Chapter Four- I do, I do, I do.
Love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me, I love you. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do. I can't conceal it, don't you see, can't you feel it? Don't you too? I do, I do, I do, I do, I do.
It was a short car ride from Dad's house to the church. I had wanted to get married out in the country, like Abi and Dan had done, but there was a two year waiting list. I suppose summer weddings are very popular. Instead, we were getting married in London, in a church in Battersea. It was a beautiful building, old on the outside but modern on the inside. When I saw it for the first time, I knew this was the place I wanted to say, "I do!"
We pulled up in front of the church and Dad got out the car first. He came round the side of the car and opened the door for me. He helped me out and I walked forward a bit. From the door of the church, ten kids ran down the stairs and to the car. Amber and Phoebe were part of my bridal group, one being 13 and the other 10. Hamish and Toby were my ringbearers, with Chris, Anthony and Rory being page boys. They looked so smart in their little suits with flowers in their button holes. My flower girls were Emma, Rosie and Felicity and were wearing pale pink dresses, with little bouquets. Emma hugged my legs and giggled, Fliss smiled and waved and the boys ran round in circles. Sally and Emily came over, in their lilac bridesmaid dresses and brought them back over to the church door. Dad smiled at me as we walked over. Then the music began to play out of the church. Matthew and I had decided to walk down to the aisle to the Piano Guys, Bring him Home because we both loved Les Mis.
The page boys and flower girls walked in two by two, followed by Sally and Emily so that they could keep and eye on the kids. Then Holly walked down, followed by Hamish and Toby with the rings. And then it was Mollie. Dad and I made it to the middle of the church and watched Mollie walk down the aisle. She looked so pretty in her floor length dress, her hair done in two plaits and crossed over the back of her head. She had woven flowers in her hair and just looked amazing. James was one lucky guy.
I squeezed Dad's hand and we began to walk down the aisle. I could see Matthew. He had his back to me and then he slowly turned to face me and he lit up. His smile was so wide, that I thought his face might break! I smiled back at him, holding back the tears. We reached Matt and Dad placed my hands in his and took his place.
The vicar who was conducting our service was called Iain and he smiled as we turned to face him.
"Welcome to you all on this very special day. I would like to take a moment before we begin to thank you on behalf of Keira and Matthew. I know it means so much to them to have you all here on their special day."
He smiled at us before continuing, "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you!"
"And also with you" responded the crowd.
"We say together; God of wonder and of joy: grace comes from you, and you alone are the source of life and love. Without you, we cannot please you; without your love, our deeds are worth nothing. Send your Holy Spirit and pour into our hearts that most excellent gift of love, that we may worship you now with thankful hearts and serve you always with willing minds; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."
He smiled at us, "Now we will sing the hymn requested by the groom!"
I looked at Matt and smiled. The organist played the opening to All things Bright and Beautiful. It was a hymn that we had both loved as children and we had both learnt it during Primary School. As we finished singing, Iain looked at us again and smiled.
"In the presence of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we have come together to witness the Marriage of Matthew and Keira, to pray for God's blessing on them, to share their joy and to celebrate their love."
I took Matt's hand in mine and squeezed gently. He smiled.
"Marriage is a gift of God in creation through which husband and wife may know the grace of God. It is given that as man and woman grow together in love and trust, they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind, as Christ is united with his bride, the Church. The gift of marriage brings husband and wife together in the delight and tenderness of sexual union and joyful commitment to the end of their lives. It is given as the foundation of family life in which children are born and nurtured and in which each member of the family, in good times and in bad, may find strength, companionship and comfort, and grow to maturity in love."
He paused before continuing; "Matthew and Keira are now to enter this way of life. They will each give their consent to the other and make solemn vows, and in token of this they will each give and receive a ring. We pray with them that the Holy Spirit will guide and strengthen them, that they may fulfil God's purposes for the whole of their earthly life together."
Iain opens his arms, as if welcoming the congregation up to us, "First, I am required to ask anyone present who knows a reason why these persons may not lawfully marry, to declare it now."
There was a beautiful silence and I smiled.
"Well, that's the best sound to hear at a wedding!" Iain smiled.
We laughed. He then turned back to Matt and I.
