Foreverwed.com ~ View topic

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

How We Met ~ April 25th 2005

Some say internet love do not have happy endings, right?
Well, Nick and I met in Yahoo Chat. We talked for a few hours about the usual likes and dislikes. During our conversation he had asked me if I would like to go to dinner with him, so I said sure and asked when was he available to meet. He comes out with "How about tonight?" I was so surprised, because previously in the conversation he stated that he had to get up at 5 o'clock in the morning to go to work and I had to get up at 6a.m to go to work myself plus take my two children to daycare. So I agreed to meet him for a nice dinner that night. He told me to look for his car and gave me a description of it, and he said there would be a note on the back window for me.
When I got to the restaurant, I was astonished by the beauty of its waterview and the pier that was all lit up with white icicle lights. It was BEAUTIFUL. So I got out of my car and started walking around looking for his car and I found it near the walk way to the pier. I opened the letter and it said " Walk down to the pier entrance and I'll meet you there." So I'm thinking "ok what did I get myself into?" So I headed towards the pier entrance and waited about 5 minutes or so before he met me down at the entrance. I heard his voice behind me and when I turned around I saw this tall man about 6'3 with blonde hair, blue eyes, mustache and goatee, I felt so weak in the knees it was unreal.
We introduced ourselves and he had asked me if I was ready to go in for dinner. Well come to find out, you can't get into the restaurant unless you walk the pier around to the other side. So we walked down the pier and he says its a beautiful night and he was lucky to be here with such a beautiful woman. I thought it was a cheesy pick up line, but quite charming. We ate dinner, talked about various topics and subjects. It was an awesome night. We left the restuarant about 10:30 that evening. I was so dazed by the setting of the environment it was that beautiful. So we exchanged numbers and I told him I would give him a call after work the next day.
We became inseperable after that night, knowing I have two children, he still insisted that we all go together as a group and on friday nights just for ourselves.

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

Our Engagement~December 25th 2005

The night before Christmas, we had dinner with his parents because they were going out of town, they wanted to have an early Christmas with us before they left (from what I was told). Nick and his parents kept going off into another room to talk about something. The kids and I were playing with their new toys that his parents got them for Christmas. Nick came out and said "Ok, time to get packed up and go back home kids." Once we got home we left cookies and milk out for Santa and gave the kids a bath and sent them to bed.

The next morning Nick woke up before all of us and made breakfast. He went in and woke the kids up telling them to go eat so that after they are done they can see what Santa brought them for Christmas. So, Nick brings in breakfast for me as I'm in the process of waking up. I eat my breakfast and thank him for making it. After I get up and dressed the kids are running into the bedroom grabbing me by the hands asking to come see what Santa brought them for Christmas. So I walk out and see what they got and Nick started handing out their presents for them to open. After the massive chaos and distruction of our living room, we cleaned up and got ready to go to my parents house for dinner.

As we are leaving my parents called Nick and told him that my present was there and waiting. The kids already knew what it was because all three of them went out and got it. So we get there and I see that my entire family was there and Nicks entire family was there at my parents. I didn't think of what was going on at the time nor did I question him about it either. We get in and the kids run to their grandparents gave them a hug, then off to see what was under the tree. Dinner was already set out and waiting for everyone to eat.. I gathered the kids and told them to come eat. We all sat down and ate, talked, the normal holiday routine. Then Nick decides to get up after everyone was finished eating and said " I think its time to open presents everyone."

So we all gathered in the living room and sat down. Nick decides to play Santa and hand out gifts. Well, we got about half way through the presents when my youngest son grabs this HUGE GIGANTIC Bear with presents that were attached to it. Nick walks over and whispers into his ear "Can you give that to mommy?" So he grabs this bear that is 3 times bigger than he was, dragging it behind him, so my oldest son picks up the feet of the bear and helps him. They sit the bear off to the side of me. Nick says " Remember what we practiced?"

