William Henry Wilkinson

Processional

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[To guests] Please stand.

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[Bride escorted down aisle by her brother.]

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[To brother of bride] Who presents this woman in marriage?

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Brother of bride: I do.

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[To guests] You may be seated.

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[To guests] Dearly beloved and honored guests, we are gathered here today to hallow the marriage of Deborah Lynn Bushey and Nathaniel Pierce Tucker. In the midst of the world’s troubles, it is a joy and a blessing to come together to celebrate the love this couple share as they join together in marriage. Let us be present in this moment—and lay aside all else that may be on our minds. Let us also extend this community to those who cannot be here in person today—but are with us in spirit.

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Deb and Nate had some interesting ideas for this wedding, including Klingons, bat’leths and a baking soda and vinegar volcano like you would do for a science fair. To the best of my knowledge we are not having any of those things during the ceremony, but what do I know?

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Deb and Nate come before us pledging their love and their hearts to one another. May they be true and loving, may their hearts be filled with kindness and understanding, may they forgive each other’s weaknesses, and laugh together often. May they be friends, companions, and partners, continuing to meet the joys and sorrows of life as one. As the years pass, and they move from one chapter in their life together to the next, may their love continue to deepen and mature, and may their home forever be a place of love and joy.

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I would like to share a reading from the novel “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin” by Lois de Bernières (Burn-ee-ay):

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Love is a temporary madness; it erupts like volcanoes—and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away—and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two.

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Now Deb and Nate will exchange the vows they have written for each other.

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[Officiant hands the bride and groom cards with the vows they have written.]

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[Nate’s Vows]

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Deb, ever since I met you, you have made every day of my life better than the day before. You drive me to be the best possible version of myself. You make me feel more loved than I ever thought possible. Every day I grow to love you more and more. I am so lucky that you are in my life. I cannot express how excited I am to spend our lives together and discover what adventures await.

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[Deb’s Vows (her pet name for the groom is “Keep.”)]

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Keep,

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The vows I have written for you today were written on my heart a long time ago. 

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They're written on those notes I sneak into your lunch bag every time you go to work.

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The goofy more confident version of me that emerges from being around you.

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You're my Keeper, my confidant, my best friend...

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And though it defies all logic, I answered that first message you left me on Match.

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Our story is surely one for the books!  I am one lucky girl to finally be your wifey and you, my handsome handy hubby bear. You make me so incredibly happy. 

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I promise to stand by you through the ebb and flow of life, to raise you up when you're feeling low, to make you laugh in the midst of sorrow, and to be your lifelong partner from this day forward.

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I love you Keep ️

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[Officiant takes the cards back]

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[To Deb] Deborah Lynn Bushey, will you take Nathaniel Pierce Tucker to be your husband; will you love, honor, and cherish him, now and forevermore?

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Deb: I will.

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Do you promise to hold Nate’s hand, look him in the eyes, and listen to his hopes, dreams, and thoughts?

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Deb: I do.

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Do you promise to laugh at his goofy jokes?

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Deb: I do.

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[To Nate] Nathaniel Pierce Tucker, will you take Deborah Lynn Bushey to be your wife; will you love, honor, and cherish her, now and forevermore?

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Nate: I will.

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Do you promise to hold Deb’s hand, listen to her needs, and do the little things that brighten her day?

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Nate: I do.

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Do you promise to tease her, make silly jokes, and come up with new, creative ways to drive her crazy?

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Nate: I do.

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[To guests] Marriage is a state in which two people come together to create a union that is greater than the sum of its parts. As love is a difficult concept to express in mere words, we use symbols. Since time immemorial the ring has been an emblem of the sincerity and permanence of a couple’s love for one another and the lasting value of their marriage. As the circle can begin anew at any point, so marriage can always be renewed.

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[Take rings from Best Man.]

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[To couple] These rings are symbols of your eternal love.

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[Handing ring to Nate] As you, Nate, place this ring on Deb’s finger, please repeat after me:

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I give you this ring –

as a symbol of my commitment –

to you and to our partnership. –

You have my heart always. –

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[Handing ring to Deb] As you, Deb, place this ring on Nate’s finger, please repeat after me:

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I give you this ring –

as a symbol of my commitment —

to you and to our partnership. —

You have my heart always. —

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[Best Man and Matron of Honor move the sand ritual table between the couple and the guests.]

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[To couple] Deb and Nate, today you are making a commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other. Your relationship is symbolized by the pouring of these two individual containers of sand; one, representing you, Deb, and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, and the other representing you, Nate, and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.

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Each one holds its own unique beauty, strength, and character. They can stand on their own and be whole, without requiring anything else. But when the two are blended together they become something entirely new and extraordinary, like your love. Each grain of sand brings to the mixture a lasting beauty that forever enriches the whole. As you now combine your sand together, your lives also join together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into their individual containers, so will your marriage be.

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[Deb and Nate pour their respective containers of sand.]

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[Best Man and Matron of Honor move the table back to the side.]

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[To guests] Looking at the love Deb and Nate have for each other and hearing the vows they made to each other, I can only conclude that this will be a wonderful marriage. A marriage that will surmount the bad times and thrive in the good times.

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[To couple] A marriage, Deb and Nate, in which both of you will grow and succeed, as you support each other in your current and future endeavors. We are honored to be here today at the start, and we look forward to seeing you both in the future, when you will be a bit older, hopefully a bit wiser, but definitely still the incredible couple we see before us today.

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And so, by the authority vested in me by the State of New York, it is with great joy that I now pronounce you Husband and Wife.

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You may now seal your commitment with a kiss.

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[To guests] It is my incredible honor to introduce for the very first time as a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Nathanial and Deborah Tucker!

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Recessional