Wedding Ceremony - Sept 28, 2019
Blake Frank & Jessica McGuire
Prelude
Processional – All Rise!
Welcome:
A wedding is a celebration of love. Jessica and Blake are most grateful for your presence here today as they pledge their lifelong love to each other. Your very presence symbolizes your love for them. The love felt in this place flows from the very heart of God. The greatest love story ever told is found in these simple words in the 3rd Chapter of John's Gospel, “For God so loved the world”. The deepest love known to man is the love of God. We love because He first loved us.
Giving Away of the Bride:
May the Lord bless you both... as from this day forward you seek to carry out this scriptural ideal in your marriage.
In light of the serious approach that the Scriptures take toward marriage, it should be entered into with sobriety and reverence. If anyone 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 rise and respond: We do...
Please all be seated...
Jessica and Blake, 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 most 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 Blake Allan Frank and Jessica Marie McGuire stand together before You 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 Your blessing... Your spirit and Your love will be the manifest reality of their new 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 here today are witnessed by heaven itself... seen by Your eyes... and heard by Your ears... and sealed by the very presence of the 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 Blake and Jessica. Amen.
Introduction and Message
Blake and Jessica... we are gathered here today for a sacred occasion, a most joy-filled occasion, one which is sweet and special to you, to your families, and to all your friends who are gathered to share it with you. A perfect marriage is made in heaven. A perfect marriage is a union of three: Christ, a man, and a woman. Before the foundation of the world, God ordained that the two of you would be together. He has engineered and used every circumstance in your lives up to this point to prepare the two of you to become one in Him.
I must remind you that this is the only relationship on this side of heaven where the Bible says that two people become one flesh. You are entering into a covenant with Jesus Christ and with all of your brothers and sisters who are in a covenant with Him. A marriage covenant made between a man and a woman is the most sacred of all promises or pledges made between two people, however, you must remember that you are not only making vows to each other but also to and with God.
We, believers, are in a sacred covenant with Jesus our Lord and Savior... because He surrendered His all, his very life, to God on our behalf and He died our death on the cross, taking our sin, our suffering, our shame, our sorrow, our separation. Today you enter into the marriage covenant by saying you die to selfishness and to the single life. You surrender your all to the Father. You surrender your all to each other. The making of a covenant traditionally includes an exchange. When we enter into a covenant with Jesus, we exchange our lives for His life, we exchange all that we are for all that He is and all that He has.
David and Jonathon enacted a covenant. In 1st Samuel Chapter 18, they entered into a covenant to be life-long friends. They exchanged their coats. They exchanged their weapons. The exchange meant that they were exchanging their friends for each other’s friends; their enemies for each other’s enemies; their curses; their blessings. They exchanged all those things so that, whenever you spoke of one, you definitely spoke of the other.
Today you are exchanging all that you are and all that you have with each other. It is no longer “I”, “me”, and “mine”. From now on it shall be “we”, “us”, and “ours”. Blake, today, Jessica is taking this exchange so seriously that she is exchanging her name for your name. After today she will no longer be known as Jessica Marie McGuire, but instead, she will be known as Jessica Marie Frank, and that is a very serious matter for her to be willing to make that exchange. Furthermore, a covenant involves examination. We are able to examine our relationship with Christ on a daily basis. Let a man examine himself for the Bible says, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” (1st Corinthians 10:12)
In olden days when two people entered into a covenant, they would on occasion meet again to examine the conditions of that covenant for the purpose of making sure that both of them were remaining true to the commitment. You need to examine your covenant relationship in marriage in days to come, Blake, by considering daily whether or not you are loving your wife as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her. You must examine your heart to make sure that you are willing to die for Jessica and make the sacrifices necessary to promote her safety, her security, her strength, and her welfare. God has placed in her unique characteristics that He wants you to develop and bring out in her life.
Jessica, daily you must examine your own heart, your own covenant relationship, and make sure that you are submitted to your own husband as unto the Lord. Daily you will need to examine your heart to make sure that you mutually submit to the Christ who dwells deep within the two of you.
God tells us in 1st Corinthians Chapter 7 and Ephesians Chapter 5... His exact view of marriage. Blake, the bible says it is ordained that a man should leave his father and mother and should cleave unto his wife that the two of them should be one flesh, united in all hopes, aims, sentiments, and interests of this present time. So I remind you that you are not entering into a secular experience, but, into a spiritual experience because God takes this relationship so seriously that he likens it to the relationship that exists between Christ and His church, Christ being the groom, His fellowship of believers being His bride.
