Kate and Roger Wedding

Prelude : Any musical preludes or solos should take place at least 5 minutes prior
to the start of the ceremony

Processional:

Seating of the Parents

o Seating of the Groom's grandmother
o Seating of the Bride's grandmother
o Seating of the Groom's parents
o Seating of the Bride's mother

Bridal Processional Begins

o Minister and Groom enter usually from stage right. If the
Groomsmen are not escorting the Bridesmaids down the aisle to the
altar, they also enter together with the Minister and Groom.
o Bridesmaids enter, usually down the center aisle, one at a time. If the
Groomsmen are escorting the Bridesmaids, they enter together.
o Maid or Matron of Honor enters. If she is being escorted by the Best
Man, they enter together.
o Flower Girl and Ring Bearer enter.
Wedding March Begins : The Bride and her father enter. Typically the
Bride's mother will stand as a signal for all of the guests to stand.

Opening Remarks - "The Call to Worship"

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the
presence of these witnesses, to join together this man and this woman in
holy matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God. It is
therefore, not to be entered into unadvisedly, but reverently, discreetly,
and in the fear of God. Into this holy estate these two persons come now to
be joined.

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The Opening Prayer

Congregation is Seated: At this time the congregation is typically asked to be

seated.

Giving Away of the Bride

Minister: Who gives this woman to be married to this man?

Father of the Bride: "Her mother and I do"

Message: An Extraordinary Marriage

Reading: John 2:1-11

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus
was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And
when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4
Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My
hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to
you, do it.” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the
manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7
Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the
brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of
the feast.” And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water
that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who
had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And
he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the
guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until
now!” 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His
glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

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Message: An Extraordinary Marriage

1) Introduction
a) Wedding at Cana was an extraordinary celebration:
i) Among the guests:
(1) Mary the Mother of Jesus
(2) Jesus’ disciples – the Apostles Peter and John!
(3) And the Lord Himself
ii) An extraordinary event – the miracle of water into win
(1) Six waterpots … each 20- 30 gallons
(2) And the first of Christ’s miracles
(3) Extraordinary wine – “You have kept the good wine until now!”
b) Wedding anniversaries are retrospective. You will always remember this
day 1/1/11!
i) As the years unfold, I pray that you will have an extraordinary marriage
….not an ordinary one
ii) I suggest that an extraordinary marriage has these elements
(1) An extraordinary love
(2) An extraordinary commitment
(3) But above all Christ as the Lord of your lives and your marriage
(4) I briefly will comment on each of these points
2) An extraordinary love:
a) Ephesians 5:25, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the
church and gave Himself for her”
b) How did Christ love sinners? Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates His own
love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
3) An extraordinary commitment - A brief word on “betrothed”
a) Marriage is by its nature a vow, an oath, a covenant
i) Genesis 2:24, “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”
ii) Proverbs 2:17, “[the adultress] forsakes the companion of her youth,
And forgets the covenant of her God”

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iii) Malachi 2:14, God speaking to the husband: “Yet she is your companion
And your wife by covenant”
iv) Oaths / vows are part of the marriage ceremony. Remember the
traditional ones:
b) The husband is asked, "WILT thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, to
live together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt
thou love her, comfort her, honour, and keep her in sickness and in health;
and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto her, so long as ye both shall
live?" He promises, before God and everyone, that he will.
c) The wife is asked, "WILT thou have this man to thy wedded husband, to live
together after God's ordinance in the holy estate of Matrimony? Wilt thou
obey him, and serve him, love, honour, and keep him in sickness and in
health; and, forsaking all other, keep thee only unto him, so long as ye both
shall live?”
d) The husband promises his wife, before God and everyone, "I N. take thee N.
to my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better
for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to
cherish, till death us do part, according to God's holy ordinance; and
thereto I plight thee my troth.”
e) The wife promises her husband, before God and everyone, "I N. take thee
N. to my wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for
better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love,
cherish, and to obey, till death us do part, according to God's holy
ordinance; and thereto I give thee my troth."
f) The “troth” speaks of one’s pledge to faithfulness / one’s pledged word
g) To be betrothed is to have made solemn vows!