"Matthew and Keira, the vows you are about to take are to be made in the presence of God, who is judge of all and knows all the secrets of our hearts; therefore if either of you knows a reason why you may not lawfully marry, you must declare it now."
Neither of us said anything. I smiled at Matthew and he smiled back.
"Matthew, will you take Keira to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and protect her, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"
Matthew looked at me, "I will!" he said smiling and he winked. I tried so hard not to laugh. I looked down at the floor to regain my composure.
"Keira, will you take Daniel to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, honour and protect him, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"
I looked at Matthew and smiled, "I will!"
Then he turned his attention back to our family, "Will you, the families and friends of Matthew and Keira support and uphold them in their marriage now and in the years to come?"
Everyone responded, "We will!"
"Right answer!" smiled Matthew and everyone laughed.
There was another prayer and then Abigail read our chosen reading:
"If the old fairy-tale ending "They lived happily ever after" is taken to mean "They felt for the next fifty years exactly as they felt the day before they were married," then it says what probably never was nor ever would be true, and would be highly undesirable if it were.
Who could bear to live in that excitement for even five years? What would become of your work, your appetite, your sleep, your friendships? But, of course, ceasing to be "in love" need not mean ceasing to love. Love in this second sense-love as distinct from "being in love"—is not merely a feeling. It is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by (in Christian marriages) the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be "in love" with someone else. "Being in love" first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it."
Then Phoebe got up and read our reading from the Bible: "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
We then had the hymn that I had chosen which was I, the Lord of Sea and Sky. Iain then gave his sermon and invited us up in front of the altar again. This time, I felt as though my legs had turned to jelly and I found myself holding on to Matthew's arm even tighter. I wasn't having cold feet. It was just, that in this moment, forever was about to begin.
Iain said to us, "Matthew and Keira, I now invite you to join hands and make your vows, in the presence of God and his people" We turned to face each other and joined hands.
The vicar turned to Matthew first, "Matthew, take Keira's right hand." Matthew did as he was instructed.
Then Matthew said his vows, vows that we had learnt by heart over the past three weeks. "I, Matthew Jefferson Swan, take you, Keira Isla Holmes, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law and in the presence of God I make this vow."
Matthew released my hand and I took his right hand in mine and said, "I, Keira Isla Holmes, take you, Matthew Jefferson Swan, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward; for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part; according to God's holy law and in the presence of God I make this vow."
We smiled at each other and then Hamish and Toby stepped forwards with the rings. Iain blessed them and handed one to Matthew, who took my hand and said, "Keira, I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
Iain then handed me the other ring and I took Matthew's hand saying," I give you this ring as a sign of our marriage. With my body I honour you, all that I am I give to you, and all that I have I share with you, within the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit."
We smiled at each other and Iain turned us to face everyone. Dad and Greg were holding hands, Dad smiling and Greg had tears in his eyes. Daniel and Abi waved, Mollie had tears in her eyes, most of our friends were either crying or smiling or both! Some of the younger kids had fallen asleep, but the others that hadn't were looking a bit restless.
Iain said, In the presence of God, and before this congregation, Matthew and Keira have given their consent and made their marriage vows to each other. They have declared their marriage by the joining of hands and by the giving and receiving of rings" He paused looking at everyone and then us. "I therefore proclaim that they are husband and wife!"
Everyone cheered and clapped. I turned and smiled at Matthew. He was grinning from ear to ear. I grinned back, hardly believing that we were now married.
"You may kiss the bride!" Iain smiled. Matthew took my face in his hands gently and brought his lips to mine. Time and space seemed to melt away and for a moment, it felt like Matt and I were the only people in that room. I could hear the cheers and the wolf-whistles, but that only seemed like background noise. Nothing else seemed to matter.
After what felt like a lifetime, Matthew and I broke apart and turned to face our family. We were now Mr and Mrs Swan.
Forever had begun.
So come on, now let's try it, I love you, can't deny it. 'Cos it's true. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do. So love me or leave me, make your choice but believe me
I love you. I do, I do, I do, I do, I do
I can't conceal it, don't you see, can't you feel it? Don't you too? I do, I do, I do, I do, I do