Elle & Erik got married on exactly the day of their ten year anniversary…and asked this Palm Springs wedding officiant for a ceremony to match.
© WeddingOfficiantPalmSprings.com
Who presents this woman for marriage? (Mom & Dad)
Welcome friends and family. It’s a beautiful day at the beach, isn’t it? Did you all know that Elle and Erik have been together for ten years…in fact, TODAY is their 10 year anniversary! I thought about it and realized the number 10 is the perfect representation of marriage. We normally think of the #2 for that, right? But the number 10 is the first number in which two numbers must come together to form one. And not only are two numbers, the one and the zero, required, but these two numbers come together exactly as a married couple should. The one and the zero are always written so that there is a tiny space between them—the 1 is always a 1 and the zero is always a zero…yet
they are always together as a pair despite still being their original digits.
Now Erik, I hope you understand in this arrangement that when it comes to the number 10…the one must always come first. Now I’m not saying you are “a zero” 🙂 but as long as you keep this lady at the forefront, on the pedestal she belongs on, you’ll soon turn 10 to 20
and 20 to 40…I promise!
The other reason I like the number 10 for Elle and Erik is because, in 2006, the gymnastics community stopped scoring gymnastic performances on a 10.0 scale where ten is deemed “perfect.” Perfect does not exist and that is why they changed the scoring system. Marriage will not be perfect either, but it too will still be a thing of beauty that challenges you, rewards you, and feeds a special place in your soul.
© WeddingOfficiantPalmSprings.com
Now I will ask you two to perform the traditional wedding pinky swear and Erik please repeat after me.
I, Erik B—, take you, Elena P— / to be my lawfully wedded wife / to have and to hold from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / until death do us part.
Erik, do you promise to love, honor, and cherish Elle as your wife and uphold the vows you have just made? [I do]
I, Elena P—, take you, Erik B— / to be my lawfully wedded husband / to have and to hold from this day forward / for better or for worse / for richer or for poorer / in sickness and in health / until death do us part.
Elle, do you promise to love, honor, and cherish Erik as your husband and uphold the vows you have just made? [I do]
Elle and Erik will now exchange rings. Your rings are a symbol of your love for each other. Let these rings not only announce to the universe that you have a very special someone but also let them remind you of the vows you have spoken here today. May I have the rings please.
Erik, repeat after me.
I give you this ring as a sign of my love and devotion. / As the ring has no beginning and no ending / neither does my love for you.
Elle, repeat after me.
[Elle interrupts me…gets grandpa’s ring from Erik’s widowed grandma]
I give you this ring as a sign of my love and devotion. / As the ring has no beginning and no ending / neither does my love for you.
© WeddingOfficiantPalmSprings.com
As a symbol of the merging of their lives and their hearts, Elle and Erik will now pour these containers of sand together. And never again will it be possible to separate his contribution from hers and vice versa.
Before we send this amazing couple out into the adventurous world of matrimony, let us close our eyes and go within for a moment.
Elle and Erik, may you always feel the love and energy that surrounds you right now in this moment. Feel the power and depth of the ocean on one side of you…a force that rivals the love, friendship, and hope from your friends and family on the opposite side of you. This is the
space between the “1” and the “zero.” Breathe it in and go forward into your marriage with this peace, strength, and encouragement always in your hearts and minds. Amen.
Without further adieu, it is my distinct honor to pronounce that you are now husband and wife. Erik, you may kiss the bride!!!
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Please join us on the 2nd floor patio for cocktails with dinner to follow. There are signs leading to the cocktail area or you are welcome to follow me. Immediate family please stay for photos before heading over to the Cocktail Hour.
