Tiffany & Jim's Wedding | Complete Ceremony Text

Ceremony Text for Tiffany & Jim's Wedding

Processional, Trio da Camera	Pachelbel, Canon
Barbara Reynolds, Justice of the Peace	Dear friends, out of love and affection for Tiffany and James you come together to witness and bless the mutual vows which will unite them in marriage. To this moment, they bring the fullness of their hearts as a treasure to share with one another. They bring mutual dreams and memories which bind them together. They bring personalities and spirits which are separate and unique, but out of which will grow an expression of their life together. We rejoice with them at the outward declaration of an inward union of hearts, a union created and strengthened by true friendship, mutual respect, and strong love.
Reading by Dale Reeves (mother of the groom)	Sonnnet XVII I don’t love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz or arrow of carnations that propagate fire: I love you as certain dark things are loved, secretly, between the shadow and the soul. I love you as the plant that doesn’t bloom and carries within itself the light of those flowers, and thanks to your love, darkly in my body lives dense fragrance that rises from the earth. I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where, I love you simply, without problems or pride: I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving but this, in which there is no I or you, so intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand, so intimate that when I fall asleep it is your eyes that close. – Pablo Neruda, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Guitar solo by John Refior (brother of the bride)	Bach, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Reading by Margaret Anderson (mother of the bride)	Love one another, but make not a bond of love; let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls. Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each of you be alone, even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music. Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping, for only the hand of life can contain your hearts. And stand together, yet not too near together; for the pillars of the temple stand apart, and the oak and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow. But let there be spaces in your togetherness, and let the winds of heaven dance between you. - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Barbara Reynolds	Marriage represents the intimate, whole-hearted sharing of two lives. Thus, it is not to be entered into lightly, but with certainty, with mutual respect, and with a sense of reverence. For marriage is more than just the sentimental formalizing of a feeling; it is a vote of confidence, indeed of conviction, that your relationship will be enlarged to encompass much more than itself, that it will serve as a source of common energy and give you strength to live your lives with courage. I now ask you, James and Tiffany, do you choose to join together in marriage?
James & Tiffany	We do.
Barbara Reynolds	The act of wedding is but a symbol, a public announcement of that which is within. At its heart, a marriage is the promises made and kept by two individuals. No one can marry you but yourselves and the promises you are about to exchange serve as a verbal representation of the love and commitment you pledge to each other.
James	Tiffany, you are my best friend and the one I want to share my life with. I will love you forever, and under all circumstances. I will stand by you always. I will have faith in you and encourage you in everything you do. I will be here to listen to you, to laugh with you, and to hold you. I will work with you as we build a life together, And I will support you as you live your own, independent life. I will strive every day to make our relationship stronger. I will be your friend, your love, and your partner for all the days of our lives.
Tiffany	James, you are my best friend and the one I want to share my life with. I will love you forever, and under all circumstances. I will stand by you always. I will have faith in you and encourage you in everything you do. I will be here to listen to you, to laugh with you, and to hold you. I will work with you as we build a life together, And I will support you as you live your own, independent life. I will strive every day to make our relationship stronger. I will be your friend, your love, and your partner for all the days of our lives.
Barbara Reynolds	These rings, circles of wholeness, perfect in form, are symbols of the vows made here today.
James, then Tiffany	I marry you with this ring, with my heart, with my body, and with my soul. It is you whom I love, and it is you whom I am choosing always to encircle with my love.
Barbara Reynolds	These two lives are now joined in one unbroken circle. Wherever they go, may they always return to one another. May they find in each other the love for which all men and women long. May they grow in understanding and compassion. And may these two rings symbolize the undying love in the hearts of both of them. In accordance with the law of Connecticut and by the authority vested in me by the state of Connecticut I do pronounce you husband and wife. May the years deal gently with you. Walking together, may you find far more in life than either of you would have found alone. May your house be a place of happiness for all who enter it, a place where the old and the young are renewed in each other’s company, a place for growing, a place for music, a place for laughter. And when shadows and darkness fall within its rooms, may it still be a place of hope and strength for all who enter it. May no person be alien to your compassion. May your larger family be the family of all humankind. And may those who are nearest to you and dearest to you be constantly enriched by the beauty and the bounty of your love for each other.
Kiss
	Friends, it is my honor and joy to present to you James Reeves and Tiffany Refior as husband and wife.
Recessional, Trio da Camera	Vivaldi, Allegro Molto

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