THE WEDDING CEREMONY OF

Jeremy Paul A. Caballes

&
Will Hannah D. Lazarte

August 10, 2019

4:30 P.M.

Malate IEMELIF Church

2252 Rubi St., San Andres Bukid, Manila

“I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.”

(The Song of Solomon 6:3)

Bishop Nathanael P. Lazaro

Officiating Minister

Rev. Bryan Chester Cruz

Co-Officiant
I. PRELUDE “The Prayer” played by the Quartet

II. LIGHTING OF CANDLES

III. PROCESSIONAL
(Officiating Ministers; Usher and Usherettes; Best Man; Groom and Parents; Principal
Sponsors; Groom’s Man & Bride’s Maid; Veil, Cord, Candle, Bible, Ring & Treasure
Bearers; Flower Girls; Matron of Honor)

IV. SERENADE (for processional) 1st song: “Love Never Fails” sung by Ptr Benito Sumpio
and played by the Quartet; 2nd song: “The Prayer” played by the Quartet

V. THE BRIDAL MARCH “When I Say I Do” played and sung by Allan Gonzales
(Entrance of the Bride and Parents)

VI. PROLOGUE: (Request the audience to rise and to remain standing ‘til the invocation)
(Bishop standing right before the pulpit stairs)

Bishop: People were not made to live alone. We know ourselves, experience ourselves,
enjoy ourselves in relation to other human beings. Other persons sharpen our
perceptions, shape our ideas, mold our personalities, engage our wits,
challenge our ingenuities, enlarge our sympathies. For this reason there are
tribes, cities, nations, institutions. For this reason, too, there is marriage. In
fact, of all the relationships that mold, challenge, and sensitize, there is none
like marriage---none so intimate; none so threatening; none so filled with
potential for helping and hurting, blessing and cursing, shaping and destroying.
For this reason, marriage should never be entered into lightly, without a deep
sense of reverence and commitment. In the biblical sense, two persons who
marry become one flesh, one corporate person, for better or worse the rest of
their lives. Their souls may sometimes be at odds, pulling and straining
against one another, but the conflict still occurs within a single flesh. This is
why quarrelling and disagreement within the marriage body are so painful---it
is like quarreling with oneself, with another aspect of one’s own life. It is also
why there is no joy quite like the joy of a married couple who have grown
adjusted to each other, for they have deepened each other’s capacity to
experience everything until they feel the delights of life doubly, triply, and
even more.
We are gathered here this afternoon to witness the official moment of marriage
between Jeremy Paul A. Caballes and Will Hannah D. Lazarte and to
celebrate their union in a time of fellowship.
It is a family time, for what they do here will long affect both families being
united. It is also a religious time, because marriage, since biblical times, has
had its roots in faith and tradition. We read in the scriptures that Jesus
attended a wedding at Cana of Galilee, where he turned water into wine. And
he often used the symbolism of wedded joy to describe the ecstasy of his
followers whenever he is present with them. Therefore what we do here is
done not only before the respective families, but also before God himself,
 whose witness to these moments will seal them long after the rest of us have
passed from earthly scenes.

VII. BIBLE READING 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (Shenah Rua Caballes)

VIII. INVOCATION Rev. Bryan P. Cruz

(The congregation may now be seated.)

IX. ADDRESS TO THE COUPLE:

Rev. Cruz: Jeremy and Hannah, you are surrounded by your family and friends, all of
whom are here to share in your joy on this special occasion. It will be one of
the most memorable and happy days of your lives.
On this your wedding day, you stand apart from all other beings. You stand
within the beautiful circle of your love. For this reason, we are here in the
presence of God to join you both in holy marriage, to witness the choice you
made of each other as a life’s mate and your intention to build a Christian
home. God has declared that marriage is an honorable and desirable state. It
was designed by God to bring the ultimate in happiness and personal
satisfaction. The basic guidelines are that you should put God first, the welfare
of your mate second and yourself last. For us here gathered, this occasion is
not a spectacle but worship, it is not a mere formal observance, but a
participation in the will of God for Jeremy and Hannah.

X. THE CHARGE:

Rev. Cruz: I now, therefore, require and charge you both, Jeremy and Hannah, that, if
any of you know of any reason why you may not be lawfully joined together in
marriage, you now confess it.
To the congregation: If any of you can show just cause why Jeremy and
Hannah may not lawfully be married, speak now, or forever hold your peace.

