Nov 19 2004
The Wedding Ceremony
All along we've been reporting that viewers get to vote on every element of the wedding. But luckily, Nikki and Buddy do have a say on the most important elements--the person to perform the wedding ceremony, and the words they said that bound them together in marriage.The wedding was performed by Minister Wayne Edwards, who has known Buddy since he was 11 years old. In fact, Minister Edwards lived down the street from Buddy and his family. After welcoming everyone, Minister Edwards opened by talking briefly about the couple and their love for each other. He then read from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 13:4)
"Love is patient; love is kind.
Love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude.
It does not insist on its own way: it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice in wrong doing, but rejoices in truth.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
And now faith, hope, and love abide,
and the greatest of these is love. "
The Wedding Vows
The minister asked "Nikki/Buddy, do you take Buddy/Nikki to be your husband/wife, to live together in the wholly state of matrimony? Will you love him/her, comfort, honor and keep him/her and forsaking all others keeping yourself only onto him/her for as long as you both shall live?", to which they each replied "I do."Then they repeated after the Minister:
"I Buddy/Nikki take you Nikki/Buddy to be my wife/husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish till death do us part. I pledge you my fidelity."
They exchanged the beautiful wedding rings that viewers voted on, and said "With this ring I thee wed, and with all my worldly goods, I thee endow, in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit."
They had wanted to do a unity candle ceremony, but the wind on the beach blew out the candles! Luckily, the Minister saw what had happened, and smoothly asked them to light the candles symbolically. (As wind is often a problem in outdoor weddings, I've compiled a list of unity candle alternatives, such as the sand or wine ceremonies.)
After Nikki and Buddy took communion, and Minister Edwards led a short prayer, he pronounced them husband and wife, and told Buddy that he could kiss his bride! All in all, a meaningful although brief wedding ceremony.
The Wedding Reception
Held at Pimms restaurant, part of the Cap Juluca resort, the wedding reception had a great brunch. Along with things like fruit, pastries, eggs, bacon etc., wedding guests also ate made-to-order omelets and fun rum punches. And of course, they enjoyed the mocha-flavored wedding cake decorated with seashells that viewers voted on.
Where Will They Go on Their Honeymoon?
If you've been following the Today Throws a Destination Wedding series, you'll know that there is one last item that viewers voted on: the honeymoon. While they'll enjoy a few days on Anguilla, Nikki and Buddy will also get to take a honeymoon without cameras and guests over New Year's.First, let's review the choices that viewers had to choose from:
- Austria: A fairytale trip with a New Year's Eve at the Imperial Ball
- Whistler: Unlimited spa time and winter sports at a Canadian resort
- Mexico: Cruisin' around the Sea of Cortez, watching dolphins and island hopping
- London: From a private tour of Buckingham Palace, to world-class theater, and 5 star hotels.
To learn more about last week's episode, and the honeymoons viewers had to choose from, click here. If you're interested in visiting any of these locations, check out the About.com Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways site.
And the Winning Honeymoon Destination is:
Over 200,000 viewers voted, and they chose the romantic trip to Austria! As you'll remember, I was torn between sending them to relax and play at the Canadian resort, and the magical country of Austria, especially romantic in the winter. I finally voted selfishly for Austria, as that's where I would want to go. Good thing viewers voted the way they did, as Buddy confessed that he was worried that Nikki would spend all her time at Whistler enjoying the endless spa treatments, and he'd never get to see her! They'll have a wonderful time in Austria.So this brings an end to our weekly coverage of Today Throws a Destination Wedding. It's been so much fun to write about every week, and I thank readers for indulging me on this romantic trip.
If you missed a week, catch up now on the other choices that Today presented its viewers with:[/link]
Week 1: The Wedding Couple
Week 2: The Location for Our Destination Wedding
Week 3: The Wedding Rings
Week 4: The Wedding Dress
Week 5: The Bridesmaid Dresses and Flower Girl Dress
Week 6: The Wedding Invitation
Week 7: The Groom's and Groomsmen's Attire
Week 8: The Wedding Cake
Week 9: The Welcome Gift Bags for Wedding Guests
Week 10: Nikki's Wedding Hairstyle
Week 11: The Honeymoon Location
