OUR WEDDING PROGRAMME
Sheilla
&
George
Saturday, 19th December, 2015
Order of Service
And
Programme
For the
Solemnization of Holy Matrimony
Between
Sheilla Omorede Osayogie
And
George Okhiria
@
Central Baptist Church
King’s Square, Benin City.
19th December, 2015
11:00am prompt.
OFFICIATING MINISTERS
1. Rev’d. Dr. T. Olu Aibinuomo (Presiding)
2. Rev’d. Dr. M. M. Oboh
3. Rev’d. Osahon Igbinidu
4. Rev’d. Wurola Osagiede
5. Rev’d. B. I. Emonfomwan
6. Rev’d Edobor Omogiade
7. Rev’d. Pius Egbon
8. Pastor Efe Currency
9. Pastor Chris Osagiede
10. Pastor Reuben Emegha
11. Deacon E.S.K. Adesina
12. Bro. Festus Eribo
Choir Organist
God’s Choir Osadiamen Amayo
Central Baptist Church
Choir Mistress
Mrs. Momoh
PROGRAMME
1. Preliminaries
2. Bridal Procession: Praise to the Lord, The Almighty (Baptist Hymn No. 6)
3. Opening Prayer/Invocation
4. Exhortation, Charge and Declaration
5. Scripture Reading:
6. Choir Special: God’s Choir
7. Message
8. Joining and Blessing
9. Choir Special: Women Choir
10. Lighting of Candle
11. Hymn of Marital Intercession “O Perfect Love”
12. Prayer of Dedication
13. Offering/Offertory Prayer
14. Choir Special
15. Signing of Marriage Register: Chorus by God’s Choir
16. Presentation of Marriage Certificate
17. Mission Offering
18. Couple’s Expression of Thanksgiving to Parents
19. Thanksgiving Offering
20. Welcome/Announcements
21. Closing Hymn: “To God be the Glory”
22. Closing Prayer/Benediction
23. Recessional Hymn: “How Great Thou Art”
1. PRELIMINARIES
i. Instrumental Music/Solos
ii. Arrival of Guests
iii. Seating of Bride’s Parents
iv. Seating of Groom’s Parents
v. Arrival of Bridegroom and the Best Man
vi. Marching in of the Bride
2. PRAISE TO THE LORD THE ALMIGHTY
Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration!
Praise to the Lord, who o’er all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires e’er have been
Granted in what He ordaineth!
Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee;
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.
Praise to the Lord, oh, let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breathe, come now with praises before Him;
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him. Amen.
3. OPENING PRAYER/INVOCATION
We desire, our heavenly father, to acknowledge you in our way, that thou mayest direct our steps. Especially do we need you in the epochs of life? Graciously regard thy servants who come before you to assume the mutual obligations involved in marriage. May they walk not heedlessly, but in thy fear in solemn step, which they are about to take.
Assure them and all of us thy presence and let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us in the rite we now celebrate. This is our prayer oh Lord, which we humbly ask in the name of our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
4. EXHORTATION, CHARGE AND DECLARATION
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God and in the presence of this congregation to join together this man, George and this woman, Sheilla in Holy Matrimony, which is an honourable estate. God said it was not good for man to be alone; he made a helper suitable for him, and established the rite of marriage while heavenly hosts witnessed the wonderful scene. Marriage was instituted by God in time of man’s innocence, signifying to humanity the mystical union between Christ and his Church, which holy estate Church adorned and beautified with his presence at the feast in Galilee. The rite of marriage is commanded in the scripture as honourable among all men and therefore is not to be entered into by any unadvisedly, lightly or wantonly but reverently, discreetly, soberly and in the fear of God, duly considering the causes for which matrimony is ordained:
First: It was ordained for the mutual society, help, and comfort that one ought to have for the other both in prosperity and in adversity.
Secondly: It was ordained for remedy against sin and to avoid fornication which such persons who may not have the gift of constituency might marry and keep themselves undefiled members of the body of Christ.
Thirdly: Marriage was ordained for the procreation of children that should be brought up in the fear and nurture of the Lord and to the praise of his Holy Name. Into this holy estate these two can show any just cause why they may not be lawfully joined together, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.
Speaking unto the persons that shall be married, the Minister shall say:
I require and charge you both as you will answer at the dreadful day of judgement, when the secret of all hearts shall be disclosed, that if either of you know of any impediment why you may not lawfully be joined together in holy matrimony you do now confess it; for be well assured that so many as are couple together otherwise that God’s word does allow, are not joined together by God neither is their matrimony lawful.
Groom: I GEORGE hereby declare before God and this congregation that I know not of any lawful impediment why l may not be joined in holy matrimony to SHEILLA.
Bride: I, SHEILLA hereby declare before God and this congregation that I know not of any lawful impediment why I may not be joined in holy matrimony to GEORGE.