Rev. Cruz: Let us pray. “Our Father, bless these persons as they come before family,
friends, and church to affirm the choice that they have made of each other as a
life’s mate and their intention to establish a home where Your love may be
celebrated in the family. Grant them a seriousness of purpose that they may be
delivered from empty words and casual commitments. For the fulfillment of
their vows may they discern the varied facets of your many splendored love.
May Your Word nurture them all the days of their lives that their dreams and
aspirations for life may find fulfillment in the doing of Your will in all things.
As we share with them in the celebration of love on this occasion, may we all
grow toward the perfection that is experienced in Your love. Through Jesus
Christ who so hallowed the wedding feast in Cana with His presence that the
guests experienced a joy that they had never known before, we pray. Amen.”

XI. DECLARATION OF INTENTION:

(Ask the couple to move towards the altar)
 Bishop: (To the Groom)
Jeremy, will you have this woman to be your wife, to live together in
a holy marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her in
sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as
you both shall live?
(The man answers: “I will by God’s help.”)

(To the Bride)

Hannah, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together
in a holy marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in
sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as
you both shall live?
(The woman answers: “I will by God’s help.”)

(To the Congregation)

Will you who witness these vows do all in your power to support and
uphold this marriage in the years ahead?
(The answer is: “We will.”)

XII. THE GIVING OF THE BRIDE:

Bishop: Who gives Hannah to be married to Jeremy?

[The Mother of the Bride (standing) answers: “I do.”]

Bishop: Who blesses Jeremy as he marries Hannah?

[The Father & Mother of the Groom (standing) answers: “We do.”]

Bishop: Let us pray for the families of Jeremy and Hannah, who have given their
blessings to this union: “O God of all marriages, whose will is that we be one
family in our Lord Jesus Christ, we lift up before you the families of Jeremy
and Hannah, and ask your special favor upon them. Grant them a sense of the
wonderful opportunity that is theirs for growth and understanding through
their new relationships with each other. Make them loving and generous to
each other in all their dealings. Teach the parents to give up their children in
order to find them again in new and exciting ways. Let your peace and
fullness abide on them this day and in all time to come. Through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.”
(Parents may now be seated).
XIII. EXCHANGE OF VOWS:

Bishop: Now, will you face each other, join your hands and say your vows to each
other.

Groom: I, Jeremy, take you, Hannah, to be my wife; to have and to hold from this day
forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health,
to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is my solemn vow.
 Bride: I, Hannah, take you, Jeremy, to be my husband; to have and to hold from this
day forward, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in
health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part. This is my solemn vow.
(After scripted vows, personalized vows may be read or de;ivered extemporaneously)

XIV. SPECIAL SONG “The Marriage Prayer” by Ptr Benito Sumpio & Shenah Caballes

XV. EXCHANGE OF RINGS: (May I have the rings please.)

Bishop: “Lord, these lovely rings are seamless, like the round of the years in your
sight, like the love that Jeremy and Hannah feel for each other at this time.
May they become golden shields, guarding their care for each other, that it
may deepen and broaden through the years by reminding them of their
commitment to each other and to you. Amen.”

Groom: Hannah, with this ring I wed you, and bring to you all that I am and all that I
have, that we two may become one for the remainder of our lives. I hope
always to love you. I promise always, as far as I am able, to put your
happiness above my own and to be faithful to the spirit of this moment.

Bride: Jeremy, with this ring I wed you, and bring to you all that I am and all that I
have, that we two may become one for the remainder of our lives. I hope
always to love you. I promise always, as far as I am able, to put your
happiness above my own and to be faithful to the spirit of this moment.

