Would you please all stand for the arrival of the bride

Music Cant help falling in love with you

Seamus: Good afternoon, everybody. My name is Seamus De Burca and it gives me great pleasure to
welcome you all here on this very happy occasion.
You must all be very special to Rachael and Shane, because they have asked you to be here in Sneem
today, to share in their happiness and joy, and to be with them as they publicly declare their love and
their commitment to one another.

Were here to celebrate the joining of two lives. Rachael and Shane have shared their lives for nearly 8
years - embracing the highs and the lows that every relationship encounters on their journey together.
Now they would like to affirm this very special commitment and love and unite in marriage.
Shane & Rachael are here today to happily proclaim their intention to marry. In so doing they are
allowing us to participate in the celebration of a love which they have nurtured for some time. Theirs is
a partnership freely chosen and founded on friendship, trust and respect. A partnership that encourages
not only open communication, self-expression and the sharing of knowledge, but also an enthusiasm
for life. It is based on the belief that each is equally important and that any pretense of superiority by
either would be injurious to both.

You have come to love each other deeply and sincerely. That love has given you the desire to unite in
marriage and to establish a home together. In this ceremony you are dedicating yourselves to give
happiness and well-being, each to the other. Your marriage is an act of faith. It must not be based on the
vain hope of what the other will do or will not do, might become or might not become. It must be based
on the firm belief in your own individual worth and that of the other. Your pledge today is an
expression of your devotion. The words spoken in this ceremony will validate your marriage only if
your love and commitment to one another are strong enough to sustain it.
Today you announce your love for each other in the presence of family and friends. We rejoice with
you and we wish you well !
Lighting of the Candles
Seamus: Rachael and Shane will now light two candles, symbolising that they are coming here today as
two individuals. These candles represent your separate lives, your separate families and your separate
friendships.

We will now have our first reading from Rachael's Aunt Marie

A soul mate is someone who has locks that fit our keys, and keys to fit our locks. When we feel safe
enough to open the locks, our truest selves step out and we can be completely and honestly who we are;
we can be loved for who we are and not for who were pretending to be. Each unveils the best part of
the other. No matter what else goes wrong around us, with that one person were safe in our own
paradise. Our soul mate is someone who shares our deepest longings, our sense of direction. When
were two balloons, and together our direction is up, chances are weve found the right person. Our
soul mate is the one who makes life come to life.
Seamus: You know, its one of lifes richest surprises when the accidental meeting of two people begins
a voyage which concludes with their union as husband and wife. It is also one of lifes finest
experiences when that relationship grows into a permanent bond of love.
We dont know what the future may bring into the life of this couple, but we do know that they will
meet all lifes challenges together. May they have patience in time of strain, strength in time of
weakness, courage in time of discouragement, vision in time of doubt, and above all, a growing love.

Seamus: Rachael and Shane would like to acknowledge their parents on this occasion. They offer their
profound gratitude to you for all the love and care you showed in raising them. The unconditional gifts
of love and support that you have continually offered have inspired them to become who they are
today, and they thank you, from the bottom of their hearts, for guiding them to this celebration of love
here today. Without you, this day would not be possible.

Second Reading Shane Family

These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you.
They are the hands 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 passionately love you and cherish you through the years, and with the
slightest touch, will comfort you like no other.
These are the hands that will hold you when fear or grief fills your mind.
These are the hands that will countless times wipe the tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow, and as in
today, tears of joy.
These are the hands that will tenderly hold your children, the hands that will help you to hold your
family as one.
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
giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.

Vows
Couple to stand
Seamus: In honour of their lives together and the relationship they share, Rachael and Shane will now
take their vows.
Seamus: Shane, first, would you repeat after me. I do solemnly and sincerely declare /that I know not
of any lawful impediment/ why I Shane Ffrench/may not be joined in matrimony to Rachael Curtin.
Seamus: Rachael repeat after me. I do solemnly and sincerely declare /that I know not of any lawful
impediment/ why I Rachael Curtin/may not be joined in matrimony to Shane Ffrench.
Seamus: Do you Shane Ffrench take Rachael Curtin to be your wife; to share a relationship of love,
tenderness and laughter; to confide in and trust above all others; to respect and stand by her in
everything as an equal partner; but above all else to love and cherish her?
Shane: I do.
Seamus: Do you Rachael Curtin take Shane Ffrench to be your husband; to share a relationship of love,
tenderness and laughter; to confide in and trust above all others; to respect and stand by him in
everything as an equal partner; but above all else to love and cherish him?
Rachael: I do.
Ring Ceremony
Seamus: The perfect circle of a ring symbolises eternity, an outward demonstration of your pledge of
commitment to each other and an inward symbol of the unbroken circle of family.
By the exchange of these tokens of your love for one another, so are your lives interlaced. What one
experiences, so shall the other; as honesty and love build, so will your bond strengthen and grow.
Your family is a circle of strength and love. With every birth and every union, that circle grows. Every
joy shared adds more love. Every crisis faced together makes the circle stronger. Grant that those who
wear these rings may always have a deep faith in each other
Invite best man (Eoghan) to give rings to couple.
Shane gives Rachael a ring and repeats after me:
I, Shane, take you, Rachael , 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, Rachael, take you, Shane , 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.

Declaration of Marriage
Seamusl: Shane and Rachael, you have affirmed your commitment and love for each other in front of
your families and friends. You have made a promise to each other to live in this union as husband and
wife today, tomorrow, and forever.
Remember to cherish each other as the unique individuals you are and to respect one anothers
thoughts, ideas and ambitions. The wonderful experience of living day by day as married people is
about to begin. Go forth to meet it gladly - love life so it will love you. May the source of all life and
love bless you - and the wishes of your family and friends strengthen you. May your hope give us hope,
may your love give us love.
I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride!
Conclusion of Candle Ceremony
Seamus: You will remember that earlier on in the ceremony Rachael and Shane lit two individual
candles. Now that they have exchanged their vows and rings they will use the flames from those
candles to light their Unity Candle which of course symbolizes the coming together of two separate
lives.
Rachael and Shane light the central candle.

Now we invite .... to read our final reading.

A professor of philosophy stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the class
began, wordlessly he picked up a large empty jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks about two inches in
diameter. He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was full.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly
and watched as the pebbles rolled into the open areas between the rocks. The professor then asked the
students again if the jar was full.

They laughed and agreed that it was indeed full this time.

The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled the remaining open
areas of the jar. Now, said the professor, I want you to recognize that this jar signifies your life. The
rocks are the truly important things, such as family, health and relationships. If all else was lost and
only the rocks remained, your life would still be meaningful. The pebbles are the other things that
matter in your life, such as work or school. The sand signifies the remaining small stuff and material
possessions
If you put sand into the jar first, there is no room for the rocks or the pebbles. The same can be applied
to your lives. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the
things that are truly important.

Pay attention to the things in life that are critical to your happiness and well-being. Take time to get
medical check-ups, play with your children, go for a run, write your grandmother a letter. There will
always be time to go to work, clean the house, or fix the disposal. Take care of the rocks first things
that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles in the sand.
Seamus: I invite Shane and Rachael and their witnesses, Rebecca and Eoghan to sign the Register.
Music -
So I ask you all here present at the marriage of Rachael and Shane to join me in wishing them every
success in their future together.
Music - Leaving