Wedding Ceremony Hayden and Maddie

Prelude

Seating of the mothers

Processional

Welcome

(You may be seated)

Pray

Welcome family and friends, we are gathered here today in the sight of God and in the presence of this company to witness the union of Hayden and Maddie in Christian marriage. Marriage is a holy estate given by God to fulfill us as individuals and as a couple, and to conform us, as maturing believers, into the image of Christ. Hayden and Maddie have invited all of you to witness this sacred act of Christian marriage as a testimony of their faith in God and as a witness to all present that they desire to honor their Lord and Savior in their lives and in their home. May our heavenly Father look down upon this event with His favor. May the Lord Jesus Christ be present and add His blessing. May the Holy Spirit attend and seal these vows in love.

Giving in marriage

In God's most amazing act of creation, He created beings in His own image. They not only were made to reflect His image, but they were made in His image. We read of this astonishing event in the first chapter of Genesis: "So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female" (v. 27). Being made in the image of the triune God, the male was not complete when he was alone, so God created the perfect complement for the male: the female. She was to be his life companion, his co-laborer in fulfilling the creation mandate of God.

At the time of man's innocence, God instituted the estate of matrimony between the first man and the first woman. Marriage was consecrated by God, not only for mutual help and comfort, but also as a means of procreation. In marriage, God gave His creatures, man and woman, the ability— and the mandate - to create life like themselves, life in the image of God. Not only this, but God also gave this first couple a taste of redemption for mankind, as marriage is a foretaste of the union that exists between Christ and His bride, the church. Hayden and Maddie it is my prayer that your marriage will forever point others to Jesus, as they see your love for each other, they might discover Christ love for them.

It is into this holy estate that Hayden and Maddie have chosen to enter. I ask, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Father responds: "Her mother and I do."

(Alternate: Father and mother respond: "We do.")

Prayer

Statement of Marriage

Hayden and Maddie, you are about to pledge the most sacred vows that one person makes with another. As you stand before the witness of God and your family and friends, it is important that you give careful consideration to that which you are promising. You are accountable to your precious mate and to God for that which you pledge. I want to spend a few minutes talking about the vow you are about to make.

In these few moments, we will examine the things that you are vowing to do for your mate, regardless of life's circumstances, for as long as you live.

Before we examine these vows let me speak a word to all of those who have come to witness these vows you are about to make. A marriage needs the support and love of a community. More than ever before marriages need cheerleaders and encouragers. You all have been invited here to partake in witnessing this marriage, but I would ask that you would be willing to go deeper than just witnessing today. I would ask that you make a commitment to support and encourage Hayden and Maddie as they commit to each other. That is to say you will commit to build them up and not to tear them down, lift them up in prayer when the Lord lays them on your heart, be willing to instruct or disciple them when the opportunity arises and hold them accountable to each other.

If you are commited to this then I would ask you to respond as a congregation to this next question with “we will”

Will you, as this couple's friends and family, promise to support them in their marriage, love them, and encourage their love for each other?

(We Will)

Your first promise is to honor your mate. What does "to honor" mean? As Christians, we look to God's Word for instruction on this and other important matters. In doing so, we find that honor is a biblical term for respect, esteem, high regard, and reward. In its various forms, it is found more than 222 times in the English Bible. Honor is used to represent respect paid to superiors, such as God, Christ, kings and presidents, church officers, the elderly, and parents. Honor can also be something bestowed as a reward for virtuous behavior, such as for honoring God or serving Christ, for manifesting wisdom, discipline, or righteousness.

To honor someone or something is to acknowledge and show respect for the authority or worthiness of the object of one's honor. This is the connotation of "to honor" one's mate. As you make your vows to each other, you are pledging to acknowledge and to show respect for the worthiness of your mate. Showing honor to your mate involves an affective side (that is, a feeling of respect for your mate) as well as outward manifestations (that is, your actions toward or regarding your mate).

There is one other aspect of honoring your mate about which you should be aware. In the Bible the word love is sometimes used as a synonym for honor. This is seen when Paul tells the Romans to "show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor" (Rm 12:10). Hayden and Maddie, As you truly love each other, you will desire to honor each other. We see also in Scripture the highest example of such honor. It is the example of Christ. In washing the disciples' feet, He paid them the honor of service, Jesus humbled himself or made himself lower than the disciples and served them by washing their feet. As you honor one another, humble yourself and serve one another.

