RON & ERIN’S CEREMONY SCRIPT
Dean will hold the rings and marriage vow cards.
Before arrival of groomsmen, bridesmaids, and bride:
Out of respect for the wedding party and their wishes to have you present to celebrate their day, please silence your cell phones.
Also, please no still or video photography. Ron and Erin assure you that they will make both available to you in the future.
Bridal party processional. Dean to the assembled:
Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. We are gathered here today, surrounded by the sights and sounds of nature to celebrate the wedding of Ron and Erin. You have come here from nearby and from far away to share in this commitment they now make to one another, to offer your love and support to their union, and to allow Ron and Erin to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them.
Ron and Erin, marriage is the promise between two people who love each other, who trust each other, who honor one another as individuals in that togetherness, and who wish to spend the rest of their lives together. It begins a journey along which you will share your deepest desires, dreams, memories, sorrows, and joy. As well, it is a commitment that you will help each other through all the uncertainties that life brings with it. It is a safe haven for each of you to become your best self, while together becoming better than you could be alone.
You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and comfort of a deep trust. You are agreeing to share strength, responsibilities and love. But to make this relationship work takes more than love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to listen, learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes believing in one another, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.
Passage. Dean to the assembled:
The bride and groom have asked that I share a few song lyrics from The Cure.
First from the song, THE CURE performed by, yes, Lady Gaga.
If I can't find the cure, I'll
I'll fix you with my love
No matter what you know, I'll
I'll fix you with my love
And if you say you're okay
I'm gonna heal you anyway
Promise I'll always be there
Promise I'll be the cure
-
And now from LOVESONG by the sagacious band, The Cure.
Whenever I’m alone with you,
You make me feel like I am home again.
Whenever I’m alone with you,
You make me feel like I am whole again.
Whenever I’m alone with you,
You make me feel like I am young again.
Whenever I’m alone with you,
You make me feel like I am fun again.
- -
How ever far away, I will always love you.
How ever long I stay, I will always love you.
Whatever words I say, I will always love you.
I will always love you.
Vows, self written:
Ron and Erin, in a moment you will exchange your vows. These promises are meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for each other. The beauty of these vows lie in the unknown. For you will be making promises about a future that you can’t be sure of, a life full of surprises, of unexpected twists and turns, and of both tremendous joy and occasional sadness. A long journey where you will hold hands and face the unknown together with your love as your bond.
[[ Erin’s vows ]]
Ron, you are my best friend, my lover and my soulmate. But before we met, I had all but given up on love. I was weary, disheartened and emotionally withdrawn. But you encouraged me to feel, to embrace vulnerability and uncork my emotions. In safety, I was able to confront, purge and overcome feelings I had suppressed for more than a decade. Ron, you are my savior. You healed me and freed me.
And to honor my emotional journey, I want to share a few words that I think are relevant today -- words spoken by my logical idol, Mr. Spock:
Change is the essential process of all existence.
Whatever I have given, I have gained.
Not everyone will like me, but there will be those who will accept me just for what I am.
When you let me take, I'm grateful. When you let me give, I'm blessed.
Fascinating.
I have been and always shall be, your friend
-
Ron, I choose you, as you are, to be no one other than yourself. I choose to stand by your side and to sleep in your arms. I offer myself in return, to laugh with you, cry with you, and grow with you, even as time and life changes us both. As a family, I vow to create a home filled with laughter, learning, compassion and love. As a couple, I vow to always hold your hand, make you smile, and to jump into your arms after a long day.
Ron, before you asked me, I was yours. I vow to inspire you, encourage you, respect you, comfort you, trust you, and, above all, love, love, love you, loyally and fiercely, for eternity. I am so, so proud to be your wife. I marry you today with no hesitation or doubt. I feel I have always loved you and always will. We were inevitable. So… are you ready?
[[ Ron’s vows ]]
Erin, these are my vows to you. My most sincere promises and commitments. I share them openly with you in the presence of the loved ones who have gathered on this day to celebrate with us.
Erin, I vow to not only hear you, but to listen to and learn from you. I will hear you even when you don't have the strength to speak. I will hear you even when I know you're right, and I am sad that I am wrong. Which, is almost always.
I vow to see you. To see you when you are joyful. To see you when you are hurting. To see you when you need help, and to see you when you want to help me. To see what you need even if sometimes you don't know what that is.
Erin, I vow to always express my desire for you. My desire for your love. My desire to hear your voice, to see your smile and to hear your laugh. My desire to just be with you.
I vow to share with you my feelings. My wants and my needs. To share my strengths and my weaknesses, my aspirations and my fears. To always be as vulnerable with you in our marriage as I was when we met. To, as you've always asked, just be myself.
Erin, I vow to appreciate every moment we have together, to never forget the gifts you've given me, and to never take our bond for granted. To remember what brought us together, and to nurture what sustains us.
I vow to always reach for your hand, and to open mine anytime you reach for me.
Erin, I vow to hold these promises above all else in our journey together. To not only stand beside you, but to stand with you. To add myself to you, and you to me. To heal you, and be healed by you. To give myself completely to you, and to hold nothing back. To Be Yours.
Exchange of rings:
Your wedding rings are the outward and visible sign of the inward and invisible bond which already unites your two hearts in love.
Erin, place the ring on Ron’s finger and repeat after me….
Ron, I give you this ring.
Wear it with love and joy.
As this ring has no end,
My love is also forever.
-
Ron, place the ring on Erin’s finger and repeat after me….
Erin, I give you this ring.
Wear it with love and joy.
As this ring has no end,
My love is also forever.
-
May the wedding rings you exchanged today remind you always that you are surrounded by everlasting love. And so…
Erin, do you take Ron to be your husband?
(Erin says “I do”)
And Ron, do you take Erin to be your wife?
(Ron says “I do”)
Closing:
Then by the power vested in me by the great state of Oregon, it is my honor and delight to declare you husband and wife. Ron, you may kiss the bride.
(Kiss) - (Applause and cheering ensue - because you’re both awesome)
It is now my pleasure to present for the very first time, Mr. & Mrs. Forrester.
(Queue music for exit up aisle)