Five Years of Mawidge
Five years ago on this date Alicia and I were married. We had the privelege of writing our own ceremony which combined a myriad of influences, including The Princess Bride...
Opening
Gary and Alicia asked me to begin with a quote from one of their favorite movies, The Princess Bride…
:(pause to look around the room)
Mawidge.
Mawidge is what bwings us togewer… twoday.
Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement.
That dweam wiffim a dweam.
I’m sure you’re all glad I’m not going to do the entire ceremony like that.
They asked me to begin with this quote because it reminds them of several things.
First, it reminds them of both friendship and love. The Princess Bride is one of their favorite shared movies. At the heart of the movie is a storybook romance of true love that overcomes all obstacles for the couple to live happily ever after.
This quote also reminds them of the humor that has kept them together over the many years they have known each other. Laughter is a special bond they share that has allowed them to not only share life’s many joys, but also to rise above its troubles.
It reminds them of the uncertainties that life can bring. From their marriage, Gary and Alicia hope to not only expect the unexpected, but to look forward to the unexpected, for they believe that any experience can only be made better by sharing it and learning from it together.
Lighting of the Individual Candles
Although Gary and Alicia have known each other for many years, they both come to this moment as separate individuals. Each of them has their own dreams and accomplishments, wants and possessions. Each of them has their own unique point of view formed from their pasts… and their own inner light that guides them.
Gary and Alicia, in recognition of the inner light that each of you brings to this moment, will you now light your individual candles.
: (G&A go to table, light individual candles, and return)
The Meaning of Marriage
We are gathered here on this beautiful day in the presence of God to witness and to celebrate the drawing together of these two separate lights into one. We have come so that Gary and Alicia may be joined in marriage - an act by which they abandon their lives of singleness and commit to each other to walk through life together, hand-in-hand.
As you know, no “impressive clergyman,” no priest, no public official can really marry you - only you can marry yourselves. By a mutual commitment to love each other, to work toward creating an atmosphere of care, consideration and respect, by a willingness to face the tensions and anxieties that underlie human life, you can build an enduring and meaningful life together.
Acknowledgement of Family and Friends
With each marriage such as this one, families are not only enlarged, but enriched. The joining of Gary and Alicia today brings together two sets of family traditions - two systems of roots - in the hopes that a new family tree may become strong and fruitful. Theirs is a personal choice and a decision for which they are primarily responsible. Yet their life together will be enriched by the support of the families from which each comes.
It is a Hebrew proverb that with a good son-in-law, you gain a son. As their two families become one, Gary would like to present Alicia’s mother, Patty, with a flower to represent not only his respect for the traditions and beliefs under which Alicia was raised, but as a promise to join in their family to make it stronger through this union.
: (Patty rises, Alicia presents Patty to Gary, Gary gives a flower to Patty, Patty sits down)
This is also this true of a good daughter-in-law. With their two families becoming one, Alicia would like to present Gary’s mother, Ruth, with a flower to represent not only her respect for the traditions and beliefs under which Gary was raised, but as a promise to join in their family to make it stronger through this union.
: (Ruth rises, Gary presents Ruth to Alicia, Alicia gives a flower to Ruth, Ruth sits down)
To those gathered here today from both families, do you, who have nurtured these two, bestow your blessings and encouragement on their marriage?
: We do!
As you know, this union is not merely between two individuals or two families. It is between two individuals and families with rich histories and treasured friends. Therefore, it is appropriate that we, the friends of Gary, Alicia, and their families, are here to participate in this wedding. The ideals, understanding, and mutual respect which these two bring to their marriage, have roots in the love, friendship, and guidance with which you have provided them.
Do all of you bestow your blessings and encouragement on their marriage?
: We do!
Vows
Gary and Alicia, will you now join hands?
Gary, please repeat after me.
I promise my love, loyalty, humor, and support
throughout all the changes in our life.
I will help you be the best person you can be.
As well as being my wife, you will always be my best friend.
I will be proud to be your husband.
I want to thank you for the joy and companionship
you have brought into my life
and I will strive to always make us happy.
Do you, James Garfield Geniesse, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony; to love, honor, and cherish her in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?
: I do!
Alicia, please repeat after me.
I promise my love, loyalty, laughter, and support
throughout all the changes in our life.
I will help you be the best person you can be.
As well as being my husband, you will always be my best friend.
I will be proud to be your wife.
I want to thank you for the joy and companionship
you have brought into my life
and I will strive to always make us happy.
Do you, Alicia Michelle Scott, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony; to love, honor, and cherish him in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?
: I do!
Rings
May I have the rings, please?
: (Attendants present individual rings)
For those of you wearing wedding rings, I encourage you to take off your rings so that you can participate in this part of the ceremony and to remember the time when that ring was first placed on your finger.
