The marriage ceremony for Angie & Belle

Before the Ceremony

Music – Acoustic

Entrance of Celebrant, seating the guests or bringing them in close, preliminary welcome (directions on phones, photos & facebook etc)

Processional

Music – 1000 Years – Christina Perri
Entrance of Bridal party including Ring bearer
Entrance of Bride and Handover of Bride

Introduction and Welcome

Good afternoon family and friends my name is Martin Bramble and I am a celebrant. I am overjoyed that Angie and Belle asked me to conduct this ceremony. They have waited a long time for this day to come. They want to thank their family and friends for being here today to share what will be one of the happiest days of their lives.

You all know that Angie and Belle made a commitment on the 1 December 2012 in front of many of you, but they have always wanted to commit to each other on a deeper level as best friends, lovers, soul mates and wives. They have realised that committing to this union in front of their family and friends is the next step for them in their exceptional partnership.

Angie and Belle felt that the best way to celebrate this union of committing themselves to each other in this special marriage ceremony today was to have the people who mean the most to them in their lives. You, the people who know and accept them for who they are, with no judgement, and they wanted you to enjoy this beautiful occasion which will make Angie and Belle’s hearts and souls complete.

Angie and Belle plan to support each other and share the rest of their lives together. They have the same expectations of each other as well as sharing the same empathy for life.
They tell me that they don’t rush each other, and are quite happy to spend 24 hours a day together. Already they have created a life together with a loving home full of funny mischief and lots of laughs.

They understand that the commitment in this marriage is for life and they know that they will always respect, support and care for each other with love, loyalty, honesty, tenderness and laughter. They understand that they will have to work at this marriage the same as they have worked to grow the relationship that they have today. They want to bring out the best qualities in each other.

Today, Angie and Belle, their souls complete, are strong together with a deep understanding and the utmost respect for each other and their feelings, and that they will always be laughing and there for each other.

They are over the moon that so many of their good friends and family from all over Australia could be here today to observe and witness this proclamation of their commitment to each other.

And finally they want to thank Angie’s parents, Lyn and Rich, for opening up their beautiful home for the ceremony today, as they say, “mum and dad’s place is where the heart of our family lies.”

The Celtic Ritual of Wine

We now celebrate the Celtic Ritual of Wine

Angie and Belle want to formally thank both sides of their families for their total support and love over many years. Their endorsement of their partnership has been a major influence in their success as a couple up to this time.

With that in mind, and using the symbolism of wine, we now celebrate the final transition of two individual people from their respective families into a new family group, which is theirs alone. This ceremonial blending of two people into one life, one future.
The smaller glasses symbolise Angie and Belle, and the large glass is the ‘Cup of life’, their own family.

We pour the two into one, and ask them to drink to the rest of their lives together. It is an ancient Celtic custom to “drink from the common cup’, meaning their joys will be doubled and their sorrows halved!

Angie, drink to your life together.
Belle, drink to your life together.

The Reading

I now call upon Paul, Angie’s Uncle, to share with us the reading, an ancient Chinese poem, "Married Love" by Kuan Tao-sheng.

You and I have so much love
That it burns like a fire,
In which we bake a lump of clay
Moulded into a figure of you
And a figure of me.
Then we take both of them,
And break them into pieces,
And mix the pieces with water,
And mould again a figure of you,
And a figure of me.
I am in your clay.
You are in my clay.
In life we share a single quilt,
In death we will share one bed.

Angie & Belle’s story

Angie and Belle met 11 years ago at a mutual friend’s party in Rockingham. They had an immediate attraction for each other, Belle says, she couldn’t keep her eyes off a bubbly, smiley, drop-dead gorgeous Ang, while Angie felt like she’d met her soul mate. They both say that was the moment they fell in love. It just took a few more years for them to rediscover each other.

They are both great believers in fate so they both knew if something was meant to happen it eventually would and that is why on the 1st February 2010 they started dating and four months later they moved in together.

Belle says that she loves to come home, walk in the door to Angie’s open arms full of love and tenderness. They are always laughing and getting into mischief with each other. There have been many funny moments.

Every day, with the two of them, are fond memories with the adventures they get up to in their little bubble of life.