(You may now be seated while I give a short Wedding Meditation)

XVI. WEDDING MEDITATION Bishop Nathanael P. Lazaro

XVII. HYMN OF PREPARATION “Ngayo’y Narining Ko” Iemelif Hymn No. 2

(I prefer our Tagalog version but you may use the English version of “I Am Coming Lord”; all
songs and parts of the liturgy that require audience participation may be flashed on the screen)

XVIII. WEDDING COMMUNION

(Officiating Ministers approach the Communion Table
while the couple kneels at the communion rail)

XIX. HOLY COMMUNION

Ptr. Cruz: “Prayer of Humble Access”

We do not presume to come to this Your table, O merciful Lord, trusting in
our own righteousness, but in Your manifold and great mercies. We are not
worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under Your table. But You are the
same Lord, who is always merciful. Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord, so to
partake of this Sacrament of Your Son Jesus Christ, that we may walk in
newness of life, may grow into His likeness, and may evermore dwell in Him,
and He in us. Amen.
Bishop: “Breaking of Bread and Blessing of Cup”
Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of Your tender mercy did give Your
only Son Jesus Christ to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; who
made there, by the one offering of himself, a full, perfect, and sufficient
sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; and did institute and in His Holy
Gospel command us to continue, a perpetual memory of His precious death
until His coming again.
Hear us, O merciful Father, we most humbly beseech thee; and bless and
sanctify with thy Word and Holy Spirit these Your gifts of bread and wine, that
we, receiving them according to Your Son our Savior Jesus Christ’s holy
institution, in remembrance of His passion, death, and resurrection, may be
partakers of the divine nature through Him:

Who, in the same night that He was betrayed, took bread; and when he had
given thanks, He broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take, eat; this
is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

Likewise after supper He took the cup; and when He had given thanks, He
gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of
the New Covenant, which is shed for you and for many, for the forgiveness
of sins; this do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”

(Partaking of the Communion Elements by the Officiating Ministers)

Bishop: “Prayer”
O Lord, our heavenly Father, we, your humble servants, desire Your fatherly
goodness mercifully to accept this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving;
most humbly beseeching You to grant that, by the merits and death of Your
Son Jesus Christ, and through faith in His blood, we and Your whole church
may obtain forgiveness of our sins, and all other benefits of His suffering.

(Distribution of Communion Elements to the Couple)

The Couple: “Prayer of Thanksgiving”

And now we give You thanks, O Lord, because you have made the union
between Christ and his Church a pattern for the marriage between husband and
wife. When you made us in your image, creating us male and female, you
gave us the gift of marriage. When sin marred that image you healed our
brokenness, giving your Son to die for us.
Therefore with angels, we raise our voices with all who have served You in
every age, to proclaim the glory of Your name: All glory, honor, thanks and
praise be given to You, Creator of heaven and earth. Amen.
(Couple take their seats)

(Distribution of Communion Elements to the Congregation)

Ptr. Cruz: “Prayer”

 And here we offer and present unto you, O Lord, ourselves, our souls and
bodies, to be a reasonable, holy, and living sacrifice unto you; humbly
beseeching you that all we who are partakers of this Holy Communion may be
filled with thy grace and heavenly benediction. And although we be unworthy,
through our manifold sins, to offer unto You any sacrifice, yet we beseech you
to accept this our bounden duty and service, not weighing our merits, but
pardoning our offenses; Through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom, and with
whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honor and glory be unto You, O
Father Almighty, world without end. Amen.

(All standing)

Congregation: “Prayer After Taking Communion” All in unison

Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
Pour out Your Holy Spirit on us even as we pray that these gifts of bread and
wine be for us the body and blood of Christ, that we may be for the world the
body of Christ, redeemed by his blood.
By your Spirit make us one with Christ, one with each other, and one in
ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at
his heavenly banquet. Through Your Son Jesus Christ, with Your Holy Spirit
in Your Holy Church, all honor and glory is Yours, almighty Father, now
and forever. Amen.

XX. VEIL AND CORD CEREMONY

Rev. Cruz: Accept now the veil placed across your shoulders as an expression of God’s
care and protection over you.
Accept, too, the cord as a symbol of God’s immeasurable love
binding you as one united in Him. Because you are now one flesh, let the joy
of one be the joy of the other, the sorrow of one be the sorrow of the other.

XXI. RECEIVING OF THE COINS

Rev. Cruz: The coins are tokens of God’s blessings to sustain your welfare and well-being
in married life. Hold the coins now in your hands, as a sign and pledge that
such blessings will no longer be held separately but together. Above all, may
you always show that whatever gifts you may have in this life are not yours but
God’s. As stewards of God’s gifts, use them well.

