Alvin Collado Tanicala

PAULO & AUDREY WEDDING

12|20|23

PASO ROBLES, CA, USA

ANNOUNCEMENT

Address the crowd

Are you ready for an event that is years in the making?

Are you ready to witness the wedding of Paulo and Audrey?

No cellphones please.

BE IN THE MOMENT.

We have Kelsey Kay, our photographer, who will capture this event for us.

Turn off or Airplane Mode: That goes to all participants of this ceremony.

Let us start the wedding!

CEREMONY PROPER

PROCESSION c/o THEA

INVOCATION: Presentation of the Bride

Ask Leo, Sr.: “DO YOU PRESENT AUDREY VICTORIA ARRINGTON TO BE MARRIED TO PAULO JOSHUA TANICALA?”

Leo Sr. Responds

Escorts Audrey to her position

Paulo receives Audrey

Paulo and Audrey take their position while holding hands

Opening Prayer

Let us pray. Gracious Father, we humbly ask for your blessing upon Paulo and Audrey in this sacred covenant of marriage. May their love reflect your steadfast grace. In Jesus we pray. Amen.

The Love Story (This is just one of the accounts shared to me by Thea)

A Short stroll down memory lane

They first noticed each other at Argo where they both used to work at.

Their first lunch “date” was in Shafter and their first meal was Cheeseburger, no pickles, and a small fry.

They prepared lunch for each other. Paulo had a few years' practice in the kitchen, and he was sharing with Audrey how to prepare some of the dishes he knew how to cook.

The Love Story according to THEA

The chemistry may have started at work, but it followed them home;

Audrey was invited over to our home to help make Spam Musubi. (Spam musubi is a is a popular Hawaiian form of rice ball and SPAM.)

They watched a movie with Thea and Dave. They could not remember the movie, but they remembered it was an animated movie.

According to Thea, everybody fell asleep in the living room after the movie, and when Thea and Dave woke up, they saw Paulo and Audrey holding hands as they slept on the sofa.

Thus was the start of their journey that now marks a new milestone.

The Salt Covenant (Framing the Marriage)

We gather here today to witness, before God, the union, of Paulo and Audrey, in marriage, a sacred covenant rooted in God’s design from creation:

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one (Genesis 2:24).

The word "covenant" means "a coming together." Today, the context and connections of the word covenant is about the “coming together” of Paulo and Audrey in holy matrimony and it is permanent. A solemn union that withstands the test of time.

The symbol that Paulo and Audrey chose to signify their union today is SALT.

The Covenant of Salt is an ancient agreement mentioned in the Old Testament. It was a means of sealing a covenant, an offering or agreement between parties. In fact, salt was a required part of every offering (Leviticus 2:13).

There is a close connection between salt and promises.

Because they want to preserve their promises to each other, they will now enter a Covenant.

THE DECLARATION OF INTENT (Deliver with intent)

Paulo and Audrey, the sacred covenant of marriage you enter today is a commitment not only to each other, but also before God who established this union:

Do you, Paulo, and Audrey, wholeheartedly pledge to seal your promises today, not out of obligation, but willingly out of love and honor for each other?

Will you give each other permission to nurture spiritual fruits such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, keeping one another accountable for the vows exchanged today (Galatians 5:22-23)?

In both gladness and sorrow, clarity and confusion, will you cherish your vows to each other until death alone dissolves your union?

WAIT FOR THE BRIDE AND GROOM TO RESPOND

THE SALT CEREMONY: THE POURING OF THE SALT

Hand the individual salt containers to:

AUDREY, (Please pour the salt into the container) may each grain be a whispered pledge of heart and soul’s surrender to this sacred bond.

PAULO, (Please pour the salt into the container) as you add your salt, may each grain be the essence of your unwavering devotion, sealing this covenant with your whole being.

The 5 Properties of Salt (The Message)

Salt preserves against corruption and lasts through the ages. As God established an everlasting covenant with His children, may you honor your vows amidst changes (2 Chronicles 13:5).

Salt creates thirst for the kingdom of God (Matthew 5:6). May your spiritual bond nurture deeper longings for each other and to seek Christ and his righteousness together.

You are the salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13), called to brighten the world through your good works that glorify God and the community around you.

Salt heals and purifies, just as Christ’s love cleanses us of sin. May restoration overflow in your relationship through forgiving one another, even as Christ has forgiven you (Colossians 3:13).

Salt enhances flavor, Colossians 4:6 instructs our speech to be always seasoned with fullness of grace and wisdom in how you build each other up.

(IN SUMMARY). Your marriage is like Salt: it preserves, it creates thirst for righteousness, it heals relationships, and it enhances flavors of life, just as God set up an enduring covenant. Like salt, you as a couple are called to honor your vows amidst change, nurture longings for Christ and each other, brighten the world through good works, practice forgiveness as Christ did, and communicate with grace and wisdom to build each other up.

The Ring Ceremony (Identifying the Marriage)

(Call JONAH to bring the rings)

The rings you exchange today represent your eternal love and commitment, just as salt signifies the permanent sacred bond you enter.

PAULO, place this ring on AUDREY and repeat after me: This ring // reflects my vow// to be faithful and devoted to you. // With this ring, // I marry my life to yours // from now on, praying it to last forever.

AUDREY, place this ring on PAULO and repeat after me: This ring // reflects my vow // to be faithful and devoted to you. // With this ring, // I marry my life to yours// from now on, praying it to last forever.

As you wear these rings, may they remind you of the blessed union and covenant made here, like salt, will never fade and cannot be broken.

The Couple’s Vows

The Pronouncement (The Confirmation of the Marriage)

You have expressed your love and commitment through the sacred covenants made here today. You have exchanged rings and showed the ancient salt covenant as enduring signs of your union.

Now, having borne witness to these solemn vows before God, it is my honor and delight to officially pronounce that you are now joined as husband and wife in the unity of marriage.

As you move forward in marriage, may your bond remain as pure, wholesome, and indestructible as salt. Just as salt crystals join and unite, may you continue blending your lives in a way that is impossible to separate.

What God has so perfectly united here as a preserved, unbroken covenant, let no one ever divide.

LET US PRAY

Gracious God, we lift this newly married couple to You, grateful for the blessing of their union. We ask Your blessing over their covenant.

Preserve and nurture their bond, allowing their love to blossom and flourish like enduring crystals of salt. Draw their hearts together as one. May they turn to You as their Faithful Source in times of trial.

As they embark on this journey as spouses, walk closely with them, filling their union with inevitable delight, tenderness, and encouragement.

May their marriage reflect Your eternal, unconditional and inevitable love. Make them life-giving salt and light to all around them, as we pray in Jesus' name. Amen.

Paulo Joshua Tanicala, you may now kiss Mrs. Audrey Victoria Tanicala!

Everyone! It is my honor to now present to you Mr. Paulo Joshua Tanicala and Mrs. Audrey Victoria Tanicala!

THE RECESSION

The newlyweds will now spend a few private moments with each other. They will be back shortly.

THE RE-ENTRY OF THE NEW COUPLE!

ONE LAST THING: SIGNING OF THE LICENSE WITH THE WITNESSES

INEVITABLE