The boys each grabbed a present of the bear and stood side by side each other saying " Thank you for giving us life." handing me each a present waiting for me to open them. One was a set of diamond earrings and the other was a heart shaped locket with their pictures in it. Then they each grab another present and say " Thank you for your love." handing me two more presents, again waiting for me to open them. One was a tennis bracelet and the other was a birthstone ring with all four of our birthstones in it. Then they each grab another present and say " We Love you and Merry Christmas, now, Nick has something to say." So I open the other two presents one was a hand made necklace from my youngest and the other was a hand made picture frame of all four of us together from my oldest. At this point I'm in tears as it is and Nick walks up and grabs the last present on the bear and gets down on one knee and tells me

" I didn't know any better way to involve the kids in this, but this is the best way I saw that fit. You and the kids give me great joy, love and happiness in my life. I believe they pretty much said what I wanted to say however, you brought me back to life and given me the love that I didn't think I would ever find, you have made my dreams come true... Will you please be my wife?"

I cried so hard I couldn't even answer with a voice I shook my head yes and he leaned over to hug me but, the kids ran up hugging the both of us. Then he slipped the ring on my finger.Our families were so choked up and happy that they couldn't even say anything either. It was the best Christmas I have ever had, especially how he involved the kids on the engagement.

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

Nicholas and Emily's Wedding Ceremony

Prelude:

Song 1:

Song 2:

Song 3:

Processional:

Song 1:

Song 2:

Song 3:

Greeting:
Good Morning/Afternoon!
It is an honor to be here today to celebrate the best gift that could be given to two people, the gift of marriage.
Nicholas and Emily came here today to be given the gift of each other in front of me, you, and God himself through Matrimony.
This young couple asked for a lifetime of love, faith, joy, and happiness and as a gift from all of us, this gift of marriage they shall receive.

Foundation:
Marriage is the beginning of a new life, a chance at fulfilling long-held dreams and an opportunity for great personal and spiritual growth. Marriage endures through the ages of trends and fads. Marriage thrives, and continues to live as a promise of a beautiful dream come true. As long as individuals are drawn together by God, marriage will be a natural unfolding of that relationship.
Feelings come alive at a wedding. Great happiness. Some Sadness. Apprehension. And sometimes pure relief!. There is an acute awareness that something special, something that goes to the very heart of life, is about to happen. Something is gone forever, and something is born, brand new and tender. Something to be nurtured and cared for, protected and cherished, challenged and strengthened --- your never- before- created marriage.
No ceremony can create your marriage. Only you can do that- through love, patience, dedication, perseverance- through talking and listening and trying to understand- through helping and supporting and believing in each other -through learning to respect and appreciate your differences and learning to make the most important things matter, and let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you both have made to begin a new life today as husband and wife.

Reader:
First Reading: Excerpt from The Bridge Across Forever (RichardBach)

A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are; we can be loved for who we are and not for who we're pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person we're safe in our own paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When we're two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are we've found the right person. Our soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.

Parental Honoring
Emily and Nicholas want to acknowledge their parents on this occasion, Emilys's Parents and Nicholas's Parents. Emily and Nicholas offer their profound gratitude to their parents for all the love and care they showed in raising them, appreciating what an admirable example their parents have set for them. This bride and groom take inspiration from their families. May Emily and Nicholas also have a long and rich life together in their marriage.

Silent Blessing
We now close our eyes and bring to mind any loved ones who could not be here today. Though they are absent physically, we invoke, through our thought and prayers, their loving presence. We pray that God might multiply beyond measure the blessings from these loved ones to this loving couple, and any children who might one day be a part of this union. Now, from our hearts, we ourselves visualize and sanctify all the blessings we would bestow on Emily and Nicholas in their lives as a couple and a family. And in our sincere desire to bless, we in turn, are blessed also. Blessed Be.

Reader:
Second Reading: The Key To Love
The key to love is understanding...
The ability to comprehend not only the spoken word,
but those unspoken gestures,
the little things that say so much by themselves.
The key to love is forgiveness...
to accept each others faults and pardon mistakes,
without forgetting, but with remembering
what you learn from them.
The key to love is sharing...
Facing your good fortunes as well as the bad, together;
both conquering problems, forever searching for ways
to intensify your happiness.
The key to love is giving...
without thought of return,
but with the hope of just a simple smile,
and by giving in but never giving up.
The key to love is respect...
realizing that you are two separate people, with different ideas; that you don't belong to each other,
that you belong with each other, and share a mutual bond.
The key to love is inside us all...
It takes time and patience to unlock all the ingredients that will take you to its threshold;
it is the continual learning process that demands a lot of work... but the rewards are more than worth the effort...
and that is the key to love.

