Original Date
Wedding Gown
Delustered Satin gown with halter neck trimmed with
beaded Soutache.
A-line skirt is banded with beaded Soutache at hemline.
Bridesmaid Gowns
Floor length cornflower blue dress with a crepe tiara french satin court neckline, empire satin bodice with wide satin straps, and A-line crepe skirt embellished with jewel accented asymmetrical drape.
ALISONS VOW OF INTENTION Marc, You
have been my best friend, mentor, playmate, confidant, and my greatest
challenge. But most importantly, you
are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and
more loved than I ever thought possible...You have made me a better person as
our love for one another is reflected in the way I live my life. So I am truly blessed to be a part of your
life, which as of today becomes our life together. I, Alison, take you, Marc, to be my
husband, my partner, my friend, my confidant, my soul mate. I pledge my all to you. We have already been through a lot
together, and I believe that has been preparing us for this moment and for
our future together. I promise to keep the good memories alive, and to let
the bad ones die. I vow not to let the sun go down on our anger, and to treat
each morning as a new day to love you, the gift I have been given. I will not
forsake you or these vows that we have made, but rather strive to show you my
love for the rest of our lives. This is my promise to you. I love you. WEDDING
CEREMONY GIVING OF THE
BRIDE |
|
Question
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"Being assured that your love and your choice of each other as
lifelong companions are in God's will and that you have your families'
blessings. I now ask. Who gives this beautiful woman to be married to this
wonderful man?" |
Response
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"Her family, friends, and I do." |
Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience, and an adventure in the
most intimate of human relationships. It is the joyous union of two people
whose comradeship and mutual understanding have flowered in romance. Today Alison
and Marc proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we
gather here to rejoice, with and for them, in the new life they now undertake
together.
The joy we feel now is a solemn joy, because the act of
marriage has many consequences, both social and personal. Marriage requires
"love," a word we often use with vagueness and sentimentality. We may
assume that love is some rare and mystical event, when in fact it is our
natural state of being.
So what do we mean by love? When we love, we see things other
people do not see. We see beneath the surface, to the qualities which make our
beloved special and unique. To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty.
And to be loved is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: a piece of
ourselves, but a piece that only they could give us.
We who love, can look at each
other's life and say, "I touched his life," or, "I touched her
life," just as an artist might say, "I touched this canvas."
"Those brushstrokes in the comer of this magnificent mural, those are
mine. I was a part of this life, and it is a part of me." Marriage is to
belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration, like two
threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry
together.
The secret of love and marriage is similar to that of religion itself. It is
the emergence of the larger self. It is the finding of one's life by losing it.
Such is the privilege of husband and wife - to be each himself, herself and yet
another; to face the world strong, with the courage of two.
To make this relationship work, therefore, takes more than love. It takes
trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It
takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it
is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without
knowing what the future holds for you both. While love is our natural state of
being, these other qualities are not as easy to come by. They are not a
destination, but a journey.
The true art of married life is in this an inner spiritual journey. It is a
mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two
endowments which diminishes neither, but enhances both.
Alison and Marc
have written personal vows of intention to exhange
before you, their friends and family.
Alison reads her
vow of intention
Marc reads his vow
of intention
I, Marc, take you Alison, to be my wife, my partner
in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today, tomorrow, and forever.
I will trust you and honor you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep.
I, Alison, take you Marc, to be
my husband, my partner in life and my one true love.
I will cherish our friendship and love you today,
tomorrow, and forever
I will trust you and honor you
I will laugh with you and cry with you.
I will love you faithfully
Through the best and the worst,
Through the difficult and the easy.
What may come I will always be there.
As I have given you my hand to hold
So I give you my life to keep.
With full awareness, know that within this circle you are not
only declaring your intent to be handfasted before your
friends and family, but you speak that intent also to your creative higher
powers.
The promises made today and the ties that are bound here
greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each
soul's growth.
Do you still seek to enter this ceremony?
Yes, We Seek to Enter.
In times past it was believed that the human soul shared
characteristics with all things divine. It is this belief which assigned
virtues to the cardinal directions; East, South, West and North. It is in this
tradition that a blessing is offered in support of this ceremony.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the East. Communication of the heart, mind, and body Fresh beginnings with
the rising of each Sun. The knowledge of the growth found in the sharing
of silences.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the South. Warmth of
hearth and home The heat of the heart's passion The
light created by both To lighten the darkest of times.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the West. The deep
commitments of the lake The swift excitement of the
river The refreshing cleansing of the rain The all encompassing passion of the
sea.
Blessed be this union with the gifts of the North Firm
foundation on which to build Fertility of the fields to enrich your lives A stable home to which you may always return.
Each of these blessings from the four cardinal directions
emphasizes those things which will help you build a happy and successful union.
Yet they are only tools. Tools which you must use together in order to create
what you seek in this union.
The Exchange
of rings
As the rings have no end so your love should have no end. As the rings
are made of gold symbolizing purity, so should your marriage have purity. As often as either of you see them, you will be
reminded of this moment and the endless love you promised." "Alison, what token to you give
that you will perform your vows?" (Matt receives ring and says to
bride.) "Alison_, do you receive this
ring in token of the same?" |
BRIDE |
"I do." (Groom places ring on Bride's finger.) |
Matt with Groom Repeating |
"Alison, this ring I give to you in token
and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." |
MATT |
"Marc_, what token to you give that you will
perform your vows?" (Minister receives ring and says to groom.) "Marc, do you receive this ring
in token of the same?" |
GROOM |
"I do." (Bride places ring on Groom's finger.) |
MATT WITH BRIDE REPEATING |
"Marc, this ring I give to you in token and
pledge of my constant faith and abiding love." |
Declaration
of Marriage:
In as much as you have each pledged to the other your
lifelong commitment, love and devotion, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.
Marc, You may kiss your bride!
PRESENTATION
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|
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"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Marc Tyson Brackett |
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