The Officiant
FI and I don't have a regular church down here, nor do we have a clergy member in Florida or back home that we really had our hearts set on marrying us. We wanted a Christian-based ceremony, with enough religion to reflect our beliefs but not so much to bash our guests over the head with. Instead of hiring a complete stranger, we chose to go with someone who's known us for years and seen our relationship develop.
Brian is one of our closest friends, and truly one of my closest confidantes. I met him back in 2007 at an outing with my friend Katy, and FI met him in 2008 on a scuba diving trip. Brian, in many ways, pushed us together as a couple - he repeatedly encouraged me to go out with him, and apparently lit a little fire under FI to get him to ask me out that first time. He's watched our relationship grow from day one, and basically, is the one person in the world who can truly testify to who we are as a couple. He's (thankfully) a registered notary public, as well as active in his faith, so he can perform a Christian-based civil ceremony for us that's legally binding.
Brian is one of our closest friends, and truly one of my closest confidantes. I met him back in 2007 at an outing with my friend Katy, and FI met him in 2008 on a scuba diving trip. Brian, in many ways, pushed us together as a couple - he repeatedly encouraged me to go out with him, and apparently lit a little fire under FI to get him to ask me out that first time. He's watched our relationship grow from day one, and basically, is the one person in the world who can truly testify to who we are as a couple. He's (thankfully) a registered notary public, as well as active in his faith, so he can perform a Christian-based civil ceremony for us that's legally binding.
The Decor
We're holding an outdoor ceremony and we want simple, simple, simple. We plan to line the aisle with six short white pillars (provided by venue), with fishbowl bouquets of white roses on top each pillar. The gazebo will have a simple layer of tulle around the entrance where we'll stand, secured with navy ribbon.
The Bouquets & Bouts
We're using white roses in our bouquets and floral accents. They're clean and they're simple. Roses were also my late grandmother's favorite flowers, so they're also serving as a discrete tribute to her.
The Ceremony
We're writing our own ceremony. It will be short (about 10 minutes) and will be Christian-based. We're also incorporating some items specific to us/our wishes...
"I Do" Promises & Consents - we're starting off traditional, but incorporating some funny/sweet promises to one another...
"And so Oceana, do you take ScubaSteve to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, to comfort him, to honor and respect him, and to be faithful to him…to always cook his favorite foods, to spoil him more than you spoil the dog, to root for the Broncos (except when they play the Browns), to tolerate his love of Mario Cart and the NFL Network, and to be not only a wife, but a partner and a friend, for all the days of your life?"
"And ScubaSteve, do you take Oceana to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, to comfort her, to honor and respect her, and to be faithful to her…to always wash the dishes after she cooks your favorite foods, to spoil her more than you spoil the dog, to root for the Browns (except when they play the Broncos), to tolerate her love of Ohio State and lousy horror movies, and to be not only a husband, but a partner and a friend, for all the days of your life?"
Family Blessings - Instead of my father or parents "giving me away", we'll be doing family blessings. Each set of parents will stand and be asked if they "give their blessing to this union and welcome Oceana/ScubaSteve into their family", to which they will both say yes. It was very important to us that that moment symbolize the fact that we're not only building a new family of our own (the two of us), but that we're blending two families.
Vows - We will be using traditional vows ("in sickness and health, for richer and poorer..."). We have endured a lot of hardships (including serious medical issues) during the course of our relationship, so those vows hold very special meaning to us.
Engagement Ring Blessing - We'll be doing a blessing of the engagement ring immediately after I recieve my ring...
"The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise is fulfilled. Please place the engagement ring on Oceana's finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage."
"I Do" Promises & Consents - we're starting off traditional, but incorporating some funny/sweet promises to one another...
"And so Oceana, do you take ScubaSteve to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love him, to comfort him, to honor and respect him, and to be faithful to him…to always cook his favorite foods, to spoil him more than you spoil the dog, to root for the Broncos (except when they play the Browns), to tolerate his love of Mario Cart and the NFL Network, and to be not only a wife, but a partner and a friend, for all the days of your life?"
"And ScubaSteve, do you take Oceana to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love her, to comfort her, to honor and respect her, and to be faithful to her…to always wash the dishes after she cooks your favorite foods, to spoil her more than you spoil the dog, to root for the Browns (except when they play the Broncos), to tolerate her love of Ohio State and lousy horror movies, and to be not only a husband, but a partner and a friend, for all the days of your life?"
Family Blessings - Instead of my father or parents "giving me away", we'll be doing family blessings. Each set of parents will stand and be asked if they "give their blessing to this union and welcome Oceana/ScubaSteve into their family", to which they will both say yes. It was very important to us that that moment symbolize the fact that we're not only building a new family of our own (the two of us), but that we're blending two families.
Vows - We will be using traditional vows ("in sickness and health, for richer and poorer..."). We have endured a lot of hardships (including serious medical issues) during the course of our relationship, so those vows hold very special meaning to us.
Engagement Ring Blessing - We'll be doing a blessing of the engagement ring immediately after I recieve my ring...
"The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention. Now the intention is realized and the promise is fulfilled. Please place the engagement ring on Oceana's finger over her wedding band to symbolize that the love that brought you together will always protect and sustain your marriage."