Hello All,

Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of officiating at Jim and Emily's wedding at the Verdin Bell Event Center in downtown Cincinnati. I know I have talked about the "Bell" before but I can't say it enough...it is one of the best places to get married in Cincinnati. Paul and his staff have the event perfectly orchestrated right down to the minute and they leave no detail out. The hall was impeccably clean, the linens crisp and the candles were in place.

Emily and Jim are two people that I have grown rather close to over the last several months. They are both very low keyed people who are definitely in love with another and it shows. Their ceremony was short but to the point and they have started their lives together.

Good luck and God Bless......... Rev. BB

Hello All,

Let me tell you about the wedding I just got back from performing. It was at the Krippendorf Lodge at the Cincinnati Nature Center in Milford, OHIO. The Krippendorf was at one time the home or Mr. and Mrs. Krippendorf. They always gave daffodil bulbs to any one who visited. After their deaths the home and all of the land was deeded to the Cincinnati Nature Center to be preserved as a wildlife/nature center.

Jeff and Katie are both chefs at a very upscale restaurant in Cincinnati and they chose the Krippendorf setting because they feel very close to the out of doors. This wedding as really cool because the Bride's Mother was the Maid-of-Honor and the Groom's Dad was his Best Man. They stood in front of the fountain on the patio, with gentle classical guitar notes in the air the wedding began. The girls dresses were unusual and a very nice alternative to the standard bride's maid dresses. They were knee length in a flower print which seemed to blend in nicely with the setting. The grooms men wore white shirts with only a vest. What a great looking group in a more relaxed style.

The Groom's Mom got up to do a reading and when she came forward she warned everyone that she was on the verge of tears. The Bride reached out and rubbed her shoulder and BOOM! the tears came, but she was able to compose herself and read one of the best versions of the Corinthians that I have ever heard.

"I DO" and rings on their fingers the Bride and Groom were ready to start their lives together.

Good Luck and God Bless..... Rev. BB

Sample Vows

Hello All,

I met with a couple tonight for their final meeting before the wedding and they asked me for sample vows. So please feel free to look over the following links. Any vow can be put into the form of a question with a simple I DO at the end or in any other format such as to repeat the lines after the officiant. Hope these help,

Good Luck and God Bless..........Rev. BB

http://www.myweddingvows.com/traditional-wedding-vows

http://elegantvows.com/vows/1.html

http://www.bible.org/page.php?page_id=2436

http://www.chicagomarriage.com/wedding_vows.htm

Hello All,

This was a great weekend for weddings. The first was Friday evening at Ault Park in the Rose Garden. Jason and Kristin chose this spot because it is probably one of the most beautiful places in Greater Cincinnati to marry. With their families and friends looking on they exchanged their vows and rings as the gentle breezes blew the soft scent of the surrounding flower gardens that added a real outdoor feel to the ceremony. It was like one of those ceremonies that you see on the TV or in a movie. It could not have been better!

The second wedding was at the Elegance Banquet Hall in Northern Kentucky out in Florence. Derek and Emily planned a small affair with only forty people in attendance. The Bride wore a white dress that came to the knee and the groom was in a great dark suit that looked really classy.

The third wedding was at Fernbank Park down by the river in the west side to town. Fernbank park has been really fixed up to include a hill top where the outdoor weddings can take place overlooking the Ohio River. Corbin and Miranda chose this area because of the picturesque setting. The gentle breeze from the water added to the wonderful weather. The Bride's sister started the event off with a song and the I DO's were memorable for all. There were some sniffles in the crowd and you could see that this whole family was happy that they were getting married.

The fourth wedding was at a really beautiful spot in the Northern suburbs of Cincinnati - Waldon Ponds Golf Club. The wedding ceremony was in the gazebo in the gardens of the 1830's mansion house. This was a really wonderful venue. The wedding co-ordinators had decorated the entire place with red roses and white satin fabric. They did a super job with the whole event orchestrated to the minute. The ladies walked from around the front of the mansion to the rear where they were greeted by their partners and escorted to their spot. This couple, Jason and Judy, both had some "boo-hoo's" during the ceremony. I love when everyone cries!!!!! They are a great match and I am sure will have a fabulous life together.

