Sunday, July 2, 2006
4:00 PM
All Souls Episcopal Church
2220 Cedar Street
Berkeley, California 94709
The Wedding Ceremony
Prelude Air on the G String Allison Chan & Wayne Hu
Lighting of the Candelabras Cheryl Lee & Stephanie Dong
Lighting of the Memorial Candle (pink) Erin Jang & Dan Lee
Seating of the Family
Seating of Groom’s Grandmother Gail Jang by Raymond Jang
Seating of Bride’s Grandmother Gay Wong by David Lee
Seating of Bride’s Grandfather Charles Wong by Dana Lee
Seating of Groom’s Mother Nora Lee Jang by Ryan Jang (Right
side facing front)
Seating of Bride’s Mother Diana Lee by David Lee (Left side
facing front)
Lighting the Individual Candles Mothers Diana Lee & (from votive) Nora Lee Jang
Entrance of the Pastor, Groom and Groom’s Men
Pastor Don Ng, Groom Ryan Jang, Best Man Laing Chung, Groom’s Men Yousman Okano, Rond Chananudech, Jimmy Duong, David Lee
Processional Wedding March Joy Shih Ng
Bridesmaids:
Erin Jang
Mary Louie
Justine Wong
Colleen Lue
Maid of Honor Dana Lee
Ring Bearer Jason Yee
Flower Girl Rebecca Wong
(Congregation stands)
Bride Denise Lee and Father Dan Lee (Left side)
Welcome and Greeting
Welcome to this special day! Please be seated. For the dignity of the service, we ask that all cell phones and pagers be silent at this time. Thank you.
We are gathered to unite Denise Yvonne Lee and Ryan Joshua Jang in marriage which is an honorable institution, ordained by the church, blessed by Jesus with his presence at the marriage at Cana in Galilee, and perpetuated by the faithfulness of honorable men and women throughout the ages. This simple ceremony, this celebration, is the outward token of a sacred and inward union of hearts, a union created by a loving purpose and kept by an abiding will by a man and a woman.
Ryan and Denise, we have assembled here to help you give added joy to this marriage that you have chosen. For what is greater than for two human souls to feel they are joined in the presence of their Creator to strengthen each other in all gladness, to be one with each other in the silent, unspeakable memories of the heart, and to let their deep happiness lead them into decisions and deeds that contribute to the lives of others and the betterment of our world. Ryan and Denise, just like how the beauty of creation made evident in the flowers that grace your invitations, you are about to discover all of the beauty, wonders and joy that come from being in the presence of our God and Creator.
Ryan and Denise welcome you, their families and friends. Each of you has given something of yourself to their lives. They want you to know that your love, guidance and encouragement will be forever appreciated. They know very well that the health of their relationship is going to be dependent upon your love, your concern and your enduring support. For all of your love for them, Ryan and Denise are most grateful.
Now as we share in these moments before God, family, and friends, let us acknowledge that what you are about to enter into is not simply a human contract. Rather, you are entering into a relationship that is sanctioned by the Bible and that it is a fulfillment of the deepest desires of the human heart.
Opening Prayer
O God, we thank you for your presence among us today on this joyous occasion. As Ryan and Denise give themselves to each other, we pray that they will continue to give themselves to you, offering their shared life in service to your will. In the quietness of these sacred moments, we remember that you planted the seed of love in the human heart, and now, as Ryan and Denise stand before you and their loved ones, we affirm the love that has brought them together. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
Presentation Question
Ryan and Denise deeply appreciate the rich and warm heritage of their families and especially the love and nurture that they have received from their parents. Acknowledging that God has brought them together, who has the honor of presenting them to be married today?
(Parents stand up.)
Parents: “We do.”
(Father of the Bride Dan Lee embraces and kisses Bride Denise Lee and sits down.)
Honoring Parents
As a sign of their love and respect for their parents, Ryan and Denise will present gifts to their mothers and fathers thanking them for the years of guidance, wisdom and protection in life. Each of them came with one set of parents; each will leave with two.
(Ryan and Denise present leis to parents.)
Step Up
Declaration of Intent
Ryan and Denise, in the presence of God and your family and friends, I ask you to declare your intention to enter into covenant with each other through the grace of Jesus Christ.
Ryan, will you have Denise to be your wife, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor her in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?
Ryan: “I will.”
Denise: will you have Ryan to be your husband, to live together in holy marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor him in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?
Denise: “I will.”
Scripture Reading 1 John 4:7-12 Melissa Sam
Words to the Couple
Ryan and Denise, it is a wonderful privilege to join with you in this joyous occasion of your wedding. Certainly all of us who have gathered here are honored to be with you as you make your vows before God and unite together in Holy Matrimony. We call it “holy” matrimony because it is a very special, unique occasion during which we ask God to be involved in your marriage and in your home. We pray for God to join you together so that you are truly one and remain in that oneness until death do you part.
Spanning across a number of years, you two have known each other and have been growing ever closer to one another. You first dated in high school but you knew each other way back when you were both at the same elementary school. First, you became friends, then good friends, then really good friends. You became known to others as boyfriend and girlfriend and pretty soon inseparable. You were bonding so well that you decided you would rather be with each other than with anyone else in the whole wide world. And now we know that you grew so deeply in love that being married together is the only appropriate way to show the world that God has brought love to you to be one.
