{9/10/11} Our Wedding Day, Part Two {The Ceremony}

We are here today to celebrate a great moment in the lives of Matt and Heidi, to give recognition to the worth and beauty of love, and to add our best wishes to the words which shall unite them in marriage.

We come together not to mark the start of a relationship, but to acknowledge and strengthen a bond that already exists. This ceremony is a public 

affirmation of that bond.  As their dearest family and friends, Matt and Heidi 

are honored and privileged to have you stand witness to this event.

Marriage is a supreme sharing of experience and an adventure in the most intimate of human relationships.  It is the joyous union of two people whose friendship and mutual understanding have flowered into romance. 

Love is what brought them together; love is what will keep them whole.

Today Matt and Heidi proclaim their love and commitment to the world, and we who are gathered here to rejoice with them and for them in the new life they now undertake together. 

 This great step in your lives together will deepen your love for each other.  You will continue to nurture each other because your relationship is based on love, respect, and the resolve to continuously adapt to changes in your lives together -- in health or sickness, joy or sadness, ease or hardship.

However, your relationship will take more than love.  It will take trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other.  It will take dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult.  And it will take faith to go forward together without knowing the future.

The true art of married life is in this – an inner spiritual journey.  It is a mutual enrichment, a give and take between two personalities, a mingling that diminishes neither, but enhances both.

 Heidi and Matt, you have chosen to seal your vows by the giving and receiving of rings.  

From the earliest times, the circle has been a symbol of completeness.  It is unbroken and never-ending.  You will find no beginning and no end, much like Matt and Heidi‘s committed love.  Rings are made precious by our wearing of them.  They are a symbol of your love, and of the words that you speak today.

May these rings be, from this day forward, your most treasured adornment, and may the love they symbolize, be your most precious possession.  As you wear these rings, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today.

  I vow to continue our journey of love with as much passion as when it began;

To always make us a priority,

To honor your dreams, nurture your creativity and feed your adventurous spirit.

I vow always to invite your laughter, and your tears and to be open to the unexpected.

I will love you with all of my heart always and forever.

Often, marriage is viewed as the union of two people.  Matt and Heidi ask you to view today’s ceremony in a different light.

With children present, marriage is more than the union of two people.  It is the proclaiming of a new family. 

Brooklyn and Adrian…both Matt and Heidi pledge to you their unwavering love.  They promise to be loving and caring to both of you.  They promise to always be there for you in the times of need and will love you with all their heart…all the days of their life. 

Matt and Heidi, no moment is without meaning, no undertaking is without significance – especially not this one!  May you be fulfilled by your mutual love and friendship.   May you understand each others desires.  May you be honored and expanded by the promises you are about to make, and the life together you will create. 

May your life together be immersed in love and excitement.  May it deepen your knowledge of each other and of existence.  May you strive to enrich each other and yourselves in every possible way.  And may you work to bring the peace you find to the world. 

And now, Matt and Heidi, by the authority vested in me by the State of Oregon but more important, by the authority vested in me by the fact that I believe in the power of your agreement this day, the look of love in your eyes, and the seriousness with which you make this commitment; and because I believe my faith is shared by others gathered here, it is my honor and delight to now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss!

Ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor to be the first to introduce to you:

Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Tyler Hernandez

Go now, hand in hand, forever in each other’s hearts.

Heavenly Father, 

Please bless our family.  Grant us a peaceful home.  May it be a refuge for our love, a harbor for our deepest prayer.  May we come to flourish within safe walls, growing ever nearer to You.  May we be blessed with laughter and grace, and surprised by the comfort of kinship.  And when darkness falls, find us wrapped in each other, ever warm.  May we live each day in light of time, realizing that our love is a gift from You.  For to love for the sake of being loved is human; but to love for the sake of loving?  This is divine.

Amen