Jessica and Blake, I invite you to come and begin the adventure of your marriage... and the remainder of your lives together, by declaring your vows to one another in the presence of God... and in the presence of God's people.
Vows
Jessica and Blake, if you are ready to make these vows to God and to each other please join hands, and open your hearts and souls to one another and to God.
Blake, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart:
I, Blake, take thee, Jessica,
to be my wedded wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, and to cherish till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my faithfulness.
Jessica, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart:
I, Jessica, take thee, Blake,
to be my wedded husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, and to cherish till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my faithfulness.
Exchange of Rings
May I now please have the rings... may the Lord's blessing be forever upon these emblems of your faith and love for one another.
The giving and receiving of wedding rings is rich with spiritual lessons for marriage. They speak of acceptance, trust, purity, and love. The beauty of their material and the uniqueness of their form point to the ideal marital state. These rings also portray the exchanging of your marriage vows and shall forever serve as a public witness of these vows. At this time, you exchange these beautiful and precious rings, as symbols of your promises to each other and to God.
Blake, please take this ring to represent your bond to Jessica:
Blake, repeat after me and to Jessica:
This ring is a picture of my love for you;
I give it to you to wear in joy.
I give it in humble gratitude
that Christ led us together.
In the name of the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Jessica, please take this ring to represent your bond to Blake:
Jessica, repeat after me and to Blake:
This ring is a picture of my love for you;
I give it to you to wear in joy.
I give it in humble gratitude
that Christ led us together.
In the name of the Father,
the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
Scripture Reading – Aiden & Connor
Unity Sand and Signing of the Marriage Certificate
Aiden and Allana please come and join Blake and Jessica for the Unity Sand Ceremony.
Jessica and Blake, Allana and Aiden, today you are here to join all four of your lives together. These separate vases of sand symbolize each of you and your individual lives.
Today, all of you seal your bond to each other by blending these four individual vases together. Once the sand is blended together, it cannot be separated. Just as the sand cannot be separated, your friends and families are here today to witness your love... and your lives pledged and bound together. By blending these sands together, we are recognizing the importance of your bonding eternally as one family. May you always honor, preserve and protect your family. (all pour their sand into the vase)
Now I would like to ask Blake and Jessica's witnesses to join us to sign the Marriage Certificate as required by the laws of the State of Iowa. (all sign the marriage certificate and then all move back to their original spaces)
Prayer
Our Father, we thank You for having instituted divine matrimony and having established the family... thus providing us with human relationships that could not otherwise be experienced. It is our prayer at this moment that Your presence and power shall rest upon this couple... to keep them in times of difficulty, to sustain them in moments of abundance as well as in the moments of poverty. I pray You shall write these vows spoken... this covenant created... Lord, write it indelibly upon their hearts that they may walk with You and with each other as their love grows in You.
Lord, we pray Your blessing and grace upon each of us gathered here today in this holy place. May we through the blessing of this ceremony grow closer to our loved ones and to You. May Your blessing be upon us eternally. In Jesus’ most holy name we pray. Amen
Pronouncement
Jessica and Blake, you have given sacred vows to each other before a holy and righteous God. These vows are therefore never to be broke nor violated.
Now by virtue of the authority invest in me by the State of Iowa and as a Minister and Advocate of our Lord Jesus Christ, in the presence of God and these assembled witnesses, I pronounce you husband and wife.
“What God has joined together, let no man put asunder”
Blake, you may now kiss your bride.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pride and considerable honor that I should be the first to introduce to you all... Mr. and Mrs. Blake Frank.
Recessional
This past Saturday I had the great privilege of presiding over the Wedding Ceremony for Tabita Fergason & Corey Clausen. They are such a well suited young couple and I am certain that they have a wonderful life set out before them. It will be a pleasure to watch them grow and prosper in their marriage.
To Tabitha and Corey, all the very best of God's blessings to you! May you both be a blessing to each other every single day!
In Christ,
Roy
Wedding Ceremony – Clausen and Fergason
Processional:
All Please Rise!
