Michael Darnell Ward

Wedding Carolyn and Leif Lobner

PROCESSIONAL - Beginning of the Wedding Ceremony.

Please be seated as this wedding ceremony will start. Everyone please have your cell phones silenced during the ceremony.

Have guest stand for the entrance of the bride.

Please Stand

Once Bride and Father is standing at the altar.

Who gives this bride away?

INVOCATION

OFFICIANT TO THE RECEPTION

"Welcome, family and loved ones. We are gathered here today, surrounded by the beauty of creation to celebrate the joining of Leif and Carolyn in marriage.

Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it forever.

You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. And when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? - You're standing here in front of everyone, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by so many of those who you hold near and dear. So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one moment is regarded as one so very critical, we acknowledge it’s special status by sharing it with others.

Why this moment?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier - our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe in, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here.

We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity.

All of us here today have our own love stories. Some are short, others long. Some are not yet written, while others are just getting to the good part. There are chapters in all of our lives that are sad or disappointing - and others that are exciting , great and full of adventure.

And that brings you here. A time to pause, look back, and smile at all the moments that have brought them here. And a time to look ahead at all the moments that are still to come.

I'm here - we're all here - because we want those moments for you. We're here to hope with you, to support you, to be proud of you, and to remind you that love isn't happily ever after, but love is the experience of writing your story. It's not one moment - not even this moment. It's every moment. Big ones like saying 'I love you,' moving in together, getting engaged - but mostly a million little ones that come in between the big moments.

Falling asleep next to one another, making dinner together, spending holidays with your families, binge-watching Netflix shows, getting a big hug when you get home from work… These everyday moments fuse together into one big experience.

And even though this experience is so incredible, words fail us when we try and explain it. That's just the way it is with love - it's meant to be felt, not described.

But trying to describe love is one of our favorite pastimes. We use the words we have to write stories, and poems, and songs about love. And even though we describe love in different ways - and even though love can look different from one person to the next - we all know it when we see it. And we see it here.

You fell in love by chance, but you're here today because you're making a choice. You both are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile, and makes every day brighter. You're about to make promises to each other that you intend to keep.

You're going to vow to take care of each other, to stand up for one another, and find happiness in the other. There's a simple logic to each of these promises: you're vowing to be there.

You're teaming up and saying to the other, 'Every experience I am going to have, I want you to be a part of.'"

Carolyn and Leif, today, your lives blend seamlessly together . 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.

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 respond when it’s best to keep your mouth zipped.

Marriage takes understanding, compromise , forgiveness and a whole lot more. Love holds and molds all of these together.

PRAYER

OFFICIANT TO THE RECEPTION

Let us bless this couple with a prayer.

"Heavenly Father, we humbly bow before you today praising You, Lord, we ask for your blessings upon Carolyn and Leif as we celebrate this special occasion in their lives. Grant them happiness and contentment, as their two lives become one, as they create a new family and explore the depths of their love for one another.

Bless their families and friends and the relationships, which have supported, strengthened and sustained them throughout their lives. Bless their home as a place of love and of peace.

In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, Amen."

DECLARATION OF INTENT

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE

"Carolyn and Leif, please join hands, look at one another now and remember this moment in time. "

OFFICIANT TO Leif

"Will you Leif keep Carolyn as your favorite person - to laugh with her, go on adventures with her, support her through life's tough moments, be proud of her, grow old with her, and find new reasons to love her every day?"

Wait for Leif to say:

"I will."

OFFICIANT TO Carolyn

"Will you, Carolyn, keep Leif as your favorite person - to laugh with him, go on adventures with him, support him through life's tough moments, be proud of him, grow old with him, and find new reasons to love him every day?"

Wait for Carolyn to say:

"I will."

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE

"Will you, Leif and Carolyn, be each other's partners from this day forward? Will you bring out the best in one another, share your happiest moments together, and love each other absolutely - for the rest of this lifetime and for whatever may come next?"

COUPLE SAY TO THE OFFICIANT

"We will."

RING EXCHANGE

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE

"You've both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings do have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep within the earth.

Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace - molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from these raw elements.

Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It's the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You've created something invaluable, and just as I know you'll protect these rings, I'm confident you'll protect the commitments you've made to one another today."

OFFICIANT TO LEIF

"Leif, as you place this ring on Carolyn's finger, repeat these words after me: This ring symbolizes my love for you and the commitments we made today."

• LEIF REPEATS THE WORDS AS HE PLACES THE RING ON CAROLYN FINGER.

OFFICIANT TO CAROLYN

"Carolyn as you place this ring on Leif's finger, repeat these words after me: This ring symbolizes my love for you and the commitments we made today."

• CAROLYN REPEATS THE WORDS AS SHE PLACE THE RING ON LEIF’S FINGER.

PRONOUNCEMENT

OFFICIANT TO THE COUPLE

"Leif and Carolyn, you have come here today of your own free will and in the presence of family and loved ones, you have declared your love and commitment to each other. You have given and received rings as a symbol of your promises."

"By the power of your love and commitment to each other, and by the power vested in me by the State of California and American Marriage Ministries, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now seal your vows with a kiss.

OFFICIANT TO THE RECEPTION

Congratulations! Family and loved ones, I now present to you the newly married couple Mr. and Mrs Lobner. Let’s hear it for ‘em!”

RECESSIONAL

Cocktail and Reception will be held in the building behind you, you proceed to the ballroom now. Thank you.