Rings are created in the shape of a circle, the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. They are a symbol of wholeness and of perfection and of peace. In these rings is the symbol of unity, into which two lives are joined - together in one unbroken circle in which, wherever you go, you will always return to one another… and to your togetherness.
Let us pray that these rings will always be for you the symbol of your unbroken love. Whatever they are made of, it is undoubtedly precious and enduring. May your rings always call to mind the freedom and power of your love. May the rings you give this day be the symbol of endless life into which you enter as husband and wife.
Gary, please place this ring on Alicia’s left hand and repeat after me:
: (Give Gary the smaller ring)
Through our vows we are united.
With this ring, I pledge by love, trust and commitment.
Alicia, please place this ring on Gary’s left hand and repeat after me:
: (Give Alicia the bigger ring)
Through our vows we are united.
With this ring, I pledge by love, trust and commitment.
By giving a ring, you give a constant reminder of the pledges exchanged this day.
By wearing a ring, you receive these pledges and renew them with each new day.
Please replace your wedding rings and remember with them the pledges that placed have them here.
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Gary and Alicia, please take your individual candles.
: (G&A move to unity table and pick up separate candles, staying there)
The light from each of your candles is separate and unique. It is your inner light which has brought you to this moment.
In recognition of the vows you have taken, please take your separate candles and light the center candle symbolizing your new unity, but please remember to leave your own candles lit to remind you to keep your own individuality in your new partnership.
: (G&A light unity candle, put candles down and wait)
An Irish blessing was once written:
May the blessing of light,
Be with you always,
Light without and light within.
And may the sun shine
Upon you and warm your heart
Until it glows
Like a great fire
So that others may feel
The warmth of your love.
: (G&A return to center)
Final Blessing
Gary and Alicia, will you now join hands?
As you stand together, take notice of each others hands.
These are the hands that will help you through life’s journey.
These are the hands that will wipe your tears in times of sorrow.
These are the hands that will caress you in times of joy and celebration.
These are the hands that will say “I love you” each time they touch.
Proclamation
By the authority vested in me by the State of Florida, witnessed by your friends and family in the presence of God, I am proud to pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now seal your vows with a kiss.
: (the kiss)
Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Geniesse.
: (G&A recess, attendants recess)
Pictures from the event are available online here.
Opening
Gary and Alicia asked me to begin with a quote from one of their favorite movies, The Princess Bride…
:(pause to look around the room)
Mawidge.
Mawidge is what bwings us togewer… twoday.
Mawidge, the bwessed awwangement.
That dweam wiffim a dweam.
I’m sure you’re all glad I’m not going to do the entire ceremony like that.
They asked me to begin with this quote because it reminds them of several things.
First, it reminds them of both friendship and love. The Princess Bride is one of their favorite shared movies. At the heart of the movie is a storybook romance of true love that overcomes all obstacles for the couple to live happily ever after.
This quote also reminds them of the humor that has kept them together over the many years they have known each other. Laughter is a special bond they share that has allowed them to not only share life’s many joys, but also to rise above its troubles.
It reminds them of the uncertainties that life can bring. From their marriage, Gary and Alicia hope to not only expect the unexpected, but to look forward to the unexpected, for they believe that any experience can only be made better by sharing it and learning from it together.
Lighting of the Individual Candles
Although Gary and Alicia have known each other for many years, they both come to this moment as separate individuals. Each of them has their own dreams and accomplishments, wants and possessions. Each of them has their own unique point of view formed from their pasts… and their own inner light that guides them.
Gary and Alicia, in recognition of the inner light that each of you brings to this moment, will you now light your individual candles.
: (G&A go to table, light individual candles, and return)
The Meaning of Marriage
We are gathered here on this beautiful day in the presence of God to witness and to celebrate the drawing together of these two separate lights into one. We have come so that Gary and Alicia may be joined in marriage - an act by which they abandon their lives of singleness and commit to each other to walk through life together, hand-in-hand.
As you know, no “impressive clergyman,” no priest, no public official can really marry you - only you can marry yourselves. By a mutual commitment to love each other, to work toward creating an atmosphere of care, consideration and respect, by a willingness to face the tensions and anxieties that underlie human life, you can build an enduring and meaningful life together.
Acknowledgement of Family and Friends
With each marriage such as this one, families are not only enlarged, but enriched. The joining of Gary and Alicia today brings together two sets of family traditions - two systems of roots - in the hopes that a new family tree may become strong and fruitful. Theirs is a personal choice and a decision for which they are primarily responsible. Yet their life together will be enriched by the support of the families from which each comes.
