As promised

As promised, I wanted to post our wedding service here. We had the most beautiful service. And like they say, it flies by before you know it. Right as I got to the door of the church, I thought 'I don't remember anything we went over in the rehearsal'. Thank goodness I didn't really need to remember. Poor Andy was stressed to the max and was ready to get everything under way. We had to wait for 10 or 15 minutes because some of our family were a little late because of problems with driving directions. But everyone got there finally and we got the show on the road. 

Order of Service

Processional Music                      Wagner

The Welcome

Hymn                         Love Divine, All Loves Excelling

Love divine, all loves excelling, 

Joy of heaven, to earth come down,

Fix in us thy humble dwelling,

All thy faithful mercies crown. 

Jesu, thou art all compassion,

Pure unbounding love thou art; 

Visit us with thy salvation, 

Enter every trembling heart.

Come, almight to deliver, 

Let us all thy grace receive;

Suddenly return, and never,

Never more thy temples leave.

Thee we would be always blessing, 

Serve thee as thy hosts above;

Pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,

Glory in thy perfect love.

Finish then thy new creation; 

Pure and spotless let us be;

Let us see thy great salvation

Perfectly restored in thee;

Changed from glory into glory, 

Till we cast our crowns before thee,

Lost in wonder, love and praise. 

PRIEST: The Lord be with you.

ALL: And also with you.

PRIEST: Andrew and Suzanna, you stand in the presence of God as husband and wife, to dedicate to him your life together, that he may consecrate your marriage and empower you to keep the covenant and promise that you have solemnly declared.

The Bible teaches us that marriage is a gift of God in creation and a means of his grace, a holy mystery in which man and woman become one flesh. It is God's purpose that , as husband and wife give themselves to each other in love throughout their lives, they shall be united in that love as Christ is united with his Church.

Marriage is given that husband and wife may comfort and help each other, living faithfully together in need and in plenty, in sorry and in joy. It is given that with delight and tenderness they may know each other in love, and through the joy of their bodily union my strengthen the union of their hearts and lives. It is given as the foundation of family life in which children may be born and nurtured in accordance with God's will, to his praise and glory. This is the meaning of the marriage you have made. 

You now wish to affirm your desire to live as followers of Christ, and you have come to him, the fountain of grace, that , strengthened by the prayers of the Church you may be enabled to fulfil your marriage vows in love and faithfulness. 

FIRST READING: Isaiah 61: 10-11

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation 

and arrayed me in a robe of rightousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, 

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise 

spring up before all nations.

PRIEST: God is love, and those who live in lovve live in God and God lives in them.

ALL: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open,

All desires known, and from whom no secrets are hidden,

cleanse the thoughts of our hearts,

by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit,

that we may perfectly love you

and worthily magnify your holy name, 

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

SECOND READING: Colossians 3:12-17

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,

clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances

you may have against one another. 

Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

And over all these virtues put on love,

which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,

since as members of one body you were called to peace. 

And be thankful.

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach 

and admonish one another with all wisdom,

and as you sing psalms, hymns 

and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And whatever you do, whether in word or dead,

do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus,

 giving thanks to God the Father through him.

PRIEST: Andrew and suzanna, you have committed yourselves to each other in marriage, and your marriage is recognized by law. The church of Christ understands marriage to be, in the will of God, the union of a man and a woman, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till parted by death.

PRIEST: Is this your understanding of the covenant and promise that you have made?

ANDREW AND SUZANNA: It is.

PRIEST: Andrew, have you resolved to be faithful to your wife Suzanna, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live?

ANDREW: That is my resolve, with the help of God.

PRIEST: Suzanna, have you resolved to be faithful to your husband Andrew, forsaking all others, so long as you both shall live? 

SUZANNA: That is my resolve, with the help of God.

ANDREW AND SUZANNA WILL EXCHANGE PERSONAL VOWS

SUZANNA:

Andy, you are my best friend and the love of my life.

From the moment I met you, I knew you were an amazing person. 

