Love Under the Moon: The Coyote Ceremony (Part 2)

May I have the rings, please? 

For thousands of years lovers have exchanged rings as a token of their vows. The circle is a symbol of eternity. It has no beginning and no end. It has no point of weakness. Jason and Cristina, may your love be as everlasting as these precious rings. May they signify your love, trust, and faithfulness to one another. In the years to come may they remind you of the magnificent joy of this special occasion. May you always be as happy together as you are today.

Jason, please repeat after me:

 
Jason: "Cristina, with this ring, I thee wed. I offer you my hand and my heart as I know they will be safe with you. All that I am, I give to you. And all that I have, I share with you."

The engagement ring is a symbol of promise and intention.  The intention is realized and the promise has been fulfilled.  Jason will you please place your engagement ring over Cristina’s wedding band to show that the love that brought you together will protect and sustain your marriage.

Cristina, please repeat after me:

 
Cristina: "Jason, with this ring, I thee wed. I offer you my hand and my heart as I know they will be safe with you. All that I am, I give to you. And all that I have, I share with you."

 
As often as either of you look upon these rings, may you be reminded of this very moment, your love and the promises made here today to one another.

 
Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. As with any aspect of life, it has its cycles, its ups and its downs, its trials and its triumphs. By making this commitment today, Jason and Cristina’s relationship will become stronger, better, and deeper. Today, Jason and Cristina demonstrate their devotion to each other. By dedicating themselves to a life together, they show their respect for each other, by setting forth to honor the vows they have created. Today, their lives, which began on separate paths, are now joined as one.

Jason and Cristina have chosen to commemorate this special occasion and look forward to their future together with a Love Letter & Wine Box ceremony. 

This box contains a bottle of wine and a love letter from each to the other. The letters describe the good qualities they find in one another, the reasons they fell in love, and their reasons for choosing to marry. The letters are sealed in individual envelopes and neither has seen what the other has written. Jason and Cristina, I recommend that you keep the box in a place of honor prominently displayed in your home as a constant reminder of your commitment to each other. 

Should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to open this box, sit and drink the wine together, then separate and read the letters you wrote to one another. By reading the beautiful, heartfelt words your partner has written you will be reminded of and will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here today. The hope is, however, that you will not have a reason to open this box until you can share it and enjoy it on your fifth year wedding anniversary! You may now seal the box.

These two lives are now joined together. Wherever Jason and Cristina go, may they always return to one another.  May they grow in understanding and in compassion. May the home that they build be a place of peace and balance and a reflection of their love forever. 

Inasmuch as Jason and Cristina have exchanged vows and rings before this beloved company of family and friends and God, it is my joy, my honor and my privilege as an ordained minister to pronounce that they are now husband and wife. You may kiss your bride!

 (Guest photo)

*All photos are by the fabulous Upstate Photographers unless otherwise noted.*

Miss a recap?

• I babble about being married and share our wedding video.
• We finish up some last-minute wedding tasks and pre-wedding jitters set in the day before the wedding.
• We practice getting married and then head to our rehearsal dinner where I shed my first tears of the weekend. We later wind down with our families back at the hotel.
• My bridesmaids get pretty and I get a special message from Mr. Coyote.
• I try to cope when things don’t go quite as planned, but thankfully I quickly bounce back and then it was time to become a bride. Meanwhile, Mr. Coyote was calm as a cucumber as he got ready with the dads and groomsmen.
• I finish getting ready and see an unexpected guest on my way to our first look.
• It was finally time to cross the street and meet my groom!
• We spend some time with our wedding party and then some time alone. Ceremony time was rapidly approaching.
• Our ceremony begins with the family and bridesmaid processional and continues with the bridal processional.
• I share the full text of our ceremony.