Why were there tears?
Well, maybe because of how our vows went :)

JOJO
MEC, please hold my hands, palms up, so you can see the gift that they are to you.

These are my hands, that hold yours on our wedding day, as I promise to love you all the days of my life.

These are the hands you will place with expectant joy against your stomach when God blesses us with a child, the same hands that will be so gentle when I hold our baby for the first time.

These are the hands that will work long hours to earn money for you and our family, and the hands that will care for and discipline our children.

These are the hands that will be nicked and bruised from fixing things around the house to make you more comfortable.

These are the hands that will caress your body through the years, and will countless times wipe tears from your eyes; tears of sorrow and tears of joy.

These are the hands that will comfort you in illness, and hold you when fear or grief weigh on your mind.

These are the hands that will assure you of love and companionship, that someone is a witness to your life.

MEC
JOJO, please hold my hands, palms up, so you may see the gift that they are to you.

These are the hands of your best friend, that are holding yours on our wedding day, as I pledge my love and commitment to you all the days of my life.

These are the hands that will hold each of our children in tender love, soothing them through illness and hurt, supporting and encouraging them along the way, and letting them go when it’s time.

These are the hands that will massage tension from your neck and give you comfort when you are sick, and console you when you are grieving.

These are the hands that will hold you tight as we struggle through difficult times, the hands that will hold you in joy and excitement and hope, and passionately love you and cherish you through the years.

These are the hands that will give you support as I encourage you to pursue your dreams.

And these are the hands that will assure you of love and companionship, as I choose to be a witness to your life.

PRIEST
(to both) These are the hands that will enter the Sacrament of Matrimony. These four hands will be your armor and shield against the evils and temptations of the world.
These are the hands that will reach out, first to each other, then united, will spread your love and your sacrament to all they touch.

These are the hands that will ease your parents' loneliness as you leave the nest, will first teach your own children the marvels of married life, and will be a sign to friends and strangers alike as to just how wonderful married life can be.

Now, please join your right hands and declare your consent before God and the Church.

JOJO & MEC
(to each other) Baby, with the Lord God as our witness, I promise to love you in good times and in bad. With all that I have and all that I am, and so let’s pray.

Grant us O Lord, to be one heart and one soul. From this day forward for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part.

PRIEST
And I, by the authority of the Church, calling on all those present here as witnesses, confirm and bless the bond of the marriage which you have contracted. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

ALL
Amen.


We were both crying when we were reading our vows. And our friends and loved ones were crying because we were crying. :D

See... we originally wanted a handfasting ceremony. But I later decided that might be too pagan or Wiccan. And we wanted the handfasting ceremony not because we're into witchcraft, but because ever since we first started going out... Jojo's assurances to me in times of trouble has always been that he'd always be holding my hands.

And then there's also that fact that our hands contain a real lot of nerve endings, which is why God's hands are always depicted in paintings and what-nots... always implying that He holds us in His hands, where He's most sensitive.

And isn't marriage all about sensitivity... to each other's needs and desires and dreams and well-being? :)

So, since i've gotten mails about it... DO FEEL FREE TO USE THE VOWS IN YOUR OWN WEDDING. I plagiarized most of it (the witness thing was all mine, syempre, but that was inspired by Shall We Dance?) anyway, and just made it more concise. Just make sure your groom is willing to say a mouthful... and your Priest is ok with it. :)

Moving on to other things... for those who have the time, click HERE for more pictures :)