Candle Lighting Ceremony
Navajo Prayer
When you were children, you talked like children, But now that you've grown, you should be done with childish things and put them away. When you were children, you looked into a mirror that gave only a blurred reflection of reality. But with love and maturity, you shouldn't be afraid to look into that mirror and see each other face to face. Be swift like the wind in loving each other. Be brave like the sea in loving each other. Be gentle like the breeze in loving each other. Be patient like the sun who waits and watches the four changes of the earth in loving each other. Be wise like the roaring of the thunder clouds and lightning in loving each other. Be shining like the morning dawn in loving each other. Be proud like the tree who stands without bending in loving each other. Be brilliant like the rainbow colors in loving each other. Now, forever, forever, there will be no more loneliness because your worlds are joined together with the world. Forever, forever.

The Lighting:
In committing to one another today, in the spirit of being born new to one another, you kindle each other’s divine light and promise always to see that light in one another-to nurture and tend that divine flame in your partner as best you can each day-especially at the times it may be hardest to see, and the times your partner may doubt or forget the existence of that light within him-or herself.
.
Emily, take this candle now and symbolically enter the sacred trust to honor the divine spark in Nick by lighting it from this candle representing the Divine Source. (She lights candle)

Nicholas, take this candle now and symbolically enter the sacred trust to honor the divine spark in Em by lighting it from this candle representing the Divine Source. (He lights candle)

If at this time you wish to affirm your free choice to unite as partners in marriage, please light the unlit candle together now. (They light unlit candle together) As you bring your individual flames together to symbolically form the new and greater flame of your marriage, never forget that the light of your union is made up of your unique, individual expressions of light and is continually sustained and renewed by your connection to the Divine Spark, the eternal light of God.

The candle you lit together symbolizes your marriage, your willingness to surrender to something greater than yourselves. May the light of your marriage, Emily and Nicholas, be a beacon in the night, a safe harbor from the storms of life. May your future be made infinitely brighter by the light and the love that you share.

The Ring Ceremony
And so we come Emily and Nicholas, to the presentation of rings by which you symbolize and bind your love.
The circle has long been a symbol of spirit and the power of God. The sky and the earth are round. The wind in its greatest power whirls. The sun and moon, both round, come forth and go down again in a circle. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing and always come back again to where they were. Without beginning or end and with no point of weakness, the circle is a reminder of the eternal quality of God and of unending strength. Let the seamless circle of these rings become the symbol of your endless love and unending faithfulness. Your wedding rings are most special because they say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bonded, to allow the presence of another human being to enhance who you are. Your rings carry a potent double message: We are individuals and yet we belong; we are not alone. As you wear them through time, they will reflect not only who you are but also the union you are making, the fact that throughout the rest of your lives each of you will be imprinted by the other, yet as yourself remain.
God, bless these rings and the two who exchange them. Fill them with your Holy
Presence. Keep them safe in the circle of Your protection and love.

Emily, place the ring on Nicholas’s finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, as I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you, today, tomorrow and always.”

Nicholas, place the ring on Emily's finger and repeat after me: “With this ring, I pledge my love and faithfulness to you, as I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. this ring has no end, neither shall my love for you, today, tomorrow and always.”
Wear these rings as the enclosing bond of reverence and trust. Fulfill the circle of love that now makes you one.

Vows
From this day on
I choose you to be my beloved soul mate,
to live with you and laugh with you;
to stand by your side and sleep in your arms;
to be joy to your heart and food to your soul;
to bring out the best in you always;
to be the best I can be, just for you;
to celebrate with you in the good times;
to struggle with you in the bad;
to solace you when you are downhearted;
to wipe your tears with my hands;
to comfort you with my body;
to care for you with my soul;
to share with you everything that I have;
as we treat each other with tenderness, compassion and love.

