Opening Words
“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love that Brian and John share and the promise that it will be a strong and lasting love. A sacred union consists of entrusting our deepest selves into the loving care of another. It is an emotional and spiritual act. The realest most important relationship two souls can enter into with or without the sanctioning by the laws and politics of man and state. The spiritual aspect of a lifetime commitment should be embraced openly, seriously, and completely, as the joining of two lives requires a conscious act of will. The united couple must continually renew their will to be joined and accept the challenges that living together in love offer. They must decide that they will face the fears that are a necessary part of establishing and nurturing an intimate relationship.
Brian and John commit themselves today, to each other, in sacred trust. They promise to embrace conflict, as well as peace; to work as well as play; to struggle as well as bask; to give as well as receive; and to be with, stay with, and move toward one another. They view marriage as a coming together at all levels of being – mind, body, and spirit. A commitment includes the willingness to be open and vulnerable; and the courage to take risks.
Brian and John you have already made the commitment to create and recreate this conscious partnership. Yet what we are celebrating today is a journey not a destination. May the promises that you make this day lead to a lifetime of love and happiness.”
Welcoming of the Guests
“Brian and John would like to thank you all for being here with them today, and for supporting them through everything that it has taken to make this day a reality. They know that your taking the time, and making the journey, took considerable effort for a good many of you and they wanted you all to know the deep appreciation and gratitude that they feel in their hearts for this. All of you are the most important, and have been the most influential people in their lives. All of the time, and conversations, that you have had with Brian and John even before they met have helped to make them who they needed to be to first find themselves and then each other. You have shared in their best and their worst days, and you are an irreplaceable part of their yesterdays, their today and all of their tomorrows. For all of you are among the greatest gifts that life has given them. All of you are those they can call Family and Friend.”
Brian and John’s Personal Section
“Today is a celebration of love and of life. It is a day to mark the continuation of a journey that shall take a lifetime to complete. Brian and John have so much in their lives already to be thankful for, it is only natural that they should desire for all that they now share to deepen and grow through the years.
As John once told Brian “It took me 40 years to find you!” They were indeed both at the right time right place, in more ways than one, and from the day they met, over a good cup of coffee, they haven’t spent a day apart. For them it has been an easy and natural progression, as if they were made for one another. They are very much themselves with one another and as cliché as that may sound to some, is a very important aspect of their relationship. Think of the gift that it is to be able to be nothing more or less than one’s self, with no pretense, no airs, no masks and most importantly without fear. It means that your heart has found home.
Together they share a love of home and their little fur family. Nothing is better to them than the quiet times at home, on the couch, with music and endless conversations about everything and nothing at all. Their home is a welcoming place for those they consider family. This and helping those they love is important to them, because after all when you are as blessed as they are it is only right to give back.
When they are together there is a feeling of completeness and appreciation, for neither Brian nor John have ever felt this loved before. They revel in together learning and expanding one another’s horizons so as to see the world in a broader sense, and make sure that it all sparkles with the `wow factor`. They seek not only to hear one another but also to understand the unspoken glances and gestures that give a deeper meaning behind their words. For no subject is ever worth harsh or angry words that might carelessly damage the spirit of their union when their only desire is to know in total the deepest recesses of one another’s hearts.
To further express the ideal of marriage Brian and John have chosen to share with you these words, simply entitled…
“The Wedding Vow”
“You are not the air that I breathe,
You are the sweet scent that drifts upon it
You are not the sounds that I hear,
You are the music of my life
You are not the food that I need,
You are the nourishment of my soul
You are not my will to survive
You are my reason for living
It is with you that I experience
the wonders of the world
It is with you that I triumph
over the challenges in my path
It is your partnership that will lead me
to the fulfillment of my dreams
It is your friendship that guides me
as I learn and grow
It is your patience and wisdom
that calms my restless nature
It is through you that I know my true self
I do not take you for granted, I cherish you
I do not need you, I choose you
I choose you today in witness of all the people who love us
I choose you tomorrow in the privacy of our hearts
I choose you in strength and weakness
I choose you in health and in sickness
I choose you in joy and sorrow
I will choose you, over all others,
every day for all the days of my life’
Pledge of Support
“When you accepted Brian and John’s invitation to join them here today, you accepted also a very special responsibility and role in their lives. By asking you to bear witness to all that is in their hearts, they share with you precious memories and a knowledge of why and how all is so right for them. These insights are a tool that may later be called upon in times when good council is needed. So I must now ask you; Do you promise that you will do everything in your power to support them in their union? That you will encourage them always to seek the comfort and strength of their togetherness through the storms and stress that life will bring. And that you shall use what you have heard and seen here today, to remind them that the beauty and joy they share this day was meant to last a lifetime.”