Introduction:
Because the image of God dwells within us, we are able to know and personally experience love. It has been said, “He that abides in love, abides in God.” This is a realization which is celebrated in worship. Where there is the presence of love, there should be worship, for God is the author of love, and He is the Holy One whom we worship. Therefore, it is the heartfelt desire of Corey and Tabitha to welcome you to share and celebrate their covenant and commitment of love during this time of joy-filled worship.
A wedding is a celebration of love and on this day Tabitha and Corey pledge their lifelong love to each other. Your very presence symbolizes your love for them. The love felt in this place flows from the very heart of God. The greatest love story ever told is found in these simple words. “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). The deepest love known to man is the love of God. We love because He first loved us.
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 anyone 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 rise and respond: We do...)
Please all be seated.
In these past few years, Tabitha and Corey have grown to know and to love each other. Now they have decided to commit to living the remainder of their lives together as husband and wife.
Tabitha and Corey... 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 as we ask God’s blessing upon this sacred ceremony.
We have been invited to witness this ceremony today, as Corey and Tabitha, promise each other, their friends and family, and God that together they will face the future, accepting whatever may lie ahead. These surroundings were not chosen by chance, just as Tabitha and Corey believe that they did not meet by chance. They believe that God directed them to be in the same place at the same time and that it was God's will that helped them to find each other. Our God's will... for the beauty that God has laid out before us, for the strength He offers, and for the peace He brings to us, we are eternally grateful.
Corey and Tabitha, nothing is easier than saying words, and nothing is harder than living them day after day. What you promise now on this day... must be renewed and re-affirmed tomorrow... and each day thereafter. At the end of this ceremony, legally you will be man and wife, but much more importantly in the eyes of God... you will be one. It is from this day forth your pledge to each other and to God to renew and replenish daily... this vow, this love to each other and to God.
Prayer:
Let us please pray:
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 Corey Michael Clausen and Tabitha Anne Fergason 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 Your blessing, 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 the 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 Corey and Tabitha. Amen.
Message:
Prayer:
Let us pray:
Our Father, we thank You for having instituted divine matrimony and having established the family that provides us with human relationships that could not otherwise be experienced. It is our prayer at this moment that Your presence and power shall rest upon this couple, to keep them in times of difficulty, to sustain them in moments of abundance as well as in the moments of poverty. I pray You shall write these vows indelibly upon their hearts that they may walk with You and with each other and their love may grow for each other in proportion as their love grows in You. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.
Instructions:
I charge you both as you stand in the presence of God to remember that love and loyalty alone will avail as the foundation of a happy home. If the solemn vows which you are about to make be kept inviolate, and if steadfastly you endeavor to do the will of your Heavenly Father, your life will be full of joy, and the home which you are establishing will abide in peace. No other human ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now recite and assume.
Vows:
Tabitha and Corey, if you are ready to make these vows to God and to each to each other, please turn toward one another, and join hands.
Corey, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart?
I, Corey,
take thee, Tabitha,
to my wedded wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, and to cherish
till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my faithfulness.
Tabitha, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart?
I, Tabitha,
take thee, Corey,
to my wedded husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, and to cherish
till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my faithfulness.
Exchange of Rings:
May I now have the rings... may the Lord's blessing be upon these emblems of your faith and love for one another.
The giving and receiving of wedding rings is rich with spiritual lessons for marriage. They speak of acceptance, trust, purity, and love. The beauty of their material and the uniqueness of their form point to the ideal marital state.
Do you Corey, give this ring to Tabitha as a token of your love for her and an emblem of her love for you?
Response: I do.
Will you, Tabitha, take this ring as a token of Corey's love for you and will you wear it as a symbol of your love for him?
Response: I Will.
(Hand the ring to Corey and he places the ring on Tabitha's finger)
Do you Tabitha, give this ring to Corey as a token of your love for him and an emblem of his love for you?
Response: I do.
Will you, Corey, take this ring as a token of Tabitha's love for you and will you wear it as a symbol of your love for her?
Response: I Will.
(Hand the ring to Tabitha and she places the ring on Corey's finger)
As a ceaseless reminder of this hour, and of the promise you have made to each other and to Jesus Christ, you have placed a ring on your loved one's finger. It is symbolic of your pledge and faith. It is given and received in the name of Jesus Christ, and it reinforces your faith and love to each other. The rings also speak of the oneness you now experience as husband and wife.
