richard sacco

PROCESSION

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES COUPLE, CHILDREN, AND GUESTS:

Good afternoon, friends. We are here to celebrate the marriage of Michael Holt and Collette Laurenceau and to share in one of the greatest celebrations known to humanity. Michael Holt and Collette Laurenceau, thank you for the honor of allowing us to share in your marriage celebrations.

DECLARATION OF INTENT & CONSENT OF CHILDREN

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

As we begin your ceremony today, we begin by stating your intention to marry and that you freely and without reservation choose to join together.

OFFICIANT TO Michael:

Michael, do you freely and without reservation choose to marry Collette today?

Michael:

I do.

OFFICIANT TO Collette:

Collette, do you freely and without reservation choose to marry Michael today?

Collette:

I do.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

Thank you both.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE AND CHILDREN:

You’ve known pretty much since the beginning that you would marry, but you had to make sure it was “right.” Part of that ‘making sure’ includes your children. And so, it's Michael and Collette’s wish that you, Jason and Ajay have the opportunity to officially consent to their marriage today.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES EACH CHILD INDIVIDUALLY:

OFFICIANT TO JASON:

In that spirit, I ask you, Jason, do you consent to your mother, marrying Mr. Mike?

Jason:

I do, yes.

OFFICIANT:

Thank you

OFFICIANT TO AJAY:

I also ask you, Ajay, do you consent to your mother, marrying Mr. Mike?

Ajay:

I do, yes.

OPENING BLESSING

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES EVERYONE:

Now, I ask that you all join me in prayer as we ask God’s blessings on what we do here today.

Lord, we thank you for this amazing day, for the gift of Michael Holt and Collette Laurenceau and for the gift of their love in our lives. We ask your blessings on this celebration and on what we do here today.

May we become clearer reflections of your compassion and graciousness in our world. Lord, we also ask your blessings of love and health and prosperity on this beautiful family. We ask this with our hearts full of faith, hope and love.

Amen.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

You're both here today because you've committed to each other and have made a choice. You are choosing each other. You've chosen to be with someone who enhances you, who makes you think, makes you smile and laugh, even sometimes makes you cry, but always makes every day brighter.

Today, you make promises to each other that you will strive to honor every day forward, for the rest of your lives together. The vows you make today represent who you are, what you value in life and in love, how you want to love each other, and how you promise to show up in good days and bad. These are your promises to meet life as a team, and to share each moment, each struggle and triumph, with each other.

And so, Michael Holt and Collette Laurenceau, it is with great pride and honor that your family and friends are here to bear witness as you give your word and pledge your love and life to each other.

EXCHANGE OF WEDDING VOWS

OFFICIANT TO Michael:

Michael, do you promise to love, respect, and protect Collette every day, and to recognize within your heart, her strength, her pride, her light, even as you see her vulnerability and fragility, and appreciate that she is the only person you wish to spend this life with as partners?

Michael:

I do.

OFFICIANT TO Collette:

Collette, do you promise to continue to love, respect and appreciate Michael every day, and to recognize his honesty, his humility, his light, even as you see his desire to protect and cherish you and your children?

Collette:

I do.

OFFICIANT TO BOTH:

Do you both promise to recognize one another as equals and support one another in each other’s goals and wishes for the future?

BOTH:

We do.

OFFICIANT TO BOTH:

Do you both promise to have fun, laugh, and continue to be silly together at least once each day, even during the stormy times?

BOTH:

We do.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

Thank you both.

EXCHANGE OF WEDDING RINGS:

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

Michael and Collette, you have chosen to symbolize your vows to one another with an exchange of rings. Wedding rings therefore are an outward and visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace signifying to all; your commitment to each other.

Please hold and look at each other’s hands.

These are the hands of your best friend, strong and full of love for you. These hands will work and play alongside yours as you build your future together. These are the hands that will passionately cherish you through the years and with the slightest touch, will comfort you like no other. They will tenderly hold your family as one. And these are the hands that even when aged, will still reach out to you with the same touch that comforts you today.

