Here is the planned transcript of our wedding ceremony and vows. We wanted something unusual and we chose to have a handfasting ceremony for our Medieval Wedding. We had it all mapped out what we wanted to do, what we wanted to say, and how to turn it into a reality.
HART
PRELUDE
The ceremony is scheduled to start promptly at 3:30pm Saturday, August 31, 2002.
Starting at 2:30pm, ‘MEDIEVAL BACKGROUND MUSIC CD-1’ will be playing for everybody to hear ..
BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS – Maids in the Meadow
ANGELS OF VENICE / CAROL TATUM Lionheart
PHILLIPE EMANUEL HAAS – Medieval French Bansle
AVALON RISING – Dark Moon Circle
MEDIEVAL BABES – Adam Lay Ibounden
GNOMUSY – Niru
MEDIEVAL BABES – Erthe Upon Erthe
AVALON RISING – Andray Soulet
MEDIEVAL BABES – The Coventry Carol
GREGORIAN CHANT – Veni Sancte Spiritus
MEDIEVAL BABES – Dance of the Trolls
GNOMUSY – Dance of the Mist
MEDIEVAL BABES – Gaudete
EXCALIBUR SOUNDTRACK – Igrayne’s Dance
MEDIEVAL BABES – Ah Si Moi Moine
MEDIEVAL BABES – Sal Va Nos
MICHAEL PRAETORIUS – Renaissance Dance Music
MINCY PYE – Medieval Drum Dance
GNOMUSY – Runa (2nd edition)
BROBDINGNAGIAN BARDS – Tolkien (Hobbit Lord of the Rings)
**** Please Note: We have all the .mp3’s for all the music selections .. If you want copies of them,
drop an email ..
PROCESSION
The Music will stop and there will be silence. Each of the following will walk from the house down the aisle and proceed immediately to their positions on the altar.
Warren Lavallee, the Master of Ceremonies will be ringing a bell .. ‘Hear Ye, Hear Ye’ ..etc.
Victor Erickson, the Marriage Commissioner and his wife Esther ..
Hartley Singer, the Groom ..
Mark Singer, the Best Man ..
The Music will start playing while the rest of the wedding party (except Bride) proceeds to position:
PACHEBEL – Canon in D Major
Aaron and Bette Singer, the Groom’s parents ..
Herb Konig and Monika Konig, the Bride’s parents ..
Bailey Lavallee, the Ring Bearer ..
Karen Lavallee, the Maid of Honor ..
Callie Lavallee, the Flower Girl ..
Once everyone is in position at the alter, the music will suddenly change to …
BACH – Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring
Yvonne Konig, the Bride will walk down into position.
THE HANDFASTING CEREMONY
[VICTOR to Everyone]
On behalf of Hartley and Yvonne I would like to extend a warm welcome to each and everyone of you, family and friends, to this ceremony, marking a most important day in their lives.
Today marks a significant commitment that we all pray will last a lifetime. Pictures are an important part of this occassion and I encourage you to record as many as you see fit.
I have only one request .. Please be discreet. Take as many pictures as you’d like, but don’t interrupt the ceremony. Thank-You.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
To marry is to form an equal partnership, tied together by the tenuous bonds of emotion and love. It is at once the most fragile of relationships as well as the strongest. Fragile because it requires exactly the right mix of freedom and inter-dependence, of caring and of sharing, of being together and of being alone.
But it is strong because it involves the unseen forces of something we usually call love — mutual devotion, concern for the happiness of the other, joy in each other’s company. For there is no stronger force involving human relationships than this silent bond of love.
I ask and require of you both, in the presence of witnesses, that if either of you know of any legal or moral impediment to this marriage, you do now reveal the same.
There having no impediment declared or admitted, we will continue with the ceremony.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne… Remember that this wedding is only a symbol, a celebration, a public recognition of what already exists in your hearts. It is your marriage and not something created by the state or religion — it is yours to define, yours to make real, yours to live. Nothing I can say can make it anything more than what already exists in your hearts.
Remember also that marriage is a shared relationship, not a matter of possession. It is a means of showing your commitment to one another, not a blind surrendering of personality. It is not an excuse to become limited in your outlook; it is an Opportunity for mutual growth.
The promises made today and the ties that are bound here will greatly strengthen your union; they will cross the years and lives of each soul’s growth.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne … Do you still seek to enter this ceremony?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to Victor]
YES .. WE SEEK TO ENTER
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
I bid you look into each other’s eyes.
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you cause HER pain?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Is that your intent?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you cause HIM pain?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Is that your intent?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will you share each other’s pain and seek to ease it?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Hartley and Yvonne .. Join your hands.
Esther .. Please drape the first cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the first cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. will you share HIS laughter?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. will you share HER laughter?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will both of you look for the brightness in life and the
positive in each other?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Esther .. Please drape the second cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the second cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you burden HIM?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Is that your intent?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you burden HER?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Is that your intent?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will you share the burdens of each so that your spirits may grow in this union?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Esther .. Please drape the third cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the third cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you share HIS dreams?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you share HER dreams?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will you dream together to create new realities and hopes?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
YES
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Esther .. Please drape the fourth cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the fourth cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you cause HER anger?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Is that your intent?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you cause HIM anger?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
I MAY
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Is that your intent?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
NO
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will you take the heat of anger and use it to temper the strength of this Union?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
WE WILL
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Esther .. Please drape the fifth cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the fifth cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you Honor HIM?
