Yesterday Emily and I attended Mark and Jennifer's wedding near Pilot Mound. We took our tent and camped on the property so we could do some proper celebrating.

Here are some pictures we took during the party.

This weekend I had the pleasure of attending Ben and Amara's wedding at Pineridge Hollow. The ceremony was beautiful, the weather excellent. and the reception was a lot of fun.

Ben, since I know you'll be reading this; let me say congratulations again!

A road trip that Amara, Emily and I took to Waterloo to attend Philip and Pamela's wedding.

On Saturday I was fortunate to witness the reception of Jon and Heidi Kornelsen. I had to miss the wedding to enhance my knowledge of auditing, but I consider myself lucky that I was able to enjoy part of the day. I had an excellent time at the reception and it really lifted my spirits. The food and entertainment were excellent and I have to compliment Heidi and Jon's taste in music. There were just enough people present to do a proper dancing of the Time Warp, and also enough confused onlookers to make the endeavor that much more fun. The reception took place at Providence College which was nice since there were lots of couches around so people who did not want to dance could talk and play games.

Heidi and Jon met each other at camp and they spent lots of time together as boys and girls leaders. Their 'organizing' and 'planning' sessions in the program room were the gossip of the spring staff. Although I have rather severe hindsight bias, while they were working together at camp you could see that they had a good relationship.

Heidi, Jon, you have my best wishes going forward. Enjoy your new life together to its fullest.

More pictures can be found in the gallery.

It seems to me like there are lots of 'Hey look, wedding pictures' posts online but this is probably the last.  The photographer has recently put the vast majority of the pictures he took online.

All the pictures can be found online at pictage.  Since you are my friends and family I need to warn you that the site requires you to sign up to view the pictures is infamous for sending a fair amount of spam.  The pictures can be found here, and if you aren't fond of spam you can log in using the email address spam@seancarney.ca and the password lantern.

Our photographer put the preview of our wedding album online, you can visit it here.  More pictures will be going online soon and I will update this post when they do.

The Celebration and Blessing of the Marriage
of
Emily Anne Blunden
and
Sean William Carney

August 9, 2008
saint benedict's table

The Gathering of the Community

Processional

Officiant

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with you all.

People

And also with you.

Officiant

We have come together to ask God’s blessing on Emily and Sean, to witness their marriage and to bring them our love and support.

I ask you now to pray for them; and not just to pray today or only in this place but to pray in your hearts continually and over the years.

Eternal love never fails; our love needs to forgive and be forgiven. As we pray and forgive we minister reconciliation. Those who marry are God’s ministers to each other of reconciliation and change. As they grow together, wife and husband foster one another’s strengths, they provide each other with the reassurance and love needed to overcome their weaknesses.

From this beginning God draws them now to a completely new life. They become awake to each other, aware of each other, sensitive to each other’s needs.

Emily and Sean, you are welcome here.
Pray that God will uphold and bless your life together,
that your promises be honoured, your words true,
now in time to come. Amen.

May God’s grace surround you and keep you,
The peace of God, which is beyond our understanding
keep guard over your thoughts and hearts.
God keep you friends with one another,
forgiving one another in kindness.
May hope keep you joyful.
Stand firm in trouble.
Be strong in your commitments.
May God make you compassionate and brave.
May there always be love
to bind and keep your whole.

The Proclamation of the Word

Song of Solomon 2:10-13

A reading from the Song of Solomon

My beloved speaks and says to me:

‘Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away;
for now the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone.

The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of singing has come,
and the voice of the turtle-dove
is heard in our land.

The fig tree puts forth its figs,
and the vines are in blossom;
they give forth fragrance.

Arise, my love, my fair one,
and come away.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

John 15:9-12

A reading from the Gospel according to John:

Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Poetry

Homily

Music

The Wedding

The giving and receiving of consent

Officiant

Sean will you give yourself to Emily to be her husband: to love her, comfort her, honour and protect her; and forsaking all others, to be faithful to her so long as you both shall live?

I will.

Officiant

Emily will you give yourself to Sean to be his wife: to love him, comfort him, honour and protect him; and forsaking all others, to be faithful to him so long as you both shall live?

I will.

