Wedding of Lyndon Brown and Gail Woodside
Introductory remarks
Today as family and friends we have gathered in the presence of God to witness Gail Woodside and Lyndon Brown being united in marriage as husband and wife. On this day, August 15, 2003 Lyndon and Gail will become one as God intended from the beginning.
Marriage comes from God. It is not from man, or by man, but instituted by God in the Garden of Eden as He joined the first man and woman together. God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep and took his rib and from it made woman we know as Eve, and He brought her to Adam and Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man." For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. (Genesis 2:23-24)
Lyndon and Gail, you have different backgrounds, different experiences, and today you’re two worlds will be joined together in the eyes of God. It is good and pleasing to God for a man to take a woman and the two lives become one for life. As Jesus said concerning marriage, "What God has joined together, let not man separate." Today you will vow to share in this wonderful relationship from God.
Giving Away (Who gives this woman to be married to this man?)
Since marriage comes from God it is fitting for us to ask for His blessings and presence to be with Lyndon and Gail as they commit their lives to each other.
Prayer
Marriage vows
The wedding ceremony centers upon the wedding vows. These vows are a public expression of your love for each other, and your commitment to spend the rest of your lives together as husband and wife. These vows are made in the presence of your family and friends and most importantly in the presence of God. As you make these vows make them from your heart, to one another.
Lyndon, would you please repeat these vows after me to Gail
I Lyndon Brown, take you Gail Woodside, to be my wife. I promise before God and these witnesses to love and honor you, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, and forsaking all others, I promise to keep myself only for you, so long as we both shall live.
Gail, would you please repeat these vows after me to Lyndon
I Gail Woodside, take you Lyndon Brown, to be my husband. I promise before God and these witnesses to love and honor you, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, for better or for worse, and forsaking all others, I promise to keep myself only for you, so long as we both shall live.
Rings
Rings are used to symbolize the life long relationship of marriage. The purity of gold symbolizes the purity of your relationship in the eyes of God. The unending circle represents the love that lasts a life time.
Lyndon, do you have a ring for Gail? (Please repeat after me to her as you place the ring on her finger)
Gail, I give this ring to you, may you wear it always, to remind you of my love for you.
Gail, do you have a ring for Lyndon? (Please repeat after me to her as you place the ring on his finger)
Lyndon, I give this ring to you, may you wear it always, to remind you of my love for you.
Unity Candle
Today, not only will your lives be forever different, but you also join two families by your marriage. Unity and oneness describe not only the union you share in the marriage relationship, but also the joining together of your families. Your mothers each have a candle burning and now you will use those flames to ignite the center candle symbolizing the unity made today.
(Song)
Pronouncement
Lyndon and Gail, it is with great honor as a minister of the gospel of Christ, and in accordance with the laws of this state to pronounce you as husband and wife. Lyndon you may kiss your bride…
You now have what remains the most honorable title which may exist between a man and a woman - the title of "husband" and "wife." For your first gift as husband and wife, that gift will be a single rose.
In the past, the rose was considered a symbol of love and a single rose always meant only one thing - it meant the words "I love you." So it is appropriate that for your first gift - as husband and wife - that gift would be a single rose.
Please exchange your first gift as husband and wife.
(Song).
In some ways it seems like you have not done anything at all. Just a moment ago you were holding one small rose - and now you are holding one small rose. In some ways, a marriage ceremony is like this. In some ways, tomorrow is going to seem no different than yesterday. But in fact today, just now, you both have given and received one of the most valuable and precious gifts of life - one I hope you always remember - the gift of true and abiding love within the devotion of marriage.
Lyndon and Gail, I would ask that where ever you make your home in the future - whether it be a large and elegant home - or a small and graceful one - that you both pick one very special location for roses; so that on each anniversary of this truly wonderful occasion you both may take a rose to that spot both as a recommitment to your marriage - and a recommitment that THIS will be a marriage based upon love.
In every marriage there are times where it is difficult to find the right words.
It is easiest to hurt who we most love. It is easiest to be most hurt by who we most love.
It might be difficult some time to words to say "I am sorry" or "I forgive you"; "I need you" or "I am hurting". If this should happen, if you simply can not find these words, leave a rose at that spot which both of you have selected - for that rose than says what matters most of all and should overpower all other things and all other words.
That rose says the words: "I still love you."
The other should accept this rose for the words which can not be found, and remember the love and hope that you both share today.
Lyndon and Gail, if there is anything you remember of this marriage ceremony, it is that it was love that brought you here today, it is only love which can make it a glorious union, and it is by love which your marriage shall endure."
Prayer of Blessing
Introduction
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Lyndon Brown
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Optional Rose Ceremony
Lyndon, the rose from the days of old has a simple yet special meaning, “I love you” You have a rose for Gail today and I ask that you give her this rose at this time along with these words.
Gail, as this rose grew to such beauty from a small bud, my love has grown for you. Each year on this day I will bring you a rose as a reminder of my love for you.
Gail, “I take this rose and place it in water (vase is placed near unity candle). As water sustains this rose so your love sustains me. Each year I will place the rose in this vase as an expression of what your love means to me.