Next, you will promise to love and to cherish your mate.

The love chapter in scripture 1 Corinthians 13 tells us what love is and what love is not.

1 Corinthians 13:4–8 HCSB

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for languages, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

8 Things Love is

1. v.4 Patient:

a. The capacity to be wronged and not retaliate

2. Kind:

a. It is kind to those who wrong you.

b. Gentle in behavior

3. Rejoices with truth

a. Authentic and is not a front but an overflowing love that rejoices with the truth

4. Always protects

a. It keeps out resentment as the ship keeps out the water, or the roof the rain.

5. Always trusts

a. Has faith in men

6. Always hopes

a. Sees the bright side of things

7. Always perseveres

a. Remains steadfast in the face of unpleasant circumstances

b. holding its ground when it can no longer believe nor hope.

8. Never Failing

a. It will never come to an end

b. Love survives everything

To cherish means to treat each other with tenderness and affection

Vows

Hayden and Maddie you have listened to this explanation of the meaning of the vows you are about to make. These vows binding in adversity and in prosperity. They should be broken only by death. I have had the joy of meeting with you in preparation for this day and I trust you are both ready to publicly declare these vows to each other.

Hayden, in taking Maddie to be your wife, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish her in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?

Groom responds: "I do."

Maddie, in taking Hayden to be your husband, do you so promise to honor, to love, and to cherish him in sickness as in health, in poverty as in wealth, in hardship as in blessing, until death alone shall part you?

Bride responds: "I do."

Exchange of Rings

You will now seal your vows, "to honor, to love, to cherish," by the giving and receiving of rings. The unbroken circles of these rings symbolize a union between husband and wife with God that cannot be broken. This is in accord with God's creation plan, and it brings honor to the One who created you to glorify Him. As you wear these rings, may they ever remind you of your love and of the commitment you have made this day.

Hayden, place this ring on Maddie’s finger and repeat after me:

Groom: "I, Hayden, take you, Maddie, to be my wedded wife to have and to hold, from this day forward. I pledge before God and these witnesses to place your good above mine, now and always, no matter the circumstances. I promise to honor you, to love you, and to cherish you until death do us part. Joyfully and willingly, I commit myself to you, and to you alone."

Maddie, place this ring on Hayden’s finger and repeat after me:

Bride: "I, Maddie, take you, Hayden, to be my wedded husband to have and to hold, from this day forward. I pledge before God and these witnesses to place your good above mine, now and always, no matter the circumstances. I promise to honor you, to love you, and to cherish you until death do us part. Joyfully and willingly, I commit myself to you, and to you alone."

Prayer

The bride and groom will continue kneeling in prayer.

Gracious Father, thank You for creating us in Your image. Because of this, we are able to know You and to know what true love is. We see in this couple a deep and abiding love for each other and for You. We have witnessed the giving of vows and rings in this sacred hour. Through Your power and blessing, we ask You to enable these two to keep their vows, to be renewed daily in their love and commitment, to walk in mutual faith, to build a strong and lasting marriage, and to live by confidence in Your grace. As they grow in conformity to Christ's image, may You, O Lord, receive glory through the lives and marriage of __________ (groom) and _____________ (bride). In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Sand Ceremony

Hayden and Maddie, today you join your separate lives together. The two separate bottles of sand symbolize your separate lives, separate families and separate sets of friends. They represent all that you are and all that you’ll ever be as an individual. They also represent your lives before today.

Hayden and Maddie I commend your parents in how they have poured in to you today and created the individuals that you have become.

As these two containers of sand are poured into the third container, the individual containers of sand will no longer exist, but will be joined together as one. Just as these grains of sand can never be separated and poured again into the individual containers, so will your marriage be.

Song

Declaration of marriage

Hayden and Maddie, we have witnessed the pledging of your love and commitment to each other. We have seen the sealing of your vows of marriage by the giving and receiving of rings. It is, therefore, my joy and privilege to declare you husband and wife. Hayden, you may kiss your bride.

Introduction of the newlyweds

Friends and family of the bride and groom, it is my pleasure to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Hayden and Maddie Haumann.

Recessional

Postlude