Good Luck and God Bless.......Rev. BB

Hello All,

It is mid-July and for any one who is getting engaged and setting dates for a winter wedding you need to start booking your hall, band, D.J. and of course your Officiant. The sooner the better to get the person you want to perform your wedding ceremony. Most of us stay pretty well booked through out the year in both winter and summer so make some calls or send some emails as soon as possible. I still have some open dates in January and February available so please let me know if I can be of any help to you.

Another area I may be able to help you is in writing your vows. Call me at 513-633-2352 or email me at doyouido@hotmail.com and we can get started.

God Luck and God Bless......... Rev. BB

Hello All,

Let me tell you about yesterday's wedding at Mt. Echo Park in Price Hill. First, it was beautiful weather with temperatures in the low 80's and a gentle breeze that made it all the more pleasant. This couple had run into several snags over the course of the several weeks leading up to the ceremony but they did exchange vows and now they are on their way to a wonderful life together as Husband and Wife.

There was a snafu with the chairs, the venue, the rehearsal dinner, the DJ, horse drawn carriage, and ceremony music - but this goes to show you that love can conquer all and no matter what happened this ceremony was going to happen because these two people were meant to be together!

The Bride has three daughters and when it was time for the ring ceremony the Groom also gave each of the girls a ring. It was very touching and what a great way to start out. You could tell from the looks on their faces that this was going to be a very happy family.

Good Luck and God Bless........ Rev. BB

Hello All,

The weather was perfect, the breeze blowing softly and the scent of flowers was in the air as Joel and Laura were married in the Rose Garden at Ault Park. Below is their ceremony which included two very nice readings. They also had a violin soloist who played softly through the ceremony.

Laura was in a very simple but elegant dress and Joel was wearing a brown suit. The flowers were calla lilies in several colors bound together by ribbon. It was a very elegant evening.

Good Luck and God Bless.........Rev. BB

Please be Seated

Welcome to all
As we begin the wedding ceremony
Of Joel and Laura.
We are gathered
in the sight God and these
witnesses to join this couple
In holy Matrimony


Intent
I have a question for you both,
and I ask that you answer it is.
-
Is it your intention that come here
freely and with out reservation to be joined
As Husband and Wife???
It is

LOVE by Roy Croft

Love you not only for what you are but for what I am when I am with you. I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out; I love you for putting your hand into my heaped-up heart and passing over all the foolish, weak things that you can't help dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find. I love you because you are helping me to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple; out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song. I love you because you have done more than any creed could have done to make me good, and more than any fate to make me happy. You have done it without a touch, without a word, without a sign. You have done it by being yourself. Perhaps that is what being a friend means, after all.

Read before the Vows

It is often said that it is love that makes the world go round.
However, without doubt, it is friendship which keeps our spinning existence on an even keel.True friendship provides so many of the essentials for a happy life - it is the strong foundation on which to build an enduring relationship, it is the mortar which bonds us together in harmony, and it is the calm, warm protection we sometimes need when the world outside seems cold and chaotic.True friendship holds a mirror to our foibles and failings, without destroying our sense of worthiness.True friendship nurtures our hopes, supports us in our disappointments, and encourages us to grow to our best potential.Laura and Joel came together as friends.Today, they pledge to each other, not only their love, but also the strength, warmth and, most importantly the fun of true friendship.

VOWS

Joel do you
promise to share your live openly with Laura, to speak the truth always, to honor and care for her, to cherish her, and to encourage growth and fulfillment all the days of your lives in hockey or not?