What Angie says she loves about Belle is that she is a genuine person, who knows herself, and loves with a true heart inside and out.

Belle says what she loves most about Angie is her caring nature, her fun loving way of life, how strong she is and her down to earth attitude.

They love spending all their time together and doing everything as a couple. They are both family orientated and love being with their families. Mostly they enjoy just spending their entire time just hanging out and doing whatever takes their fancy and everyday is an adventure.

Together they're looking forward to the winding road ahead and the special journey that they are starting today.

We now come to the formal part of the ceremony.

Monitum

As a civil celebrant, I am duly authorised by law to solemnise marriages according to law.
Angie and Belle before you are joined in marriage in my presence and in the presence of these witnesses, I am to remind you of the solemn and binding nature of the relationship into which you are now about to enter.

Marriage, according to law in Australia, is the union of two people to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.

The Asking

Angie and Belle, we now come to The Asking

Celebrant to Angie
Do you Angie choose Belle to be your loving wife? Do you promise to keep an open heart and mind to the changes life might bring,
to keep the relationship alive and exciting, filled with imagination joy and strength, to love each other passionately in the good and bad times and to be the very best you can be for Belle, each other and for all time.

Angie: “I do.”

Celebrant to Belle
Do you Belle choose Angie to be your loving wife? Do you promise to keep an open heart and mind to the changes life might bring, to keep the relationship alive and exciting, filled with imagination joy and strength, to love each other passionately in the good and bad times and to be the very best you can be for Angie, each other and for all time.

Belle: “I do.”

Vows

Angie and Belle will now share their Vows

(quietly) Angie, repeat after me.
I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, Angie, take you, Belle, to be my wedded wife.
Belle I vow to love you every day in every way, as I am yours completely and forever. I promise to respect you, and give you the time and attention to nurture your needs and desires, as we spend each waking moment together as loving partners. I will be your lover, your faithful companion, your best friend and your greatest support. This I promise.

(quietly) Belle, repeat after me.
I call upon the persons here present to witness that I, Belle, take you, Angie, to be my wedded wife.
Angie I vow to love you every day in every way, as I am yours completely and forever. I promise to respect you, and to give you the time and attention to nurture your needs and desires, as we spend each waking moment together as loving partners. I will be your lover, your faithful companion, your best friend and your greatest support. This I promise.

Ring Exchange

I now call upon Chloe, Angie and Belle’s grand-daughter, to come forward with the rings: -
Angie and Belle will now present a ring to each other. These rings bind them together and are the physical representations of their love and belief in each other.

(quietly) Angie repeat after me.
With this ring I marry you before our family and friends. It will be the symbol of our love and commitment to each other for the continuing days of our lives.

(quietly) Belle repeat after me.
With this ring I marry you before our family and friends. It will be the symbol of our love and commitment to each other for the continuing days of our lives.

Declaration

The greatness of Angie and Belle’s love for each other has brought them here today to commit to sharing the rest of their lives together in marriage. They have come to join in a partnership with the blessing of their family. Their love and commitment to each other is strengthened today by their exchanging of marriage vows and rings.

The love and commitment that they have for each other will grow from this day forth, and will enrich not only their lives but also the lives of their children, family and friends.

Angie & Belle, the days of wine and roses are ahead of you as you make your way down the path of a loving committed partnership. We know you will give to each other a special empathy, a mutual respect and most important of all – love. And it’s that love and great belief in each other which makes you extremely fortunate to be starting this wonderful life together.

Today is the celebration of your relationship. All of us wish you continuing happiness and we all hope that life will continue to hold the very best of everything for you.

It is an honour to be here with you as I now pronounce you wife and wife, same same. You may now kiss the bride. Congratulations Angie and Belle.

Signing Of The Certificate

Music – Just The Way You Are – Bruno Mars; Halo – Beyonce; Marry Me – Train
Angie and Belle will now sign the Register with their witnesses, Lyn and Richard.

Presentation of Certificate

Angie and Belle, we all wish you the best for your future together as life partners.

Presentation of Couple

Please join me as we congratulate Angie and Belle and share with them their first moment of married life together.

Angie and Belle may the rest of your days together be full of great karma, love and same, same!!!

Recessional

Music – Good Time- Owl City and Carly Rae Jeppsen