENING PRAYER
We are gathered here in the presence of God, family and friends
to witness and celebrate the marriage of Renee and Ramsey.
Today, they will receive God's greatest gift;
A partner to share with, grow with, change with,
be joyful with and to stand with as one
when trials and tribulations enter their lives.
It is fitting, therefore, that we should on this occasion
begin by asking for God's blessing on this marriage. Let us pray.
Heavenly Father,
We gather to celebrate the gift of love, and its presence among us.
We rejoice that Renee & Ramsey have chosen to commit themselves
to a life of loving faithfulness to one another.
We give thanks for the strong connection and friendship you have put in their hearts.
May our participation in this celebration of love and commitment,
give to us a new joy and responsiveness to the relationships that we cherish.
In your loving arms we pray, Amen.
You may all be seated.
II.
GATHERING WORDS
Welcome!
Good afternoon, family and friends
As
the groom’s sister, it is an honor for me
To
officiate this wedding
It’s
my first time doing this so I may be a bit nervous
Good
news, it’s the bride and groom’s first time too
So
I am hoping they won’t notice any mistakes
It
is also an honor to marry Renee & Ramsey today, Sept. 1
Because
I was married on this very day 11 years ago
To
my amazing husband with whom I am madly and deeply in love
It’s
a good day to get married
On
behalf of Ramsey & Renee, thank you for joining us
They
are delighted that you have come to share in their joy
On
this special day.
By
your presence, you celebrate with them
The
love they have discovered in each other
And
you support their decision to commit themselves to a lifelong
relationship
III.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FAMILY & FRIENDS
Today
represents not only the joining of Ramsey & Renee in their
marriage
But
also the joining of their families and friends
They
are blessed to share their wedding day with you all
And
thank each of you for coming from near and far (San Francisco,
Trinidad, Pittsburgh, LA, Houston, Dublin)
Renee
& Ramsey would like to recognize their families on this occasion
They
offer their profound gratitude
For
all the love and care their parents showed in raising them
Mom
and Gopa, the proof, the result of your devout motherhood
Sacrifices
you made, unconditional support and high expectations (rightfully so)
Is
standing before me represented as two successful, accomplished,
brilliant beings
With
much sadness, I would like to take a moment
To
remember and honor the fathers of the bride and groom
Who
are both not with us here today
I
know our dads are here with us in spirit, but they are sorely missed
Not
just on this special occasion, but everyday
IV.
MARRIAGE ADDRESS
Marriage
is a joyous occasion.
It
is connected in our thoughts with the charm of love, the warmth of
home,
and
as being one of the most important events of our lives.
Its
sacredness and unity is the most significant
and
binding covenant known in human relations.
It
is a bed of roses, thorns and all.
Ramsey
& Renee, as I stand before you today,
I
offer you my own suggestions for a happy life together and a healthy
marriage.
I
took an academic approach in writing them- categorizing them into
areas of study.
As
we all know the bride and groom have spent most of their lives in
school and have more degrees than a Russian protractor. Now if you
didn’t get that joke, don’t worry these two did.
To
earn my Marriage degree, I offer you 3 courses.
Course
#1: Thermodynamics
Friction
generates heat…and that’s a good thing for a marriage.
It
may be your similarities that brought you together
Such
as your strong family foundation, intellectual equality,
kind
heartedness, immaterialism, perfect SAT scores,
mutual
love for Tartan plaid and martial art cults.
But
it is your differences that keep you together.
It’s
what compliments and completes you.
Embrace
those differences .
One
of the beauties of marriage is that your individualities
and
dissimilarities creates balance , allows you to grow, keeps you
challenged.
The
friction heats things up and results in a continued passion for each
other.
Course
#2: Economics
You
must input more love in your relationship than you consume.
Forget
Pareto’s 80/20 rule or the assumption that marriage is 50/50.
Rev
Lil’s theory is marriage is 60/40. You both give 60% but take only
40%.
Therefore,
supply will always be greater than demand.
Produce
more love than you take and the commodity of love will be abundant
Plus
the opportunity cost of not doing so is very high.
Course
#3: Spelling with Aretha Franklin
She
got it right…R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Respect
is the catalyst for all things beautiful in a relationship:
trust,
connection, authenticity and love
It’s
a deep feeling of admiration for each other
elicited
by your remarkable abilities, unique qualities and achievements.
Be
generous with compliments.
Be
attentive and helpful.
Be
constantly grateful for the discovery and attainment
of
this incredibly special person who has chosen to make a life with
you.
My
hope for you Renee & Ramsey is
That
you have many long years to delight in each other’s company
To
feel gratitude for your great fortune, in having found and loved each
other
To
make a sheltering and welcoming home together,
Filled
with lively and spicy mini- Ramsey & Renee children
To
each do meaningful, productive work in your marriage and in the world
And
to love one another forever.
V.
VOWS
And
so now we come, Ramsey and Renee,
to
the exchange of vows and the exchange of rings
which
symbolize and bind your love to each other.
Ramsey
& Renee read their written vows
VI.
EXCHANGING OF THE RINGS
You
will now exchange rings as a symbol of the lifelong commitment and
abiding love which you as husband and wife have promised to each
other.
Ramsey,
please place the ring on Renee’s finger, and repeat after me.
“I
give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.”
Renee,
please place the ring on Ramsey’s finger and repeat after me.
“I
give you this ring as a sign of my love and faithfulness.”
VII.
CLOSING PRAYER
Dear
God,
Help
Renee & Ramsey to fulfill the promises they have made here today
and
to reflect your steadfast love in their commitment to each other.
Give
them kindness and patience, affection and understanding, happiness
and contentment.
May their family and friends continue to support
them in difficult days,
so
that their love for each other may continue to grow as long as they
both shall live.
Let
us all pray.
Our
father,
Who
art in heaven
Hallowed
be they name,
Thy
Kingdom come
Thy
will be done
On
Earth as it is in Heaven
Give
us this day our daily bread
And
forgive us our trespasses
As
we forgive those who trespass against us
And
lead us not into temptation
But
deliver us from evil
For
thine is the kingdom
And
the power, and the glory
Forever
and ever.
Amen
VIII. BLESSING
As this couple has joined lives here today,
it's important to understand that everyone present
has played a part in shaping the characters of Renee & Ramsey,
and will play a vital role in their continuing lives.
And thus we are here not only to witness their vows to each other,
but also to bestow upon them our blessing.
Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life before you.
May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead.
And may your days together be good and long upon the earth.
IX. DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE
Ramsey & Renee, having witnessed your vows for marriage before God and all who are assembled here, by the authority vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride!
It is my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time...Mr & Mrs Elias