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4) But above all Christ as the Lord of your lives and your marriage
a) We have just celebrated the Advent season, which is the birth of the
Messiah
b) The Christmas narratives testify to the Person and Work of Christ:
i) Matthew 1:18, “Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His
mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph … “
ii) Matthew 1:21, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His
name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins”
iii) Matthew 1:22-23, “So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 23 “Behold, the
virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name
Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”
iv) Matthew 2:5, “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the
least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who
will shepherd My people Israel.’
c) Luke 1:46-55, Mary’s Magnificat
i) One of the ancient hymns exalting our Lord and Savior
ii) Known as the “Magnificat” because of the Latin phrase, “Magnificat
anima mea Dominum”
iii) “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my
Savior.”
d) I suggest that an extraordinary life is a life where one “magnifies the Lord”
and “rejoices in God the Savior”
e) And an extraordinary marriage is where Husband and Wife:
i) Invite the Lord into your marriage
ii) Entertain Him in your home
iii) Honor Him in your hearts
iv) And “magnify [Him as] Lord and Savor”

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The Charge to Bride and Groom

Minister: Kate and Roger, the covenant which you are about to make with
each other is meant to be a beautiful and sacred expression of your love for
each other. As you pledge your vows to each other, and as you commit
your lives to each other, we ask that you do so in all seriousness, and yet
with a deep sense of joy; with the deep conviction that you are committing
yourselves to a dynamic growing relationship of trust, mutual support, and
caring love.

The Pledge

Minister: Kate and Roger, you have made a very serious and important
decision in choosing to marry each other today. You are entering into a
sacred covenant as life partners in God. The quality of your marriage will
reflect what you put into nurturing this relationship. You have the
opportunity to go forward from this day to create a faithful, kind, and
tender relationship. We bless you this day. It is up to you to keep the
blessings flowing each and every day of your lives together. We wish for
you the wisdom, compassion, and constancy to create a peaceful sanctuary
in which you can both grow in love.

Roger, do you understand and accept this responsibility, and do you

promise to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and
happy marriage? Groom: Yes, I do.

Kate, do you understand and accept this responsibility, and do you promise
to do your very best each day to create a loving, healthy, and happy
marriage? Bride: Yes, I do.

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Wedding Vows: At this time in the wedding ceremony the Bride and Groom face
one another. Minister: Repeat after me

Kate: In the name of the Lord, I Kate take you, Roger, to be my husband
… to have and to hold …. from this day forward …. for better for worse ….
for richer for poorer ….. in sickness and in health …. to love and to cherish
… for as long as we both shall live …. This is my solemn vow.

Roger: In the name of the Lord, I Roger take you, Kate, to be my wife ….. to
have and to hold …. from this day forward …. for better, for worse …. for
richer, for poorer …. in sickness and in health, ….. to love and to cherish, ….
for as long as we both shall live. ….. This is my solemn vow.

Exchanging of the Rings

Minister: "The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of

an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And
now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in
heart and soul, you Roger, may place a ring on the finger of your bride."

Roger: "Kate, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to
you."

Minister: "By the same token Kate, you may place a ring on the finger of
your groom."

Kate: "Roger, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to
you."

Worship Solo – Rueben Correra (Be Thou My Vision)

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The Pronouncement

Minister: For as much as Kate and Roger have consented together in holy
wedlock, and have witnessed the same before God and these witnesses,
and thereto have pledged their faithfulness each to the other, and have
pledged the same by the giving and receiving each of a ring, by the
authority invested in me as a minister of the gospel according to the laws of
the State of Minnesota, I James R Peet pronounce that they are husband
and wife together, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Spirit. Those that God has joined together, let no man put asunder.

The Closing Prayer

The Kiss

Minister: Roger, you may now kiss your Bride.

Presentation of the Couple

Minister: It is now my privilege to introduce to you for the first time, Mr.
and Mrs. Roger Edward Peet.

Recessional: The wedding party exits the platform, typically in the following
order:

Bride and Groom

Maid or Matron of Honor and Best Man
Bridesmaids and Groomsmen
Flower Girl and Ring Bearer
The Ushers return for the honored guests who are escorted out in reverse
order of their entrance.
Ushers may then dismiss the remaining guests, either all at once, or one
row at a time.

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