Roch S. Jones

To Guests:

Good afternoon family and friends. Please be seated as this very special occasion is about to begin. As a reminder, please turn off or silence all cellular devices.

Welcome all of you here today as we are gathered in the presence of God, family and friends to celebrate and be with Alex and Taylor to bear witness to this joyful and momentous day in their lives.

Alex and Taylor are so grateful and happy that you are all here, some from very far away, others just a few miles but all so loved and appreciated. Your presence is a blessing to them.

Let us begin with a prayer.

Father, we thank you for your plan and guidance in bringing us all here on this day at this majestic place with the ocean and mountain as our backdrop to celebrate the marriage of this beautiful couple, Taylor and Alex. Heavenly Father, we ask that you continue to bless their lives, guide them and be with them every moment of every day. We ask that you keep them committed to you, and to keep them committed to each other as they begin this journey. Give them the strength to face difficulties together with you, and to rejoice and be grateful in you for all the beautiful and happy times in what we pray will be a long and happy life together. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Family and friends, love and marriage are one of God’s greatest gifts. Yes, the heavens and the earth are awesome, but the Lord has filled all of us with the desire to be loved and to love. He allows and desires that we grow that love exponentially by sharing it with someone else. So, by giving ourselves selflessly to one another, we make ourselves stronger, and our lives richer. Our triumphs are higher when we have someone to share them with, and our disappointments and difficulties are a little easier to bear when we have someone at our side, holding us up and supporting us. Yes, it is God’s plan and great gift that we’ve been given, to love and to be loved.

I’d like to read from 1 Corinthians chapter 13, verses 4 through 7 where God gave us a vision of what pure love is:

Love is patient; love is kind, love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

So, Alex and Taylor, may you always strive for this pure God love for each other, and in your lives.

Declaration of intent:

Now I ask you, Alex and Taylor, to face each other and join hands.

Alex, do you promise to love, honor, cherish and respect Taylor above all others, from this day forward until your very last day on earth?

Alex: I do.

Taylor, do you promise to love, honor, cherish and respect Alex above all others, from this day forward until your very last day on earth?

Taylor: I do.

Vow/Ring exchange:

May I have the rings please?

These rings represent love – pure and simple. Its one circle, no beginning and no end. It represents God’s love for you both, and the love you, Taylor and Alex, have for each other. When you place that ring on your partner’s finger, know that you are giving not just the gift of a ring, but the gift of love that God has given you that you are choosing to give to each other.

Alex, please repeat after me.

Taylor, please accept this ring as a token of my true, pure love for you. With this ring, I give you my heart and my soul. They are yours forever more. (put ring on Taylor’s finger)

Taylor, please repeat after me.

Alex, please accept this ring as a token of my true, pure love for you. With this ring I give you my heart and soul. They are yours forever more. (put ring on Alex’s finger)

Pronouncement:

We thank God for bringing Alex and Taylor together and for blessing them now and always. I feel personally blessed to have shared this day with you.

I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may now kiss your spouse!

Family and friends, it is my great pleasure to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Uhl!