Victoria Jeanette Valdez

OFFICIANT TO GUESTS:

Welcome, loved ones. We gather on this joyful occasion to celebrate love, laughter, and light on Jade and Maribel’s wedding day.

• Each of you here represents a piece of Jade’s and Maribel's lives. Whether you came into their lives years ago or more recently, your presence here is a gift to them – and I know it means a lot to them. Thank you for being here!

• Para los miembros de la familia que están con nosotros virtuales, bienvenidos. Sabemos que la vida nos pone obstáculos, pero el amor que ustedes tienen por la pareja se siente de lejos. Le agradezco por estar con nosotros. El amor y alegría que ustedes les dan a la pareja es un regalo enorme. Gracias por su presencia en esta ocasión tan especial.

Before we begin today's celebration, I have one question for our family & friends that I'd like for you to answer loudly and proudly: Are we ready to get these two married?!

GUESTS RESPOND, "YES!" AND CHEER

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE:

Jade and Maribel, today, your lives blend seamlessly together, and you're about to embark on the greatest of adventures. A new path is ahead of you, and to navigate it well, there are skills to be learned and practiced daily.

Wilferd Arlan Peterson's "The Art of a Good Marriage" reminds us that a good marriage doesn't just happen; one must be created. In marriage, the little things are the big things, like never being too old to hold hands – and remembering to say, "I love you," at least once a day. It also takes patience, kindness… and fighting the urge to snarkily respond when it's best to keep your mouth zipped.

On that note, a good marriage sometimes takes a good sense of humor... as the following reading reminds us.

READING

"MARRIAGE" - BY ANONYMOUS

"Marriage is about giving and taking

And forging and forsaking

Kissing and loving and pushing and shoving

Caring and sharing and screaming and swearing

About being together, whatever the weather

About being driven to the end of your tether

About sweetness and kindness

And wisdom and blindness

It's about being strong when you're feeling relatively weak

It’s about saying nothing when you’re dying to speak

It’s about being wrong when you know you are right

It's about giving in before there's a fight

It’s about you two living as cheaply as one

(You can call us if you know how that's done!)

Never heeding advice that was always well-meant

Never counting the cost until it’s all spent

And for you two, today it's about to begin

And for all that the two of you had to put in

Some days are filled with joy and some days with sadness

Too late, you'll discover that marriage is madness."

DECLARATION OF INTENT

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE:

With this wisdom – and your love - in mind, I now ask you:

OFFICIANT TO JADE:

Jade, do you welcome Maribel as your wife and your cherished best friend?

PARTNER A RESPONDS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

OFFICIANT TO MARIBEL:

Maribel, do you welcome Jade as your husband and your cherished best friend?

PARTNER B RESPONDS IN THE AFFIRMATIVE.

EXCHANGE OF VOWS

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE:

Before you pledge your vows to one another, let's pause and take in the beauty surrounding us here. Take a look at your guests and feel their love for you – as well as the love you have for each other.

Please look into each other’s eyes as you share your promises to each other.

OFFICIANT TO JADE:

Jade, your partner in life for the last three years, stands before you, ready to become your partner for a lifetime. Your soulmate. Your best friend.

When you’re ready, please read your vows.

VOWS

JADE:

My whole life before, you felt like waiting on the finance manager at a car dealership. Waiting, waiting, waiting, and more waiting.

I was waiting to find my way, waiting on me to want to find my way, to realize my potential. I was never able to see what was next for me in life. I would try to flip ahead in the book of Jade but only find empty pages. I was still determining where my story would go and where I wanted it to go. What I did know is that I was broke, and I didn't like it, lol.

I felt like I was going down a road that finished at a dead end, with no idea how to turn around or even get back on track. My career, my love life, everything seemed... Stalled.

Then, the universe decided it was the right time and circumstance for us to meet. When we met, all our cards were on the table. We realized that our previous ideas of love were not what we wanted them to be.

I felt in my bones that you were going to change my life. I felt in my heart that you would light my soul on fire. I knew early on that the story of my life had to have you in it. All these feelings... I realized quickly that this was love. Deeper than anything I'd felt before. Realer than anything I'd felt before. And the surest I've felt in my life about anything. I quickly fell into this spiral of bliss with you after merely a few months of knowing each other. Your presence in my life started turning things around; I got promoted at work, and genuine love finally seemed like something I was capable of and something you made me feel I finally deserved. You helped me close a long chapter of my life that felt like endless words on dull pages.

