Wedding Ceremony of Patricia Lafayllve and Eric Yuhas - 
Nichole: Assembles wedding guests. She changes CD over to processional MUSIC. The guests should stand when the procession begins.
Procession:
Rob (officiant)
Linda and Jerry
Marie and Gary
John and Holli
Eric and Patty
ROB addresses those assembled:
Welcome all. Please be seated. We are gathered today in this space to bear witness to the oaths of these two people, Patricia Marie Lafayllve and Eric Stephan Yuhas. Here, on this land, in the presence of their ancestors, their families, and their community, these two people will join in marriage to one another.
What man comes here to claim his bride?
ERIC: I, Eric Stephan Yuhas.
ROB: Who will vouch for this man, to show that he is a worthy husband?
JOHN: I, John Leonard.
ROB: What do you have to say about Eric, in the presence of this company?
JOHN: John speaks whatever words he feels are appropriate, attesting to Eric’s worthiness and nature.
ROB: All of you who are members of Eric’s family, standing gathered and seated around the tables, will you verify the truth of these words?
ERIC’s FAMILY: indicates their assent.
ROB: Eric Stephan Yuhas, then, is a worthy husband. What woman comes here to claim her husband?
PATTY: I, Patricia Marie Lafayllve.
ROB: Who will vouch for this woman, to show that she is a worthy bride?
HOLLI: I, Holli Wolfe.
ROB: What have you to say about Patricia, in the presence of this company?
HOLLI: Holli speaks whatever words she feels are appropriate, attesting to Patty’s worthiness and nature.
ROB: All of you who are members of Patricia’s family, standing gathered and seated around the tables, will you verify the truth of these words?
PATTY’S FAMILY: indicates their assent.
ROB: Patricia Marie Lafayllve, then, is a worthy wife.
GIFT EXCHANGE:
ROB: Since the families of this man and this woman have indicated their assent, I see no reason to deny this union. It is the tradition at these times to show an exchange of gifts, one family to the other, as tokens of the bonds now being forged between them. First, Patricia’s parents will present their gift. Gary and Marie Lowery, will you now bring forth your gift?
MARIE AND GARY: Present their gift to ERIC. They say whatever words they feel are appropriate, explaining the heirloom and its significance.
ROB: Eric, will you accept this gift given to you by Patty’s parents, bringing it into your home as a symbol of her ancestry being combined with yours?
ERIC: I will (Accepts gift)
ROB: Jerald and Linda Yuhas, will you now bring forth your gift?
LINDA AND JERRY: Present their gift to PATTY. They say whatever words they feel are appropriate, explaining the heirloom and its significance.
ROB: Patricia, will you accept this gift given to you by Eric’s parents, bringing it into your home as a symbol of his ancestry being combined with yours?
PATTY: I will. (Accepts gift)
ROB: These heirlooms have now been exchanged, symbols of the joining of these two honorable families. Jerald and Linda, Gary and Marie, you may be seated. (pause whilst they sit)
EXCHANGE OF OATHS:
ROB: (raising the oath ring) In elder times as now, promises were often sworn upon an oath ring. The ring remained as a powerful visual symbol of the oaths sworn upon it, and represented a tangible bond between those who have spoken to one another with it in their hands. Eric and Patricia, will you please take the ring in your right hands? (ERIC and PATTY take the ring together. PATTY passes her bouquet to Holli.) Now you shall pledge your troth to one another, in the presence of this gathered company. Your words will bind you each to the other, and you shall in turn be bound by the words spoken in this way.
ROB: Eric, please repeat after me: I, Eric Stephan Yuhas, take this woman Patricia Marie Lafayllve, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold, to honor and to trust, to love and respect, in good times and in bad, as long as we both shall wish.
(ERIC repeats this – add appropriate pauses)
ROB: Patricia, please repeat after me: I, Patricia Marie Lafayllve, take this man Eric Stephan Yuhas, to be my wedded husband, to have and to hold, to honor and to trust, to love and respect in good times and in bad, as long as we both shall wish.
