Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

"Preach The Word"

A Wedding Ceremony

This is the wedding ceremony I used when I had the privilege
to marry my youngest daughter Kristi on Aug. 15,1998  She was in a serious auto-mobile accident just a few months ago, but God preserved her life and allowed her to see the time she could go forward at the marriage alter and give the rest of her life to Mr. Donnie Abernathy.  If you can use the ceremony, some changes would have to be made, but  you can do that in your own computer as you bring the document into your word-processing program.  Use the material as you so desire. To see what God delivered her from, click on the word "wreck" below.

WRECK

Aug.15,1998

Prelude

Seating of Honorary Attendants

Seating of Grandmothers

Seating of Mothers

Duet- "Household of Faith"- Mike & Becky

The Processional- "Forever in Love"

Prayer: Pastor Bryant

Giving of the Bride: "Who gives this woman to be married?"

Bill seated–Tom turn on Microphone and step forward with Kristi.

Tom takes Kristi’s hand and puts it over into Donnie’s hand as Donnie moves beside her.

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Statement of Purpose:

We have gathered today in the presence of God to witness the joining of two lives and to witness their words of commitment, devotion, and love one to the other. Kristi and Donnie have dated for several years now, and have felt led to pledge their love and loyalty to one another for the rest of their earthly lives. They stand before us today with a desire to be join in holy matrimony.

Marriage is God’s first institution for the welfare of the human race. It is to be entered into reverently, discreetly, advisedly and in the fear of Almighty God. In the Garden of Eden, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone. He made man a "help-meet" or one suitable for him. It was there God established the sacred rite of marriage.

It was originated in God’s divine wisdom and goodness. It is designed to promote human happiness, and holiness. Marriage is the foundation of home life and should be until the end of time.

Jesus sanctioned and honored it by attending the marriage in Cana of Galilee. When Jesus began to manifest His wonderful works, they began with a miracle at a wedding.

Paul called marriage honorable in all. He taught that God ordained a man should leave his father and mother, and cleave unto his wife, and they two should become one flesh. You should be united in your hopes, aims, sentiments, and in all the interests of this present time.

Marriage is a lifetime proposition. The Bible says in Matt. 19, "What God hath joined together, let no man put asunder." The Bible says also that God hates the "putting away" or divorce. The only way your relationship should ever end in a fully acceptable and honorable way before God and godly people, is for one of you to proceed the other in physical death. Love is meant to be for a lifetime. You will imply to each other in your vows that you will take each other for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death shall part you. Mean what you say and follow through in that commitment as long as your hearts beat and the blood courses through your veins.

The union of two hearts in marriage, is presented by the Apostle Paul as a picture of His relationship with His church in Ephesians Chapter5.

Your allegiance to one another should be more important than all other human relationships. You will always love the ones who gave your birth, but your primary responsibility from this day forward, will be to one another as man and wife.

May your love for each other always increase and deepen as the years pass. The main way love is manifested is in giving. The Bible says that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.

You have both proclaim your personal faith in Christ and Lord and Savior.. That is the way God intends for marriages to begin. With God you will have everything, without Him you have nothing.

Go to church together, pray together, talk about the things of the Lord with one another and spend time in the Word of God. That will enrich your marriage, keep you closer together, and help prevent marital shipwreck.

May God bless you both and cause His face to shine upon you as you give your sacred vows one to the other.

If you both Donnie and Kristi, have freely and deliberately chose each other as partners in this holy estate of matrimony, and know of no just cause why you should not be so united, in token thereof, will you please join your right hands.

Donnie, will you have Kristi to be thy wedded wife, to live together after God’s ordinance, in the holy state of matrimony?

Will you love her, comfort her, seek to understand her, and endeavor to be by her side when she needs you? Will you forsake all others, and cling to her as long as you both shall live.? Will you stay with her in sickness as well as in health, for better or for worse, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may light your ways and be true to her, until death alone shall part you?

Kristi, in taking the man who holds you by the right hand to be your lawful and wedded husband, to live together after God’s ordinance, in the holy state of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, seek to understand him, and endeavor to be by his side when he needs you? Will you forsake all others, and cling to him as long as you both shall live.? Will you stand by him in sickness as well as in health, for better or for worse, in poverty as in wealth, in the bad that may darken your days, in the good that may light your ways and be true to him, until death alone shall part you?

I Cor. 13:4-8 says:

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

8 Charity never faileth:

Since you say you have this love in your hearts, you have chosen to seal your vows by the giving and receiving of a ring.

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Far back in time, rings were used to seal important covenants.

The great seal of State was fixed upon a ring worn by the reigning king. It’s seal was the sign of imperial authority. This ring will always be a sign to others of your commitment to one to the other. Also, the ring is in the form of a circle. A circle speaks of eternity, which has no ending. You must work constantly at keeping your love continuous. The love you have for one another should never end, as long as you both shall live. The ring is not cheap or common, signifying that love may cost us dearly.

Look to Don for first ring- reach out your hand for it!!!!!!!

HAND THIS RING TO THE GROOM AND INSTRUCT HIM Donnie would you please place the ring on the third finger of Kristi’s left hand and repeat after me?

I Donnie, take you Kristi, to be 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 cherish, to share all my love, and worldly goods, till death do us part, as is taught in the Bible.

Will you take this ring from Donnie as a token of his love for you and will you wear it as a token of your love for Him? I WILL.

TAKE RING FROM MAID OF HONOR AND HAND IT TO THE BRIDE. "KRISTI WILL YOU PLACE THE RING ON THE THIRD FINGER OF THE DONNIE ’S LEFT HAND. HOLD IT IN PLACE REPEAT AFTER ME."

I Kristi, take you Donnie, to be 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 and cherish, to share all my love and my worldly goods, till death do us part, as is taught in the Bible.

Will you receive this ring as a token of Kristi’s love for you and will you wear it as a token of your love for her?

I WILL.

The two outside candles have been lighted to represent your lives to this moment. They are two distinct lights. Each is capable of going its separate way. To bring joy and radiance into your home, there must be the merging of these two flames into one.

From this time onward, may your thoughts be for each other rather than for your own individual selves. May your plans be mutual and your joys and sorrows shared.

As you each take a candle and together light the center one, you will extinguish your own candles, thus having the center candle represent the union of two lives into one flesh. As this center light cannot be divided, let not your lives be divided, but instead be the united testimony of a Christian home, as Christ gives you light.

NOTE: LIGHT CENTER CANDLE AND THEN EXTINGUISH THE ONES ON SIDE- THEN GO TO KNEELING BENCH TO GET READY FOR PRAYER.

WHEN SONG ENDS:

Having pledged your faith in, and love to each other, and having sealed your solemn marital vows by giving and receiving the rings, acting in the authority vested in me by the laws of this state, and looking to heaven for divine sanction, I pronounce you husband and wife in the presence of God and these assembled witnesses. What God has joined together, let not man put asunder or separate. May God bless you and keep you and give you His peace.

Donnie I have given my daughter to be your wife. Cherish and love her as long as you both shall life. You may now kiss your wife, Kristi Abernathy.

Bride and groom faces congregation:

Ladies and gentlemen, I now proudly present to you, Donnie and Kristi Abernathy.

May the Lord bless them,
Keep them,
Cause his face to shine upon them,
and give them peace.

Wedding As Performed By
Tom Walker, D.D.

Site created by Tom Walker