Lynn Feather

Good afternoon Family and Friends of Ann and Tim.

We are gathered together here today as Alice Ann Synder and Timothy Leon Gray are joined in the union of marriage.

This contract is not to be entered into lightly but thoughtfully and seriously, and with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities. Please remember that love, loyalty, and understanding are the foundations of a happy and enduring home.

Ann and Tim, today begins a life of giving and sharing, nurturing and support; allowing each other the freedom to change and grow as individuals while developing your mutual spirit as time goes by. In the art of marriage, the little things are the big things. (such as buying each other a candy bar when the other goes in the store). It is about establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual, and the obligation is reciprocal.

Today, your family and friends are gathered together to celebrate your marriage. Today, we are privileged to witness two very dear friends, two exceptional and driven individuals committed to sharing a lifetime together.

Alice Ann Synder and Timothy Leon Gray will now share their vows.

*(Vows)*

Do you Alice Ann Synder take this man Timothy Leon Gray to be your lawfully wedded partner, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto him for as long as you both shall live?

*(I DO!)*

Do you Timothy Leon Gray take this woman Alice Ann Synder to be your lawfully wedded partner, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, keeping yourself unto her for as long as you both shall live?

*(I DO!)*

Alice Ann Synder and Timothy Leon Gray will now exchange rings as a symbol of their love and commitment.

The ring, an unbroken circle, represents unending love. As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you be reminded of this moment and this love you have promised to one another.

*(Ring Exchange)*

Tim, please place this ring on Ann's left hand and repeat after me:

I, Timothy Leon Gray, give this ring to you, Alice Ann Synder, as a symbol of my love, and that I am choosing to share my life's journey with you. I give you this ring, with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always and forever.

Ann, please place this ring on Tim's left hand and repeat after me:

I, Alice Ann Synder, give this ring to you, Timothy Leon Gray, as a symbol of my love, and that I am choosing to share my life's journey with you. I give you this ring, with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always and forever.

UNITY CANDLE CEREMONY:

Tim and Ann, also today you are here to join both of your lives together. These two separate vases of sand symbolize your separate lives before you found each other. They symbolize your separate friends, families and choices.

Today, both of you will seal your bond by blending these two individual vases together. Once the sand is blended it cannot be separated. Just as the sand cannot be separated, you are creating a beautiful work of art that represents who you are together. Each of you are separate, however, you compliment each other in your blending together. Just as each grain of sand is so tiny that we can never separate them again, so are you ~~ forever changed when it comes to your family.

By blending these two sands together, we are recognizing the importance of blending two families together. May you always honor and protect your families.

MARRIAGE PRAYER

Lord help us to remember when we first met and the Strong Love that grew between us. Help us love in practical ways so that nothing can divide us. May our words be kind and our thoughts gracious. May we remain humble enough to ask for forgiveness and wise enough to freely give.

I leave you now with the following words:

May all that you are always be in love. May all that is love always be in you. May your love be as beautiful on each day you share as it is on this day of celebration; and may each day you share be as precious to you as the day your first fell in love. May you always see and encourage the best in each other. May the challenges life brings your way make your marriage even stronger. And, may you always be each other's best friend and greatest love.

Tim and Ann, you have pledged your faith to each other in the company of two wonder families and your circle of friends; and therefore, by the power vested in me through the State of West Virginia, I now pronounce you married.

Tim, you may now kiss your bride!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to present for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy and Ann Gray.