XXII. SONG Quartet

XXIII. PRESENTATION OF THE BIBLE:

Bishop: Jeremy, Hannah, accept this open Bible—the Word of God. Read it, examine
it, understand it. All Scriptures are written by inspiration of God and are
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly versed in all
good deeds. Keep God’s law in your hearts and find pleasure in it.
XXIV. SIGNING OF THE CERTIFICATE

Bishop: In order to complete this ceremony, Jeremy and Hannah, shall now sign the
marriage certificate, followed by the principal sponsors.

XXV. SONG “Two Words” by Shenah Caballes; “To Have and to Hold” by Ptr Benito & Jeanette
Corsega

XXVI. PRAYER OF BLESSING

(Invite parents to come up and ask the Congregation to stand)

Bride’s Mother: O Lord, in loving memory of my husband Wally, be in this blessing

that I give to our children. I, who have been through this road of married life,
know there are a lot of adjustments and a lot of growing up ahead of them. Let
their love sustain them in the days ahead and let them believe in Your
sustaining grace so that they will grow together in your care. May the home
they form be full of Your peace and your joy, O God. May it always help
others to know you’re around and a part of their life. Through Jesus Christ,
our Lord. Amen.

Groom’s Parent: O God, we thank you for the light in the air, the glory in the sky, and
the joy of our children’s faces today. Bless all the people who made the day so
good, for companions of their youth who have shared the joy and the work of
the day, for the understanding and good will of the ministers, and for all good
wishes and prayers from sincere and loving hearts present here today. Bless
these, our children, and grant them some day to know fully the mystery of
Your plan by which their lives have moved to seek each other out above all
others to find completion. Reveal unto them increasingly the beauty of their
marriage vows. And so, our Father, let them go forward seeking your
guidance and your will. Hallow every hour of their united lives. Grant that in
their love they may find Your face. Through Jesus Christ, our Savior. Amen.

(Ask the Major Sponsors to join the parents in giving the blessing to the couple:)

Bishop: O Most loving Father, let Your blessing be upon these Your servants, now
joined in lawful marriage; sanctify them and their lives, their home and their
affairs, to your glory. Maintain them in love to you and to each other; and
send upon their home the fullness of prosperity, quietness and peace. Guide
their steps, protect them in all danger, spare them to one another in health and
happiness through many days, and grant them an inheritance in Your
everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.

Bishop: “And now, Jeremy and Hannah, may the Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious
unto you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you
and give you peace, now and forever more. Amen.”

XXVII. SONG “Household of Faith”

(Removal of Cord and veil. Note: congregation should be standing while doing the declaration.
Ask the couple to stand also and while facing the officiating minister, he will declare:)

XXVIII. DECLARATION OF MARRIAGE:

Bishop: Jeremy and Hannah, since you have promised your love to each other, and,
before God and these witnesses, have exchanged these solemn vows and these
symbols of genuine and undying love; ...as a Minister of the Iglesia Evangelica
Metodista En Las Islas Filipinas also known as The Evangelical Methodist
Church in the Philippines, I declare that Jeremy Paul A. Caballes and Will
Hannah D. Lazarte, are now husband and wife, according to the ordinance of
God, and the laws of the Republic of the Philippines, in the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Whom, therefore, God has
joined together, let no man put asunder.

XXIX. SONG Quartet

XXX. LIGHTING OF THE UNITY CANDLE

Bishop: We will now witness the lighting of the Unity Candle. The Lord said: “Let
your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify
your Father in heaven”.

XXXI. PRESENTATION OF THE NEWLY WEDS

To the Sponsors: Dear sponsors, Jeremy and Hannah hold you in high esteem. They
see in you and in your family relationships a model of what they would like to
emulate in the new home that they are establishing. May you continue to merit
that esteem as you continue to watch over them with your concern and love.

To the Congregation: Your presence here is an acknowledgment of your personal interest

and concern for their happy home. May you continue to follow their new life
together with the same interest and concern.
Dear Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you…
Mr. & Mrs. Jeremy Paul and Will Hannah Caballes.

XXX. GIVING OF RESPECT TO THE PARENTS AND SPONSORS

XXXI. BRIDAL KISS

XXXII. PICTURE TAKING

XXXIII. RECESSIONAL – Seasons of Love