11.10.2011

a small town wedding: husband and wife.

After the processional, mass began.  We had a full Catholic mass on our wedding day.  I know some people feel like a full mass is too long for their guests to sit, and I understand that.  But to us, the ceremony was the most important part of the wedding, and we didn't think an hour was too long to sit when we were vowing to spend the rest of our lives together. 
I was SO nervous during our ceremony.  I had butterflies all morning, but it really got out of control when I got to the front of the church.  It had nothing to do with being nervous to get married, I knew with all of my heart that I wanted to marry the man standing next to me.  It had more to do with my fear of standing up in front of a huge group of people, which I realize is ridiculous, but I couldn't help it!  Thankfully we had to kneel for a while at the beginning of the ceremony, so I don't think our guests noticed the fact that I was visibly shaking.  I just held on really tight to my groom's hand until the nerves calmed down a bit through all of the readings.

My friend Melissa read a passage from the Old Testament, Ruth 1:16 for the first reading.
"And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
Adam's sister Megan read the New Testament reading, John 7:12.
"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us."
I love this picture that was taken from the balcony.  You can see almost all of our guests that were at the ceremony.  The priest told us later that he had never performed a wedding ceremony with so many friends and family present!  I'm not sure if it's a small town thing, but for some reason a lot of people don't go to the actual wedding ceremony around here, instead they skip it and just come to the reception instead.  I was very grateful that so many of our guests didn't skip out on the ceremony and were actually there to support  us as we tied the knot.
Our priest read the gospel reading, John 15: 9-12.
"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you."
Soon it was time to say our vows.
"I, Adam, take you, Holly, to be my 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 to cherish, till death us do part."
"I, Holly, take you, Adam, to be my 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 to cherish, till death us do part."
The we exchanged rings.
"Holly, I give you this ring, as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.".
"Adam, I give you this ring, as a sign of my love and fidelity.  In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.".
Our sisters, Angela and Lindsay, sang "The Prayer" by Celine Dion during the ceremony.
The priest gave the nuptial blessing.
We had Communion.

Received one last blessing from the priest...
and we were married!  My groom was given permission to kiss his bride.
We were husband and wife!
After the recessional, it was time to make it official.

My husband made me give him "knuckles" when we were finished.  Of course it was caught on camera, so I had to share it here.
We posed for one last picture with the priest before getting ready for portraits.
All images by Deborah Cull Photography

No comments: