The Best Hour of My Life: Our Wedding Ceremony

I was more excited for our wedding ceremony than any other part of our wedding day. I just couldn’t wait to actually get married! We decided to write our own ceremony from start to finish, borrowing inspiration from here and there as we did. It took me weeks to get it just right, but it was well worth the effort to have a perfectly tailored ceremony to me and Riley. Many guests commented on how intimate and personalized our ceremony was, which was a huge compliment and exactly what we were going for.

One big reason why our ceremony felt so personal was that our officiant was our good friend, Chris. He and I worked together in Austin and he and Riley became friends over the course of Riley and my courtship and engagement. It was like having a brother as an officiant and it totally took the pressure off! We felt free to laugh and be playful, and neither of us were nervous. If you know a close friend or family member who can officiate, I highly recommend it.

Here is a detailed outline of our ceremony, a.k.a. the best hour of my life!

Prelude

Our prelude was the 30 minutes before the ceremony actually began. We chose to play romantic and fun music to set the stage for our wedding day…romantic and fun! Here was our playlist:

• Better Together – Jack Johnson
• Wide Open Spaces – Dixie Chicks
• Feels Like Today – Rascal Flatts
• To Make You Feel My Love – Garth Brooks
• Never Alone (Feat. Lady Antebellum) – Jim Brickman
• I Do – Colbie Calliat
• Everything – Michael Bublé

Seating Of The Families

After the prelude, it was time for our families to be seated. We played Amazing Grace Instrumental by Terri Geisel as our different family members made their way down the aisle and found their seats.

Processional

The processional was when our officiant, Riley’s groomsmen, my bridesmaids, and our flower girls and ring bearer processed, followed by my dad and me. We played A Thousand Years Instrumental by Instrumental Fuse…I just love that song, don’t you? It’s so lovely and romantic.

Once my dad and I were at the end of the aisle, my mom joined us on our left side. I wanted both of my parents to give me away, but just my dad to walk me down the aisle for tradition’s sake.

Address To The Congregation & Opening Prayer

Our officiant, Chris, welcomed our guests on behalf of Riley and me and both of our families. He then asked, “Who presents this woman to be married to this man?” to which both of my parents answered in unison, “We do.”

Then, Chris prayed to thank God for our wedding day and invited the Holy Spirit into our space as we committed to each other in the covenant of marriage. He then asked our guests to please be seated. (If you’re writing your own ceremony, don’t forget to remind your guests to be seated…otherwise it’s confusing and little awkward!)

Pastoral Reflection

Chris took about ten minutes to give a brief sermon on the meaning of marriage, God’s intention for it, and the significance of our commitment. It was a beautiful way to set the stage for both our wedding day and marriage.

He also asked us to turn around and soak up the room full of people we love…we spent a good 30 seconds really taking it in (photos below). There’s nothing like seeing people from every walk of your lives in one room together…it’s so cool!

Declaration of Intent

The next portion of our ceremony was the when we affirmed that we were there to get married…not a super hard part of our day! 😉

There are many different ways that people word this. We used the following script:

Chris: Riley, will you have this woman to be your wedded wife, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, and forsaking all others, keep her only unto yourself, so long as you both shall live?

Riley: I will.

Chris: Blair, will you have this man to be your wedded husband, to live together in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, and forsaking all others, keep him only unto yourself, so long as you both shall live?

Blair: I will.

Exchange of Vows

We chose to write our own vows for several reasons, mostly because I love when a ceremony is personalized and also because I love to write! We spent an afternoon at the beach writing them together so that they’d be cohesive. It was a long process but very worth it!

We had our vows written on two different pieces of paper that Chris held. He handed our paper to us when it was our turn and we recited our vows then.

Riley’s vows to me were:

Blair, I choose today to be your husband.

I promise to be your supporter, protector, and friend as we walk through life together.

As your husband, I vow to fight to keep Christ at the center of our lives and relationship.

I vow to seek God first when making decisions for our family, trusting Him as He guides me.

I promise to honor you and serve you in my actions and words, reflecting Christ’s love for His church.

I promise to pray with you and to seek reconciliation quickly when disagreements arise.

If we are given the opportunity to be parents, I promise to raise our children with an eternal mindset and Christian values.

Today, I love you for your intelligence, compassion, and your one-of-a-kind sense of humor. I vow to walk alongside you as you grow and change, and I promise to love the person you’ll become.

I know I will make mistakes and wrong decisions in our life and I ask for forgiveness in advance for these things. I pray that our household would be one where grace abounds.

Blair, I take you 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, until Jesus calls me home.

My vows to Riley were:

Riley, I choose today to be your wife.

I promise to be your confidant, cheerleader, and friend as we walk through life together.

As your wife, I vow to cultivate a home environment where Christ is central to our relationship.

I vow to speak kind and gentle words, both when I am proud of you and when I feel disappointed.

