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| Jodi gets ready for the big day. |
We come together not to mark the start of
a relationship, but to recognize a bond that already exists. You have been invited
here today because you are special to Jodi and Becca. Their commitment joins
your lives as well. You are their support;
Two families, two communities, two groups of friends......pieces of their foundations as separate individuals, and
a corner stone in the foundation on which they will build their union. Acknowledging
your individual and collective influence, I invite each of you to take a moment to confer a silent wish or blessing upon this
union.
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| Jodi pins Becca's corsage. |
A lasting and growing love is never automatic, nor guaranteed
by any ceremony. If you desire the foundation of your union to be the love you
have for each other, not just at this moment, but for all the days ahead, then cherish the hopes and dreams that you bring
here today. Commit that your love will never be compromised by the commonplace
nor obscured by the ordinary in life. Faults will appear where now you find contentment,
and optimism can be tarnished by the routine of daily living. Devotion, joy and
love can grow only if you nurture them together. Retain your hope and confidence,
believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. Only in this way, can you create a partnership that will strengthen and sustain both of you for life.
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| Lighting the Unity Candle. |
To see with loving eyes, is to know inner beauty. To be loved
is to be seen, and known, as we are known to no other. One who loves us, gives us a unique gift: A piece of them self, a piece that only they can give us. We
who love, can look at someone's life and say, "I touched his life" or "I touched her life", just as an artist might say, "I
touched this canvas". "Those brushstrokes in the corner of this magnificent mural,
those are mine. I was a part of the big picture, and it is a part of me." Partnership is to belong to each other through a unique and diverse collaboration,
like two threads crossing in different directions, yet weaving one tapestry together.
Such is the privilege of partnership - to be each herself and yet face the world with the courage of two.
Do you offer yourself to each other?
Do you commit yourself to each other?
Will you be responsible to each other
in a faithful relationship?
Will you give yourself to each other completely
and love each other unconditionally?
Will you honor and love even when
you fear the disapproval of others?
Do you promise to comfort and encourage each other? Will you vow to express your thoughts and emotions and to listen to
each other in times of joy and in times of sorrow?
May the home you establish be an
island where the pressures of the world can be sorted out and brought into focus; where
tensions can be released and understood; where personal needs do not tower over
concern for others and where the warmth of humor and love puts crisis into perspective.
Above all, may you find an ever richer
joy in loving and learning together.
I now pronounce you partners in life.
Our Reception ~
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| Jodi talking with her friend Seth. |
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| Becca consults with friends Brian & Russ. |
Our Ceremony songs included:
All My Roads ~ Collin Raye
My Best Friend ~ Tim McGraw
Our first dance was to:
Crazy For You ~ Madonna
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| Becca pins Jodi's corsage. |
Jodi and Becca, I would
remind you that this celebration is the outward and visible sign of a sacred and inward union of hearts. It is a union created by love and undying friendship. In presenting
yourselves here today to be joined in union you perform an act of faith. This
faith can grow, mature, and endure......but only if you both determine to make it so.
The unity candle is a
fitting representation for this special occasion. This unity candle has three
wicks...Two of which are lit. One flame represents Becca...her friends and family
and all that she has to offer Jodi in union. The other flame represents Jodi...her
friends and family and all that she has to offer Becca in union. The third,
and unlit wick represents the life that Jodi and Becca have chosen to share. They
have come to this relationship as separate individuals who will not lose their identity, but rather join their individuality
to create and strengthen their partnership. By joining their flame to light the
third wick they will symbolize the union of their lives. This is a visible symbol
of their commitment to each other and their desire to share every aspect of their separate lives with each other. All three of these wicks will remain lit, to represent three entities of their lives: Becca, Jodi, and the life they share together...none of which need extinguishing.
To make this
relationship work, takes more than sharing. It will take trust, to know in your
hearts that you want only the best for each other. It will take dedication to
stay open, honest, and loyal to one another. It will take faith to go forward
together without knowing what the future holds, trusting that together you can endure all obstacles. While sharing may come natural, these other qualities are not easy to come by. They are not a destination, but a journey. This is in inner
spiritual journey. It is mutual enrichment, give-and-take between two personalities,
a mingling of two souls, which diminishes neither, and enhances both.
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| An accent candle decorated by Jodi. |
If
you promise these things you may now turn to each other and repeat after me.
“I love
you and you are my closest friend. Will
you let me share my life and all that I am with you?
What will you
offer as a token of commitment and endless love?”
"This ring”
May it always
be a reminder of our love and the commitment we have made here today.
As you join in union, may life always be a shared adventure, marked by a sense of personal freedom, as well
as mutual responsibility. May you find in each other companionship as well as love;
understanding as well as compassion; challenge as well as agreement.
You may kiss.
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| Becca anticipates our future. |
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| Our cake was bavarian cream with raspberry filling. |
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| Jodi with her "little brothers". |
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| Becca with her brother Richard and sister Debi. |
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| Jodi with work friends, Vanessa & Tracy. |
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