Guests: “We do!”
“Peter and John will you now hold out the rings entrusted to you by Brian and John?
Peter and John hold out the wedding bands in the palm of their hands
Celebrant continues:
Your hands beneath serve as a symbol of how Brian and John and their relationship are supported upon this earth by the love of their friends and family as blessed from above.
Holy Spirit, guardian of all that is seen and unseen, Bless these rings and this couple who shall wear them. Keep them safe through adversity forever supported by your eternal blessing.”
Celebrant takes rings
The Ring Vows
“The ring, a circle, is one of nature’s simplest forms. The arc of the rainbow, the halo of the moon and the smallest of raindrops simulate the circle. A circle is the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. It is a symbol of perfection and of peace. In these rings is the symbol of unity, in which your lives are now joined, so that wherever you go, you will always return to one another and to your togetherness. As the circle turns again unto itself, so shall your love seek itself for its refreshment and renewal. May these rings remind you always of the vows you have taken here today.”
“John will you now tell Brian what is in your heart?”
“Brian from the moment we meet on October 15, 2005 at 10:15 PM and the all night conversation over a cup of coffee It was love at the first sight; I knew you were the one. It took me 40 years to find you and I will never let you go. In my eyes you are perfect. You are the love of my life. I choose you as my life partner; we will share all life’s ups and downs together. You are the one I want laugh with and cry with. I promise to always love and cherish you. No matter what.”
“Will you now place the ring on Brian’s finger and repeat after me?”
John places the ring half way on to Brian’s finger
“I John, take you Brian, To be my partner in life love and all things. I promise to walk by your side, I vow to love you and care for you not only on this precious day, but for all time.
I take you, with all your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.”
John places the ring the rest of the way on to Brian’s finger
“Brian will you now tell John what is in your heart?”
“From the moment I saw you, I knew we would be standing here today. Somehow even before we met I knew there would be you. There has always been such certainty between us and everyday I am thankful. You are helping me be the very best I can be. I knew that you have always loved me. I can see it in your actions and I can feel it in my heart. There is comfort in those eyes and safety in those arms. I promise I will love you and stand with you always, no matter what. That is something I have never said before. No matter what! I am truly in love for the first time in my life and I am in love for the last time in my life. You are the best. Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
“Will you now place the ring on John’s finger and repeat after me?”
Brian places the ring half way onto John’s finger
“I Brian, take you John, To be my partner in life love and all things I promise to walk by your side, I vow to love you and care for you not only on this precious day, but for all time. I take you, with all your faults and your strengths, as I offer myself to you with my faults and my strengths. I will help you when you need help, and I will turn to you when I need help. I choose you as the person with whom I will spend my life.”
Brian places the ring the rest of the way onto John’s finger
“The vows you have just taken, pledging love, mean far more than mere words ever can. May their gentle spirit move in you. May your years fulfill the beauty of the feelings expressed today, and may you always put these vows above the things that make life smaller. May God always be with, protect, and guide both of you, now and forever.”
Unity Candle
“Brian and John, will you now come to the altar as partners united in spirit and love?
Groom’s step behind the altar
The flame that you now light represents the spark of divinity that lives deep within you both. It is a reminder that in marriage it is your higher selves that you are promising to one another and the very best that you have to give always. From every human being there rises a light.
Grooms light their tapers
When two souls destined for each other, find one another, their streams of light flow together and a single brighter light goes forth from the united being. These two candles are symbolic of separate people in their own right.
Grooms take their taper in hand
By the joining of two candles into one and lighting the center candle, this symbolizes the strength and the unity of two joiningtogether to become one, depicting Brian and John’s belief that together they can become greater than each could be alone.
Grooms place the tapers back in their holders, and snuff their flames
Prior to this moment you each walked a separate path. Now as you light the candle symbolizes you embark together on a shared path.”
“The Day of Your Wedding”
Author Unknown
“Brian and John have asked Juliette to give the closing words to today’s ceremony.”
Juliette comes forward to give the reading
“Together you share the joy of a deep commitment and the sacred trust. You have given each other the most precious gift of love. Treasure it, nurture it, and encourage it with all the honesty you used in creating it. You are sharing something rare and beautiful. Always speak the truth, and listen attentively, so that you may understand each other’s thoughts and intentions. Inspire each other by sharing your accomplishments. Say, ‘I love you’ often to retain the warmth between you. Remember to laugh a lot, even when you’re angry After all, you’re each other’s best friend. Stand together and for each other always: be content in mind and spirit. Make each day a blessing and a fulfillment of your dreams.”
Juliette takes her seat
Pronouncement
“You are now as your hearts have always known you to be, Partners in Life, Love and all things!
You may now seal your commitment with a kiss!”
