The Procession
This is the part where everyone walks down the aisle and takes their places for the ceremony. You each make your way to the altar separately, symbolizing the fact that you're coming from different backgrounds.
Giving away of Bride
(Chuck walks Mandi down the aisle. He stands at the front with Matt and Mandi)
Who gives this woman to be married?
“Her mother and I do” (Chuck puts Mandi’s hand in Matt’s and sits down)
The Officiant's Opening Remarks
Marriage!
Marriage!
Cough
What gathers us here today is not just Matt and Mandi.
What gathers us here is the promise they are making each other.
It is a promise that many make and in different languages and throughout time.
But each promise is special. It is the promise between two people to live together and grow together.
It is a promise not made lightly. We gather our friends and family together to witness this promise, to sanctify it and hold them accountable to each other, to love each other more every day.
Putting Down Roots
Plato, in the Symposium, talks about how love completes us. In times past, we were two souls in one body until we were torn asunder by the jealous gods. Our modern curse is finding that one that fits all our tears and fills our empty spaces.
Matt and Mandi found their way back to each other. It’s been a long journey, and in many ways today is the culmination of that journey but it is also a new beginning. I find that it is incredibly difficult to talk about love without falling into cliches and citing the poets and songwriters. But we fall into these cliches because love is the one thing that all the songs are about, and why all the poems were written.
We fall into cliches because being in love and knowing you found the right person means that your brain has moved to the point where there are no words. We want to shout the love from the rooftops but you just end up shouting a joyful noise that scares the neighbors. But it is the language you share with the person you love, a language beyond words and sense and into emotion - the language of love transcends time and space and physics and math. It bypasses the mouth and ears and is like lightning to your heart.
Matt and Mandi found their way back to each other. It’s been a long journey, and in many ways today is the culmination of that journey but it is also a new beginning. I find that it is incredibly difficult to talk about love without falling into cliches and citing the poets and songwriters. But we fall into these cliches because love is the one thing that all the songs are about, and why all the poems were written.
We fall into cliches because being in love and knowing you found the right person means that your brain has moved to the point where there are no words. We want to shout the love from the rooftops but you just end up shouting a joyful noise that scares the neighbors. But it is the language you share with the person you love, a language beyond words and sense and into emotion - the language of love transcends time and space and physics and math. It bypasses the mouth and ears and is like lightning to your heart.
What we are doing here today is trying to make those emotions concrete and real. Real like this cheery tree. The tree that they are planting today is their love. The tree is real now, but time will change the tree as it will change the love we celebrate here. Now both are young, but today we are putting down roots that will spread. Both will grow and be stronger every day. Birds will land in the branches of both and perhaps nest and raise little baby birds in both.
Maybe I’m stretching the symbolism too far.
But I can tell you this. The tree and the love will grow up and be strong but flexible. No matter what storms pass through, the roots we are laying down today will hold fast in the winds that shake the branches and the next day when the storm passes, the tree will still be there. Because here’s the secret. The storm always passes.
The Exchange of Vows
I, we, are all privileged to get to share the love here today between these two crazy kids. You look at them, you can see their smiles and you know for right now, here, everything is ok in the world.
They’re here to promise to each other that no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- they may stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, they promise that they will do it together.
Mandi, do you promise no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- that you will stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, you promise that you will do it with Matt?
Matt, do you promise no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- that you will stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, you promise that you will do it with Mandi?
Your vows are your promises to each other. We all saw it. No backsies.
I, we, are all privileged to get to share the love here today between these two crazy kids. You look at them, you can see their smiles and you know for right now, here, everything is ok in the world.
They’re here to promise to each other that no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- they may stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, they promise that they will do it together.
Mandi, do you promise no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- that you will stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, you promise that you will do it with Matt?
Matt, do you promise no matter what, Killer Bees, Sparkly Vampires, or that thing where you’re standing in the ocean and you feel something rub against your leg -- that you will stand and fight or turn and run. But no matter what, you promise that you will do it with Mandi?
Your vows are your promises to each other. We all saw it. No backsies.
The Ring Exchange
And now we will exchange the rings that bind us as symbols of our love.
Repeat after me, Matt: Mandi, I give you this ring that you may wear it as a reminder of my love for you.
Repeat after me, Mandi: Matt, I give you this ring that you may wear it as a reminder of my love for you.
The Pronouncement of Marriage
I now pronounce you Mandi and Matt. You may update your facebook statuses.
The Kiss
And now the moment everyone's been waiting for: your first kiss as a married couple.
The Closing Remarks
Go forth in the world, whole once more
The Recessional
Basically the reverse of the processional, you exit the ceremony together as husband and wife, followed by the wedding party.
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