Information for Our Guests

The ceremony will be an intimate gathering of our closest friends and family, those that surround us on a regular basis and will be the cornerstone supports on this life-long journey of marriage, therefore most of our friends will be invited to the reception only. We view the ceremony as a time to make public our union, while at the same time requesting the commitment of those in attendance to bless and encourage our relationship for the rest of our lives. We have worked closely with our minister, Blake Spencer, on the format and wording of the ceremony in order to make it a meaningful and special time for all those in attendance.

Security

Your RSVP is very important, as there will be security at the ceremony and reception. Unfortunately, this is a necessary part of most events these days. The friendly security guard will check your photo ID against the list of attendees, so please make sure you have RSVPd and have your ID available when you arrive at the events.

Our Vows

Rachel and I decided to write our own vows. In a beautiful coincidence, we both ended up using the words we put together to use in our wedding in our vows. They are listed below:

Rachel’s vows to Amber:

Before God and in the prescence of family and friends, I vow to love you without condition and accept you as you are. I promise to respect you as an equal, have faith in you, and believe in us. I will help you whenever you need me and step aside when you don’t. I anticipate the joy of falling in love with you more everyday as we enter into life’s most holy relationship. I promise to strive for harmony in our marriage with a graceful and gentle spirit. I will entrust you with my inner most secrets and dreams. I promise to stand beside you as we begin life’s adventures together, for when I am with you I am home. This I promise you for all the days of my life.

Amber’s vows to Rachel:

When I started thinking about the words I wanted to say to you on this special day, I realized that you and I had already written them together, so I took those words and made them into promises. I promise to encourage you in your pursuits and celebrate your accomplishments. I promise to create a space of peace and serenity where you feel safe to be you. I promise to respect your needs and empower you in your sense of freedom. I promise to be honest even when it’s hard and to trust in your unconditional love. I promise to support you in your generosity and share in the joy of giving. I promise to practice forgiveness, grace, and patience when things go wrong and to always be optimistic that they will get better. I promise to try to relax and keep things simple, to play and laugh often. I promise to foster an environment of tranquility and harmony in all aspects of our life. I promise to nurture a sense of wonder and faith in God. I promise to continue to dream and imagine with you in order to inspire mutual wishes and goals. I promise to accept you for who you are and to appreciate even the smallest things you do to make me feel special. I promise to be gentle and kind and to cherish all the moments we share. I promise to believe in the lasting power of our relationship even when times are tough. I promise to have the courage to live our life openly and to facilitate an environment of equality and inclusion in our home. Rachel, you are everything I ever imagined, wanted, and dreamed of. The blank picture frame on my altar, the one I saved for a picture of the one God created for me to share my life with , is now filled with a picture of you. I love you.