I promise to respect you, uplift you, and laugh with you.

Knowing that love is a choice, I choose to love you every day, even when I feel like giving up. God has given us this marriage as a gift and I promise to cherish it as such.

Should God bless us with the privilege and responsibility of raising children, I vow to be a consistent and comforting voice in their lives, forever pointing them toward Jesus.

Today I love you for your sense of humor, your generous heart, and your ability to make any situation an adventure. I love you now and I promise to love the person you’ll become as you change and grow in the coming years.

Though I will stumble and fall short many times in our marriage, I humbly ask for your forgiveness and understanding in advance.

Riley, I take you 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, until Jesus calls me home.

Congregational Vows

Next, we did something unique. We wanted our guests to know how much we love and cherish their relationships and support in our lives as well as invite them into our future. Here’s what was said…

Chris: Each of you are here today because you bring something special to the lives of Blair and Riley. Some of you have known one or both of them for years – and some of you are meeting one of them for the very first time today. But whether you’re an old friend or a new one, you have a special place in their hearts. Likewise, you have a special purpose. As beloved family and friends, it is you to whom they’ll turn in the coming years, whether in joy or in sorrow. It is you with whom they’ll share their happiness, and you to whom they’ll bring their pain. In the years to come, you will watch their marriage mature, and one day, you will watch their children grow. When hard times come, and the loving support of family and friends is needed, Blair and Riley will turn to you. Today, they ask that you commit to their marriage, as they are committing to one another in Christ. Just as they pledge to support and protect each other, they ask you to pledge to support and protect their relationship, today and always.

When prompted, please answer “We do.”

Do you offer Riley and Blair your blessing as husband and wife? Do you pledge to celebrate with them in times of joy and remind them of the vows they have taken today in times of difficulty? Do you commit to supporting their marriage, praying for their family, and pointing them to Jesus throughout their life together? Please say, “We do.”

Exchange of Rings

Next was the famous exchange of the rings. We wrote our own ring exchange, too, with some inspiration we found online.

Riley’s ring promise to me:
Blair, I give this ring to you
as a sign that I choose you
and as a reminder that I will always love you.
Though I will fail and fall,
May this ring stand as a reminder,
That I will stay faithful
as Jesus has been faithful to us.

My ring promise to Riley:
Riley, I give this ring to you
as a sign that I choose you
and as a reminder that I will always love you.
Though I will fail and fall,
May this ring stand as a reminder,
That I will stay faithful
as Jesus has been faithful to us.

Foot Washing Ceremony

This was by far my favorite moment of our entire wedding day. It was so special and meaningful and I replay it in my head all the time! I just loved it so much. We had our friends Ross and Lauren sing Hillsong’s Love Goes On while Riley and I washed each other’s feet as a symbol of our willingness to sacrifice during our marriage. You can watch a video of this beautiful moment here.

If you’re interested in doing a foot washing ceremony at your own wedding and are wondering how to introduce it, here’s what Chris said:

Riley and Blair have chosen to wash each other’s feet as a sign of their love and service to one another…

Let’s read the story of Jesus washing His disciple’s feet from the Bible:

John 13:2-5 (NIV) or paraphrase
The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

There is important meaning behind Jesus’ decision to wash the disciples’ feet. The feet of those twelve men were caked with the dust of daily travels. The job of washing feet was reserved for the slave of the home. Yet, in striking fashion, Jesus – the Son of God – dons the towel of a poor slave and wipes the muddied feet of his friends. What a display of love – a love that would bend as low as necessary to lift up, a love that would enter into the mess so it could make things once again clean. This is what Jesus not only does for us, but calls us to do for one another – love by serving and humbling ourselves.

As Riley and Blair enter into this marriage covenant, this action is more than a symbol. It is a vow to always remain in a humble position – to lift up the other, even at great cost to itself. It is a reminder to love and serve like Jesus has so greatly loved and served us – even and especially in the messes.

Friends, there is no way to put this moment into words. Being in a white gown, your almost-husband in a perfectly tailored suit, and bowing before each other to wash sweaty feet is the most gorgeous, humbling way to start a marriage. May our marriage be a picture of sacrifice and Christ’s love!

Blessing

For our final blessing, we asked that everyone in the congregation and everyone in the bridal party hold hands. This was so important to me…I just wanted everyone unified for our final prayer before we officially became husband and wife. I loved this prayer.

Announcement of Marriage & The Kiss!

Finally, Chris announced us as Mr. and Mrs. Lamb and we got to share our first smooch as husband and wife!

Recessional

We happily left our wedding ceremony to You Are The Best Thing by Ray LaMontage! It felt like a movie! What a dream.

Sigh…that was our perfect beyond perfect wedding ceremony! It was tedious and extremely time consuming to write it ourselves but so very worth it. If you’re good with words and you’re looking for a personalized ceremony, definitely think about piecing together your own!