[Yvonne to VICTOR]
I WILL
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you Honor HER?
[Hartley to VICTOR]
WILL
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Will you seek to never give cause to break that honor?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
WE SHALL NEVER DO SO
[VICTOR to Everyone]
And so the binding is made.
Esther .. Please drape the sixth cord across Hartley and Yvonne’s hands.
[ESTHER Places the sixth cord on Hart & Yvonne’s Hands]
[VICTOR to Esther]
Esther .. please tie the chords together.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. The knots of this binding are not formed by these chords, but instead
by your vows. Either of you may drop the chords, for as always, you hold in your own hands the making or breaking of this union.
[VICTOR to Esther]
Esther .. please remove the chords, and place them aside.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. Do you have rings to give to each other?
[Hartley and Yvonne both to VICTOR]
YES
[BEST MAN & MAID OF HONOR pass the rings to both Hartley and Yvonne]
[VICTOR to Everyone]
As these rings are seamless and unending like the reaches of eternity itself, so may the
love that Hartley and Yvonne feel for each other continue without end .. and may these rings become golden shields,
guarding their love for each other, that it may deepen and broaden through years by reminding them of their commitment
to each other.
[VICTOR to Hartley]
Hartley .. Will you place your ring on Yvonne’s finger then continue to hold her hand as you
repeat your wedding promise:
[HARTLEY repeating after VICTOR]
WITH THIS RING I WED YOU, AND BRING YOU ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT I HAVE, THAT WE TWO MAY
BECOME ONE FOR BETTER OR WORSE, IN GOOD HEALTH AND BAD, IN SUNSHINE AND SHADOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR LIVES.
I PROMISE TO LOVE AND RESPECT YOU AND, AS FAR AS I AM ABLE, TO PUT YOUR HAPPINESS ABOUE MY OWN AND TO BE
FAITHFUL TO THE SPIRIT OF THIS MOMENT.
[VICTOR to Yvonne]
Yvonne .. Will you place your ring on Hartley’s finger then continue to hold his hand as you
repeat your wedding promise:
[YVONNE repeating after VICTOR]
WITH THIS RING I WED YOU, AND BRING YOU ALL THAT I AM AND ALL THAT I HAVE, THAT WE TWO MAY
BECOME ONE FOR BETTER OR WORSE, IN GOOD HEALTH AND BAD, IN SUNSHINE AND SHADOW FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR LIVES.
I PROMISE TO LOVE AND RESPECT YOU AND, AS FAR AS I AM ABLE, TO PUT YOUR HAPPINESS ABOUE MY OWN AND TO BE
FAITHFUL TO THE SPIRIT OF THIS MOMENT.
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
Hartley and Yvonne .. you may seal your vows with a kiss.
[VICTOR motions both Hartley and Yvonne
as well as the Best Man and Maid of Honor to the signing of the registration forms and pictures
while Medieval Jugglers are entertaining the crowd]
[VICTOR motions all back to original positions]
[VICTOR to both Hartley and Yvonne]
And now, forasmuch as you, Hartley and Yvonne, have consented in legal wedlock, and have declared
your solemn intention before these witnesses, and in my presence, … in exchanging your vows and these rings as a pledge
of your love for one another, and in the joining of your hands have accepted one another, … with the authority vested
in me by the Government of the Province of Manitoba .. I pronounce you Husband and Wife.
[VICTOR motions the parents to come up and congratulate Hartley and Yvonne]
[VICTOR to Everyone]
Everybody .. I am pleased to introduce to you HARTLEY AND YVONNE SINGER … Please wave your flags
as the wedding party departs!
RECESSIONAL
The Wedding Party will ‘receed’ down the aisle while the guests are waving flags, directly to the entrance
of the BIG TENT, and form a receiving line while the ‘RECESSIONAL BACKGROUND MUSIC CD-1’ is playing …
Hartley and Yvonne
Bette and Herbert
Aaron and Monika
Mark and Karen
Bailey and Callie
MARK-ANTOINE CHARPENTIER – Prelude to Te Deum (Processional)
CBC VANCOUVER ORCHESTRA – BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
CANADIAN BRASS – CLARKE Trumpet Voluntary
50 CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES – VIVALDI Four Seasons (Spring)
50 CLASSICAL MASTERPIECES – HANDEL Water Music (Hornpipes)
CBC VANCOUVER ORCHESTRA – BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (Allegro)
CANADIAN BRASS – Rondeau
EMPIRE BRASS QUINTET – Elizabethan Dance Suite
TECHO REMIX – PACHEBEL Canon in D Major
PAUL MAURIAT – Papillon
MUSICA ANTIQUA – Instrumental Music of the Early Baroque
MUSICA ANTIQUA – Renaissance Song and Dance
.. replay ‘MEDIEVAL BACKGROUND MUSIC CD-1’ over if necessary ..