I am so excited that I am able to experience the rest of my life with you by my side. 

You have been my companion in joy and my constant comfort in adversity.

Your encouragement and support have shown me what true love is.

I am so hopeful for the future because I know we will be able 

to share our hopes and dreams together.

I promise to encourage and inspire you,

to be kind, trusting, tolerant and understanding.

I will always be honest and faithful to you. 

Here, before our family and friends, 

I pledge my heart to you, and only to you

for the rest of my life.

ANDREW:

Suzie, since we met, most of our friendship has been spent fighting 

about the feelings between us. 

I even moved to a different continent to prove I didn't like you.

But I'm standing here today, on yet another continent,

to tell you that I have been wrong all along.

Suzie, you mean more to me than anything in the world. 

I never though the perfect woman would be standing right in front of me the whole time.

You are my very best friend

and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you.

I love you so much.

(Andrew and Suzanna join hands)

PRIEST: Heavenly Father, by your blessing, let these rings be to Andrew and Suzanna symbols of unending love and faithfulness, and of the promises that they have made to each other, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Andrew and Suzanna have here affirmed their Christian understanding and resolve in the marriage which they have begun. Will you who have gathered here to celebrate with them support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?

ALL: We will.

(Andrew and Suzanna kneel)

ANDREW AND SUZANNA: Heavenly Father, we offer you our souls and bodies, our thoughts and words and deeds, our love for one another. Unite our wills in your will, that we may grow together in love and peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRIEST: Almighty God, give you grace to persevere, that he may complete in you the work he has already begun, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

PRIEST: The Lord bless you and watch over you.

The Lord make his face to shine upon y ou and be gracious to you.

The Lord look kindly on you and give you peace all the days of your life.

Amen

Hymn                           O Perfect Love

O perfect Love, all human thought transcending

Lowly we kneel in prayer before thy throne, 

That theirs' may be the lover which knows no ending, 

Whom thou for evermore dost join in one.

O perfect Life, be thou their full assurance

Of tender charity and steadfast faith,

Of patient hope and quiet brave endurance,

With childlike trust that fears not pain not death.

Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow, 

Grant them the peach which calms all earthly strife;

And to life's day the glorious unknown morrow

That dawns upon eternal love and life. 

THE CERTIFICATE OF BLESSING IS SIGNED

Choir: The Lord Bless You and Keep You           Rutter

THE PRAYERS

THE LORD'S PRAYER

Our Father, who art in Heaven,

Hallowed be thy name; 

Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done

On earth, as it is in Heaven

Give us this day our daily bread, 

And  forgive us our trespasses,

As we forgive those who trespass against us.

And lead us not into temptation

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,

For ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn                         Bind Us Together Lord

Bind us together Lord, Bind us together

With cords that cannot be broken;

Bind us together Lord, Bind us together

Bind us together with love!

There is only one God,

There is only one King;

There is only one Body,

That is why we sing.

Made for the glory of God,

Purchased by his precious Son,

Born with the right to be clean, 

For Jesus the victory has won,

Bind us together.... 

You are the Family of God,

You are the promise divine.

You are God's chosen desire,

You are the glorious new wine. 

Bind us together.... 

THE BLESSING

RECESSIONAL MUSIC

IN REMEMBRANCE OF RICHARD S. BROWN

On this day, somewhat bittersweet, 

the thought of you pains my heart.

I cannot help but remember the day

we seemed destined to part.

I know you are looking down on us, 

watching from above. 

Yet, how I wish you were here today

showing your support, and love.

I'm all grown up now,

but I still wish you were here by my side.

I need you here on the day

that I am becoming a bride.

However, I cannot change the past.

All that's left now are sweet memories.

Memories, and thoughts

that in my heart will always last.

I am moving forward,

but I can't help looking back. 

Thinking of  you, and how you did everything

in your own special way.

Because of you, I have learned to cherish

each and every single day.

Daddy, I love you with all of my heart.

You are sadly missed,

and will never be forgotten.