Nicole Elizabeth Brodeur

Opening Words:

(Sarah and Brian stand side by side, facing Nicole)

Dear family and friends,

We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life’s greatest moments, the joining of two hearts.

Today promises become permanent and friends become family.

Today is not about the words spoken or the rings exchanged, nor is it about grand pronouncements and recessional marches.

This day — the day of Sarah and Brian’s wedding — is about love.

Love isn’t just a word; it’s an action.

Love isn’t something you say, it’s something you do.

Love is genuine, honest, and open, compassionate and kind, passionate and blind, love doesn’t know space or time, nor look through jealous eyes, and in the modified words of Paul in his letter to the Corinthians,

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never dies.

There are many different kinds of love, almost if not all of which are represented here today.

There is romantic love, the love of parents and children, of brothers and sisters and family, and love among friends.

Not only do Sarah and Brian love one another romantically — and they do, you can see it in every look, every touch, every moment they’re together — they also love one another as friends.

In fact, they’re best friends, constantly laughing and taunting and teasing and very plainly and obviously having fun together.

That love and enjoyment of each other as best friends will sustain them through this marriage.

In addition, the love collectively in this room, from friends and family, will help sustain and support the promises they make today.

All of us here will help solidify this bond, as these two individuals are joined as husband and wife.

This new journey will be at times richly rewarding and extremely difficult, but, most importantly, it will be a journey you take together.

Marriage is much more than your signatures on a legal contract.

You are promising, in front of all these people you love, that you want to be with each other and only each other for the rest of your lives, and that you will do everything in your power to honor the promises you are making here today.

For their part, the people who love you will also do everything in their power to try to help you hold up your end of the bargain.

A Remembrance:

At this time, we’d like to take a moment of silence to remember those who are not here with us.

Even though they are not here physically, they are a part of the foundation that makes Sarah and Brian the people they are today.

May we always remember them.

Please cherish the memories of these friends and family and all others who live on in our hearts.

(Pause for moment)

Thank you.

Declaration of Consent (I Dos):

(Sarah and Brian face each other, continue to hold hands)

Do you BRIAN promise to love SARAH and respect her, to share your life and your dreams, to build with her a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth? Brian: “I do”

Do you promise to be a companion to her in all of her successes and failures, her happiness and sadness, to always give to her your unwavering support and above all else, the freedom to be SARAH? Brian: “I do”

Do you SARAH promise to love BRIAN and respect him, to share your life and your dreams, to build with him a home that is a place of love, happiness, commitment and growth? Sarah: “I do”

Do you promise to be a companion to him in all of his successes and failures, his happiness and sadness, to always give to him your unwavering support and above all else, the freedom to be BRIAN? Sarah: “I do”

Exchange of Vows

Brian and Sarah have prepared their own vows.

Exchange of Rings: (Best Man will hand rings to Nicole)

These rings represent the vows and promises you’ve willingly exchanged.

They reflect the commitment those words inspire and all your hopes and dreams for the future.

(Hand Sarah’s ring to Brian)

BRIAN, as you place the ring on SARAH’s finger, please repeat after me:

I offer my vow to you (Stop/Repeat)

in the form of this ring, (Stop/Repeat)

so that my word and my love, (Stop/Repeat)

will always be with you. (Stop/Repeat)

(Hand Brian’s ring to Sarah)

SARAH, as you place the ring on BRIAN’s finger, please repeat after me:

I offer my vow to you (Stop/Repeat)

in the form of this ring, (Stop/Repeat)

so that my word and my love, (Stop/Repeat)

will always be with you. (Stop/Repeat)

Sand Ceremony

(Sarah and Brian will walk towards table for sand ceremony)

BRIAN and SARAH you have just sealed your marriage by the giving and receiving of rings, which is a pledge between two people who agree that they will commit themselves to one another throughout their lives.

Today, this relationship is also symbolized through the pouring of these individual containers of sand. There are two jars, representing you, BRIAN and two jars representing you SARAH and all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be.

(Sarah and Brian should have sand jars in hand and be prepared to pour)

As these containers of sand are poured into the marriage container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one.

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated, our wish for you today is that your lives together would be blended like the seven seas and may your love swirl around each other like the changing tides.

(Sarah and Brian should return to original spots, facing each other and holding hands)

Closing Words

SARAH and BRIAN, you have expressed your love to one another through the commitment and promises you have just made.

It is with these in mind that I pronounce you husband and wife.

You have kissed a thousand times, maybe more.

But today the feeling is new.

No longer simply partners and best friends, you have become husband and wife and can now seal the agreement with a kiss.

Today, your kiss is a promise.

Brian, you may kiss the bride.

(Brian kisses Sarah. Nicole dives out of the way)

Presentation

(Sarah and Brian turn to face the crowd)

Ladies and Gentlemen, family and friends, I am beyond happy to present, for the first time anywhere, Mr. and Mrs. Brian and Sarah Reese!

(Recessional begins, led by Sarah and Brian, followed by the wedding party)

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!!!