Blessing:
Blessed Savior, we pray that the love that those gathered here have towards Corey and Tabitha might continue forth from this day until the end of this earthly time. May each of those gathered bless this loving couple, and may they each strive to support them in their love and devotion to each other as well as their love for You oh Lord.
These prayers we earnestly and sincerely lift up to You today, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Amen.
Unity Candle and Signing of the Marriage Certificate:
In order to fulfill the requirements of the State of Iowa, we shall now sign before these witnesses the Marriage Certificate. Then to symbolize the oneness of your hearts and the union of your souls... you will join together in lighting the unity candle. (music is played as they first sign the certificate and then light the candle, then return to their places before the altar.)
Benediction:
Let us please pray... Father, we ask your blessings on this young couple as they build a life together. May it be a life of mutual respect, encouraging each other to be the best they can be for your sake.
What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
And now may the grace, mercy, and peace of God, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit rest on them and on each of us now and forevermore. Amen.
Pronouncement:
Corey and Tabitha, by the authority given to me by the Lord Jesus Christ as a pastor of one of his churches, and by the authority invested in me as a licensed and ordained minister of the gospel, I pronounce you husband and wife. Corey, you may now kiss your wife.
(As soon as the kiss is over the couple faces the congregation, and the pastor says) Ladies and gentlemen, it is my privilege to present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Corey Clausen.
Recessional:
Below please find the manuscript from the wedding that I performed back on June 30th at the Union Church. Andrew and Miranda are a very sweet young couple and I was very privileged to perform the ceremony for them, I am convinced that they will have a very long and loving union. May God bless them both.
Steinkamp/Menke Wedding – June 30, 2018
Entrance:
All Please Rise!
Welcome:
A wedding is a celebration of love. Andrew and Miranda are most grateful for your presence on this day when they pledge their lifelong love to each other. Your very presence symbolizes your love for them. The love felt in this place flows from the very heart of God. The greatest love story ever told is found in these simple words. “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16). The deepest love known to man is the love of God. We love because He first loved us.
Please be seated.
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 anyone 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 rise and respond: We do...
Miranda and Andrew 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 Andrew Leonard Steinkamp and Miranda Marie Menke 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 Your blessing, 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 the 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 Andrew and Miranda. Amen.
Introduction and Message:
Prayer:
Let us pray:
Our Father, we thank You for having instituted divine matrimony and having established the family that provides us with human relationships that could not otherwise be experienced. It is our prayer at this moment that Your presence and power shall rest upon this couple, to keep them in times of difficulty, to sustain them in moments of abundance as well as in the moments of poverty. I pray You shall write these vows indelibly upon their hearts that they may walk with You and with each other and their love may grow for each other in proportion as their love grows in You. In Jesus’ holy name we pray, Amen.
Special Music:
Shannon Hobbs – “I Can't Help Falling In Love”
Vows:
Miranda and Andrew, if you are ready to make these vows to God and to each other, please turn toward one another, and join hands.
Andrew, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart.
I, Andrew, take thee, Miranda,
to be my wedded wife,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, and to cherish till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my eternal faithfulness.
Miranda, would you please repeat these words after me if they are the desire of your heart.
I Miranda, take thee, Andrew,
to be my wedded husband,
to have and to hold from this day forward,
for better, for worse,
for richer, for poorer,
in sickness and in health,
to love, to cherish,
and to obey till death do us part;
and to you, I pledge my eternal faithfulness.
The Giving of the Rings:
May I now have the rings... may the Lord's blessing be upon these emblems of your faith and love for one another.
The giving and receiving of wedding rings is rich with spiritual lessons for marriage. They speak of acceptance, trust, purity, and love. The beauty of their material and the uniqueness of their form point to the ideal marital state.
Do you Andrew, give this ring to Miranda as a token of your love for her and an emblem of her love for you?
Response: I do.
Will you, Miranda, take this ring as a token of Andrew's love for you and will you wear it as a symbol of your love for him?
Response: I Will.
Do you Miranda, give this ring to Andrew as a token of your love for him and an emblem of his love for you?
Response: I do.
Will you, Andrew, take this ring as a token of Miranda's love for you and will you wear it as a symbol of your love for her?
Response: I Will.
