Angela Rae Shook

AMELIA AND NICK WEDDING CEREMONY

(PROCESSIONAL MUSIC “CAN YOU FEEL THE LOVE TONIGHT”. BRIDAL PARTY WALKS DOWN AISLE)

(AS BRIDE ARRIVES WITH FATHER)

ANGELA: Please rise.

(AT ALTER)

ANGELA: Who blesses this woman into marriage?

FATHER: Her mother and I.

(FATHER KISSES BRIDE AND IS SEATED)

ANGELA: Please be seated. Today, we gather to witness the marriage of Amelia and Nick. On behalf of the bride and groom, I want to welcome you and thank you for sharing this special day with us. Marriage is not to be entered into lightly but thoughtfully and seriously, and with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities. Love, loyalty, and understanding are the foundations of a happy and enduring home. As we have all seen, Nick and Amelia embody these qualities and share a truly unique and lasting bond.

Before we proceed with the ceremony, the bride and groom have requested a moment of silence to remember those who are no longer with us, but whom are forever in our hearts.

(MOMENT OF SILENCE)

Thank you.

As Nick’s cousin, it is my sincere honor to be officiating this ceremony today. For the past ten years, our family has had the joy of watching Amelia and Nick fall in love and share many adventures together. Whether fishing in Alaska or on Gun Lake, spending time with family and friends, bonfires and camping, they truly enjoy and cherish each moment together. I am not sure who holds the title of the best fisher between them, but we can all agree that they each have found their greatest catch in each other.

When I asked each of them what marriage meant to them, it was a delight to find they had similar values and goals. Nick shared that commitment to loving someone always, on good days, and bad days, and everything in-between was important to him. That he was so grateful to be spending the rest of his life with the person that means the most to him. He is also looking forward to no longer being asked WHEN ARE YOU GETTING MARRIED?! Amelia shared that to her, marriage is a commitment to forever be with Nick and that she was so excited to make an official commitment in front of her loved ones to always choose each other and love each other even more than the previous day.

They hope to grow old together, to continue meeting challenges and life together, and to eventually raise a family. Per Nick, it’s still to be decided if their children will be hockey players or figure skaters, but they both hold strongly to the desire be dedicated and caring parents.

Friends and family are both extremely valued and important to Nick and Amelia. To honor those cherished relationships, I’d now like to welcome Amelia’s Aunt Susan to share a reading with us.

AUNT SUSAN: From Beginning to End by Robert Fulghum

ANGELA: Thank you Susan. For those that do not know the beginning of this love story, Nick and Amelia first met at a bonfire with mutual friends on the very first weekend that Amelia moved to Michigan. Amelia was feeling a bit overwhelmed by moving and meeting so many new people. However, Nick was immediately struck by her beauty and tried to initiate a conversation. He said it was like trying to “crack the code to a safe” to get her to talk. Amelia’s first impression was that he was very cute but talked way too much. However, a year later, at the same bonfire on Labor Day weekend, she found that she loved his smile and admired his sense of humor and confidence. Nick found that once she opened up, she had a heart of gold.

Amelia describes Nick as an avid outdoorsman and storyteller. She loves the way he can always make her laugh, the way he does everything in threes and driving down dirt roads singing along to songs from Morgan Wallen and Bob Marley. She loves that they have an easy-going, but spontaneous and loving relationship.

Nick describes Amelia as quite a looker, very selfless, independent, caring, and just a joy to be around. He loves to reminisce on their many adventures together and smile, and really enjoys when she is no longer “hangry” and her happy dance once she has food in hand. He describes their relationship as good as it gets, very supportive, and just completely content to be in each other’s company.

Well Nick must have finally cracked that code to the safe because here we are now, ten years later. Their love has grown into a lifelong commitment that we honor here today.

(ANGELA TURNS TO NICK)

ANGELA: Do you, Nick, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to live together in matrimony, to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?

NICK: I do.

(ANGELA TURNS TO AMELIA)

ANGELA: Do you Amelia, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in matrimony, to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?

AMELIA: I do.