Your smile brightens the book of my life, and your hugs and kisses fill the pages and give me direction and meaning.

With you in my life, I can flip ahead to see a happy and complete story... Thank you for being my happily ever after, Maribel

PS I hope these vows met the quota, lol

OFFICIANT TO MARIBEL:

Maribel, your partner in life for the last three years, stands before you, ready to become your partner for a lifetime. Your soulmate. Your truest companion.

When you’re ready, please read your vows.

MARIBEL:

Jade,

When I met you, my world got brighter. My heart felt safe, my feelings felt heard, and all my worries melted away. I didn't know the meaning of loving myself until you. I didn't think I could love another human so much until I met you. I learned I wasn't too much; I was perfect. You brought two extra fur babies into my life that I can't imagine never having met. We start every day with a smile and laugh (and a boom). It's everything I always wanted but didn't know I deserved. You have stood by my side when my world has crumbled, when the world showed me happiness when I've taken big risks, and you've celebrated me like no one else. I include you in my gratitude because you have made my life exponentially better. I know in my soul that with you as my husband, I can conquer any challenge and celebrate every win, big or small. Your soul will always be taken care of, and I will be there for you always. I want you to know that you're safe, loved, and will always be appreciated. I look forward to growing old with you and being Mrs. Maribel McDaniel Rodríguez for the rest of my life. From me, my family, and our fur babies, we love you. I love you. Today, tomorrow, and always ♥️

COIN RITUAL

13 COINS CALLED THE ARRHAE ARE PRESENTED TO THE COUPLE AS A PROMISE OF PROSPERITY.

AN HONORED GUEST WILL SERVE AS A COIN BEARER DURING THIS PORTION OF THE CEREMONY.

OFFICIANT:

Now let us do an exchange of the coins.

THE COIN BEARER PRESENTS THE COINS (USUALLY ON A PILLOW) TO THE OFFICIANT.

OFFICIANT:

These coins represent not only material possessions but great spiritual strength so that they may bless others. They are a reminder that they will mutually support each other, their community, and the world around them. As you hold the coins in your hands, remember that your blessings will no longer be separate but together.

OFFICIANT GIVES JADE THE COINS. JADE THEN GIVES THE COINS TO MARIBEL.

JADE TO MARIBEL:

Maribel, I give you these coins as a pledge of our commitment to share our blessings with each other and our community.

MARIBEL TO JADE:

I accept them and, in the same way, pledge my dedication to you, the care of our home, and the welfare of our community.

MARIBEL THEN GIVES THE COINS TO JADE.

MARIBEL TO JADE:

Jade, I give you these coins as a pledge of our commitment to share our blessings with each other and our community.

JADE TO MARIBEL:

I accept them and, in the same way, pledge my dedication to you, the care of our home, and the welfare of our community.

JADE GIVES THE COINS TO THE COIN BEARER FOR SAFEKEEPING.

RING EXCHANGE

OFFICIANT TO COUPLE:

These wedding rings symbolize eternal love and devotion and will remind you of the promises you've made here. Wear them with pride – for the challenges you've overcome, your integrity and commitment to each other, and the life you're building for the future. Let these rings remind you how lucky you are to have one another.

OFFICIANT TO JADE:

Jade, place this ring on Maribel's finger, please and say, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love. With this ring, I marry you."

OFFICIANT TO MARIBEL:

Maribel, please place this ring on Jade's finger and say, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my everlasting love. With this ring, I marry you."

OFFICIANT TO COUPLE:

May you enjoy a measure of faith that will enable your relationship to grow as you share in your marriage's joys, successes, and difficulties.

May you establish a happy home that will allow you to see the humorous side of life yet find contentment and peace in its profound realities.

As you walk down life's path together, may your union bind you together in lasting true love and faithfulness.

Jade and Maribel, by the love that has brought you here today, by the vows and rings you have exchanged in the presence of your loved ones, it is my delight and honor to pronounce you married!

You may seal your marriage with a kiss!

THE COUPLE KISSES, AND GUESTS APPLAUD AND CHEER

OFFICIANT TO GUESTS:

Family and friends, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time as newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. Amazing!