Valerie L Chapman

WEDDING CEREMONY

Introduction:

Good afternoon, my name is Valerie Chapman. I am Shannon’s proud Aunt. At this time, I would like to give everyone a gentle reminder to please silence your mobile devices. Also, at the end of the ceremony, would the Watson and Nichols families please remain seated for photographs after the Recessional.

[Hand motion everyone to stand when Shannon enters, then motion to sit down]

Welcome, family friends, and loved ones.

We are gathered here today, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature to celebrate with great joy the wedding of Shannon Chapman and Bill Watson. You have come here from near and far to share in the commitment they make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow Shannon and Bill to start their married life together in the presence of the people who are dearest and most important to them.

We especially acknowledge Bill and Shannon’s parents who have graciously supported and encouraged the growth of their relationship and have given their hearty approval for them to marry today.

Shannon and Bill want to thank everyone for their presence here today. They thank all of you for your blessing, encouragement, and support for their decision to be married.

They also remember their loved ones who cannot be here today to share this moment with them, whom they hold dear in their hearts.

Bill and Shannon,

Marriage is your promise to love each other, to trust in that love, to honor one another as individuals in togetherness, and to spend the rest of your lives together. Prior to this moment you each walked a separate path. Now, you embark together on a shared path. Marriage enables two separate souls to share their desires, their longings, their dreams, and their memories, their joys and sorrows, and to help each other through all the uncertainties of life. Marriage will nurture both of you as separate individuals and will allow you to maintain your unique identity and grow in your own way through the years ahead. It is a safe haven for each of you in which to find comfort and to become your best selves. Together you become better than you could ever be alone. You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust. That trust allows you to know in your hearts that ytouy truly want what is best for one another and to learn and grow together, even when it is difficult to do so. Your respect and faith in each other will give you both the courage and strength to go forward together without knowing what may lie ahead.

I would like to read two selections that describe the love Bill and Shannon feel for each other. The first is a poem by Roy Croft entitled, “I Love You.”

I love you

Not only for who you are

But for what I am when I am with you.

I love you

Not only for what you have made of yourself

But for what you are making of me.

I love you for the part of me that you bring out.

I love you for putting your hand on my heart

And passing over all the foolish, weak things that lie within.

You see inside me and draw out, into the light,

All the beautiful parts of me that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.

You have done it all without doubt, without judgement, and without hesitation.

The second selection is a prose offering by Robert Fulghum entitled, “Union.”

You have known each other from the first glance of acquaintance to this point of commitment. At some point along the way, you decided to marry. From that moment of “yes,” to this moment of “yes”, you have been making commitments in an informal way. All of those conversations that were held in a car, or over a meal, or during long walks – all those conversations that began with, “When we’re married” and continued with “I will” and “you will” and “we will” – all 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. The symbolic vows that you are about to make are a way of saying to one another, “You know all those things that we’ve promised, and hoped, and dreamed – well, I meant it all, every word.”

Before this moment you have been many things to one another – acquaintance, friend, companion, lover, dancing partner, even teacher, for you have learned much from one another these past 6 years.

Shortly you shall say a few words that will take you across a threshold of life, and things between you will never quite be the same. For after today you shall say to the world: This is my husband. This is my wife.

[Declaration of Intent and Sharing of Vows]:

Bill and Shannon have written vows to declare to each other their love and intentions for their lives together. They wish to share these vows with you.

[VOWS: Shannon, then Bill]

[Blessing and Giving of Rings:]

Please present the rings.

Your wedding rings are a symbol of your promises and commitment to one another. The ring, an unbroken, never-ending circle, is the symbol of your unending love.

Bill, please place your ring on Shannon’s finger. Look into her eyes and cherish this moment in time as you profess your commitment to her.

Bill, do you take Shannon to be your wife?

Bill: “I Do.”

Shannon, please place your ring on Bill’s finger. Look into his eyes and cherish this moment in time as you profess your commitment to him.

Shannon, do you take Bill to be your husband?

Shannon: “I Do.”

Conclusion & Pronouncement

Shannon and Bill, you have come here today in the presence of family and friends and have made your vows to each other. You have pledged yourselves in marriage to each other and you each have given and received a ring as a symbol of your vows and love for each other. By the power of your love and your commitment to share your lives together, and by the honor you have bestowed on me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Please share your first kiss as a married couple.

[Step aside]

Congratulations!

Family and friends, I now present to you, Mr. William Watson, and Mrs. Shannon Watson!

[Motion everyone to rise]