Children’s Ceremonial Vows
Often marriage is viewed as the union of two persons. In reality, marriage is much broader. It is always a joining of families.
The Unity of God's Family We are, in fact, all members of one family. Recognition of Children As part of the family nature of this marriage we recognize Aaron, Ryan, and Leigha and their importance.
Presentation of gifts to children these pendants we pledge to you, Aaron, Ryan, and Leigha, our continuing love even as we surround you with our arms of support.

Minister’s Blessing
Emily and Nichola,
May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery, which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side-by-side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.
May this marriage be to you a heavenly sanctuary. God bless you.

Pronouncement:
Forasmuch as you, Emily and you, Nicholas, have openly declared your wishes to be united in marriage, and in the presence of these witnesses have pledged love to each other, and have confirmed the same by joining hands, exchanging rings and declaring your vows, I as a minister and legally authorized to do so by the state of Maryland pronounce that you are now husband and wife. As kisses are messengers of love, kiss now and let soul meet soul on each other's lips.

Benediction:
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon the fields.

May the light of friendship guide your paths together.
May the laughter of children grace the halls of your home.
May the joy of living for one another trip a smile from your lips, a twinkle from your eye.
And when eternity beckons,
at the end of a life heaped high with love,
May the good Lord embrace you
with the arms that have nurtured you
the whole length of your joy-filled days.

Conclusion:
And now, ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas and Emily M.

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

My Official Checklist

As Soon As Possible
To Do Done
____ ____ Decide on type of wedding and reception you will have.
____ ____ Develop a wedding budget. Talk about how expenses will be paid.
____ ____ Choose an officiant and location. Meet with the officiant to discuss ceremony
requirements and pre-wedding counseling needs.
____ ____ Set a wedding date and reserve wedding locations (church and reception).
____ ____ Meet with ceremony musicians. Ask for guidelines and suggestions.
____ ____ Begin to create your own ceremony. Talk with your partner and families about
various aspects and traditions.
____ ____ Choose music for the ceremony (opening music, processional, recessional, songs
and hymns).
____ ____ Discuss and choose Scripture readings and other special readings.
____ ____ Begin to write your vows, etc.
____ ____ Plan ceremony format and discuss with officiant.
____ ____ Choose attendants if you wish to have any.
____ ____ Choose wedding attire.
____ ____ Choose rings or other symbols.
____ ____ Begin making a guest list.
____ ____ Plan reception entertainment. Choose musicians, if needed.
____ ____ Decide on decorations. Visit florists or others who will help with decorations.
____ ____ Choose food coordinator(s) and discuss menu options.
____ ____ Choose a photographer, if needed.
____ ____ Plan pre-wedding gatherings. Introduce your families if they do not already know
one another.
____ ____
____ ____

Three Months Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Talk about what kinds of gifts might be appropriate. Do you want to make gift
suggestions to guests? How?
____ ____ Register at a store and/or choose a social justice organization(s) to receive gifts.
____ ____ Design invitations.
____ ____ Order flowers, banner, balloons, etc.
____ ____ Finalize guest list.
____ ____ Participate in pre-wedding counseling.
____ ____ Visit doctor for complete medical examinations, including blood tests.
____ ____
____ ____

Two Months Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Address and mail invitations.
____ ____ Confirm dates and arrangements with officiant, food coordinator(s), musicians,
etc.
____ ____ Meet with officiant about final ceremony plans and contents. Make sure that any
requirements are included.
____ ____ Make arrangements for rehearsal and dinner, if needed.
____ ____ Plan lodging and transportation for out-of-town guests.
____ ____ Decide on honeymoon plans and make reservations, if needed.
____ ____ Decide where you will live after the wedding.
____ ____
____ ____

One Month Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Apply for marriage license.
____ ____ If you plan to change your name(s), do so on credit cards, drivers’ licenses, social
security cards, bank accounts, etc.
____ ____ Make sure wedding attire fits properly.
____ ____ Get any accessories needed for attire.
____ ____ Choose gifts for attendants and partner, if desired.
____ ____
____ ____

Two Weeks Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Check with officiant about final ceremony details.
____ ____ Choose or borrow unity candles, if needed.
____ ____ Send notes to ceremony participants about rehearsal time and date. Include dinner
invitation, if needed.
____ ____ Design and prepare wedding bulletins, if needed.
____ ____ Count R.S.V.P.s and give food coordinator a final number.
____ ____ Make seating charts if you are planning a sit-down dinner.
____ ____ Send wedding announcement to newspapers, if desired.
____ ____ Send thank-you notes for all gifts received so far.
____ ____
____ ____

