Wedding Ceremony for Andre and Sarah
Saturday, October 3, 2009
San Diego, CA
Processional
Opening Words
"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?"
With these words of George Eliots', I welcome you.
Statement of Purpose
Family and friends, we are gathered here to join Sarah and Andre in marriage. It is fitting and appropriate that you, their families and friends, be here to witness and to participate in their wedding, for the love that they have for each other has some of its roots in the love, friendship, and guidance you have given them. Marriage makes us aware of the changes brought about by time, but their new relationship as husband and wife will continue to draw much of its beauty and meaning from their associations with all of you who join with them today.
Today, Sarah and Andre do not just join their lives together. The tradition of marriage has deep historical roots. This union joins Andre and Sarah into the greater community of marriage, stretching back in time through their parents and grandparents and on and on throughout their families histories. And they are joined into this community of other loved ones who have made such commitments to their beloveds. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, distant relations and friends have helped to shape this community of marriage. For centuries, the joining of two individuals in marriage has been a sacred act. The power of this bond is great, made so by the strength of the tradition of marriage. This marriage is not just a bond between these two people, but it is also the joining of loving families and of communities that reach far beyond those assembled here.
It is evident that Sarah and Andre share a deep bond with one another and with both their own families of origin and each others. It is also clear to me that they understand that while marriage is beautiful it is also difficult as times. They understand that they cannot do this on their own, but with the support and care of each of you their love with flourish. As said so beautifully by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but looking outward in the same direction." You all have made your care and support known by coming here today, but it does not end here. This is the beginning of a new chapter in their love and a new chapter in each of your relationships to them.
As you pledge yourselves to one another, and as we celebrate your love and commitment here, May we all remember the words of Lao Tzu, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Family Blessings
Today we weave Andre and Sarah into the fabric of community as husband and wife. Weddings are public occasions where family and friends gather to express the joy and approval that they feel for the new union. Let me therefore ask you, the parents, this question:
Do you, Pipa and Vlad, and you, Nancy and Ross, who have raised and nurtured these two, give your blessings now to them as they enter into this new relationship? Do you promise in the days and years ahead to give them your love, understanding, and support during both good times and bad?
If so, say, "We do."
And let me ask the rest of you gathered here today: Do you who know and care for Andre and Sarah give them your blessings now as they enter into this new relationship, and do you promise in the days and years ahead to give them your love, understanding, and support during both good times and bad?
If so, say, "We do."
Unity candle
These two people come now before us to be united in marriage, just as the flames of these two candles will be united into one flame.
In Spanish, the phrase for "the give birth" is "dar a luz" or "to give to the light." Pipa and Nancy, you brought this two people to the light, you gave them your light as you birthed them and as you nurtured them and cared for them throughout their lives. It is only fitting then, that you light the individual flames that they will join together today. I would like to now invite you, their mothers, forward to begin the unity candle ceremony.
Readings
Ross:
From the last scene of Henry V:
A good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curl'd pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart is the sun and the moon, or rather the sun and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly.
If thou would have such a one, take me!
Olga:
Some advice from the poet Ogden Nash:
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.
Sandra:
A poem by Walt Whitman:
Listen! I will be honest with you,
I do not offer the old smooth prizes, but offer rough new prizes.
Come, we must not stop here,
However sweet these laid-up stores,
However convenient this dwelling,
However sheltered this port and however calm these waters.
We must not anchor here,
However welcome the hospitality that surrounds us,
We are permitted to receive it but a little while.
Come, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself?
Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
Preface to the Vows
You are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best. You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust.
The vows through which you accept each other as husband and wife have no hidden power within themselves. Only to the extent that they express in words your continuing intention and commitment do they have meaning. In a world where the pressures pushing people apart may often seem stronger than those drawing people together, your commitment to each other will need to be re-expressed in many different ways in the coming days and years. Today's vows are a milestone in your journey together.