When we met together before today, I observed in your relationship a deep friendship. Anyone who studies healthy and happy marriages will find that the husband and wife are great friends. They not only love each other, they like one another. When you are jogging together for exercise or traveling together to Italy or shopping and cooking together, you are like the friends in the TV sitcom series, “Friends.” Friends want to be together, to laugh together, to work together, to create a loving family together, to face all of life’s difficulties and blessings together, and yes, even to cry together when the occasion calls for tears.
In your loving friendship, you are each bringing gifts and talents to the other in creating a warm and friendly household. Denise, in your passion for cooking and particularly in your love for baking, you will fill your home with the aromas of warmth and hospitality for everyone who enters. Your guests will be treated to delicious cakes, pies, and breads as symbols of your friendship with them. And we know that Ryan likes pies! Ryan, as an architect and a designer, you enjoy figuring out how things work by putting things together and taking things apart. These skills will be needed by you to create your home and certainly required to assemble furniture from IKEA! In your interest for chairs, we look forward to that time when you will be able to fill your home with many different styles of chairs that will serve to invite your friends over to enjoy Denise’s cooking.
You selected 1 John 4:7-12 as your passage for your marriage. John said, “Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.” You are living out that love in your friendship to each other, in Denise’s love for children that has led her to care for them as her career and in Ryan’s commitment to serve our loving God in his life and through his church.
The book of Proverbs says, “A friend loves at all times…” (Proverbs 17:17) Be there as a loving friend for one another at all times, in all circumstances. May God continue to bless you with a loving friendship that you have for each other now and for the rest of your lives.
Exchange of Vows
Ryan: I, Ryan, take you, Denise,
to be my wedded wife,
to have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
in joy and in sorrow,
through laughter and tears.
Promising to faithfully love,
honor, and cherish you,
from this day forward,
as long as we both shall live.
Denise: I, Denise, take you, Ryan,
to be my wedded husband,
to have and to hold,
in sickness and in health,
in joy and in sorrow,
through laughter and tears.
Promising to faithfully love,
honor, and cherish you,
from this day forward,
as long as we both shall live.
Exchange of Rings
For many centuries, a wedding ring has been a symbol of a pledge that those who give a ring intend to live up to the vows and promises made at the time of marriage. A ring is a visible sign of an inward grace which signifies the givers and receivers becoming one in holy marriage through the church of Jesus Christ.
Let us pray. O Lord, enable Ryan and Denise to be aware of this sacred moment when they receive evidence of their pledge of love and loyalty to one another. May we know your peace and your favor as they begin their new life together, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Ryan: As a sign of my sincere love for you, Denise,
I give you this ring.
Wear it in the knowledge that I cherish you
with all of my heart and will.
With God’s help,
I will live up to my promises,
I make to you today.
Denise: As a sign of my sincere love for you, Ryan,
I give you this ring.
Wear it in the knowledge that I cherish you
with all of my heart and will.
With God’s help,
I will live up to my promises,
I make to you today.
Lighting of the Unity Candle
Ryan and Denise’s mothers lit individual candles to symbolize the precious gift of life that they were given when their children were born. Spanning across the years, they along with their fathers supported Ryan and Denise to this day and will no doubt continue supporting and guiding them in the future!
Now Ryan and Denise’s individual lives are joined in marriage symbolized by the Unity Candle. They declare that their life together will shine in the world with warmth and brightness for many. The Unity Candle, a keepsake for them to relight on their anniversaries now burns, signifying their new, shared married life.
Special Music Erin Jang & David Lee
Wedding Prayer
God of power and might, we pray for your strength on Ryan and Denise today. May they face their life ahead with eyes and hearts open wide. May they hold onto each other as you hold onto them—as precious gifts, loved beyond measure. Grant them your grace, that they may be gracious to each other. Grant them your peace, that they may offer serenity to each other. Grant them your joy, that they may offer joy to each other in the darkest of times. You, O God, are the source of our strength in every situation and so shall you be for Ryan and Denise. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.
Announcements
Ryan and Denise have requested that all family members return to the sanctuary for wedding pictures.
When Ryan and Denise were planning their wedding, they wanted all of their friends to be involved in making this special day a joyous one. They want you to enjoy each other’s presence as they cherish the friendship that each of you have with them. So now is the time to party, celebrate and have a good time because Ryan and Denise are about to become husband and wife! They will look forward to meeting each of you at the Wedding Reception at Hs. Lordship’s Restaurant in Berkeley at half past six o’clock.
Pronouncement
Ryan and Denise, you both came to this ceremony today because of the love that you share. With sincerity you have made sacred promises to each other in the presence of your family, your friends and your God. Live your life together with the hope and dreams that you will continue to grow together in your relationship with God and that God will be the center of your marriage and that God will hold you together just like the way he led you to meet each other in the beginning.
Because Ryan and Denise have publicly made their vows to each other today, have given and received rings as an outward sign of this love for each other, and have lit their Unity Candle to signify the oneness they have together in Christ, I as a Minister of the Christian Gospel now declare them to be husband and wife. Joined as one, Ryan and Denise, you will continue to be blessed by the love you share, the love you have for God and the love God has for each of you.
As the Beatles once sang, “All you need is love…” It is my joy and honor to introduce to you for the very first time, “Ryan and Denise Lee Jang.”
(Permission to kiss)
Recessional
Postlude All You Need is Love Beatles
Officiant: Rev. Don Ng
Organist: Joy Shih Ng
Wedding Coordinator: Jamie Wong
Photographer: Edwin Lee