Prelude:
Processional: “Annie's Song”
Welcome:
(Sally) Good afternoon everyone! Welcome! I am Sally Brochu and this is Janet
Blakeley.
We
are Roman Catholic Women Priests and friends of Jim and Richard. We are
delighted to be here today.
We
gather here in this beautiful, sacred place
to celebrate one of the happiest occasions in life -- the marriage of two
people who have loved and continue to love each other very much.
Jim
and Richard, today’s celebration is a formal and solemn recognition of the
relationship you have shared with each other for 35 years. We celebrate your
constant love for one another and it is our joy to witness, to be
part of, to bless and celebrate this day.
Call to Celebration and Opening Prayer
(Janet) Richard and James, you have come here today as individuals. You have done so, not to lose - or even blend
– your own distinct uniqueness, but to bring out and develop the best that each
of you brings to the other.
We are here this afternoon to share in your happiness and to ask God
to bless you all the days of your lives.
We celebrate with you as you share the outward expression of your
inward union of hearts -- the union that has already been created by your
friendship, your respect, and your love for one another over the years.
And
so we pray: We praise you, O God,
Creator of the universe. Hear our prayers for Jim and Richard. With faith in you and in each other, they
reaffirm their love for one another this afternoon. Give them your blessing that they may live
forever the love they experience for each other now.
We
ask this blessing from you, the Creator and Source of all life and all that is
good . Amen
Memorial/Remembrance
(Sally) At this time,
Richard and Jim wish to remember those members of their families and friends
whose spirits we recognize and celebrate, especially Richard's brother, Michael
Cinanni. All are present, in a
meaningful way, at this celebration - because they had a positive impact on
their lives and are in their hearts this afternoon. We express our gratitude by
a moment of silence.
The Couple’s Statements of
Intentions.
(Janet) At this time I will ask Richard and James to state – clearly – their
intention for one another in this ceremony and afterward, I ask all gathered here, as witnesses to this
wedding, to offer your love and to support them in this decision.
Before God and us, James and Richard, I ask
you to affirm your willingness and intention to enter into this covenant of
marriage and, therefore, to share with one another all the joys and sorrows of
this relationship, whatever the future may hold.
James,
do you intend to give Richard your deepest friendship and love, not only when
you are feeling bright and alive as you do now, but also when you may be
feeling sad and low? And do you intend to love him faithfully as long as you
both live? [James]: I do.
Richard,
do you intend to give James your deepest friendship and love, not only when you
are feeling bright and alive as you do now, but also when you may be feeling
sad and low? And do you intend to love
him faithfully as long as you both live? [Richard]: I do.
Consent and Exchange of Wedding Vows
(Sally) James and Richard, you have declared your intentions to continue to
share your future together. Will you now
share your promises to do that before God? [James and Richard]: We will.
Richard and James, please join hands. As you
know, the vows contain no hidden power within themselves. It is to the extent
that they express - in words - your intentions and commitments to each other
that they have real meaning. These, your
mutual commitments, are, indeed, the first wedding gifts that you will give to
each another.
[James]: (your personal vows) spoken
[Richard]: (your personal vows) sung
(Cover their joined hands with stoles, a symbol of the
sacredness of this bond.)
[All please extend an
arm in blessing]: O God, bless all of us here
this afternoon as we offer our prayerful and loving support to this
marriage. Bless James and Richard as
they pledge their lives to each other. With faith in you and in each
other, may they always demonstrate to us and to one another the love we witness
this afternoon. And may their love continue to grow, and be a true
reflection of your love for us. Amen.
Blessing and Exchange of
Rings
(Janet) Now that James and Richard have
made their promises to one another, they will also share with one another a
symbol of their relationship, the traditional wedding rings. Each ring, an
unending circle, is a sign of their everlasting commitment to each other.
Abigail
Rose, our very special ring bearer, will you please bring forth and hold the
rings.
(raise hands in blessing)
Let
us bless these rings! O God, these
rings are circles, symbols of holiness, perfection and peace. We bless these rings in your name so that
they may be signs of unity, of joining and of encirclement. They have no
beginning and no end. We ask that you
strengthen Richard and James so that they may keep faith with each other in
unbroken loyalty, remain in peace with you according to your will, and live
together in mutual love. Amen.
Abigail,
please give Richard's ring to Jim. James, repeat after me:
[James]: Richard, take this ring / as a sign of my
love and fidelity./ I will continue to love you always. / Be my best friend, /
my love, / and my lifelong companion./
Abigail,
please give Jim's ring to Richard. Richard, repeat after me:
[Richard]: James, take this ring / as a sign of my love
and fidelity. / I will continue to love you always. / Be my best friend, / my
love, / and my lifelong companion./
Blessing of the Couple
(Sally) Please join me in a wedding blessing by raising an outstretched arm towards
Richard and Jim.
Richard and Jim, as you join together in
marriage, we ask God’s blessing on you and we pray:
May life always continue to be a shared
adventure, marked by a sense of personal freedom as well as mutual
responsibility.
May you find in each other companionship as
well as love, understanding as well as compassion, and challenge as well as
agreement.
May the home you have already established be
an island where the pressures of the world can be sorted out and brought into
focus…where tensions can be released and understood…and where the warmth of
humor and love puts crisis into perspective.
Like
this chuppah that you stand under, may your home be filled with love and may it
be wide open to welcome all family and friends who enter and feel the warmth of
your hospitality.
And above all, may you continue to find an
ever richer joy in loving and learning together, in the future as in the
past. May you have love, and may you
find it in loving one another. Amen.
Pledge of Support:
(Janet) Jim and Richard, please turn toward your family and friends.
A marriage cannot grow strong and mature without
the support of family and friends. I ask all of you who are gathered here as
witnesses of this marriage, to make a commitment to them. Please answer “We will”.
Will you support
Jim and Richard with your love,
encouragement and support? (We will)
Will you uphold them when they falter, encourage
them when they triumph, comfort them when they grieve, strengthen them in every
good resolve, and do everything within your power to support and affirm their
life together? (We will)
Announcement of Marriage
(Sally) James and Richard, it is our joy
to witness, to be part of, to together bless and celebrate your wedding.
You may now share a
kiss.
We are grateful that we can be the first to proclaim that you, Richard,
and you, James, are a married couple. Go now and continue to celebrate your
special day.
Breaking of the
Glass Larry, will you please explain the meaning of
the breaking of the glass.
Response by all : Mazel Tov! (Congratulations)
Recessional: “Kokomo”
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