Wedding of Jordan and Kelsey Beidler - September 9, 2017

This past Saturday we had a wedding here at Woodlawn.  Jordan Beidler and Kelsey Thompson began their lives together as one at 3:00 pm September 9th.  The service went very well and I thought it was a very good service (of course I'm somewhat biased).  The manuscript of the service is below.  The outline is in bold, the responses are in brown and instructions for movement are bracketed and in red.

Anyone who wishes may feel free to utilize the service either in part or in whole.

I pray that Jordan and Kelsey will enjoy a very long and happy marriage.  And to them, as a couple please know that if I can assist you toward that end, all you need to do is ask.

May God bless you both!

In Christ,
Roy

Wedding of Jordan & Kelsey Beidler:

Prelude

Processional

Introduction
When two hearts are bound together in the bonds of Christian matrimony, it is a blessed and sacred moment. We recognize that marriage is an important part of God’s plan for mankind. The beautiful love Kelsey and Jordan share with each other is described in 1st Corinthians chapter13. There the Bible says, “Love is patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone you will be loyal to them no matter what the cost. You will always believe in them, always expect the best of them, and always stand your ground in defending them. All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but loves goes on forever. Someday prophecy, and speaking unknown languages, and special knowledge – these gifts will disappear.  There are three things that remain – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest is love”.

Giving Away of the Bride
May the Lord bless you both... as from this day forward you seek to carry out these scriptural ideals of your marriage.

In light of the serious approach that the Scriptures take toward marriage, it should be entered into with sobriety and reverence.  If any one gathered can show just cause why this couple should not be joined together, let them speak now or else, hereafter and forevermore, hold their peace.

Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Bride's Parents all rise and respond: We all do...

Jordan and Kelsey you have come to me signifying your desire to be joined together in holy matrimony. Being reassured that no grounds exist to hinder this union, may we now join together in prayer as we ask God’s blessing upon this sacred ceremony.

Prayer
Our Heavenly Father, we come, our hearts filled with thanksgiving, for the divine provision that You have made for us in Your original insights and pronouncement that it is not good for man to be alone. Rather, You have made us to find our highest fulfillment together in You. We thank You for the heritage represented here as Jordan Beidler and Kelsey Thompson stand together in this hour. We thank You for every act of care, nurture, sacrifice, provision, and love that has been shown to them by those who have loved them and nurtured them even to this hour. But now we recognize, Father, that something new is about to happen. As You have instructed, it is time for them to leave their first loyalty to other families... and cleave to each other so that from this day forward... it will be one for the other, sealed by thy blessings, spirit, and love that will be the manifest reality of their life together. 

We pray that these vows being exchanged, these tokens of love that are given one to the other, might ever remain sacred and may we be reminded that beyond these visible witnesses, these words spoken are witnessed by heaven itself... and sealed by the presence of thy Holy Spirit. 

Dear Father, we pray for your blessing upon this young couple and the union that is created here today.  We ask for your blessing in the name of Jesus who is the Christ. May this new union serve to meet your divine purpose through the lives of Kelsey and Jordan. Amen. 

Message


Exchange of Vows 
You have come, this day, to exchange your vows, one to the other. I ask you now to please join hands.

And I will ask you Jordan to repeat after me these vows as you pledge your promise to Kelsey. 

I, Jordan, take you, Kelsey 
to be my lawful and wedded wife, 
to have and to hold 
from this day forward forever, 
in sickness as well as health, 
in poverty as well as in wealth, 
in the good that lights our days 
or the bad that darkens our ways, 
and to be true to you alone 
until death alone parts us. 
I do so promise. 

And now, Kelsey, taking the man who holds you by the hand to be your lawful and wedded husband, I ask you to repeat these vows after me.

I Kelsey, take you, Jordan,
to be my lawful and wedded husband. 
From this day forward and forever, 
in sickness as well as in health, 
in poverty as well as in wealth, 
in the good that lights our days 
or the bad that darkens our ways, 
and to be true to you alone 
until death only shall part us. 
I do so promise. 

The two of you have now devoted and pledged yourselves one to the other by the exchange of these marital vows in the sight of these witnesses and more importantly in the presence our most Holy God. 

Exchange of Rings
May I now have the rings.
(Best Man hands rings to Minister)

May the Lord's blessing be upon these emblems of your faith and love for one another.

Jordan and Kelsey, the two of you now wish to indicate the lifelong nature of this union, its purity and its fidelity by the exchange of these wedding rings. 

From the earliest recorded history of mankind, the ring has held a special significance. From time immemorial it was used to seal prestigious documents and the pledge of important and lasting relationships.  It was used to guarantee the integrity of documents, and when it came to the wedding altar it reached its pinnacle of significance.  For from here it is the circular form of the ring... never ending... which indicates the quality of your commitment and love to each other, and the purity of its metal indicates the purity and fidelity of your love one for the other. 

(Hand ring to Jordan)

Jordan, will you give this ring to Kelsey as a token and an emblem of her love for you as well as your love for her?

Groom: I will

Kelsey, will you take this ring and wear it as a token and emblem of  Jordan's love for you as well as your love for him?

Bride: I will

(Groom places ring upon the hand of the Bride.)

(Hand ring to Kelsey)

Taking this ring Kelsey, will you give it to Jordan as a token of his love for you as well as a token of your love for him?

Bride: I will

Jordan, in taking this ring that Kelsey gives to you, will you take it and wear it both an as emblem of your love for her as well as her love for you?

Groom: I will

(Bride places ring upon the hand of the Groom.)

Now, by the exchange of these visible tokens, these most sacred wedding bands, you do make manifest the vows that you have spoken from this day forward and forevermore.

Pouring of the Unity Sand & Signing of the Marriage License
(The couple along with the Minister, Bridesmaid, and Best Man proceed to the table nearby.  Bride and Groom pour their individual containers of sand into one larger container, and then all five parties sign the Marriage Certificate.  The parties then return to their original positions.)

Pronouncement
And now, having asked God’s blessings on these vows and promises thus spoken, and having heard your recital of these promises one to the other, and witnessed the exchange of these tokens of your love, under the laws of the State of Iowa, but much more importantly than that, under the higher sanction of the Kingdom of God - I now pronounce you to be husband and wife. 

What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.  

Jordan you may now kiss your Bride.

Kiss

Benediction and Blessing
May the Lord bless you and keep you, and may His face shine down upon you and grant you all His peace.  May the Lord's love and blessing be with you both from this day and forevermore.  Amen.

Introduction of the Couple
Ladies and Gentlemen... may I be the first to present to you...

Mr. and Mrs. Jordan Beidler.

Recessional