Michael W St Onge

Dearly beloved, we gather today to mourn, sorry wrong script.

 

Dear Family and Friends, on behalf of Tony and Lisa, thank you for being here today to recognize their love and celebrate their marriage.

My name is Mike St. Onge and a friend of Tony and Lisa and it is my honor to officiate at this wedding especially on this special day, our birthday, yes all three of us plus Lisa’s twin sister Sandy.

We are gathered together in the sight of God to witness and bless the joining together of Anthony Mannino

and Lisa Maria Wagner in marriage.

This contract is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities.

Please remember that love, loyalty, and understanding are the foundations of a happy and enduring home. And Tony two important words for you to memorize, YES HONEY

Who gives this woman today in marriage?

Lisa’s dad will say: "Her family and I do."

Lisa will kiss her dad and Tony will shake his hand and her dad will be seated. Lisa, give flowers to Giulia

I’d like Angie Lucida, a friend of Tony and Lisa, to come forward to do a reading.

A Reading from Corinthians

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 record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails. . .

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.

But the greatest of these is love.

The word of the Lord

 

Now I’d like Mike Lutz, a friend of Tony and Lisa, to do another reading

“The Art Of Marriage”

Happiness in marriage is not something that just happens.

A good marriage must be created.

In the art of 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 at no time taking the other for granted;

the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,

it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.

It is standing together facing the world.

It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.

It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude

of duty or sacrifice, but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation

and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways.

It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.

It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.

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

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.

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

It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal,

dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.

It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

It is discovering what marriage can be, at its best.

Amen

Let us pray.

Beloved God, we welcome you and are grateful for your presence here today.

We ask that you guide and bless Lisa and Tony with a loving, healthy and happy marriage.

We ask that you bless this family created by this union.

We ask that your light and grace be extended to all, that they may know you and welcome you in their lives each and every day.

Amen.

 

As we rejoice in Lisa and Tony’s marriage today, let us each consecrate the relationships in our own lives and rededicate ourselves to these unions we share.

Let us each choose the path of loving and caring for one another and making these commitments a priority in our lives.

May God bless the Lisa parents whose love, support and nurturing are such an essential part of who they are today.

Thank you for being their first teachers of the powers and possibilities of love.

May you take great joy in the fact that the seeds of love you planted in Lisa will flourish in the formation of this new family.

Let us remember, today and always, that there is nothing more important than loving one another.

 

Tony and Lisa, you have come together this day so that the Lord may seal and strengthen your love in the presence of this minister of His word and this community of family and friends and so, in the presence of this gathering, I ask you to state your intentions:

Have you both come here freely and without reservation to give yourselves to each other in marriage?

Tony and Lisa: “We have.”

Since it is your intention to enter into marriage declare your consent before God and this gathering.

Tony, looking at Lisa, repeat after me

I Tony, take you Lisa, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you, and honor you, all the days of my life.

Lisa, looking at Tony, repeat after me

I Lisa, take you Tony, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you, and honor you, all the days of my life.

 

Best Man Anthony, May I have the rings, please. holds the rings as I bless them.

These rings are the outward and visible signs of the vows and promises you have willingly exchanged.

They reflect the commitment of your words.

Bless, O Lord, the giving of these rings and those who wear them. May they live in your peace and continue in your favor, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen

Give the ring to Tony in his right hand.

Tony, on this day, before God, your family, and friends do you take Lisa as your wife, promising to uphold the vows you have just spoken

Tony: “I do” and places the ring on Lisa’s left hand ring finger

Give the ring to Lisa in her right hand.

Lisa, on this day before God, your family and friends do you take Tony as your husband, promising to uphold the vows you have just spoken

Lisa: “I do” and places ring on Tony’s left hand ring finger.

 

Love is a force more formidable than any other.

It cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession ever could.

But although this love joins you together as one, remember the gift of your individuality.

Cherish and affirm your differences as you love each other.

Be supportive of your strengths, and tender towards your weaknesses.

Laugh together, cry together, be comforted by each other's presence, and secure in each other's absence.

We ask that the Holy Spirit of love may deepen the lives of Tony and Lisa.

May the relationship, which today has been expressed, continue to grow in the years to come.

Whatever changes time may bring, let this wedding ceremony remain as a treasured memory and a guide to life.

May they always experience that breathless wonder that exclaims: "Out of all this world, YOU have chosen ME."

When life is done and the sun is setting, may they be found then as now, still hand in hand, still thanking you for each other.

Amen

Because Tony and Lisa have desired each other in marriage, and have witnessed this before God and our gathering, affirming their acceptance of the responsibilities of such a union, and have pledged their love and faith to each other, and exchanging of rings

And according to the ordinances of God and in the name of the State of Michigan, I now pronounce them husband and wife. Let all people here and everywhere recognize and respect this holy union, now and forever.

Tony, you may kiss your bride!

Before I introduce them for the first time and Mr and Mrs Mannino, Father Farris will come forward to give them a blessing.

Sign marriage license?

Now, it is my honor to present to you for the first time, Mr. & Mrs. Tony and Lisa Mannino!!