5. SCRIPTURE READING
6. CHOIR SPECIAL – GOD’S CHOIR:
7. MESSAGE
8. JOINING AND BLESSING
Minister (turning to the direction of the BRIDE asks): who grant the permission for this woman to be married to this man?
The Parents of the BRIDE rise and say together.
We do: In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Amen.
(With that the father steps forward to hand the BRIDE over to the Minister).
Minister: In token of the deliberation on your part and your willingness to enter into this sacred and beautiful relationship of husband and wife, will you please, join your right hands? (BRIDE and GROOM join hands)
Minister to Bridegroom: It is the duty of the husband to be the lover, the counsellor and the guardian of his wife. The woman was not taken from the man’s head to Lord it over him, nor from his foot to be trampled upon, but from his side to be his companion and from under his arm to be protected by him, and next to his heart to be loved by him. GEORGE, will you have this woman as your wedded wife, to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health?
(The bridegroom shall answer) “I WILL, SO HELP ME GOD”
Minister to the Bride: It is the duty of the wife to be the lover, companion and the solace of her husband. As unto the thread is, so unto the man the woman. Though she bends him, yet she obeys him; though she draws him, yet she follows. SHEILLA, will you have this man as your wedded husband: to live together according to God’s law in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love him, honour, obey and keep him, in sickness and in health and forsaking others, keep yourself to him only as long as you both shall live?
(The Bride shall answer) “I WILL, SO HELP ME GOD”
Bridegroom: I, GEORGE now take you, SHEILLA, to be my lawful wedded wife, bone of my bone, and flesh to flesh, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you even as Christ loves the Church and to cherish you till death do us part, according to God’s holy law, and to these, I give you my pledge. God be my help Amen.
(They loose hands and the Bride shall take the Groom’s right hand in her hand and say)
Bride: I, SHEILLA, now take you GEORGE, to be my lawful wedded husband, submitting myself to you as unto the Lord, showing reverence to you as the head of this union, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love you even as Christ loves the church and to cherish you till death do us part, according to God’s holy law, and to these, I give you my pledge. God be my help. Amen.
(They loose hands)
The Minister to Bridegroom: Where is the token of your love for each other?
(The Groom shall produce the rings and hand them to the Minister, who holding the rings up for all to see shall say)
A ring is a symbol of completeness and emblem of eternity; a metal that has been tested and proven true. It is befitting emblem of loving each other. May your love and faith prove true in the test of time, as gold does in fire and may your love and faith endure until death do you part. Amen.
The Minister blesses the rings saying: Bless O Lord these rings in they name, each of them an unbroken circle, which symbolize eternity of they righteousness.
SHEILLA and GEORGE who will wear them as a seal of their vows and covenant, as a seal of their vows and covenant, a wedlock of unbroken, continuous fullness of love that they may be faithful and true unto each other abiding in mutual love until their lives’ end through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Minister to Bride: SHEILLA do you, in evidence of your love and sincerity, accept this ring?
Bride: “YES I DO”
(The Minister hands one of the rings to the Groom who puts it on the fourth finger of the Bride’s left hand and holding it there).
Bridegroom: SHEILLA, with this ring, I wed you. I give it to you as a token and pledge of my love for you. With my heart affection I endow you and all my worldly goods I share with you. I believe with all of my heart that this is forever in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Minister to Groom: GEORGE, do you, in evidence of your love and sincerity, accept this ring?
Groom: “YES, I DO”
(The Minister hands one of the rings to the Bride who puts it on the fourth finger of the Groom’s left hand and holding it there).
Bride: GEORGE, with this ring, I wed you. I give it to you as a token and pledge of my love for you. With my heart affection I endow you and all my worldly goods I share with you. I believe with all of my heart that this is forever in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, Amen.
(The Minister joins their right hands together and says)
In as much as GEORGE and SHEILLA have consented together in holy wedlock and have witnessed same before God and this congregation and therefore have given and pledge themselves one to another and have declared same by the exchange of rings, by the power vested in me as Minister of the Gospel and the Marriage Law of the Land, I pronounce GEORGE and SHEILLA, husband and wife in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
GEORGE and SHEILLA are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let no man put asunder. No custom, tradition, culture, friends, parents, in-laws, circumstance, law courts, the couple themselves, situation, ethics nor any social or physiological tendencies put asunder. I repeat, as it is written in the book of life, that what God has joined together let no man put asunder.
Minister to Bridegroom: “You may kiss the Bride”
9. CHOIR SPECIAL
Women Choir
10. LIGHTING OF CANDLES
11. HYMN OF MARITAL INTERCESSION:
(To be sung kneeling)
O PERFECT LOVE
1. O perfect love, all human thought transcending,
Lowly we kneel in prayer before they throne,
That theirs may be the love, which knows no ending
Whom thou for evermore doest join in one
2. O perfect life, be thou their full assurance
Of tender charity and steadfast faith
Of patience hope, and quite brave endurance
With child-like trust, that fears no pain or death.
