Ginger Leigh Hill

Hello all, and welcome to the wedding of Marissa Bennici and Keely Arndt. We are so pleased that you have joined us to show your support for the brides, but we would like to request that this be a no-camera ceremony to allow us all to remain focused on this moment and be present. Thank you.

We are gathered here today from far and wide to celebrate the union of Marissa and Keely, and the love that they share. Some of you here have known our brides for your whole lives, some have only known them a short time. Each of you represent someone important in Marissa and Keely’s lives, so thank you for being here. Before we start, I’d like to open with a poem by Paul Lawrence Dunbar called, “Invitation to Love”:

“Come when the nights are bright with stars,

Or come when the moon is mellow;

Come when the sun his golden bars

Drops on the hay-field yellow.

Come in the twilight soft and gray,

Come in the night or come in the day,

Come, O love, when’er you may,

And you are welcome, welcome.”

There are times when one falls in love slowly, so slowly you almost don’t realize it’s happening. Other times, love comes in full force, bringing two people together suddenly, unexpectedly. Upon meeting, Marissa and Keely say time became nonexistent. On their first date, the hours flew by, and they were still having fun even when the restaurant they were at was closing and the servers were heading home. Trust came quickly, and love came even faster.

As some here will know, marriage, and love, is not a one-and-done deal, it is not this one day. It takes work. It takes compromise. It takes a village. Everyone invited here today has touched the brides’ lives in one way or another, through your guidance, support, care. Thank you for sharing with us your love and joy, and for letting our brides know that they are not alone. There will be days where anger is present, where sadness is prominent. There will be times where you need extra support. But what is most important to remember is that you have chosen this person. You have chosen to share your life with theirs. You have chosen to support them and help them grow without stifling them. You put their needs before your own. You decide every day that you love them, even when you are frustrated, even when you are hurt. You decide that their companionship is more important than holding grudges, or being right.

When you choose someone, you plant a seed. With a great amount of care and patience, you watch it grow. Love is like a garden. You choose what you grow and you understand the commitment you are making; you will water your garden in drought, fertilize it to help it prosper, and trim away any hindrances to its growth. You put in work and tend the garden, knowing that the harvest will be bountiful. Relationships are not always easy, but I have faith that you two will honor each other, be loyal, and fill your days with love and laughter.

And now we come to a reading from Corinthians 13:4-7: “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

With this in mind, Marissa and Keely, please turn to each other and state your vows.

We have gathered today to join Marissa and Keely in holy matrimony, a contract that is not taken lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously, where each of you recognize the obligations and responsibilities you are committing to. And so, Marissa and Keely, do you present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage?

(I do, I do)

Do you, Marissa, take Keely to be your lawfully wedded wife?

Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her ?

Do you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?

Do you, Keely, take Marissa to be your lawfully wedded wife?

Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her ?

Do you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?

Marissa and Keely will now exchange rings as a symbol of their commitment to one another. Rings are precious not only because they are made of precious metals, but also because of the intent we imbue in them. They mark the start of your journey through life together. They are an eternal circle, a symbol of love never-ending. They will seal the vows you have just taken to one another.

Marissa, please take your ring and repeat after me:

As a sign of my love,

That I have chosen you

Above all else,

I thee wed

Keely, please take your ring and repeat after me:

As a sign of my love,

That I have chosen you

Above all else,

I thee wed

By the power vested in me by the American Marriage Ministries and the state of Delaware, it is my honor and delight to declare you married. God bless you and your union. You may kiss.