Officiant

Do you, members of the families of Emily and Sean, give your blessing to this marriage?

Answer

We do.

Officiant

You are the witnesses to these vows now being made. Will you do all in your power to support and uphold this marriage?

Answer

We will.

Officiant

Jesus, do for Sean and Emily
as you did in Cana of Galilee.
Take the old water, their busy individual lives,
and turn them into new wine.

The Vows

I Sean take you Emily, to be my wife. All that I have I offer you; what you have to give I gladly receive; wherever you go I will go. You are my friend; you are my love. God keep me true to you always and you to me.

I Emily take you Sean, to be my husband. All that I have I offer you; what you have to give I gladly receive; wherever you go I will go. You are my friend; you are my love. God keep me true to you always and you to me.

The Blessing and Exchange of Rings

I give you this ring,
as a symbol of my vow.
With all that I am and all that I have,
I honour you in the name of God.

Officiant

Emily and Sean have joined themselves to each other by solemn vows, signified by the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings. I declare that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Those whom God has joined together let no one put asunder.

People

Amen.

The Signing of the Register

Music

The Prayers of the People

Let us pray.

Almighty God, in whom we live and move and have our being, look graciously upon the world which you have made and for which your Son gave his life, and especially on all whom you make to be one flesh in holy marriage.
May their lives together be a sacrament of your love to this broken world, so that unity may overcome estrangement, forgiveness heal guilt, and joy overcome despair.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

May Emily and Sean so live together that the strength of their love may enrich our common life and become a sign of your faithfulness.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

May they receive the gift and heritage of children and the grace to bring them up to know and love you.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

May their home be a place of truth, security, and love; and their lives an example of concern for others.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

May we who have witnessed these vows find our lives strengthened and our loyalties confirmed.
Lord, in your mercy,
Hear our prayer.

The Communion

The Lord be with you.
And also with you.
Lift up your hearts.
We lift them to the Lord.
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give our thanks and praise.

Holy, holy, holy Lord,
God of power and might.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory
Hosanna in the highest!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest!

The Lord’s Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power, and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.

This is the body of Christ:
behold what you are;
become what you receive. Amen.

The gifts of God for the people of God.
Thanks be to God.

After Emily and Sean have shared in communion, the gathered community is welcome to come forward to receive. Everyone is most welcome to participate, though no one should feel any obligation.

Music during communion

The Blessing of the Marriage

The Peace

The peace of the Lord be always with you.
And also with you.

The Recessional

Officiant: Jamie Howison
Music: Lyndon James
Communion Assistants: Helen Manfield, Sean and Emily
Readers: Rachel Blunden and Laura Blunden
Poetry Reading: Sarah Blunden
Prayers: Sara Matyas

Last night was a night I will never forget. I took Emily for a late night ski at Beaudry park through the woods. When we came upon the warm up shack, there were candles flickering in the windows and a warm fire burning in the wood stove. I proposed and we celebrated with hugs, brownies, strawberries, hot chocolate and lots of kissing.

We are both very excited, and look forward to spending our lives together.

Edit: Pictures are now online and can be found here.

Today was Heather's (né Heather Fast, "Church Heather") wedding. The ceremony and reception were excellent but it seemed so strange. I really cannot believe that she is married now. Everyone admits that this will take some time to settle in. She is the first to be married out of a long line of Whyte Ridge kids. It is also a sad day, because today, "Alone in the pew, the people that love forgot" lost a member from its ranks.

The most interesting part of the reception was the bouquet toss. The bridesmaids were sent out to round up single females after none came up willingly. It took three different people, followed by several ominous calls by the master of ceremonies to get my sister into the fray. I don't know how long it will be until she forgives everyone from dragging her up, although hearing "Heather, please come to the front" repeated over the loud speakers was rather entertaining.

It stands to reason that because none of the single women never really wanted to be a part of the toss, they all ran away from the bouquet while it was in the air. Once the bouquet had landed safely on the floor, someone picked it up and forced it into my sisters hands declaring her the winner of the toss. This cruel, heartless action was found to be rather funny by all of us at table 17. I admit that although I felt sorry for her, I did have a laugh at my sisters expense.

Its late and I am babbling. Congratulations Heather and Matt, may you enjoy your new life together.