Laura Litton

**OPENING**

Good afternoon everyone!

From this place with amazing views of the beautiful Chicago skyline, and the breath taking art gallery that encompasses the eclectic interests of our bride and groom to be, we take ourselves out of the usual routines of daily living to witness a unique moment in the lives of Mark and Melissa. Today they join their lives in the union of marriage. We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public affirmation of that bond and as their dearest family and friends, it is our honor and privilege to stand witness to this event.

To all their guests, they are happy to share this moment with you. They have known most of you for many years. You watched them grow up, you went to school with them, or you worked with them. Because you are the ones who have supported them and known them so well, it is only fitting that you are the ones to share this once-in-a-lifetime moment with them.

Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other. It offers opportunities for sharing and growth that no other human relationship can equal, a physical and emotional joining that has the promise of a lifetime.

**ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FAMILY***

Mark and Melissa are pleased to have their parents and families in the front row, close to them for the ceremony.

Melissa thanks her parents for providing her with every opportunity possible and being the best parents anyone could ask for. [specific acknowledgment of famiy...

Mark appreciates all the love and support his parents have given him over the years. [specific acknowledgment of family...]

A wedding day is often a day when couples miss family members no longer with them. For Mark and Melissa, there are family members whose memories they hold dear. Papu...

And so it is that Mark and Melissa present themselves to be married today, surrounded by the people they love the most. While the commitment begins with the two of you, its effect radiates outward. It touches your family and friends and ultimately all of society. When this commitment is seriously made and continuously fulfilled, it leads to the richest and most rewarding of human relationships.

Your relationship will take more than love. It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. Dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And 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. Marriage is a give and take between two personalities, a mingling of two endowments that diminishes neither, but enhances both.

**APPRECIATION OF PARTNERS**

As Mark and Melissa prepared for the ceremony part of this wedding celebration, they reflected on what it is that they love about each other. And this was was the easiest part of planning this wedding!

Mark, Melissa loves that you [...]

Melissa, Mark loves that you [...]

You both look to a shared future that includes [...]

**VOWS**

We come now to the words Mark and Melissa want to hear the most today…the words that take them across the threshold from being engaged to being married.

A marriage, as most of us understand it, is a voluntary and full commitment. It is made in the deepest sense to the exclusion of all others, and it is entered into with the desire and hope that it will last for life.

Seeing that no moment is without meaning, we ask that you take this marriage as the beginning of your lives together. Today signifies the creation of a new home and a new family for you both. May you be fulfilled by each other’s love and friendship. May you be overjoyed by the promises you are about to make and the life together you will create.

Remember that in every marriage, there are good times and bad, times of joy and times of sorrow. Marriage is a journey – a time of adventure and excitement enhanced by the love, trust, dedication, and faith you share in one another.

May the promises you make to one another today, be lived out to the end of your lives. Tomorrow can bring you the greatest of joys, but today is the day it all begins.

Before you declare your vows to one another, I want to hear you confirm that it is indeed your intention to be married today.

Mark do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Melissa in marriage? If so, answer “I do.”

Melissa, do you come here freely and without reservation to give yourself to Mark in

marriage? If so, answer “I do.”

Mark and Melissa, having heard that it is your intention to be married to each other, I now ask you to declare your marriage vows.

Please face each other and hold hands.

Mark, please repeat after me…

I, Mark take you, Melissa to be my wife.

I will share my life with yours,

and build our dreams together,

Support you through times of trouble,

and rejoice with you in times of happiness.

I promise to give you

respect, love, and loyalty.

This commitment is made in love,

kept in faith,

lived in hope,

and made new every day of our lives.

Melissa, please repeat after me…

I, Melissa, take you, Mark, to be my husband.

I will share my life with yours,

Build our dreams together,

Support you through times of trouble,

and rejoice with you in times of happiness.

I promise to give you

respect, love, and loyalty.

This commitment is made in love,

kept in faith,

lived in hope,

and made new every day of our lives.

**RINGS**

Having this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by exchanging rings.

From the earliest times, the circle has been a sign of completeness. The rings that you have chosen to wear have neither beginning nor end, much like your love for one another. They are a symbol of the words that you speak today. May these rings be from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession. As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.

Mark, place the ring on Melissa’s finger and repeat after me….

I give you this ring.

Wear it with love and joy.

As this ring has no end,

My love is also forever.

Melissa, place the ring on Mark’s finger and repeat after me….

I give you this ring.

Wear it with love and joy.

As this ring has no end,

My love is also forever.

Mark and Melissa from this moment forward you will never be alone. You will carry with you the love of another person, giving you a completeness and renewed lightness. May your life together be immersed in love and excitement. May you strive to enrich each other in every possible way. And may you work to bring the peace you find to this world.

**ADVICE**

Everyone has advice for newlyweds. Mark and Melissa, I offer these good wishes to you on this special day:

May your life together be blessed with prosperity and good health. May you always share open and honest communication with each other. May you respect each other’s individual talents and gifts and give full support to each other’s professional and personal pursuits.

May you cherish the home and family you will create together. May all the years to come be filled with moments to celebrate and renew your love. May your love be a life-long source of excitement, contentment, affection, respect, and devotion for one another.

**DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE**

And so now by the authority vested in me by American Marriage Ministries and the State of Illinois, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. You may seal this declaration with a kiss.

**PRESENTATION**

I am pleased to present the newlyweds, Melissa and Mark!