3. Grant them the joy which brightens earthly sorrow,
Grant them the peace, which calms all earthly strife
And to life’s day the glorious unknowns morrow
That dawns upon eternal love and life. Amen.
12. PRAYER OF DEDICATION
13. OFFERING/OFFERTORY PRAYERS
14. CHOIR SPECIAL
15. SIGNING OF MARRIAGE REGISTER
16. PRESENTATION OF MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE TO COUPLE
17. MISSION OFFERING
18. COUPLE’S EXPRESSION OF THANKS TO PARENTS
The Bridegroom (turning to his Parents-In-Laws will say):
I take this opportunity to officially address you as my Parents-in-Law and to thank you not only for rearing SHEILLA in such a wonderful way, but also for granting me the permission to marry her. By this permission, you have incorporated me into your family. Under God’s leadership, I promise to be a good Christian Son-In-Law to you and a loving, faithful husband to your daughter.
The Bride (turning to her Parents-In-Law will say):
I too, gladly seize this opportunity to call you Parents-in-Law. I am glad to be accepted into your family as a Daughter-In-Law. I appreciate your decision to request my parents to allow me invest the rest of my life with your son GEORGE with the help of God and your cooperation. I promise to be an example of an ideal Christian Daughter-in-Law to you and a loving and faithful wife to your son.
19. THANKSGIVING OFFERING
20. WELCOME/ANNOUNCEMENT
21. CLOSING HYMN
TO GOD BE THE GLORY
1. To God be the glory! great things, he hath done
So loved he the world that he gave us his son
Who yielded his life an atonement for sin
And opened the life gate that all may go in
Chorus: Praise the Lord, praise the Lord
Let the earth hear his voice
Praise the Lord: praise the Lord
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the father, through Jesus the son
And give him the glory!
Great things he hath done
2. O perfect redemption the purchase of blood!
To every believer the promise of God
The vilest offender who truly believes
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives
3. Great things He hath taught us
Great things he hath done
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the son
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our rapture, when Jesus we see.
22. CLOSING PRAYER AND BENEDICTION
23. RECESSIONAL HYMN
HOW GREAT THOU ART
1. O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the works thy hands have made;
I see the stars; I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed;
Chorus: Then sings my soul
My saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!
Then sings my soul,
My Saviour God to thee;
How great Thou art,
How great Thou art!
2. When through the woods
And forest glades I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly
in the trees;
When I look down from lofty
Mountain grandeur,
And hear the brook
and feel the gentle breeze;
3. And when I think that God,
His Son not sparing,
Sent Him to die,
I scarcely can take it in;
That on the cross,
My burden gladly bearing,
He bled and died
to take away my sins;
4. When Christ shall come
With shouts of acclamation,
To take me home,
What joy shall fill my heart!
Then I shall bow
in humble adoration,
And there proclaim, my God,
How great thou art!
BRIDAL PARTY
BESTMAN MAID OF HONOUR
Osa Ogbemudia Twiggy Ogbemudia
FLOWER GIRLS
Sarima Zara Bekwele-Orlu
Allegra Ogbemudia
Tianna Ogbemudia
ORDER OF PHOTOGRAPHS
SESSION 1:
COUPLE WITH-
1. Officiating Ministers
2. Bridal Party
3. Bride’s Parents
4. Groom’s Parents
5. Both Parents
6. Bride’s Family
7. Groom’s family
8. Bride’s Friends
9. Groom’s Friends
10. Staff of GT Bank
11. Staff of Weatherford
SESSION 2:
1. Bride & Maid of Honour
2. Bride & Flower Girls
3. Groom & Bestman
4. Bride Alone
5. Groom Alone
6. Bride & Groom Alone
RECEPTION PROGRAMME
1. Music Interlude/Arrival of Guests
2. Introduction of the Master of Ceremony
3. Recognition of the Chairman and Parents of the Couple
4. Arrival of the Couple
5. Opening Prayer
6. Breaking of Kolanuts
7. Chairman’s Remarks
8. Cutting of the Cake
9. Feeding of the Bride and Groom
10. Nuptial Dance
11. Refreshment
12. Dance
13. The Toast!
14. Throwing of the Bouquet
15. Vote of Thanks
16. Closing Prayer
17. Dance! Dance!! Dance!!!
APPRECIATION
The families of Osayogie and Okhiria express their heartfelt gratitude to all who have contributed in various ways to the successful celebration of our wedding. God bless you and grant you Journey Mercies to your respective destinations. Amen.