Lori Prashker-Thomas, CPWO

Julie and Justin want you to be able to relax and have fun with them today! With this in mind, before we start the ceremony, we invite you to put down all your favorite devices and just be present in the moment with us. Please leave your camera in your bag (we've got photography covered!) and put your cell phone on mute (we promise they'll call back!).

Thank you all for coming here today to celebrate Justin & Julie’s wedding. Today is a celebration. A celebration of love, of commitment, of friendship, of family, and of two people who are in it for forever.

You don't have to have a ceremony to have a marriage. And when you think about it, the whole thing is kind of weird, right? You're standing on a stage, looking fancy, holding flowers, and being stared at by pretty much everyone who has meant anything to you in the past twenty-something years. So why do we do it? The marriage ceremony has been an important feature across nearly every culture, religion, generation, and society. We have thousands of important moments that happen throughout our lives, but this one is regarded as one so critical, we acknowledge its special status by sharing it with others. Why this moment?

Because despite all of our differences, love is what we all share. It's the great unifier — our one universal truth. That no matter who we are, where we've come from, what we believe, we know this one thing: love is what we're doing right. That's why you both are standing here. That's why you all are here to watch them stand up here. We have all loved in our lifetimes, and in this moment, we're reminded that the ability to love is the very best part of our humanity

All of us here today have our own love stories. Some are short, others long. Some are yet unwritten, while others are just getting to the good part. There are chapters in all our stories that are sad or disappointing — and others that are exciting and full of adventure.

If there is anyone present who has just cause why this couple should not be united..... Sussh!

Opening Comments

Today we have come together to witness the joining of these two lives. For them, out of the routine of ordinary life, the extraordinary has happened. They met each other, fell in love and are finalizing it with their wedding Today.

Romance is fun, but true love is something far more and it is their desire to love each other for life and that is what we are celebrating here today.

A good marriage must be created.

In marriage the "little" things are the big things.

It is never being too old to hold hands.

It is remembering to say,” I love you" at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.

It is standing together and facing the world.

It is speaking words of appreciation, and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.

It is not only marrying the right person -- it is being the right partner

All the Siblings will now state their feelings through a special poem, “The Beginning to End” By Robert Fulghum. (Please let me know order of who will be speaking)

1. (Abby) You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point, you decided to marry.

2. (Megan) From that moment of yes to this moment of yes, indeed, you have been making promises and agreements in an informal way.

3. (Morgan) All those conversations that were held riding in a car or over a meal or during long walks – all those sentences that began with “ When we’re married” and continued with “I will and you will and we will.”

4. (James) Those late-night talks that included “someday” and “somehow” and “maybe” – and all those promises that are unspoken matters of the heart. All these common things, and more, are the real process of a wedding.

5. (Joshua) The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “you know all those things we’ve promised and hoped and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

6. (Jessica) Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, and even teacher, for you have learned much from one another in these last few years.

7. (Alexandra) Now you shall say a few words that take you across a threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this – is my husband, this – is my wife.

VOWS - (face each other and hold hands)

Justin please say your vows to Julie

Julie please say your vows to Justin

Words of Wisdom

Julie and Justin, I would ask that you always treat yourself and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of what brought you together today.

Give the highest priority to the tenderness, gentleness and kindness that your marriage deserves. When frustration and difficulty assail your marriage - as they do to every relationship at one time or another - focus on what still seems right between you, not only the part that seems wrong.

This way, when clouds of trouble hide the sun in your lives and you lose sight of it for a moment, you can remember that the sun is still there. And if each of you will take responsibility for the quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and happiness.

I Do’s

Justin, do you take Julie to be your Wife? Please say I do.

Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect her, forsaking all others and holding only unto her forevermore? Please say I do

Julie, do you take Justin to be your Husband Please say I do

Do you promise to love, honor, cherish and protect him/her, forsaking all others and holding only unto him forevermore? Please say I do

Ring Exchange

You’ve both chosen to wear rings as a reminder of these promises. People often say wedding bands are a perfect circle, with no beginning and no end. But these rings did have a beginning. The stones were formed a long time ago deep with the earth. Eventually, a series of lucky events caused them to rise to the surface, where someone dug them up. Metal was then liquefied in a furnace at a thousand degrees — molded, cooled, and painstakingly polished. Something beautiful was made from raw elements.

Love is like that. It comes from humble beginnings, and through a combination of serendipity and effort, imperfect beings shape it into something extraordinary. It’s the process of making something beautiful where there was once nothing at all. As you look at these rings over the years, I hope you remember that. You’ve created something invaluable, and just as I know you’ll protect these rings, I’m confident you’ll protect the commitments you’ve made to one other today.

JUSTIN, PLEASE REPEAT AFTER ME:

I Justin, take thee, Julie to be my Wife- To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my Wife, for as long as we both shall live.

JULIE, PLEASE REPEAT AFTER ME:

I Julie, take thee Justin, to be my Husband. To have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, in joy and sorrow, and I promise My love to you. And with this ring, I take you as my husband, for as long as we both shall live.

Closing Comments

To make your relationship work will take love. This is the core of your marriage and why you are here today.

It will take trust, to know, that in your hearts, you truly want what is best for each other.

It will take dedication, to stay open to one another - and to learn and grow together.

It will take faith, to go forward together, without knowing exactly what the future brings.

And it will take commitment, to hold true to the journey you both have pledged to today.

And now I get to say something you’ve been looking forward to hearing for a long time. By the powers vested in me by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your wife.

I would like to introduce the happy couple…Mr. and Mrs. Justin & Julie Tondt