(PATTY repeats this – add appropriate pauses)
ROB: May the ancestors of these two people smile down upon them. May they provide strength, comfort, and support to each of them, as the families are now united. Just as the families of these two people have exchanged gifts as symbols of their acceptance and unity, so too should Eric and Patricia exchange symbols. (JOHN gives the rings to ROB) These rings are reminders of the oath ring held in this couple’s hands. May they serve to remind Eric and Patricia of the promises they have made to one another. (ROB takes the oath ring from ERIC and PATTY and sets it on the altar.)
ROB: Eric and Patricia have additional oaths that they would like to make to one another at this time. Eric, will you speak now?
ERIC: Yes, I will. (ROB hands PATTY’S ring to ERIC. He places it on her finger.)
ERIC: Says what he is going to say.
ROB: Patricia, will you speak now?
PATTY: Yes, I will. (ROB hands ERIC’S ring to PATTY. She places it on his finger.)
PATTY: Says what she is going to say.
ROB: Promises have been sworn, and two families united in one couple. May you both continue to grow in love and respect of one another from this day forth. At this time, you should drink the first taste of honeyed mead together. May the sweetness remind you of the pleasure you have found in one another.
(ROB pours mead into both parts of the wedding cup-perhaps assisted by JOHN? He presents it to ERIC and PATTY. They drink together from the cup.)
MEAD OFFERING:
ROB: It is appropriate that a drink be offered to the ancestors of your families at this time. It is right to honor those who have come before you, so that they will continue to share their blessings for your good fortune. Please do so now.
(ERIC and PATTY go to the garden together and pour out the remainder of the mead. They return, place the wedding cup on the altar.)
ROB: Turn and face this gathered assembly. (ERIC and PATTY do this. Rob joins their hands together.)
ROB: Ladies and gentlemen. Family, friends, ancestors and honored guests. I present to you Eric Stephan Yuhas and Patricia Marie Lafayllve, man and wife!
Cheers and much rejoicing.
ROB: A receiving line will be formed at this time, so that Eric and Patricia can welcome you into their home. Wassail!
NICHOLE cues up music (recessional tune?). ERIC and PATTY move to door, followed by JOHN and EILEEN. LINDA and JERRY should rise to join the line, as should MARIE and GARY. ROB completes the “receiving line.” Guests come forward et al. Bride and Groom should let people know to help themselves to the drink table and that the feast will begin shortly.
NOTE on the feast:
After the receiving line is finished, the bridal party will head indoors to get food – an announcement should be made (ROB or NICHOLE? “Let the wedding feast begin!”)
After JOHN has finished his meal, he will stand up to present his toast as Best Man. At this time, he will indicate to everyone the mead bottles on the table. People will fill their glasses with mead and NICHOLE will fill the wedding horn. JOHN will raise the horn, say his toast, and drink (or not – he can always drink from a glass).
NICHOLE: This horn has been carved with the names of Eric and Patricia’s family ancestry. It has been filled with mead and good words have been spoken over it. At this time, all guests are welcome to toast the health of the couple over this horn and drink deeply of it. Some of you may not be familiar with this tradition, so let me explain the etiquette involved. The words spoken over a horn of mead are considered good luck. However, a person does not need to drink from the horn if he or she does not wish to. It is acceptable to speak what words you like, raise the horn as if toasting, and then give it back to me. A person can also kiss the horn if he/she wishes, in lieu of drinking. Of course you can drink the mead if you want to! One last note – if you do not wish to say anything at all that is fine. I will be going from table to table with the horn, and at that time you can stand up and speak, or not, as is your wish. I will begin with Holli, so that she may speak what words she desires.
(from there, Holli speaks, drinks, gives horn back to Nichole. NICHOLE will then go to Leon Lafaille, as family patriarch, so that he may speak. She should pass the horn from table to table from there!)
And that’s all, folks!
-TRK-
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