One Week Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Have a final consultation with the officiant and wedding service providers or
friends, including those who will be providing music, decorations, food, and
photographs.
____ ____ Begin packing for honeymoon, if necessary.
____ ____
____ ____

The Day Before
To Do Done
____ ____ Wash and clean cars.
____ ____ Attend the rehearsal, if needed.
____ ____ Place fees/gifts for officiant, musicians, and others in sealed envelopes and choose
a person to distribute them on the wedding day.
____ ____ Pack an emergency bag—tissues, aspirin, needle, thread, safety pins, pantyhose,
etc.
____ ____ Relax!
____ ____
____ ____

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

Our Theme: Candle Light Romance

Ideas:

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

Our Wedding Party

Officiant: Rev. Mary Eckert

Emily's

Maid of Honor: Ileigha
Flower Girl: Leigha

Nicholas's

Best Man: Kenny
Ring Bearers: Aaron and Ryan

Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 9 Location: Hollywood, Maryland

Candlelight radiates not just soft light, but a sense of well-being into my wedding.

When it comes to candles, I am like a moth: drawn to the flame. We stare mesmerized, as though triggered into the fireside dreams of our ancestors. A hint of ancient candlelight rituals, can be infused into our wedding ceremony and reception. And at the end of a night, dizzy with the euphoria of the ritual, the candles and their light are likely to be the image most impressed upon our brains.

A tasteful use of candles is all that is necessary to set the atmosphere of your wedding and to create a beautiful design that will be admired by all. Here are some of the occasions and methods for using candles in our wedding decorations.

Interior Candles
One of the easiest ways to decorate a venue is to use a combination of flowers and candles. If we are using expensive flower arrangements, we can compliment them with simple white votive candles or individual white tapers. Vary the heights, using votives with taller flowers and tapers with shorter arrangements. If we prefer to use grand candelabras, compliment them with small handfuls of blooms in glass saucers or floral garlands.

Lanterns
Lanterns can be used either indoors or out. For an eye-catching addition, add items to the base of the lantern. Evergreens and blossoms work wonderfully as accents to lanterns.

Browse any candle store or interior decorating catalogue and likely to find a plethora of handsome lanterns from which to choose. Elegant hand-blown glass or rustic carved teak, these candle holders can hang from trees, be placed on reception tables or on the windowsills in the church. In addition I can use them at the base of my altar with potted flowers.

For a do-it-yourself project that can double as wedding favors, I can carve my own lanterns out of gourds or baby pumpkins. Decorate the lanterns with embellishments and sprays found at a local craft store.

Unity Candles
Unity candles are a wedding tradition that dates back to ancient times. The families of a marrying couple would bring fire from our own hearths to ceremonially start the fire in the new family's hearth.

Today, a large pillar candle is flanked on each side by taper candles representing the bride's and groom's families. During the wedding vows, the bride and groom each light our individual taper and then combine the flames to light the pillar, representing the union of their families.

Tapers and pillars are common enough, but unity candles as a specialized set can be very expensive. Consider decorating my own unique unity candle using ribbon, dried flowers, or photographs, and a glue gun.
Floating Candles
A popular choice for reception centerpieces is to use floating candles in arrangements that minimize the need for expensive flowers. Some favorite designs include:

The Rose Bowl: glue three or four silk roses to the bottom of the clear bowl, top with round or rose-shaped floating candles, and sprinkle the whole arrangement with silk rose petals.
Floating Candle Goblets: cluster three goblets of varying heights together, float candles in each one and accent with silk or fresh flowers around the goblet stems.

Butterfly Dish: in a shallow serving dish, preferably of pottery or of an interesting shape, add water with blue food coloring, and butterfly shaped floating candles.

Captured Flowers: use a large hourglass vase and tuck a large silk or fresh flower on a long stem inside of it. Fill the vase with water until it is just covering the flower and then place a floating candle on top of the blossom.

I can use any of these simple candle designs to decorate our wedding venue, reception hall, or garden with minimal effort and maximum effect.