OFFICIANT TO MICHAEL:

Michael, please take Collette’s left hand in yours.

Please place this ring on her fourth finger and resume holding both of her hands.

Michael PLACES THE RING.

Please repeat after me:

Collette Laurenceau, I give you this ring with the promise

that I will love and honor you,

in all ways, for all our days.

It is a symbol of my deepest love,

my unending and devoted friendship,

and a pledge to stand with you in every tomorrow.

OFFICIANT TO Collette:

Collette, please take Michael’s left hand in yours.

Please place this ring on his fourth finger and resume holding both of his hands.

Collette PLACES THE RING.

Please repeat after me:

Michael Holt, I give you this ring with the promise

that I will love and honor you,

in all ways, for all our days.

It is a symbol of my deepest love,

my unending and devoted friendship,

and a pledge to stand with you in every tomorrow.

SAND BLENDING UNITY CEREMONY

TO PREPARE FOR THIS SAND POURING CEREMONY, EACH PERSON WILL NEED A SMALL CONTAINER OF COLORED SAND, WHICH THEY WILL POUR INTO ONE LARGE GLASS CONTAINER. THIS REPRESENTS THE BLENDING OF THE FAMILIES INTO ONE NEW FAMILY.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

Michael and Collette, today you are making a life-long commitment to share the rest of your lives with each other and to honor your children as well. Your family relationship is symbolized through the pouring of these 4 individual containers of sand -- each one representing all that you were, all that you are, and all that you will ever be, as individuals and as a family.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE AND CHILDREN:

As you each hold your sand, the separate containers of sand represent your lives up to this moment, individual and unique. As you now combine your sand together, your lives also join together as one family.

THE FAMILY POURS THE INDIVIDUAL CONTAINERS / VIALS OF SAND INTO THE LARGE GLASS CONTAINER. THIS CAN BE DONE IN ANY ORDER THAT THE FAMILY CHOOSES. FOR EXAMPLE: MICHAEL STARTS, THEN JASON, AJAY, THEN COLLETTE FINISHES.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE AND CHILDREN:

Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage and your family be inseparable and whole.

SPECIAL READING BY CHILD:

OFFICIANT INVITES THE CHILD TO READ

OFFICIANT TO THE GUESTS:

In celebration of the joining together of this new family, I invite (Child's Name) to share a poem at this moment that describes family life to a “t”.

CHILD ADDRESSES THE FAMILY AND GUESTS:

“We’re all a little weird. And life’s a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness and call it love.” (Robert Fulghum)

Ajay:

When I think of them getting married, there really is nothing wrong with it.

Mama has been looking forward to it so it should make her happy, which is good for her.

Me and Mr. Mike have our ups and downs but with that aside he is a good guy.

Jason:

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE CHILD:

Thank you, (Child's Name).

CLOSING BLESSING

Officiant talks:

I would like to send a blessing to you and your family at this time.

The blessing is that you don’t have to do this on your own.

According to 1 John 4:16: "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them."

May your home be a place of happiness and comfort for everyone who finds it, and where each new generation, across all ages, is given a place for love and growing, a place for music and celebration, a place for laughter and fun as well as a place for rest and healing, acceptance and unconditional love.

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES EVERYONE:

As we conclude our ceremony today, I invite you to once again join me as we ask God’s blessings on your marriage.

Dear Father, as (Michael) and (Collette) go forth from this moment to live out their lives, we pray that your abundant blessings, their family and friends may keep them together always in true understanding, honest tenderness and courageous love all the days of their lives. We also ask these blessings on each of their family, friends and all of your children no matter where they may be. Amen!

PRONOUNCEMENT & FIRST KISS

OFFICIANT ADDRESSES THE COUPLE:

Now as you, Michael Holt and you Collette Laurenceau have consented together in marriage on this (13th of April 2024) and have pledged your faith to each other by sharing your vows and giving and receiving of these rings before your family, according to the power vested in me by the State of Florida and American Marriage Ministries, I pronounce you Husband and Wife.

I invite you to share your first kiss as a married couple.