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Announcing our new Family!
and the Marriage of
Diane East
and
Richmond Masters
along with
Johannah
We
have included elements of the ceremony
so
that it could be enjoyed by all those we
love.
Please
include us in your prayers as
we begin our life together.
Wedding
Ceremony of Diane East and Richmond
Masters
Dearly
beloved, We are gathered here to witness and to celebrate the marriage
of Diane and Richmond who have come here to express their commitment to
each other by joining their lives in matrimony.
CHEROKEE
PRAYER:
God
in heaven above, please protect the ones we love.
We
honor all you created as Diane and Richmond
pledge their hearts and lives together.
We
honor mother-earth - and ask for their marriage to be abundant and grow
stronger through the seasons;
We
honor fire - and ask that their union be warm and glowing with love in
their hearts;
We
honor wind - and ask that they sail through life
safe
and calm;
We
honor water - to clean and soothe their relationship - that it may never
thirst for love;
With
all the forces of the universe you created, we pray for harmony and true
happiness as they forever grow young together.
Amen.
HANDS CEREMONY:
Please face
each other and hold your hands palms up, so that each of you may
see the gift that they are to you.
~These are the
hands of your best friend, vibrant with love, that are holding yours on
your wedding day, as you promise to love him
all the days of your life.
~These are the hands that will work
alongside yours, as together you build your future; as you laugh and
cry, as you share your innermost secrets and dreams.
~These are the
hands that will passionately love you and cherish you through the years,
for a lifetime of happiness.
~These are the
hands that will hold your child in tender love, soothing them through
illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, knowing
when it is time to let go.
~These are the
hands that will comfort you when you are sick or console you when you
are grieving.
~These are the
hands that will give you support and encourage you to follow your dreams
and realize your potential.
Johannah,
please hold Your Mom and Dad’s hands palms up,
where you may see the gift they are to you.
~These are the
hands of your best friends, on this special day when they are forming a
family with you.
~These are the
hands that will work beside you on school projects and help you with
homework as you learn your lessons.
~These are the
hands that will hold you through the night when you are sick and comfort
you when you are sad.
~These are the
hands that will give you the support and encouragement to follow your
dreams and realize your potential.
~These are the
hands that will love you no matter what choices you make, hoping that
you will always make good ones.
God, bless
these hands that you see before you this day. May they always be held by
one another. Give them the strength to hold on during the storms of
stress and the dark of disillusionment. Keep them tender and gentle as
they nurture each other in their wondrous love. Help these hands to
continue building a relationship founded in your grace, rich in caring
and devoted in reaching for your perfection. May Richmond
and
ANNIE’S SONG BY JOHN DENVER:
The human voice has long been used to
express love. Please share
now the song in your heart today.
EXCHANGE OF VOWS:
Marriage
is the deepest and most complete commitment that two people can make.
The essence of this commitment is the taking of another person in
entirety as friend, companion, and lover.
It is a decision not entered into lightly. Rather, it is
undertaken with great consideration and respect for the other person and
for one’s self that will define you as a couple and deepen your love
for one another.
Vows for the Bride and Groom
- -Today I join my life to yours. From this day on, I will be your
partner & companion, for you are my dearest love & my best
friend. I will trust you & honor you. I will listen when you speak
and encourage you in times of doubt.
I will be your refuge of strength in times of uncertainty and
steadfast friend in times of great joy. I will laugh with you on a
regular basis & enjoy life together. I will love you faithfully all
of my days, never taking you for granted. As I have given you my hand to
hold, so I give you my life to keep, so help me God.
EXCHANGE
OF RINGS:
The wedding
ring is the outward & visible sign of the spiritual bond which
unites these two hearts & seals the vows they have made today. God,
bless these rings, that Richmond & Diane
who give them and wear them, may ever abide in peace, living in
unity & love for the rest of their lives.
Vows for the Groom and Bride -
I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am and
all that I have, I honor you. With this ring, I thee wed.
In as much as
you have pledged to the other your lifelong commitment, love &
devotion, I now pronounce you husband & wife, in the name of the
Father, the Son & the Holy Spirit. Those whom God has joined
together, let no one put asunder. Richmond,
you may kiss your bride!
In
closing, Diane & Richmond have asked me to
read, a special piece called “The Blessing of the Apaches.”
THE
BLESSING OF THE APACHES:
Now
you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness, for each of you will be companion to
the other. Now you are two persons, but there is only one life before
you. May beauty surround you both in the journey ahead and through all
the years. May happiness be your companion and your days together be
good and long upon the earth.
Treat
yourselves and each other with respect, and remind yourselves often of
what brought you together. Give the highest priority to the tenderness,
gentleness and kindness that your connection deserves. When frustration,
difficulties and fear assail your relationship - as they threaten all
relationships at one time or another - remember to focus on what is
right between you, not only the part which seems wrong. In this way, you
can ride out the storms when clouds hide the face of the sun in your
lives - remembering that even if you lose sight of it for a moment, the
sun is STILL there. And if each of you takes responsibility for the
quality of your life together, it will be marked by abundance and
delight.
It
is my pleasure to introduce to you:
Mr.
And Mrs. Richmond Masters
and
Johannah Masters
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