It is a Hebrew proverb that with a good son-in-law, you gain a son. As their two families become one, Gary would like to present Alicia’s mother, Patty, with a flower to represent not only his respect for the traditions and beliefs under which Alicia was raised, but as a promise to join in their family to make it stronger through this union.
: (Patty rises, Alicia presents Patty to Gary, Gary gives a flower to Patty, Patty sits down)
This is also this true of a good daughter-in-law. With their two families becoming one, Alicia would like to present Gary’s mother, Ruth, with a flower to represent not only her respect for the traditions and beliefs under which Gary was raised, but as a promise to join in their family to make it stronger through this union.
: (Ruth rises, Gary presents Ruth to Alicia, Alicia gives a flower to Ruth, Ruth sits down)
To those gathered here today from both families, do you, who have nurtured these two, bestow your blessings and encouragement on their marriage?
: We do!
As you know, this union is not merely between two individuals or two families. It is between two individuals and families with rich histories and treasured friends. Therefore, it is appropriate that we, the friends of Gary, Alicia, and their families, are here to participate in this wedding. The ideals, understanding, and mutual respect which these two bring to their marriage, have roots in the love, friendship, and guidance with which you have provided them.
Do all of you bestow your blessings and encouragement on their marriage?
: We do!
Vows
Gary and Alicia, will you now join hands?
Gary, please repeat after me.
I promise my love, loyalty, humor, and support
throughout all the changes in our life.
I will help you be the best person you can be.
As well as being my wife, you will always be my best friend.
I will be proud to be your husband.
I want to thank you for the joy and companionship
you have brought into my life
and I will strive to always make us happy.
Do you, James Garfield Geniesse, take this woman to be your lawful wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony; to love, honor, and cherish her in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?
: I do!
Alicia, please repeat after me.
I promise my love, loyalty, laughter, and support
throughout all the changes in our life.
I will help you be the best person you can be.
As well as being my husband, you will always be my best friend.
I will be proud to be your wife.
I want to thank you for the joy and companionship
you have brought into my life
and I will strive to always make us happy.
Do you, Alicia Michelle Scott, take this man to be your lawful wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of Matrimony; to love, honor, and cherish him in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad, as long as you both shall live?
: I do!
Rings
May I have the rings, please?
: (Attendants present individual rings)
For those of you wearing wedding rings, I encourage you to take off your rings so that you can participate in this part of the ceremony and to remember the time when that ring was first placed on your finger.
Rings are created in the shape of a circle, the symbol of the sun and the earth and the universe. They are a symbol of wholeness and of perfection and of peace. In these rings is the symbol of unity, into which two lives are joined - together in one unbroken circle in which, wherever you go, you will always return to one another… and to your togetherness.
Let us pray that these rings will always be for you the symbol of your unbroken love. Whatever they are made of, it is undoubtedly precious and enduring. May your rings always call to mind the freedom and power of your love. May the rings you give this day be the symbol of endless life into which you enter as husband and wife.
Gary, please place this ring on Alicia’s left hand and repeat after me:
: (Give Gary the smaller ring)
Through our vows we are united.
With this ring, I pledge by love, trust and commitment.
Alicia, please place this ring on Gary’s left hand and repeat after me:
: (Give Alicia the bigger ring)
Through our vows we are united.
With this ring, I pledge by love, trust and commitment.
By giving a ring, you give a constant reminder of the pledges exchanged this day.
By wearing a ring, you receive these pledges and renew them with each new day.
Please replace your wedding rings and remember with them the pledges that placed have them here.
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Gary and Alicia, please take your individual candles.
: (G&A move to unity table and pick up separate candles, staying there)
The light from each of your candles is separate and unique. It is your inner light which has brought you to this moment.
In recognition of the vows you have taken, please take your separate candles and light the center candle symbolizing your new unity, but please remember to leave your own candles lit to remind you to keep your own individuality in your new partnership.
: (G&A light unity candle, put candles down and wait)
An Irish blessing was once written:
May the blessing of light,
Be with you always,
Light without and light within.
And may the sun shine
Upon you and warm your heart
Until it glows
Like a great fire
So that others may feel
The warmth of your love.
: (G&A return to center)
Final Blessing
Gary and Alicia, will you now join hands?
As you stand together, take notice of each others hands.
These are the hands that will help you through life’s journey.
These are the hands that will wipe your tears in times of sorrow.
These are the hands that will caress you in times of joy and celebration.
These are the hands that will say “I love you” each time they touch.
Proclamation
By the authority vested in me by the State of Florida, witnessed by your friends and family in the presence of God, I am proud to pronounce you husband and wife.
You may now seal your vows with a kiss.
: (the kiss)
Ladies and gentlemen, may I now present to you, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Gary Geniesse.
: (G&A recess, attendants recess)
Pictures from the event are available online here.