Calling all November 2009 Brides!

[amandseth]

I'm not sure what to do with our vows.. those of you who are writing them yourselves, are you doing yours and he is responsible for his? Or are you doing them together and taking turns saying the same thing? I had initially asked my fiance if we could each write our own, and he was ok with that. But now he keeps saying he's going to write them the night before/already has written them, are just one sentence/or that I'm gonna laugh so hard... Now I'm nervous. lol. Which is likely his intent.

We're doing the legal wedding here, so have the benefit of a good friend of ours overseeing the ceremony in Mexico. He's a script writer with a great sense of humour, and I've given him a basic outline with total creative lisence. I imagine it will be more humorous, so I'd like our vows, at least, to be meaningful and romantic.

Any of you ladies comfortable sharing what you've put together?

[BahiaBride16]

I also got most of my ceremony script off of a thread on here (just cut and paste the parts that have meaning to my FI and I). Here's a copy...(sorry it's long lol!)

 

Opening

On behalf of Nicole and Jamie, I welcome you and thank you all for gathering here on this beautiful day to witness their marriage ceremony. The fact that you all have traveled such a great distance to be here today is a testament to the amazing amount of love and support they have. Many of you have given them much happiness, love, warmth, and guidance through the various stages of their lives. They would like to sincerely thank you all for being here to celebrate their big day.

 

I have also been asked by Nicole and Jamie to thank their parents for the wonderful lives they have given them, for the hard work and guidance they have provided, for their everlasting love, support, and encouragement. It is from them that they have learned the true meaning of love, friendship and family.

 

Ceremony

For Nicole and Jamie marriage is an affirmation of life, an undying commitment, a spiritual, emotional, and intellectual bond between two people. It is created from the purest of friendship, respect and love. Together you will continue to meet the challenges and obstacles of life head on.

 

Marriage has been described as living in love with your best friend. Love is one of the few constants in the universe. It is reality, affinity, and communication. Only love is capable of joining living beings by their deepest essence, uniting, completing, and fulfilling them.

 

The marriage between Nicole and Jamie does not mark the beginning of a new relationship; rather, it is an acknowledgement and celebration, of a relationship that has been flourishing since they met.

 

For Nicole and Jamie, love is the longing two people feel for one another. A simple touch, a hand held at a time of uncertainty. This is what it means to be intimately human. It is the intention behind the kiss that says, “Despite the vastness of this earth, despite the chaotic details that make up our lives, despite the hundreds of people we will meet in our travels, you are mine and I am yours forever.”

 

Love is life’s highest emotion. It makes us less selfish, it makes our personalities grow, and it makes our lives more meaningful. It is caring about the welfare and happiness of your partner as your own. Love makes burdens lighter because you divide them. It makes joys more intense because you share them. And it makes you stronger so you can reach out and become involved with life in ways you dared not risk alone.

 

A successful relationship takes more than just love. It takes trust, to know in your hearts that you want only the best for each other. It takes dedication, to stay open to one another, to learn and grow, even when it is difficult to do so. And it takes faith, to go forward together without knowing what the future holds for you both.

 

You have chosen to walk through life together. There is no truer statement of love. The choice was not made by any one moment, but by being together you grew to realize that you belonged together and that you fulfilled each other’s needs. You have come to thrive upon each other’s presence, loyalty and wisdom. The foundation of your love is profound friendship. A friendship you have nurtured until at last you realized that you wanted to be together always. The commitment you make today will be the foundation on which you will build your life together.

 

Vows

Jamie, as I say these words, would you please repeat after me…

 

I love you, Nicole. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

 

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life. I am forever yours……faithfully.

 

Nicole as I say these words, would you please repeat after me…

 

I love you, Jamie. You too are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle.

 

I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you, and to always hold you in highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life. I am forever yours……faithfully

 

Rings

Nicole and Jamie, your rings are intimately associated with your intent to honor and treasure the vows you have made today. By exchanging rings, resolve to live your vows and not to let them drift in shallow promises. Believe and trust that the words you have spoken have the capacity to create the marriage, family and life of your dreams, and that the rings you exchange will have the power to return you to your vows.

 

Jamie as you place this ring on Nicole’s finger please repeat after me…

 

Nicole, I give you this ring, as a sign of our marriage, and a lasting reminder, of the vows made between us today. I give you this ring, as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

 

Nicole, if you accept please say I do…

 

Nicole as you place this ring on Jamie’s finger, please repeat after me…

 

Jamie, I to give you this ring, as a sign of our marriage, and a lasting reminder, of the vows made between us today. I give you this ring, as a reminder that I will love, honor, and cherish you, in all times, in all places, and in all ways, forever.

 

Jamie, if you except, please say “I Do”.

 

Closing:

Nicole & Jamie, remember to treat both yourself 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, difficulty or fear assail your relationship – as they threatened all relationships at one time or another – remember to focus on what is right between you. In this way, you can ride out the times 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 lives together, your life together will be marked by abundance and delight.

 

Give to one another new experiences of joy. Challenge one another so that you may grow. May the love you hold for each other, now sealed in marriage, continue to mature with the passing years. May you never take each other for granted, but always experience the wonder of your union. Be slow to anger, quick to forgive, leaving no tracks of resentment behind each day.

 

We who are present today, hope that the inspiration of this moment will never be forgotten. May all your days and years to come be filled with vision, joy and passion. May the love you now share continue to grow, and may the happiness you bring to each other be a continuing part of your life together. May you continue to laugh often and enjoy each other every day, steadfast in hope and confidence, believing in yourself and believing in each other. May your love be a sanctuary and a source from which you draw strength to live your lives with enthusiasm and imagination. May the people you touch in your lifetime know how much you love and care for one another and may you love one another forever.

