Becky Alexandra Marcus

PERSONALIZED SCRIPT OUTLINE - Joey & Matt Lucas - Wedding 11.03.24

Opening Remarks

- Introduction on couple and their proposal story prior to vows

- Use their responses to my questions about eachother in this section.

Vows

- Quote from Winnie the Pooh prior to personal vows.

- Joey, then Matt, share personal vows.

Ring Exchange

-“I do” section -

“You & Me” pg 75 but personalized.

- OR edit “I Promise to You” into “repeat after me” format.

- Hand Warming ritual (pg 98) after rings are on each others fingers.

Closing Remarks

- personal closing remarks.

Final Segment

a. Pronouncement (Mention AMM)

b. Kiss

c. Introduction of couple as officially Mr. and Mrs. Lucas.

d. Recession down aisle.

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Joey & Matt - Wedding 11.03.24

FULL SCRIPT BELOW:

1. OPENING REMARKS :

Good afternoon!

I wanted to start off by extending a warm welcome to everyone in attendance today to witness the marriage of Joanna Javeline and Matthew Lucas.

Family , friends, and of course to the couple whose special day we’ve all been brought together to celebrate, we thank you for being

here. We also would like to acknowledge those who could not be here in person but who have helped to shape the people that Joey and Matt are today, bringing us to this moment.

Joey and Matt, here’s your reminder to take a breath and a second to look around and realize how much support and love you’ve got surrounding you in this space.

Before jumping in further , it might be a good idea to briefly introduce myself. Some of you will have met me at Joey and Matt’s engagement party but some of you might be thinking “ who is this girl that’s in a bridesmaid dress but somehow officiating a wedding ceremony” ... to which I’ll assure you, I am ordained thanks to the request of these two. Believe me, I was also surprised when they asked …. But I am over the moon to play even a small part in bringing Joey and Matt

closer together.

I first met Joey in college math class, learning from a professor who was all about finding

unordinary methods for solving problems. We became roommates the next year and then the year after that, expanded our roommate circle to include Ashley and Mandy - two more of these beautiful bridesmaids, who I had the chance to reconnect with while preparing for this wedding. When I transferred schools halfway through junior year to be closer to home, I wasn’t sure our friendships would survive that change. Obviously that’s not the case.

Joey and I reconnected when the pandemic was settling down and she brought Matt along, who I had never met until that point. Although I hadn’t seen Joey in years, we picked up right where we left off , but now with the addition of Matt, who naturally fit right into our friendship. I had never seen Joey more happy and at ease than she was sitting next to Matt, even in a time when the world was starting to recover from a state of extreme uncertainty.

Flash forward to Matt asking for my assistance in his proposal plan - which involved a drive to NJ to “visit” Joey and a “routine” trip to the mall before I flew out of the Philly airport for a vacation I had planned. I did somehow manage to get us into a fender bender on the way to the mall. Joey - not realizing that Matt was in the process of setting up her proposal in that moment, texted him to let him know about the fender bender…. So of course when I asked them both to recall their memories from the proposal day, Matt made sure to mention , word-for-word : “Dude,

I was so worried when i heard you got into a car accident and so relieved it was a minor fender bender."

Despite knowing she’d say yes, he admitted his anxiety was at an all-time high. My

bad! However, Joey recalled that day as “one of the best days of her life and mentioned that the proposal could not have been more perfect.” After the mall, I drove us to the Colonial Park instead of back to their house, and she remembers her brain “short-circuiting in the Colonial Park parking lot when she saw his car and realized what was about to happen. It felt like they were in a fairytale and was everything she could have ever wanted.” Her words, not mine.

This proposal story does a good job of highlighting some of the qualities Joey and Matt listed in their descriptions of each other.

Joey is warm, compassionate, silly, yet emotionally-attuned. Matt is resilient, dedicated, brave, fun and selfless. He even raided Joey’s closet in advance of the proposal to bring a back-up dress in case she wanted to change out of her everyday clothes before taking pictures.

2. VOWS

In a moment , Joey and Matt will exchange their own personalized vows that they have written for each other with this day in mind. But before hand - I wanted to include a quote that they feel represents their relationship and that they’d like to hold onto moving forward in their married lives together :

- As the wise Winnie the Pooh once said : “ If ever there is tomorrow when we are not

together… there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you

believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important

thing is, even if we’re apart.. I’ll always be with you.”

With that, Joey and Matt will share their personal vows at this time.

*** INSERTED PERSONAL VOWS, Handwritten and spoken by couple. ***

3. RING EXCHANGE

I now ask that you retrieve your wedding rings from those you’ve entrusted to hold onto them until this point.

Please listen carefully to the following promise to your partner. Repeat after me as you officially place this ring on the other’s finger.

As you, Joanna Javeline, place this ring on Matthew Lucas’ finger, please repeat after me : I give you this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you and your partnership in life. You have my heart always.

As you, Matthew Lucas, place this ring on Joanna Javeline’s finger, please repeat after me: I give you this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you and your partnership in life. You have my heart always.

Please continue to hold hands as we perform a brief hand-warming ritual to symbolize the depth of this commitment.

(Ritual selected by couple and inserted from page 98, officiant guidebook)

“As you hold hands here today, please enjoy and appreciate the gift that these hands are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend. Full of love, you hold your partner’s hands on this

wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours, as together you build your future. These are the hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the slightest touch, comfort you like no other. These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your heart. These are the hands that will wipe the tears from your eye, whether they be tears of sorrow, or tears of joy. These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children. These are the hands that will help you hold your family as one. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that, even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours with that same unspoken tenderness.”

4. CLOSING REMARKS :

We’re almost there! You have just sworn your love to each other, and promised to support and remain committed to each other. In just a minute, I will make the pronouncement that everyone has been patiently waiting to hear. But before we do, and while I still have everyone’s attention, Iwant to thank you both for entrusting me to partake in this ceremony. I personally want to wish you both a wonderful life together - filled with love, laughter, compassion, and growth as individuals and partners.

Remember the reasons you both decided to take this step as well as the qualities that drew you to each other and continue to do so.

No matter how long you’ve been together and now promising to be together for the rest of your lives - always continue drawing from the first time you both spoke the words “I love you : "It can’t be stupid if you’re falling in love with each other”... And continue to do so every day.

5. FINAL SEGMENT : includes Pronouncement , Kiss, Mention of official couple titles!

● PRONOUNCEMENT :

○ Having witnessed your marriage vows, along with all who are assembled here

today and by the authority vested in me by American Marriage Ministries in the

state of New Jersey, it is with great joy, that I now pronounce you legally married.

● KISS :

○ You may now kiss the bride!!!

● INTRO AS MR. & MRS. followed by recession down aisle.

○ At the start of the ceremony, you all joined me in welcoming them by their

individual names ; now please join me in celebrating them as a married couple. I

officially present for the first time - Mr. and Mrs. Lucas!