Unity Tree and signing of the Wedding Certificate:
Andrew and Miranda will now take part in a Tree Planting Ceremony, to symbolize the roots of their relationship, and the continued growth of their love, as they become each other’s family today. This ceremony signifies that they are no longer two, but they are one in our Lord Jesus Christ, having left their fathers and mothers to establish their own family under God. Love is the essence of human experience and emotion. It is the root of all and everything we, as humans, do. Love richens our experience and fills our lives with meaning. It gives us a firm base from which to grow, to learn, and change. Let your relationship and your love for each other be like this tree you plant today. Let it grow tall and strong. Let it stand tall during the harsh winds and rains and storms, and come through unscathed. Like a tree, your marriage must be resilient. It must weather the challenges of daily life and the passage of time. And just like the tree you are planting, marriage requires constant nurturing and nourishment. As they provide the sun, soil, and water for this tree, they will provide the encouragement, trust, and love needed on a daily basis to consciously nurture and nourish their connection to each other.
Then the couple along with their attendants shall sign the Wedding Certificate, officially signifying and proclaiming their marriage in the eyes of the State of Iowa.
Blessing By The Marriage Party:
It is the Wedding Couple's desire that I ask the Wedding Attendants along with the Parents of the Bride & Groom, to please come forward and join hands in a circle around Miranda and Andrew as you give your blessing to them and they give their blessing to each of you. Let us please pray:
Dear Heavenly Father, each of these people have been such an important part of Andrew and Miranda's lives, and Andrew and Miranda have been such an important part of each of their lives. Father, we thank You for this blessing of friends and family. We ask that You place your hand of blessing upon each of them and that they may, in turn, continue to be a blessing to each other from this day forward. We ask that you bless all those gathered here today in this Sanctuary... and we thank you for all that they have been to Miranda and Andrew and for all that they will continue to be.
Blessed Savior, we pray that the love that those gathered here have towards Miranda and Andrew might continue forth from this day until the end of this earthly time. May each of those gathered bless this loving couple, and may they each strive to support them in their love and devotion to each other as well as their love for You oh Lord.
These prayers we earnestly and sincerely lift up to You today, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. Amen.
Pronouncement:
Andrew and Miranda, by the authority given to me by the Lord Jesus Christ as a minister of His flock, and by the authority invested in me as a licensed minister of the gospel, and in accordance with the laws of the State of Iowa, I now pronounce you husband and wife...
Andrew, you may now kiss your bride.
Benediction:
Father, we ask your blessings on this young couple as they build a life together. May it be a life of mutual respect, encouraging each other to be the best they can be for your sake. And now may the grace, mercy, and peace of God, and the fellowship of His Holy Spirit rest on them and on each of us now and forevermore. Amen.
Presentation:
To all of you gathered here today, it is now my pleasure to be the first to introduce to you... Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Steinkamp.
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
,
This past Saturday I was able to perform my first wedding here at Woodlawn Christian Church. The young couple Matt Weiss and Alicia Stonehocker, are a wonderful couple and I enjoyed going through the premarital counseling with them and the wedding went off without a hitch. I am very confident that Matt and Alicia will enjoy a lifetime together as one, and I am extremely happy for them and proud of them.
I've attached below the script of the service. Our wedding coordinator for the Church, Roxy Crandall told her husband that it was the best wedding service she'd seen. I think that's likely an extreme stretch, but I'm thankful that it went over so well.
Thank you, Matt and Alicia and God's blessings on you both!
In His Grace,
Roy
Stonehocker / Weiss Wedding
Prelude
Processional
Bridal 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. God Himself long ago ordained and instituted marriage, and it was He who performed the first wedding ceremony in the Garden of Eden.
When our Lord Jesus Christ came into this world He chose a wedding at Cana in Galilee to perform His mighty miracle. In order to achieve success in this, the highest of all human commitments, we must look to Gods’ Word for direction. The Bible says that you are to submit yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, you are to submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body.
Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it. A man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
The beautiful love you share with each other is described in 1st Corinthians 13. There the Bible says, “Love is ever 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 love goes on forever. Someday prophecy, and speaking in unknown languages, and special knowledge— these gifts will disappear. There are three things that remain – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:4-9, 13, TLB).
Giving Away of the Bride
May the Lord bless you both as from this day forward you seek to carry out these scriptural ideals in your marriage.
