Brandon Wynn and Savannah Smith Wedding
Notes
Transcript
Background info:
Brandon is 23
Savannah is 22
Brandon's siblings (in order: Nathan, Megan, Brandon, and Kristen)
Savannah has an older sister in Nevada and a 1 year old baby brother named Rhett.
Her mom and step dad live in Convoy, Van Wert area. Get names
For wedding ceremony:
1. 9 Bridesmaids and 1 jr. bridesmaids; 9 groomsmen
2. for seating of grandparents--Brandon has 1 set (Jolene's parents); Savannah has 2 sets (4 total) and 2 individuals (2 total) for a total of 6
3. Brandon and I enter from the side with the groomsmen
4. There is a ringbearer (brother 1.5 yrs old Rhett) and 2 flower girls Paxton and Lucy (both 7 or 8)
5. Savannah's dad Shannon will walk her down the aisle
expect 400 people!
want to greet everyone that comes--I recommended going back in the sanctuary row by row
Prelude Music (begins about 40 minutes Prior—Spotify Playlist
Seating of Grandparents and Mothers (1 song)
Groom and Pastor and Groomsmen enter from side (1 song)
Bridesmaids come in 1 by 1 (same song as groom)
Ring Bearer (Rhett) and 2 Flower Girls enter (Paxton and Lucy)
Processing of the Bride (1 song) (mother of bride stands first)
Welcome, Scripture Reading, and Prayer
you may be seated.
We would like to welcome you to this celebration service—as we celebrate the holy covenant of marriage between Brandon Wynn and Savannah Smith.
Brandon and Savannah, you are here today for several reasons:
you had the courage to say “yes” to going on your first date, a double date, when your friends Grace and Riley introduced you. That courage to say “yes” led to this day.
another reason why you are here is because you planned it well in advance. almost 2 years ago, we got a call from their family, saying, “Pastor Rick is June 17 available in 2023 for a wedding?” And I think I started laughing—2023?
I think it’s wide open.”
as funny as that is, as much as plan, we believe as followers of Jesus—that God is in control. He is the king who has been planning this day. Your family and friends have been praying that God would lead you to the right spouse—and today is the answer to that prayer.
and finally, another reason why you are here is that our God is the author and creator of marriage—He made it for our good, and ultimately to point to Jesus and His glory.
the first book of the Bible, 2nd chapter of Genesis says this right after God made the first man - Adam
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.
22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
Let’s pray today.
Pledge (vows of intent)
Today, you both will pledge 2 sets of vows during the course of this ceremony.
This first set of vows are called the vows of intent, b/c they express your intentions.
In the past, they served as a condition that the father of the bride had to hear before he agreed to give his daughter away in marriage.
Furthermore, this set of vows, reminds us that you are making this holy vow not just to each other, but in the eyes of God and this community of witnesses.
—Brandon, before God and this congregation, do you take Savannah to be your wife, and do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and cherish her, and forsaking all others remain true to her as long as you both live. If so, say, “I do.”
—Savannah, before God and this congregation, do you take Brandon to be your husband, and do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and cherish him, and forsaking all others remain true to him as long as you both live. If so, say, “I do.”
Giving of the Bride
Having heard these vows, who gives this woman to be married to this man.
Answer: Her mother and I. (Or her family and I or I do)
(hand off and move up on the platform)
Message:
Brandon and Savannah, it has been a joy to get to know you over the last several months.
I have had the privilege of meeting with them several times to talk about their relationship and prepare them not just for the wedding day but a lifetime of marriage.
One of the things we do to prepare them for marriage, is have them take this online test called Prepare / Enrich. You each take it separately (about 45 minutes)
and it tests you on the health of your relationship, looking at things like communication, conflict resolution, expectations, relationship roles, your family of origin…financial preparations...
and it’s not like it’s a pass/fail test. It won’t say “Don’t marry them.” it looks at strengths and weaknesses in your relationship (and every couple has them!)
and then the fun part comes where we go over the results...
so from these meetings, here are some things I have noticed about you both—things that I want to encourage you in...
Both of you are exceptionally hard workers...
Brandon, you have your own business—Brandon’s outdoor services where you work from sun-up to sun-down, excavating, digging, mulching, patios, shed pads. and I have been told you may or may not drink your body weight in Mt. Dew to keep going....
Savannah, you are working hard to finish your medical degree—in nursing. and currently working as well as a home health aide.
Now the challenge for hard workers is that sometimes work can dominate our lives. but I love working with you both, b/c I know you apply that same hard work ethic to your relationship.
and if you apply that same level of hard work to your relationship, you will do well.
the 2nd thing I noticed...
You are both willing to talk about hard, difficult, and uncomfortable things....
sure none of us like to do that…but whenever I asked hard questions about your lives and relationships, you would go deeper.
whenever we had to talk about challenging things in your life and past, you went there. That is a huge sign of strength.
Keep that up.
and as followers of Jesus—because we are covered under the radical grace of God—we are accepted by what He has done for us—we can honestly admit when we need help. we can admit our weakness.
Keep that up—and you will do well.
Both of you love each other and are very devoted to each other.
Brandon you said this about Savannah: He has used her to teach me how to be more considerate of others and not so quick to judge.
Savannah: God has used Brandon to show me a love that I never thought I was worthy of having. He has also used Brandon to help me strive to be better each and every day and to love and appreciate all of the little things in life.
Keep complimenting each other.
keep telling each other this...
and you do well
and most of all you love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Word.
I want to read from one of your favorite passages—1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter. This is what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church—he wanted to describe love and have them live it out. and this applies to the church community but also to marriage...
