You Make Me Smile by Uncle Kracker

    Sunshine

You’re better than the best
I’m lucky just to linger in your light
Cooler than the flip side of my pillow, that’s right
Completely unaware
Nothing can compare to where you send me,
Let’s me know that it’s ok, yeah it’s ok
And the moments where my good times start to fade

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

Even when you’re gone
Somehow you come along
Just like a flower poking through the sidewalk crack and just like that
You steal away the rain and just like that

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

Don’t know how I lived without you
Cuz everytime that I get around you
I see the best of me inside your eyes
You make me smile
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun
Fall out of bed, sing like bird
Dizzy in my head, spin like a record
Crazy on a Sunday night
You make me dance like a fool
Forget how to breathe
Shine like gold, buzz like a bee
Just the thought of you can drive me wild
Ohh, you make me smile

Sunshine Song Download

Technorati Tags: Sunshine, You Make Me Smile Like The Sun

blue swiss army knife

Carrying a pocketknife to a wedding ceremony might seem like an unusual practice for a wedding officiate, but it could come in very handy, even if you do not live in Arizona.  It has helped me and others more than once.

It was just a couple of months ago that I was performing a wedding for a young couple.  It was a second marriage for both of them.  The bride’s young son, about 4 years old, was the ring bearer.  As happens quite often, the ring bearer carried a pillow with the wedding rings tied on top.  He came in just right, stood in the right place and waited patiently for his cue. 

When the time came for the ring vows and the exchange of rings, I said to the groom as I always do, “What token do you have to give to your bride as a symbol of your love and affection and a seal of your marriage?”  He answered, “A ring.”  The Ring Bearer stepped forward perfectly and held up the pillow. 

Normally, the rings are tied on in such a way that when the bride or the groom can simply pull the ribbon and the knot is untied and the ring is loose and can be easily removed.  However, sometimes when the ring bearer is very young, the person who ties the ring on is afraid that the young child will accidentally untie the knot and the ring will be lost, so they tie the ring securely.  (This is a good reason to use ornamental or fake rings on the pillow and let the best man carry the actual rings.) 

myswissarmyknife

The person who tied the rings on the pillow on this day must have been afraid the little fellow would lose the rings or did not know how to tie the appropriate knot.  When the groom reached down to take the ring from the pillow, and pulled the ribbon, the ring did not come loose.  I think you can imagine the slight panic and embarrassment as he tried to untie the ring.  However, since he had pulled the ribbon, as he should have, the knot tightened instead of loosening.  The groom, had a nervous laugh.  People began to see what was happening and also joined in the laughter at his predicament.  He tried unsuccessfully to untie the knot for a few seconds which seemed more like a few minutes to him. 

Even though I could not see everything because his body was between where I was standing and the actual pillow, I knew what was going on.  As the wedding officiant, I try to never get flustered and help everyone up front to keep calm and accomplish their roles without being embarrassed.  I reached into my left pocket and pulled out my little Swiss Army pocket knife.  It has a small blade, a file, a small screw driver, a toothpick, tweezers, and scissors and is only about one and one half inches long.  I opened the scissors, and handed it to the groom.  He was so focused on untying the knot that he did not even see it, but the bride did and took it from me and handed it to her groom. 

He was very glad to receive it.  He cut the ribbon and proceeded with the ring exchange.  Obviously, we had to use the scissors for the groom’s ring, too, a few minutes later.  She was prepared to receive it.

I have carried a pocket knife like this for years.  It is just a $10 item and fits so easily in your pocket.  I have used it just like this in more than one ceremony.  I have used it before the ceremony to do any number of helpful things.  I would encourage you to get one and make it a habit to carry it with you at all times, unless you are boarding an airplane.  You might just be the hero the couple talks about for years to come.

Technorati Tags: Wedding Humor

Just found out that My Wedding Favors is offering a summer discount on all orders.  As long as the orders total more than $120.00.  But who can possibly spend less than that on wedding favors?

