Procession

Welcome
Friends and family, what a joy it is to welcome you here to celebrate the miracle of love and to witness the union of this man and this woman into the bond and contract of Matrimony. DAN and MICHELLE, every experience you have had, every decision you have made, and every twist and turn in life has brought you to this very moment as you now stand before these witnesses to take each other as husband and wife.

Message to the Bride & Groom
DAN and MICHELLE, You are about to become husband and wife!  Who would have thought, three years ago, that you’d be standing here today?  If you stop and think about it, how many things had to go exactly right for the two of you to end up here today?  What if Michelle had never walked into Highsmith to apply for that position…and what if Dan hadn’t caught sight of her and thought…”I REALLY hope they hire her”?  What if Michelle hadn’t thought that Dan was quite handsome with pretty blue eyes?

What if the two of you didn’t work on the same team for six months?  Would you still have fallen in love?  What if Dan hadn’t worked up the courage on his last day at Highsmith and asked Michelle for her number?

But, thankfully,  all of that DID happen and she DID give Dan her number.  They chose to meet at Lucky’s in Madison which is, coincidentally, the same place where Dan’s parents met.  It was indeed lucky for the two of them!  After that first night, they agreed to their first date.
The two of them spent the next three years getting to know each other and falling in love with each other.  Then, on one incredible September day (exactly one year ago today), Dan worked up the courage to confess to Michelle that he loved her ‘times a million’ and asked her to marry him. 

Dan asked because he learned that Michelle is sweet, smart, beautiful, kind, and always laughs at his jokes.  She is a great partner in everything they do and someday will make a great mom.  She makes him a better, stronger person and he can’t imagine life without her.  Best of all, they have fun…no matter what they are doing…just being together.

Michelle said ‘yes’ because they have so much fun together and make each other very happy.  They can make just about any situation fun if they are together.  She loves him dearly and can't imagine her life without him.

And that was how your journey together began.  This journey has had its ups and downs…but the two of you have learned that as long as you’re on the journey together, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish and nothing you can’t overcome.

Nobody knows what life has in store for the two of you on this journey.  Who knows…there may be some little playmates in store for Rufus the Doofus (playmates of the human kind….).  I can guarantee you that your future will certainly include an endless variety of sound effects from Michelle…the sound effects like ‘boop boop’ and ‘la la la’ and ‘pleh’ that she uses to punctuate her actions.  I can guarantee you that your future will certainly include Dan turning up the TV even louder…especially when the kids and Rufus are tearing through the house.

I can also guarantee you that as long as you continue to love together and laugh together and as long as you abide by the promises you make today, you WILL have a happy marriage for the rest of your lives.

Betrothal
Look at one another and remember this moment in time. Before this moment you have been many things to one another—acquaintance, friend, companion, and even teacher. Now you shall say the few words that will take you across a new threshold of life, and things will never quite be the same between you. For after these vows, you shall say to the world, this is my husband, this is my wife.

With this knowledge, DAN, do you take MICHELLE to be your wife? Will you love, honor, and cherish her, in good times and bad, and do you promise to stay true to her for as long as you both shall live?

MICHELLE, do you take DAN to be your husband? Will you love, honor, and cherish him, in good times and bad, and do you promise to stay true to him for as long as you both shall live?

Hands
Please turn and face each other, taking the other’s hands in yours. I’d like you to take a moment to look down at the hands that each of you now hold. These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow and forever. These are the hands that will work alongside yours as together you build your future. These are the hands that will love, nurture, and care for you through the years, and that will cherish you like no other. These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes, tears of sorrow and tears of joy. These are the hands that will give you support and encouragement to chase down your dreams. These are the hands that will hold you tight as you struggle through difficult times. These are the hands that will give you strength when you need it. And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged will still be reaching for yours, still offering that same boundless love that they offer today. 

Sharing of Vows
DAN, please repeat after me. I, DAN take you, MICHELLE//to be my wife// secure in the knowledge// that you will be my constant friend//my faithful partner in life// and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation//comfort you in times of distress// encourage you to achieve your goals//laugh with you and cry with you//grow with you in mind and spirit//always be open and honest with you//cherish you and remain faithful to you//for as long as we both shall live.

MICHELLE, please repeat after me. I, MICHELLE, take you, DAN//to be my husband//secure in the knowledge//that you will be my constant friend//my faithful partner in life//and my one true love. I promise to love you without reservation//comfort you in times of distress// encourage you to achieve your goals//laugh with you and cry with you//grow with you in mind and spirit//always be open and honest with you//cherish you and remain faithful to you//for as long as we both shall live.

Exchange of the Rings
The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible bond which unites two hearts in endless love. As a token of your love and of this bond, DAN, please place the ring on the finger of your bride and repeat after me: MICHELLE, I give you this ring as a symbol of my unending love and faithfulness to you. By the same token MICHELLE, please place the ring on the finger of your groom and repeat after me: DAN, I give you this ring as a symbol of my unending love and faithfulness to you.

Pronouncement
MICHELLE and DAN, you have chosen to enter into the promise of marriage with each other by pledging your love and devotion with your vows and sealing those vows with the exchange of the rings. Therefore, with the power vested in me by the State of Wisconsin, I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. You may now kiss your bride.

Presentation of the Bride & Groom
Friends and family, it is with great pleasure that I introduce to you Mr. & Mrs. Daniel and Michelle Lastname
Recession