ANGELA: Nick and Amelia, please take each other’s hands. (AMELIA TO GIVE HER BOUQUET TO THE MAID OF HONOR)

ANGELA: Nick, please repeat after me. “I, Nick, take you, Amelia, for my lawful wife,

NICK: I, Nick, take you, Amelia, for my lawful wife,

ANGELA: to have and to hold from this day forward,

NICK: to have and to hold from this day forward

ANGELA: for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

NICK: For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

ANGELA: in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

NICK: in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

ANGELA: I will love and honor you all the days of my life.

NICK: I will love and honor you all the days of my life.

ANGELA: Amelia, please repeat after me. I, Amelia, take you, Nick, for my lawful husband,

AMELIA: I, Amelia, take you, Nick, for my lawful husband,

ANGELA: to have and to hold from this day forward,

AMELIA: To have and to hold from this day forward

ANGELA: for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

AMELIA: for better for worse, for richer, for poorer,

ANGELA: in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

AMELIA: in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

ANGELA: I will love and honor you all the days of my life.

AMELIA: I will love and honor you all the days of my life.

ANGELA: Nick, your partner in life for the last ten years stands before you, ready to become your partner for a lifetime. Your soul mate. Your best friend. When you are ready, please read your vows.

(NICK READS VOWS)

ANGELA: Amelia, your partner in life for the past ten years stands before you, ready to become your partner for a lifetime. Your soul mate. Your best friend. When you are ready, please ready your vows.

(AMELIA READS VOWS)

(RING EXCHANGE – RING BEARER GIDEON WILL HAVE GIVEN RING BOX TO RYAN AT THE END OF THE AISLE AT PRECESSION)

ANGELA: May the rings now be given to the bride and groom?

Amelia and Nick have chosen rings to exchange with each other as a symbol of their unending love.

Nick, as you place this ring on Amelia’s finger, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge you my love, now and forever.

NICK: With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge you my love, now and forever.

ANGELA: Amelia as you place this ring on Nick’s finger, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge you my love, now and forever.

AMELIA: With this ring, I thee wed, and pledge you my love, now and forever.

ANGELA: Now that Amelia and Nick have made their lifelong promises to each other and have exchanged rings, they’ve chosen to symbolize the joining of their two lives by participating in a very special ceremony ritual. BRING OUT THE WHISKEY! You may not realize it, but a good whiskey is like a good marriage in many ways. It warms you from the inside, gives you strength and confidence, and helps you face difficult situations with a little bit of ease. When the rest of the world seems to turn their backs on you, whiskey is there. Sometimes whiskey gives you a little bit of a headache, but you get over it. Whiskey is always forgiven. Amelia and Nick, as you each drink this shot, you are symbolically adding your own unique strengths that you bring to this marriage. Nick you bring your sense of adventure and humor, patience and cooking skills. Amelia you will add your kindness, intelligence, integrity and independence. So now, I will need all of your assistance as we cheer Amelia and Nick on. Nick, please pour the shots. When I count to three, we will all yell, Cheers! and Amelia and Nick will drink to their wedding day and to lifelong partnership. Ready….1, 2, 3, Cheers!

(NICK AND AMELIA TAKE THEIR DRINK)

Before we conclude, the couple has asked that I share this blessing with each of you. May we all hold these words to our hearts, and bless this marriage in love, strength and fidelity.

May your mornings bring joy and your evenings bring peace.

May your troubles grow few as your blessings increase.

May the saddest day of your future

be no worse than the happiest day of your past.

May your hands be forever clasped in friendship

And your hearts joined forever in love.

Your lives are very special,

God has touched you in many ways.

May his blessings rest upon you

And fill all your coming days.

By the authority vested in me by the state of Michigan and the American Marriage Ministry, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Nick, you may kiss your bride!

(ANGELA STEPS AWAY, COUPLE KISSES)

ANGELA: Amelia and Nick invite you to join them in celebration immediately following this ceremony. You will be dismissed by row. But now, for the first time ever, it is my pleasure to introduce to you as husband and wife, Nick and Amelia Coburn!

(AMELIA AND NICK WALK DOWN AISLE, PROCEEDED BY WEDDING PARTY)

(RECESSIONAL MUSIC: “GOOD DAY FOR MARRYING YOU”.)