So The Wedding Ceremony I Performed Yesterday Went Well

This was my script:

"Taara and Ray, after loving and caring for this woman for 18 years, do you give her hands to Andrew as a sign of trust that he will do the same?"


Today we celebrate the best of what it means to be human. Today we celebrate love.

Marriage is a bold step into an unknown future. It is risking who we are for the sake of who we can be.

Andrew and Sabrina are not new to this love. They have been together for years, and have already created a beautiful family with Aron and Evan.

Rather than using marriage as a way of starting a new relationship, they are choosing to celebrate what has already begun and will continue to grow for years to come.

A successful marriage is not something that just happens. It takes work, it takes understanding, and it takes time. It takes a commitment from both of you... a commitment to do whatever it takes to make your relationship thrive and not just simply survive.

You all were invited here to share this rare moment with Andrew and Sabrina because you are the people who mean the most to them. The understanding and the mutual respect which they bring to their continuing life together had their roots in the love and friendship and guidance you have given them. They are honored to have you here.

(directed to Andrew and Sabrina)
On behalf of everyone here today,
we promise to always stand beside you, never between you,
offering our love and support, not our judgment.
And may we return to you the love you have given us,
The love that has brought us together here today;
And may it grow deeper and sweeter with each passing year.

I would like to take this moment to read an excerpt from Madeleine L’Engle’s Irrational Season.

"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, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected."

May I have the rings please?

Let these beautiful rings serve as a physical reminder of the feeling you have in your hearts at this very moment. There are times in life that we tend to focus the things we have not yet accomplished, there will also be times of great loss. Yet as you look at your wedding band, it will softly speak of the great gift that you have been given and all that you have in one another. It shall also be a reminder in the times of great joy, that you have someone to share it with. Never again will you walk alone.

Groom:

I, Andrew Allen Buist, take you,Sabrina Ann Nichols, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.

The Groom places the Bride’s ring on her finger and says:

I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you with my whole heart

Bride:

I, Sabrina Ann Nichols, take you, Andrew Allen Buist, as my friend and love, beside me and apart from me, in laughter and in tears, in conflict and tranquility, asking that you be no other than yourself, loving what I know of you, trusting what I do not know yet, in all the ways that life may find us.

The Bride places the Groom’s ring on his finger and says:

I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you with my whole heart

I would like to close with a small excerpt from Dr. Suess’ Oh The Places You Will Go.

"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guys who’ll decide where to go.
You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.”
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.
And you may not find any you’ll want to go down.
In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.
Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.
And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.
Oh! The Places You’ll Go!
You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.
You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed.
You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest."

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew and Sabrina Buist.

You may now kiss the bride.