Check it out below.

 Summer Discount – Save 7% on orders of $120 or more. Use coupon code SUMMER7 at checkout.

Technorati Tags: coupon code, discount wedding favors, Wedding Favors, wedding favors coupon

I would be honored if you would leave a testimonial about your wedding ceremony.  If you are able to upload a photo, that would be very helpful.  It could be your engagement picture or a wedding picture.  Since your privacy is very important to me, I will only include your first names in the post unless you specify that you want more information included.  I will also send you a copy of your wedding vows in Word in case you would like to have them printed and framed.

Click on “Leave a Testimonial for Dr. Carr” above and write your testimonial in the box marked ”Leave a Reply”

Wishing you only the very best in life.

Blessings,

Kelly
Proverbs 3:5-6

Dr. Carr
www.ArizonaWeddingsPastor.com
Arizona Wedding Officiants

“We have been blessed to have had the pleasure to work with Dr. Kelly Carr over the past 3 years. We would never think of using or recommending anyone else! He has officiated dozens of weddings for us each with class, sincerity, and a genuine love for the service he provides. Each and every couple that we have recommended him to has been ever so grateful to us and he is our exclusive “resident” officiate now that we have our own location. We were thrilled to hear about the work he has done to provide brides and grooms with planning tools for the most important part of a wedding celebration. The information put into these useful booklets and kits will undoubtedly contribute to anyone planning a ceremony – even coordinators like us.”

Daisy Joy & Evelyn Comer
Aldea Wedding & Event Center
Tlaquepaque Plaza
Phoenix, Arizona
www.AldeaWeddings.com

Technorati Tags: arizona, arizona wedding ministers, arizona wedding officiants, Arizona Weddings, pastors, wedding

There are several real climactic moments in a wedding.  When the Groom slips the gleaming gem on his bride’s finger is one of those moments.  Another high moment is the “first kiss.”  Most often, there is a thunderous applause when the couple kisses.

The most climactic moment is when the wedding officiant presents the couple as Mr. and Mrs. for the first time.  This comes at the very end of the ceremony and is always a cause for real enthusiastic applause.  

Here is the actual process I use.  First, I remind the Bride to take her flowers. Then, I ask the couple in a very soft voice to turn and face the audience.  I will then say in an enthusiastic voice, “Ladies and Gentlemen, I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. John and Jane Jones.”  The crowd erupts.  The music begins and the couple is halfway down the aisle already.  Well, sometimes they are, if they did not listen.

I remind them before the wedding begins to stop after I present them and take it all in.  It is the first time during the entire ceremony when they are actually facing the audience and looking into the faces of their parents, families, and friends.  The natural tendency of people is to be nervous in front of a crowd.  They tend to want to rush down the aisle as swiftly as possible.  Instead, take a few moments and look into the faces of your friends and family, smile, and remember the moment.  Let the music play for a few measures, then look at each other and walk out hand in hand.

Aside from being a good moment for you and your guests.  It is also a very perfect opportunity for photos.  Your entire wedding party is present and in place and you are all facing the same direction.  So, think about it.  Discuss it ahead of time.  And don’t let your nerves take over and ruin what could be a very special moment.

Technorati Tags: presentation of the couple, wedding ceremony, wedding day, wedding tips, wedding vows

There are two sets of wedding vows in the wedding ceremony.  The first set of vows are the “I do” vows.  The minister says the vows, which are a set of questions, “Do you…”  The groom answers, “I do.”  And then the bride.  This is usually pretty easy to do.

The second set of vows in the wedding ceremony is the ring vows.  They are the “repeat after me” vows.  The wedding pastor says, “Place this ring on the wedding finger of your bride and repeat after me.”  The groom then places this sparkling solitaire on the finger of his bride and looks directly at the minister.  WRONG.  Please, look at the bride.  Of course, the bride should look at the groom.