In light of the serious approach the Scriptures take toward marriage, it should be entered into with sobriety and great reverence. If any man can show just cause why this couple should not be joined together, let him speak now or else, hereafter and forevermore, hold his peace.
Who gives this woman to be married to this man?
Response: Her mother and I.
Prayer
LET US PRAY
Most gracious God, we give you thanks for your tender love in sending Jesus Christ to come among us, to be born of a human mother, and to make the way of the cross to be the way of life.
We thank you, also, for consecrating the union of a man and a woman in his Holy Name. By the power of your Holy Spirit, pour out the abundance of your blessing upon this man - Matthew, and this woman - Alicia. Defend them from every enemy. Lead them into all peace. Let their love for each other be a seal upon their hearts, a mantle about their shoulders, and a crown upon their foreheads.
Bless them in their work and in their companionship; in their sleeping and in their waking; in their joys and in their sorrows; in their life and in their death. Finally, in your mercy, bring them to that table where your saints feast for ever in your heavenly home; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
Message
Vows
So, Matt and Alicia, you have come today signifying your desire to be formally united in the bonds of Christian matrimony. Will you now please join both hands, remember always that the closer you keep Christ in the center of your life, the greater your love will be for the other.
Matt in taking Alicia to be your lawful and wedded wife, before God and these witnesses present, you must promise to love her, to honor and cherish her, and leaving all others, to cleave only to her and be to her in all things the true and faithful husband so long as you both shall live. Do you so promise?
Response: I do.
Alicia in taking Matt to be your lawful and wedded husband, before God and these witnesses present, you must promise to love him, to honor and cherish him and leaving all others, to cleave only to him and be to him in all things the true and faithful wife so long as you both shall live. Do you so promise?
Response: I do.
Then, you are each given one to the other. In times of happiness and in times of sorrow; in times of plenty and in times of poverty; in times of sickness and in times of well-being; to love and enjoy till death shall separate you.
Exchange of Rings
May I have the rings?
Throughout all time the ring has been used to seal this most important of all human commitments. The ring is a beautiful symbol of your love, in that it is an unending circle symbolizing the eternity of your love, and the purity of gold in the ring symbolizes the purity of your love and marriage in God’s eyes.
Matt, will you take this ring which is a beautiful symbol and meaningful token of your love for Alicia and place it on the ring finger of her left hand while holding it in place repeat these words to her? “With this ring I thee wed, with loyal love thee endow, and all my worldly goods with thee I share, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
Alicia, this ring is a beautiful symbol and meaningful token of your love for Matt. Will you now place it on the ring finger of his left hand while holding it in place repeat these words to him? “With this ring I thee wed, with loyal love thee endow, and all my worldly goods with thee I share, in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen”
The pouring of the Unity Sand
“Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). God created you as an individual, perfect by His glory and love. But God also said that it was not good for man to be alone, and so he created woman to be his partner and helper. Today as you have made a sacred covenant before God joining in marriage, you now become one flesh. You have chosen to symbolize that union with a sand ceremony.
First, I will pour in the TAN sand, representing your faith in God as the foundation of who you are as individuals.
Now ALICIA, pour some of your sand, representing yourself as an individual before you came to this union.
Now MATT, also pour some of your sand, representing yourself as an individual before you came to this union.
I will next pour some more TAN sand, representing your faith in God as the foundation of your marriage.
Now, MATT and ALICIA pour your remaining sand together to represent your joining as one in marriage completely and eternally.
Lastly, I pour a final layer of TAN sand to represent God watching over you and protecting you with his everlasting love.
May God bless this marriage so that you are as inseparable as these grains of sand. Amen.
Signing of the Marriage Certificate
Pronouncement
Now, having pledged your eternal faith in each other, and your undying love for each other, having entered into a convent agreement with God, and having sealed that pledge and covenant through the symbolic union of your lives through the enactment of the unity sand, by the exchange of these holy and blessed rings, and by your solemn vows to each other before and with God, I, acting in the authority vested in me as a minister of the Gospel, and looking to God for his divine approval upon your lives, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder” (Mark 10:9).
Introduction of Couple
I present to you all Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Weiss.
Matt, you may now kiss your bride...
Benediction
May the God of peace who raised Christ from the dead strengthen your inner being for every good work, and may the blessing of God Almighty Father, Son and Holy Spirit Rest upon you both and dwell within you this day and forevermore.
Amen.
Recessional