I DO
Laura do you
promise to share your live openly with Joel, to speak the truth always, to honor and care for her, to cherish her, and to encourage growth and fulfillment all the days of your lives in hockey or not?
I Do

RING CEREMONY

“My heart smiles
every time I see my wedding ring”
Today you will exchange rings,
a perfect circle with no
beginning or end. An outward
symbol to the world that
you have pledged your
love to one person.
A gift from your best friend who has become your spouse today. A cherished ring that will mean more to you than any other possession.
When you look at your wedding ring think of that one person who makes you the happiest and your heart will smile.

Joel
please take the
Ring you have chosen for
Sherry place it on her
Finger and repeat after
Me.

I give you this ring and
I choose you to my wife
This day and every day.

Laura please take the
Ring you have chosen for
JOEL place it on his
Finger and repeat after
Me.

I give you this ring
I choose you to my husband
This day and every day.

It is with great pleasure that
By the power vested in me
By the State of
Ohio I now pronounce you
Husband and wife

Ladies and Gentleman
Mr. and Mrs. Joel

Hello All,

The link below belongs to one of the best planners I have worked with. Amber, Kelli and the others of Moment 2 Moment and Signature Events put on a really GREAT wedding at Mt. Echo Park.

The decorations were over the top, the rose petals on the aisle were superb and the Bride arriving in a carriage was wonderful. You could tell that they listened to the Bride and Groom and included all of their ideas into a seamless event.

Mt. Echo is one of my favorite places for a wedding and the fact that they took a very natural and lovely place and blended flowers, tuxedos and beautiful dresses into the setting made it even better.

I remember thinking to myself, as we were waiting for the Bride to arrive, that the whole event was so pretty and how the couple could really stop and enjoy their day because of the planners efforts.

I highly recommend these folks to you to help with your plans.

http://signatureeventplanners.com/weddings.html

Good Luck and God Bless.......Rev. Ben

07-07-07

Well here it is this years most popular day for a wedding and I had two weddings to perform.

The first one was at the home of the Bride and Groom in Miamisburg, Ohio. They have a very lovely new home that was perfectly decorated and with thirty-five family and friends joining in the celebration they exchanged their vows and when it was time for me to pronounce them Husband and Wife I invited Paul's daughter, Emily up to the front to put her hand on top of theirs and I placed my hand on theirs and said the magic words to make them married.

My second wedding was at Mt. Echo Park in Price Hill. Brian and Tina had decided on this venue, overlooking the city below, to hold their ceremony. The Bride made her way to the ceremony in a white horse drawn carriage. She met her Father and he escorted her into the pavilion where her groom was waiting for her. Tina was in a flowing white dress with long train that gathered rose petals from the aisle as she made her way down.

At this wedding I had the pleasure of working with the ladies from Moment-2-Moment Wedding and Events Planners. This is a group of people who really knew what they are doing when it comes to weddings. Every detail was perfect including the two inches of real red rose petals for the bride to walk on! I would highly recommend them to plan your event.

As always - Good Luck and God Bless......Rev. BB

Hello All,

Here it is July 3rd, 2007 and I had the pleasure of performing Billy and Katie's wedding at the Drees Pavilion in Devou Park. The pavilion overlooks the city of Cincinnati and the valley below which makes for a supurb back drop. The Drees people go all out for weddings and as usual all of the details were exact and perfect.

The wedding was held in the gazebo as two hundred and seventy five of their friends and family looked on. The wedding party was very large with eight attendants on each side, three Flower Girls and a Ring Bearer. One of the Flower Girls is twenty-four months old and simply stole the show. When the couple were exchanging their vows she was right between them tugging on the Groom's coat tails. Little kids are always great at weddings !

The Bride was of course in white the Groom in black tie and coat, and there were some "tears" in the family section of the crowd.

This weekend is the big 7-7-07 wedding date. I have two weddings this weekend on 7-7-07 and I will give a full report afterwards.

Good Luck and God Bless........Rev. BB