It is very natural to look at someone when they are speaking to you.  However, keep in mind what you are doing.  The wedding officiant is saying the vows for you to repeat.  You are saying them to your bride or your groom.  So look at the person you are speaking to.

Now for some reason, the guys are more often guilty of this than the girls.  The guys have more of a tendency to look at the minister, while the brides tend to look into the eyes of their husbands. 

I think the reason is that the groom, who usually goes first, is often more focused on “not messing up.”  So he looks at the minister so he can get all the words right.  It is for this reason that I always use “short phrases.”

I always try to address this issue before the ceremony with both the bride and the groom.  If we get to the “repeat after me” vows and the groom places the sacred ring on his bride’s finger and looks directly at me, I will say my first line while looking at the groom, and then very deliberately turn to look directly at the bride, hoping he will get the message.  Usually this works and he will begin looking at her while listening to me.  I tell them both ahead of time that if, for some reason, they do not hear the phrase, or if their mind wanders and they just miss it, to look at me and I will repeat it.  No problem.

It will make you and your spouse both feel very special and valued as you look deeply and adoringly into their eyes while your expressing your love and commitment for a lifetime.  It is a small thing, but it can make a big difference.

Technorati Tags: wedding ceremony, wedding day, wedding tips, wedding vows

Afraid of looking like a blubbering idiot when you are saying your vows of eternal love to your spouse?  You are not alone.  There is a way to keep from crying without appearing to be an emotionless zombie.

We have all seen the bride or the groom who were overcome with emotion, or alcohol, and began weeping uncontrollably during the ceremony.  Actually, I see the groom cry more often than the bride.  That is one of the last things I tell the groom before the ceremony begins.  We have also seen brides or grooms faint during the wedding ceremony.  Perhaps you have seen it on TV.  But nobody wants to be seen fainting on the wedding video.

There is a simple answer.  In one word, “breathe.”  I tell the couples that if they feel they are going to “tear up” then they should slow down, take a deep breath and then proceed.  What happens is that as we begin to “tear up” our chest gets tense, we get a knot in our throat, we stop breathing and we begin to cry to release the tension.  Slow down, breathe, and proceed.  The same advice for feeling “light headed.”  It also helps to not lock your knees.

One other piece of advice is to avoid alcohol.  Alcohol can make a person feel more emotional and less inhibited.  It can cause some people to feel sick in their stomach.  Believe me, you don’t want someone in your wedding party to throw up during your well planned, beautiful wedding ceremony.  I have seen it more than once.  So don’t serve alcohol before the ceremony, or at least limit it.  You will be glad you did.

Technorati Tags: crying at wedding, wedding day, wedding tips

OK.  This is not a wedding day tip, it is a day before the wedding day tip, but it is important.  Here’s why.  If you will bring your Marriage License with you to the rehearsal, and leave it with the wedding planner, then you will not be worried about remembering to bring it with you on your wedding day. 

This is advice that comes from years of experience.  Please remember that signing the marriage license is the legal portion of the wedding ceremony.  Marriage is a civil, religious, and legal occasion.  The marriage license must be signed and witnessed in order for the marriage to be legal.  On more than one occasion, a couple has forgotten to bring the license to the ceremony.  A few times they have had to send someone an hour away to get the license and bring it back to the venue.  This is uncomfortable for the couple and causes everyone to have to wait, the officiant, the photographer, the witnesses, and, causes an interruption in the reception.

By bringing the Marriage License early, your wedding Pastor can also sign his part before the ceremony begins.  I often fill in my portion of the license before the ceremony begins.  This saves a few moments after the ceremony when the couple, the best man and maid of honor, and the photographer all gather to sign the license.  It allows the photographer to begin taking photos right away.

So, save yourself some anxiety on your wedding day by bringing your Marriage License to your rehearsal.  You can thank me later, and you can sit back and enjoy the stress in the faces of your friends when they forget to bring theirs.  Just kidding.

Technorati Tags: Marriage License, wedding day, wedding tips