Dustin Garrett Hollenbeck

Welcome / invocation

(Officiant to all present)

Good evening, everyone, and welcome! We gather here today to celebrate not only the love between Karianne and Luis but also the spirit of Christmas. Each one of you holds a place in their lives and have been called together to witness their marriage. On their behalf, thank you for being here and for being special people in their lives.

Karianne and Luis have chosen the most wonderful time of year to wed because Christmas is a time for love, for sharing and for new beginnings. It is a fitting time for the joining of two hearts as they begin their journey together as partners in life.

Tonight marks the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. It is a time of reflection, renewal, and rejoicing. Tomorrow, the sun begins its steady return, its warmth and light growing stronger and brighter each day, as the season shifts through winter into spring.

Karianne and Luis, the Solstice holds a special place in your hearts. It marks the start of a beautiful new chapter in your lives, and we are here to witness your promise of love and commitment to one another, surrounded by the warmth and magic of the Christmas season.

Declaration of intent/Vows

(Officiant to all present)

Love is the greatest gift we can give or receive, and during this time of year, we are reminded that the light of love shines brightest when we share it with others. Just as the Christmas season brings people together, today we gather in joy to celebrate the bond of marriage between Karianne and Luis.

(Officiant to couple)

What a gift and joy to find someone with whom to spend our life! Committing to share our brightest days and weather our darkest nights with someone is no small thing and cannot be done lightly.

Commitment is about trust. It’s about patience, forgiveness, devotion, and hope. It’s what happens when a relationship becomes a home — a place of safety and love — to which each partner can return, again and again.

On this winter’s solstice, we are reminded that even in the depths of winter, there is the promise of a new dawn. This turning point marks the return of light, and with it, the hope of brighter days ahead. Marriage, too, is a journey of light and dark, of challenges and triumphs, of moments of uncertainty followed by the warmth of understanding and connection. Just as the solstice gives way to longer, lighter days, so too does love grow and deepen through time.

In this moment, as we move into the exchange of vows, we are reminded that love is not just a feeling, but a choice. It’s a decision to stand by one another through all seasons of life, in moments of light and dark, and to keep choosing each other, again and again.

Karianne and Luis, as you speak these vows to one another, may you do so with the knowledge that love, like this season, is a gift—a gift that you give, and a gift that you receive. A love that will grow with each passing year, just as the light grows brighter after the longest night.

(Officiant to Karianne)

Do you, Karianne, take Luis to be your husband, to love, trust and cherish for all the seasons of your life? Today, tomorrow and always?

(Karianne) Yes, I do.

(Officiant to Luis)

And do you, Luis, take Karianne to be your wife, to love, trust and cherish for all the seasons of your life?

Today, tomorrow and always?

(Luis) Yes, I do.

(Officiant to all present)

Marriage is a journey not only for Karianne and Luis but for all of us who love them. As they pledge their hearts to each other today, we, their family and friends, must also make a promise to support them in their journey. We promise to stand by them, to support them, and to help nurture their love.

Just as Christmas brings us together in the spirit of love and goodwill, we will stand beside them, with open hearts and helping hands.

And so - with the spirit of Christmas, do you who are present here today vow to surround Karianne and Luis with love and to support them in their marriage?

(Audience) We do!

Ring Exchange

(Officiant to the couple)

If you have rings, please take them out now.

Just as the Christmas season is a time of giving, marriage is a gift that you offer one another each and every day. Today, in this season of giving, Karianne and Luis are giving each other the most precious gift: their hearts, their trust and their commitment to one another. As a symbol of their gift, they have chosen rings to exchange. May these rings be a symbol of your love, a reminder of the promise you make today, and a reflection of the joy and peace you bring into each other’s lives

(Officiant to Luis)

Luis, please place the ring on Karianne’s finger, and repeat after me:

With this ring, I give you my heart,

A symbol of love that will never depart,

Like the Christmas star that shines up above,

This ring is a symbol of undying love

Through all seasons, in joy and in strife,

This ring is my promise to you for life

(Luis repeats each line after the Officiant)

(Officiant to Karianne)

And Karianne, please place the ring on Luis’s finger, and repeat after me:

With this ring, I give you my heart,

A symbol of love that will never depart,

Like the Christmas star that shines up above,

This ring is a symbol of undying love

Through all seasons, in joy and in strife,

This ring is my promise to you for life

(Karianne repeats each line after the Officiant)

(Officiant to the couple)

With the exchange of these rings, you have pledged your hearts, your promises, and your love. May the spirit of Christmas always dwell in your hearts, not just today, but every day, as you walk this journey together.

Closing Words/Pronouncement of marriage

(Officiant to all attending)

Today, we’ve witnessed something truly special - Love that has been nurtured, cherished, and now bound together in the most meaningful of ways. Karianne and Luis, your love is a gift, just as Christmas itself is a gift. It’s a love that shines brightly, a love that brings warmth to the coldest days, and a love that, like the season, renews itself year after year, growing ever stronger with time.

As you stand here, surrounded by the beauty of the holiday season and the love of those who hold you dear, may this moment be a reminder of the light you bring into each other’s lives. Just as the winter solstice marks the return of the light after the longest night, so too does your union bring a new light into the world—one that will grow and shine brightly for all the days of your life together.

May the spirit of Christmas—love, joy, peace, and hope—guide you in every step of your journey together. May your home be filled with laughter, your hearts with kindness, and your lives with the peace that comes from knowing you have each other.

And so, as we close this chapter and look forward to the many beautiful chapters yet to come, I ask that you carry the warmth of today’s love with you, through every season of your life. For love is not just something you feel today - it’s something you build, nurture, and celebrate every single day.

I will now close with a poem for the couple

(Officiant to the couple)

On this solstice, the longest night,

We celebrate your love’s new light.

As darkness fades and days grow long,

Your love remains forever strong.

The Christmas spirit, warm and bright,

Is echoed in your hearts tonight.

A Christmas wedding, sweet and bright,

Together now, you start your life.

So as the Christmas bells ring clear,

We wish you joy year after year,

Through all the seasons yet to come,

Together you’ll stand, forever one.

Now with great honor and by the virtue of the authority vested in me by the State of Florida and American Marriage Ministries, I now pronounce you partners for life. May your days be merry and bright!

You may kiss!