 

With friends and family, along with the sun, the moon, and the sea, I have the pleasure of announcing you as husband and wife.

 

You may now kiss the bride!

 

Balloon Release

Nicole and Jamie would like to end their ceremony, by asking all of you to take a balloon.

 

They would love if you would write a wish for them and their new life together, on your balloon.

[Stamperamma]

My wedding is November 28th in Jamaica, I have my fingers crossed that hurricane season has ended and the weather is pleasant.

[Prettyhazardous]

Here are our vows.. We got our ceremony out of a book my pastor had and then we tweaked them some... But I will also put my ceremony and reception order. My reception order is crazy lol... Also on the back of it will be the menu. Happy Reading LOL.

 

Brian’s Vows

I promise to give you the best of myself and to ask of you no more than you can give. I promise to accept you the way you are. I fell in love with you for the qualities, abilities, and outlook on life that you have, and won't try to reshape you in a different image. I promise to respect you as a person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you see through the window of my personal world into my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change in order to keep our relationship alive and exciting. And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all I feel inside in the only way I know how ... completely and forever.

 

Ashley’s Vows

Brian, today I become your wife and you become my husband. I will strive to give you the best of myself, while accepting you the way you are. I promise to respect you as a whole person with your own interests, desires, and needs, and to realize that those are sometimes different, but no less important than my own. I promise to keep myself open to you, to let you in to my innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams. I promise to grow along with you, to be willing to face change as we both change, keeping our relationship alive and exciting. And finally, I promise to love you in good times and in bad, with all I have to give and all that I am, in the only way I know how -- completely and forever.

 

The Wedding Ceremony

Processional

Reading of the Scripture

Poetry Reading

Declaration of Intention

Marriage Ceremony

Exchange of vows

Exchange of rings

Prayer

Tasting Ceremony

Pronouncement of Marriage

Introduction of the Couple

Broom Jumping Ceremony

Benediction

Recessional

 

Reception Program

 

Introduction of wedding party

Introduction of bride and groom

Blessing- Rev Rodrecus M Johnson Sr.

Singing of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Hymn- Bride & All AKAs

Toasts

Mother of the Bride- Angela Brown

Grandparents of the Bride- Mr. & Mrs. William Brown Jr.

Maid of Honor- JaQuell Dendy

Bestman- Mario Turner Jr.

Bride’s Maid- Paula Hollie

Cake Cutting

Meal

Bouquet and Garter Toss

Tour of St Thomas USVI

 

 

 

MENU

 

Jerk Chicken with Tropical Fruit Salad

Mahi Mahi in White Wine Butter Sauce with Tomatoes and Capers

Confetti Rice

Garden Salad with Ranch or 3-Pepper Vinaigrette Dressing

Rolls with Butter

Iced Tea, Soda and Water

[NaM]

We're using the same script/vows from our legal day and sent it over to Mexico. If you ask your WC she can send you the name of the person doing your ceremony and the script they use and then change it accordingly.

Neither of us wanted to write our own vows btw so we just said what the marriage commissioner told us.

[olsontco]

Prettyhazardous.... I love your vows... what is the "Tasting Ceremony"

 

Just curious?

 

Thanks!

[~Keira~]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erika J SKIN- I am having MAJOR issues. I have been mostly pimple free for months. NOW I look like a teenager, stress pimples and a big gross one. I am so annoyed.

I hear ya this it's like I'm stressed becuase I have pimples and I have pimples because I'm stressed. It's a vicious cycle. Yesterday I went to the body shop and bought the tea tree oil gel "spot" (they should just call it what it is, a ZIT) treatment and I used it last night. OMG, they have gone down in size considerably and the redness has faded a little too. Now I can actually use make up to conceal them. Its only like 9 bucks so I recommend giving it a shot.

[Jess]

wow you girls are good...I'm really glad we don't have to write our own vows - phewww

[~Nicole~]

LOL Jess - I was just thinking the same thing!

[Prettyhazardous]

The Tasting Ceremony is a West African Wedding Ceremony. I found a bit of info about it online and in a book I read called Sacred (ceremonies). Then we took the idea to my pastor and of course we tweaked it a bit. Below I'll paste what we found re the ceremony then I'll tell you what we are doing a little different.

 

Tasting the Four Elements (also called Bitter herb Tasting or Tasting of Four Temperaments). This ritual dramatizes the “Traditional” promise to love “for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health.” The four elements that the Rev. Valentine uses -- lemon, vinegar, cayenne pepper, and honey -- represent the sour, the bitter, the hot, and the sweet times of marriage. He places each in a crystal bowl, which he then positions to correspond to the four directions. (Four is also the number associated with the base of the pyramid, a symbol of a strong foundation.) He then has the couple taste each, beginning with the lemon: “I let them know that marriage involves individual sacrifice, so that two people can harmonize as one. But sacrifice can cause sour feelings (the lemon) and bitterness (the vinegar) and eventually a heated explosion (represented by the cayenne). When they taste the pepper, they are cooking, their eyes are watering… and the guests are having a good time watching. But then I say that if they can weather all of this, all the difficult times, and still be friends and lovers, they will come to understand the sweetness that’s in all the previous three flavors. That is when I give them the honey.”

 

My pastor doesn't fully again with the info on the sour so he will change that a bit. And he's adding info to the hot section and putting it bit more importance on the honey section. Also what he's doing different is that First Brian will taste the item then he actually feed it to me. Symbolizing that he will never give me something that would hurt me or that he would do himself...well my pastor says it a little better than that, but you get the idea. I have an awesome pastor who's really good with words and teaching. He had never heard of this ceremony before we brought it to his attention and he just loves it, We'll be the first couple that he performs it on but he wants to use it in all his future weddings.