Kate and John's Wedding Vows
June 18th, 2005
Kate:
We have asked you here today to celebrate our
marriage. This is a pledge of
enduring love and an expression of our commitment to each other. It is the moment when falling in love is replaced by the
arduous drama of staying in love.
Selves may not intertwine; but lives do, and we have chosen to
intertwine ours. Marriage is
dedication. We give ourselves, our lives and love to each other, receiving in
turn the the same back.
John:
In the scene where they first meet, Tarzan tells
Jane, "I am Tarzan of the Apes. I want you. I am yours. You are mine. We
will live here together always in my house. I will bring you the best fruits,
the tenderest deer, the finest meats that roam the jungle. I will hunt for you.
I am the greatest of the jungle hunters. I will fight for you. I am the
mightiest of the jungle fighters. When you see this you will know that it is
for you and that Tarzan of the Apes loves you."
Kate:
I love you,
Not only for what you are,
But for what I am
When I am with you.
John:
I love you,
Not only for what
You have made of yourself,
But for what
You are making of me.
I love you
For the part of me
That you bring out;
I love you
For putting your hand
Into my heaped-up heart
And passing over
All the foolish, weak things
That you canÕt help
Dimly seeing there,
And for drawing out
Into the light
All the beautiful belongings
That no one else had looked
Quite far enough to find.
Kate:
I love you because you
Are helping me to make
Of the lumber of my life
Not a tavern
But a temple;
Out of the works
Of my every day
Not a reproach
But a song.
John:
I love you
Because you have done
More than any creed
Could have done
To make me good
And more than any fate
Could have done
To make me happy.
Kate:
You have done it
Without a touch,
Without a word,
Without a sign.
You have done it
By being yourself.
Perhaps that is what
Being a friend means,
After all.
John:
We are glad that our family and friends are here to
participate in this wedding. The ideals, the understanding, and the mutual
respect which we bring to our marriage have their roots in the love, friendship,
and guidance, with which you have given us.
Sarah
Sings
John:
We come now to declare our love, and to be united
in marriage, facing the world together. Wish for us, that we may learn to share
lifeÕs trials, and grow in understanding and devotion to each other.
Kate:
May love and companionship abide in our home .
John:
May we grow old together, in health and
contentment, ever grateful for the union of our lives.
Kate:
May we wake up each morning full of joy to be next to each other.
John:
May we always need one another, not to fill an
emptiness, but to help each other know fullness.
Kate:
May we embrace one another, but not encircle one
another.
John:
May we have happiness, and may we find it in making
one another happy.
Kate:
May we have love, and may we find it in loving one
another.
John:
From this day on I choose you to be my wife. To
live with you and laugh with you. To stand by your side and sleep in your arms.
To serve you with my wit and my strength.
To be joy to your heart, food to your soul and the unindicted co
-conspirator of you life. I
promise to love you, to accept you and to cherish you
Kate:
From this day on I choose you to be my husband. To
live with you and laugh with you. To stand by your side and sleep in your arms.
To serve you with my wit and my strength.
To be joy to your heart, food to your soul and the unindicted co
-conspirator of you life. I
promise to love you, to accept you and to cherish you
John:
We have chosen to exchange rings as a symbol of the
unbroken circle of love. Love freely given has no beginning and no end.
Kate:
Love freely given has no giver and no receiver - for
each is the giver and each is the receiver. May these rings serve as a reminder
of the vows we take here today.
John:
This ring, a gift for you, symbolises my desire
that you be my wife from this day forward.
Kate:
This ring, a gift for you, symbolises my wish that
you be my husband from this day forward.
John:
May the confidence, trust, and affection we have
for each other on this day sustain us upon our journey of life together with
its joy, its laughter, its sorrow, and its pain. May you fulfill your personal
goals with each others help and guidance. May you dwell together in peace,
love, and joy.
Kate:
We call on all who are assembled here with us to
witness our vows of marriage and
announce with great joy that we are from this time on, husband and wife.