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
in the span of 4 verses, there are 15 descriptions of what love is!!
patient—kind—not envying---not boasting—not proud—but humble
honoring others
seeking the good of the other person
not easily angered
not keeping a record of wrongs (but forgiving)
rejoicing with the truth not evil
always protecting one another
always trusting one another
always hoping for the best
always persevering
now, can any of us do that?
I asked you both what annoys you most about your spouse--
Brandon you said Savannah always has to put the sun visor down whenever she gets into a vehicle. she also tells stories while she’s eating and there’s long pauses, so it takes awhile.
and Savannah you said that Brandon is not always the best listener. He also drinks a lot of Mt. Dew.
those are so funny..
can any of us live out the vision for love that 1 Corinthians 13 says.
and the answer is…none of us can love like 1 Corinthians.
but there’s good news.
We know someone who did love us and who does love us like that.
The Bible says that even though we are sinners, and have gone away from God who made us. God made a way for us to be forgiven.
He sent His Son Jesus to live and ultimately die for our sin on the cross in our place---so that we could be forgiven and made new—have true joy and eternal life with God.
and if you put Jesus’ name in for love in 1 Corinthians 13. think of this:
Jesus is patient. Jesus is kind. Jesus does not envy. Jesus does not boast. He is not proud.
Jesus does not dishonor others, nor is He self-seeking. Jesus is not easily angered. Jesus keeps no record of wrongs.
Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
Jesus always protect, always trusts, always hopes; Jesus always perseveres with us.
we can’t do it—Jesus can and He did do it.
Savannah you mentioned that one of your favorites verses is 2 Corinthians 12:9.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
the secret to being able to do 2 Corinthian 12:9—is not hard work, or trying harder, but looking to the one who worked hard for you.
it is by admitting you need Jesus every day---and doing this together.
It is letting your weakness drive you to rely on Jesus more—and He will make His power perfect in your weakness.
It’s praying together, crying out to Jesus TOGETHER b/c life can be overwhelming.
and when you do this—when you lean fully on Jesus, your weakness is turned to His Strength.
he gets the glory
and you show the world that your relationship is not just about each other—it’s about Jesus and His relationship with You.
and if you do this, your marriage will do so well and will draw many to Jesus Christ. Let’s pray.
Vows (traditional)
Brandon, would you turn and face Savannah, and repeat after me.
In the presence of God
and these witnesses,
and through a holy covenant /
I Brandon,
joyfully receive you Savannah
as God’s perfect gift for me /
to have and to hold
from this day forward /
for better or for worse /
for richer or for poorer /
in sickness and in health /
to love, honor and cherish,
until we are parted by death. /
or the Lord comes for His Church /
and by the grace of God /
I pledge to you my faithfulness.
This is my vow to you.
And Savannah, would you face Brandon and repeat after me.
In the presence of God
and these witnesses,
and through a holy covenant /
I Savannah,
joyfully receive you Brandon
as God’s perfect gift for me /
to have and to hold
from this day forward /
for better or for worse /
for richer or for poorer /
in sickness and in health /
to love, honor and cherish,
until we are parted by death. /
or the Lord comes for His Church /
and by the grace of God /
I pledge to you my faithfulness.
This is my vow to you.
Giving of Rings
You have decided to seal your vows by the giving and receiving of rings. Rings are a sacred symbol, signaling to others that you are in an exclusive commitment to your beloved (just as God is with you). The precious metal from which they are forged reminds you of the precious possession you have in marriage (just as God gave you). The infinite circle they form remind you that your new relationship is never to end and be broken except by death or the Lord comes back for his church.
Brandon, take your ring for Savannah, and as you begin to put the ring on her finger, please repeat after me.
Savannah, I give you this ring
as a constant reminder
of my abiding love and commitment.
Savannah, take your ring for Brandon, and as you begin to put the ring on her finger, please repeat after me.
Savannah, I give you this ring
as a constant reminder
of my abiding love and commitment
Unity Braid (song playing in background—which song: ________)
In a moment, as a symbol of your marital unity, you will be braiding together 3 strands.
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
10 If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up.
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.
Marriage is a huge blessing because you have a companion and partner to help you in all the ups and downs of life.
Marriage as followers of Jesus Christ is an even greater blessing b/c you have Jesus now at the center of your marriage and relationship.
These 3 strands you are about to braid—symbolize this. One strand symbolizes Brandon, another Savannah, and the 3rd Christ.
These 3 strands show that as you both pursue Jesus—you grow closer in intimacy together. As you weave your life around Jesus Christ, he weaves you together in the best intimacy possibly in him…together…as one flesh as God designed.
so let’s take a moment right now, and have you guys braid these strands together.
Prayer
*praying that they would be one flesh to the glory of God
praying Ephesians 5 (Christ and the church)
may they weave their lives around you.
Pronouncement
And now, Brandon and Savannah, having heard your vows to each other before God and these witnesses, I do, by virtue of the authority vested in me, as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and in accordance with the laws of God and the state of Indiana, I pronounce you husband and wife. You are no longer two, but one, in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit. What God has joined together, let no man separate.
Kiss
Brandon, you may kiss your bride.
Presentation of the Couple
Brandon and Savannah, would you please turn and face the congregation?
It is now my pleasure to introduce to you for the very first time: Mr. and Mrs. Brandon and Savannah Wynn.
Recession
Final Instructions:
I have some final instructions.
—please remain seated
—Brandon and Savannah will return in a moment and dismiss you row by row so you have a chance to greet them and congratulate them.
—after they have greeted you, you are dismissed, and the reception will take place at Knights of Columbus beginning at 6pm. Doors open at 5pm.
Thanks again for coming.
--recessional music (1 song)
--dismissal music (playlist)