I invite you now to join hands as you repeat your vows. The hand offered by each of you is an extension of self, just as is your mutual love. Cherish the touch, for you touch not only your own, but another life. Be ever sensitive to its pulse. Seek always to understand and respect its rhythm.
The Exchange of Vows
In the presence of these witnesses
I, Andre, now take you, Sarah, to be my wife
to have and to hold, from this day forward
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, in sorrow or in joy,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
In the presence of these witnesses
I, Sarah, now take you, Andre, to be my husband
to have and to hold, from this day forward
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, in sorrow or in joy,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
Preface to the Ring Ceremony
May your rings be always the symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no separate giver and receiver. You are each the giver and each the receiver. May your ring always call to mind the freedom and the power of this love.
The Exchange of Rings
With this ring, I marry you and join my life with yours.
Pronouncement
Sarah and Andre, you have told me and all your family and friends gathered here today, that you deeply love one another, and wish to join yourselves together in a lifelong bond. You have formed a union in friendship, in respect for one another, and in love. By the authority vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Kiss
You may now kiss!
Benediction/Closing Words
May the love which has brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives, bringing peace and inspiration to each of you and to those who know you. May you meet with courage the problems which arise to challenge you; may you meet with strength the troubles that best you. May your home be a haven from the tensions of our time and a wellspring of comfort. May you always see and encourage the best in each other. And may your marriage be one of ever-growing depth and meaning, because of the sympathy, understanding, and love which you give to one another in the life you share.
Go now to walk the ways of the world together, and may your days be good; and long upon the Earth.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Sarah Stockwell and Andre Lehovich!
Recessional
Party
San Diego, CA
Processional
Opening Words
"What greater thing is there for two human souls than to feel that they are joined together to strengthen each other in all labor, to minister to each other in all sorrow, to share with each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent unspoken memories?"
With these words of George Eliots', I welcome you.
Statement of Purpose
Family and friends, we are gathered here to join Sarah and Andre in marriage. It is fitting and appropriate that you, their families and friends, be here to witness and to participate in their wedding, for the love that they have for each other has some of its roots in the love, friendship, and guidance you have given them. Marriage makes us aware of the changes brought about by time, but their new relationship as husband and wife will continue to draw much of its beauty and meaning from their associations with all of you who join with them today.
Today, Sarah and Andre do not just join their lives together. The tradition of marriage has deep historical roots. This union joins Andre and Sarah into the greater community of marriage, stretching back in time through their parents and grandparents and on and on throughout their families histories. And they are joined into this community of other loved ones who have made such commitments to their beloveds. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, distant relations and friends have helped to shape this community of marriage. For centuries, the joining of two individuals in marriage has been a sacred act. The power of this bond is great, made so by the strength of the tradition of marriage. This marriage is not just a bond between these two people, but it is also the joining of loving families and of communities that reach far beyond those assembled here.
It is evident that Sarah and Andre share a deep bond with one another and with both their own families of origin and each others. It is also clear to me that they understand that while marriage is beautiful it is also difficult as times. They understand that they cannot do this on their own, but with the support and care of each of you their love with flourish. As said so beautifully by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, "Love does not consist of gazing at each other, but looking outward in the same direction." You all have made your care and support known by coming here today, but it does not end here. This is the beginning of a new chapter in their love and a new chapter in each of your relationships to them.
As you pledge yourselves to one another, and as we celebrate your love and commitment here, May we all remember the words of Lao Tzu, "Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength; loving someone deeply gives you courage."
Family Blessings
Today we weave Andre and Sarah into the fabric of community as husband and wife. Weddings are public occasions where family and friends gather to express the joy and approval that they feel for the new union. Let me therefore ask you, the parents, this question:
Do you, Pipa and Vlad, and you, Nancy and Ross, who have raised and nurtured these two, give your blessings now to them as they enter into this new relationship? Do you promise in the days and years ahead to give them your love, understanding, and support during both good times and bad?
If so, say, "We do."
