You Make My Dreams Come True: Ceremony Part 1

David and I knew from early on in the planning process that we wanted a ceremony that reflected who we were as a couple. Our faith is a huge part of who we are, both as a couple and as individuals. It was really important to us that we had an officiant who knew us, believed the same things we did, and was willing to let us personalize the ceremony. I absolutely loved how it turned out. From here on is the exact text of our ceremony. 

David, Laura, this is a holy moment. This is a moment in your lives that is set apart. It is different from every other moment. For at this moment you have come to formally recognize that God has called you first to Himself, and then to each other, forever in Christian marriage. For all that can be observed and said about marriage, we must note that the very concept of marriage originates not in some arrangement of society or in cultural convenience, but in the eternal, providential design of the God of the Christian scriptures. The very notion of marriage; the idea that a man and a woman should be paired for life and for living has its beginning, its root, its very origin revealed by God to us in His Word. For in the beginning, in the account of creation itself, we read that the two shall become one by God’s decree.

Genesis 2 reads as follows: “Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all of the beasts of the field and all of the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all of the livestock; the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, but for Adam, no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was sleeping he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man and he brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.’ For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” This, then, is where the very idea of marriage has its origin. In the being, the mind, the heart, the design of God himself.

Let’s pray. Father, we thank you for this day. We thank you for your wisdom in creating us the way that you have and for designing and ordaining the very notion of marriage. But Lord, this day, we come to celebrate that you have brought David and Laura together to be one, to live all of life, Lord, for your glory. We celebrate this day. We pray that this service would be a time that we would reflect on the blessings and the glories of marriage and the joy of seeing you bring David and Laura together. Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I speak to you now as a congregation. Each of you is here today because you have, in some way, had an impact on David and Laura’s life. Some of you have known either one of them or both of them for years, and some of you may be meeting one of them for the first time today. But whether you are an old friend or a new one, you have a special place in their hearts. You also have a special purpose. As beloved family and friends, it is you who they will turn to in coming years, both in joy and in sorrow. It is you with whom they will share their happiness and bring their pain. You’ll watch as their marriage matures and as their love deepens and as their children grow. And when hard times come, and the loving support of family and friends like you is needed, David and Laura will be able to turn to you just as they turn to each other. Do you pledge to support and help strengthen their marriage by upholding them with your love, prayers, counsel, and concern for today and always? If so, please answer, “we do.” 

Congregation: “We do.”

Now David, please state your intent. Do you take Laura to be your wife in Christian marriage? Do you promise to love Laura? To cherish her as your wife, to love her in sickness as well as in health, to love her by your actions and your attitudes regardless of the circumstances that surround you? Do you promise to provide for the spiritual, emotional, and material needs of your home as God enables you? And David, do you promise to be faithful to Laura as her companion in this life until God calls you home? If you agree to these promises, David, please respond by saying, “I do.” 

David: “I do.”

Laura, do you take David to be your husband in Christian marriage? Do you promise to love David and to cherish him as your husband? To love him in sickness as well as in health, to love him by your actions and your attitudes regardless of the circumstances that surround you? Do you promise to support and encourage his leadership, as he by God’s enabling, provides for the spiritual, emotional, and material needs of your home? And Laura do you promise to be faithful to David as his companion in this life until God calls you home? If you agree to these promises, Laura, please respond by saying, “I do.”

Me: “I do.”

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

My Dad: Her mother and I do.

 

*All pictures in this post were taken by Brandi Coldwell of Lola Jo Photo Design*

Need to catch up?

 

We started on Thursday.

We decorated Friday morning.

We rehearsed.

We got pretty!

I put on my dress. 

We had our first look!

The guys had their turn.

The girls stole the show. 

We got some fun bridal party pictures. 

We took bride & groom portraits.

We took care of the formal portraits.

We took pictures with the kiddos.

We spent time hanging out waiting for the ceremony to start.

The grandparents and parents were seated.

It was finally time for the processional.

A step back to the playing of the slideshow.

**Happy Friday! Don't forget my giveaway ends Sunday evening!