Christ-Centered Wedding Vows | Will & Danielle Feature Film

Sometimes God uses very logical items to create His blessings. Sometimes, however, He puts together a list of items that defy our logic. A South Carolina student getting a summer theater internship in Wichita. Check. Convinced parents to allow her to spend her summer vacation somewhere other than home. More difficult. Check. A visit to a church she has never been to. And then, a conversation about the musical Cats. A Segway scooter date. Then, a long-distance relationship. To top it all off, a pandemic lockdown. Forcing them to spend a couple months under the same roof. Which I think qualifies as a ultra-short-distance relationship. And finally, a trip to the Grand Canyon, where apparently they went off into the desert gem-prospecting and found one to bring home. Anyone envision that checklist? Not me. Danielle and I have been best friends since she was born. Ever since that moment, we have been totally inseparable, even from 803 miles away. Well, thank you for the magic of technology that allowed me and Danielle to send each other hundreds of emails in thousands of different fonts and colors. That I actually happen to have right here with me. My wedding gift to you. How are you doing? Getting so excited. All the build-up. I am so ready. I love you so much. Our God and our Father, we are thankful for this commitment. And Father, we ask, as they enter into this relationship, that you would enable them to indeed serve one another. To love one another. And our God and our Father, that they would be an example of Christ in their home, in their jobs, and in their relationships. Marriage was ordained by God in Eden, confirmed in Cana of Galilee by the presence of the Lord, and is declared in Scripture to be honorable among all men, Hebrews 13.4. God was the originator of marriage when He said in Genesis 2.24, For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they too shall be one flesh. Those joined in marriage are brought into the closest of all human relationships, signifying the greater union between Christ and His church. Danielle, I'm not going to lie. I knew about a month into this that, Lord willing, I was going to marry you. I didn't know that it meant moving across the country, going through a pandemic with you, and quarantining with your entire family for three months. But I am so thankful it did, because through all of our seasons together, God has taught me that every high is even higher, and every low doesn't seem quite so low with you by my side. I am so thankful that my best friend in the world just so happens to be the most beautiful person I've ever laid eyes on. The fact that you can make me laugh until I'm crying but still stun me speechless with your eyes is something I never thought I could find in one person. To my sweet William, my best friend, and my person, I am so excited and honored to be your wife. There is so much to love about you. You are kind, intentional, humble, trustworthy, generous, hardworking, and truly the funniest person I've ever met. Most importantly, you love the Lord wholeheartedly and seek to follow Him in all that you do, and you inspire me to do the same, so thank you. You have become my definition of beauty, and that is even more true when I look at your heart. You have been patient with me. You have been gracious to me. You have shown forgiveness and love that clearly demonstrate Christ's living through you. You even being in my life is proof that God loves me beyond what I deserve. It's because you are such a remarkable, intelligent, godly bride that I feel even more pressure to lead, love, and honor you as I am commanded. All I can say is I love you dearly, more than I thought I could possibly love someone. I will be kind, I will be patient, I will be caring, and I will make mistakes. But by God's grace, I will be a husband that leads you closer to your Savior, who loves you more than I ever could. We know it's easy to say these things, but before you and before God, it is now up to me to live them out. And I can only do that through the guidance of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I, William, take you, Danielle, to be my wife from this day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, until death do us part. With this ring, I thee wed. The power vested in me by God and by the state of South Carolina now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride. I'd like to introduce to you now, William and Danielle Horne. And in a sweet dream. Danielle was one month old when she and I accompanied Angie to Angie's follow-up appointment with her OB doctor. We were proud first-time parents and wanted to show her off, like the OB office hadn't seen thousands of newborns before. When Angie's doctor, Dr. Dave, walked in, he greeted Angie and I, and then he noticed Danielle laying in her little carrier. He got a serious and concerned look on his face and he turned to us and he said, I'm sorry, we don't do returns. So Angie and I put our heads together and decided that if they wouldn't take her back, we had to take her home and do the best we could. Oh, you're going to make me cry. I know, I'm dying not to cry. You look so handsome! Well, with a little trial and error and a lot of grace, we think things turned out alright. I must say I'm looking forward to Danielle and Will coming back to our house for a visit. I also want the chance to turn to Will and say, I'm sorry, we don't do returns. Danielle and I dreamed of what our lives would look like and vowed to be each other's mean of honor in our weddings very early on in life. That dream is now a reality and I'm so grateful that I get to watch the two of you grow together as husband and wife. I have so much confidence in our future life together because I see the great man that you are and the even greater man that God is molding you to be every day. As you continue to grow, I will be there for you as your number one fan and supporter to encourage you to reach your goals and to lift you up and take care of you in times of disappointment and sadness. I can't wait to take on life with you, so expect me to push you to try lots of new things and ask you to go on all the adventures with me. But even on the most ordinary days or in the smallest moments, I'll work to make you feel loved and seen and appreciated. William, I so much look forward to laughing with you, crying with you, growing with you and exploring the world with you. Though the future is uncertain, you can count on me and you can count on my love for you growing with each day as it always has ever since the first day I met you. So to sum that up, you just gave me the happiest day of my life and with God's help and to the best of my ability, I will give you everything I have to give. Be faithful and stay committed to our lifelong covenant and when life gets tough, I'll remember these vows that I'm making on this day. Thank you for being the most incredible partner, loyal friend and very soon my loving husband. I love you forever and I'm yours always.