And let me ask the rest of you gathered here today: Do you who know and care for Andre and Sarah give them your blessings now as they enter into this new relationship, and do you promise in the days and years ahead to give them your love, understanding, and support during both good times and bad?
If so, say, "We do."
Unity candle
These two people come now before us to be united in marriage, just as the flames of these two candles will be united into one flame.
In Spanish, the phrase for "the give birth" is "dar a luz" or "to give to the light." Pipa and Nancy, you brought this two people to the light, you gave them your light as you birthed them and as you nurtured them and cared for them throughout their lives. It is only fitting then, that you light the individual flames that they will join together today. I would like to now invite you, their mothers, forward to begin the unity candle ceremony.
Readings
Ross:
From the last scene of Henry V:
A good leg will fall, a straight back will stoop, a black beard will turn white, a curl'd pate will grow bald, a fair face will wither, a full eye will wax hollow; but a good heart is the sun and the moon, or rather the sun and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly.
If thou would have such a one, take me!
Olga:
Some advice from the poet Ogden Nash:
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you're wrong, admit it;
Whenever you're right, shut up.
Sandra:
A poem by Walt Whitman:
Listen! I will be honest with you,
I do not offer the old smooth prizes, but offer rough new prizes.
Come, we must not stop here,
However sweet these laid-up stores,
However convenient this dwelling,
However sheltered this port and however calm these waters.
We must not anchor here,
However welcome the hospitality that surrounds us,
We are permitted to receive it but a little while.
Come, I give you my hand!
I give you my love more precious than money,
I give you myself before preaching or law;
Will you give me yourself?
Will you come travel with me?
Shall we stick by each other as long as we live?
Preface to the Vows
You are now taking into your care and keeping the happiness of the one person in all the world whom you love best. You are adding to your life not only the affection of each other, but also the companionship and blessing of a deep trust.
The vows through which you accept each other as husband and wife have no hidden power within themselves. Only to the extent that they express in words your continuing intention and commitment do they have meaning. In a world where the pressures pushing people apart may often seem stronger than those drawing people together, your commitment to each other will need to be re-expressed in many different ways in the coming days and years. Today's vows are a milestone in your journey together.
I invite you now to join hands as you repeat your vows. The hand offered by each of you is an extension of self, just as is your mutual love. Cherish the touch, for you touch not only your own, but another life. Be ever sensitive to its pulse. Seek always to understand and respect its rhythm.
The Exchange of Vows
In the presence of these witnesses
I, Andre, now take you, Sarah, to be my wife
to have and to hold, from this day forward
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, in sorrow or in joy,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
In the presence of these witnesses
I, Sarah, now take you, Andre, to be my husband
to have and to hold, from this day forward
for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, in sorrow or in joy,
to love and to cherish, as long as we both shall live.
Preface to the Ring Ceremony
May your rings be always the symbol of the unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end. Love freely given has no separate giver and receiver. You are each the giver and each the receiver. May your ring always call to mind the freedom and the power of this love.
The Exchange of Rings
With this ring, I marry you and join my life with yours.
Pronouncement
Sarah and Andre, you have told me and all your family and friends gathered here today, that you deeply love one another, and wish to join yourselves together in a lifelong bond. You have formed a union in friendship, in respect for one another, and in love. By the authority vested in me by the State of California, I now pronounce you husband and wife.
Kiss
You may now kiss!
Benediction/Closing Words
May the love which has brought you together continue to grow and enrich your lives, bringing peace and inspiration to each of you and to those who know you. May you meet with courage the problems which arise to challenge you; may you meet with strength the troubles that best you. May your home be a haven from the tensions of our time and a wellspring of comfort. May you always see and encourage the best in each other. And may your marriage be one of ever-growing depth and meaning, because of the sympathy, understanding, and love which you give to one another in the life you share.
Go now to walk the ways of the world together, and may your days be good; and long upon the Earth.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Sarah Stockwell and Andre Lehovich!
Recessional
Party