Tessa Chapman

Welcome

All may please be seated

Hello and welcome! We are gathered here today to witness the union of Cassidy Black and Kristopher Phipps. To Cassidy & Kris, welcome to your civil ceremony! I cannot overstate how thrilled I am for the life that you are creating together and this first step in your marriage journey. I’m hoping I make it through this without ugly crying but it is nice to know I’ve got one more try in September just in case. But this is a day worth shedding some tears of joy for as it marks the first celebration proclaiming that you have found in each other the person you want to share your life with. In the best love stories, the couple devote themselves to one another not just once, but time and time again. Today, in the state you both once called home, you take this step towards your biggest act of devotion yet. The beginning of your officially-declared shared life.

Welcoming the Guests:

Not only that, you are accompanied by witnesses of the best kind. To our guests

(Turn to guests)

You are the closest and most beloved people in Cass & Kris’s lives, assembled from near and far to celebrate their union. You are the ones who have known them longest and have witnessed them grow into the two spectacular people we see here today. Each of you plays an impactful role in this couple's life and in today’s ceremony. Your love and care fills our ceremony with meaning and will continue on to create a wealth of ongoing support for these two throughout their marriage. You make this ceremony more than just a moment in time between two people, you elevate it to a milestone event to be remembered for years to come.

Acknowledgements

I’d like to take a moment to acknowledge those who can’t be with us here today. First, from Kris’s family, I’d like to acknowledge his Nana Pauline and his MeeMaw, Phyllis, who are both here with us in spirit. Next, from Cassidy’s family, I’d like to acknowledge Cassidy’s Poppa and Janice’s husband, Doug Black, who is ten years past at the end of the month. He feels especially present as today, December 27th, marks their 65th wedding anniversary. Though they have passed beyond the physical world, their love is present here with us.

Speech

I am so lucky to say that Cassidy has been my best friend for as long as I can remember. She is a treasure of a human being and I am eternally grateful to have spent the past 20+ years growing up together. Through those years, we have bonded over our shared love of stories. Sometimes it is movie marathons, tv shows obsessions and passionate book recommendations. Just this year, I finished all 5,000 pages of Cassidy’s favorite book series and in exchange she is half way through the 7 seasons of my favorite tv show.

OR sometimes it is swapping stories about our own lives, keeping each other in the loop while we are 3,000 miles apart. Usually it’s just us retelling the same story we already told the other but tell me again anyway because honestly we kinda forgot.

But my current favorite story is Cassidy and Kris’s love story. They have built a relationship that is something out of a fated fairytale. Time and time again they have shown that together, there is nothing they can’t conquer, no plot twist they can’t handle, no occasion they can’t rise to. It almost writes itself, the story of the two voraciously intelligent, hilariously funny and intensely compassionate small town kids who both dreamt of a big life in New York City. Who, despite a world wide shut down shaking up their plans, managed to meet and fall in love anyways. I watch their life together in awe, usually through a FaceTime call, occasionally while crashing on their couch for 9 days, marveling as my best friend becomes more herself everyday because of the love she shares with Kris. As two avid readers whose apartment could turn into an Upper East Side bookshop at the drop of a hat, it only makes sense that their happily ever after ceremony will be held in a castle in Scotland.

(Whisper sarcastically)

They keep telling me it’s an “estate” but I’ve seen pictures and I respectfully, I agree to disagree.

But partnership is an endlessly renewing commitment. So today here in New Hampshire, we take a monumental (and legally essential) step towards that happily ever after before us all in Cassidy’s childhood home.

Reading

In the forward of their story, I would put the poem, “In One Another’s Souls,". It reads,

“The moment I heard my first love story

I started looking for you,

not knowing how useless that was.

Lovers don’t meet somewhere along the way.

They’re in one another’s souls all along.”

This ceremony will not create anything that does not already exist in your relationship. It acts as a symbol of how far you have come these past 4 years. A symbol of the promises you will make to one another as you continue to grow stronger as individuals and partners. No matter the challenges, you now forever have a partner to tackle them with. No matter how much you succeed, you have a partner who celebrates you and shares in your success. Or in the words of the great Taylor Swift

“I’ll be there if you’re the toast of the town, babe

Or if you strike out and you’re crawlin’ home”

Through every chapter.. from when you first locked eyes… to when you knew you were in love, true love… and when you decided to make your bond official and everlasting… These are the moments that have led you to marriage and the rest of your story. And it is my hope for you Kris, that you enjoy the ‘growing old’ chapters with Cass as much as I cherish the ‘growing up’ ones.

Now let’s get you two married!

Declaration of Intent

Please hold hands to give your consent and vows in marriage.”

(Pause for hand holding)

Kris, we’ll start with you:

Do you Kris, take Cassidy to be your lawfully wedded wife, your partner and love for life?”

(pause for I do)

“Do you Cassidy, take Kris to be your lawfully wedded husband, your partner and love for life?”

(pause for I do)

Vows

Cassidy and Kris have elected to exchange their vows in private and will exchange Rings in September.

The Pronouncement and Kiss

By the power vested in me by the American Marriage Ministries and State of New Hampshire, and by the power of your own commitment and choice within, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss!

(STEP TO THE SIDE)

*They kiss, guests applaud.*

The Presentation

I now present to you Mr. & Mrs Phipps

(pause for clapping)

Thank you all so much for your time and attention. Please join us in celebrating our newlyweds in the dining room for dinner.