Full Indoor Wedding Ceremony Video at Fishermen's Inn || Victoria + Cole's Chicago Suburbs Wedding

Cole, you look like you're actually excited to get married tonight. This is good. All right, everybody. Will you please rise and welcome the bride? Well, welcome. We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments. To give recognition to the worth and beauty of love. And add our best wishes to the words of Victoria and Cole of choosing to unite them in marriage. The bond of covenant of marriage was established by God in creation. And our Lord Jesus Christ approved of this manner by his presence and his first miracle at a wedding. In fact, the church is called the Bride of Christ. And Holy Scripture commends marriage to be honored among all people everywhere. So the union of husband and wife and heart, body and soul is intended by God for their mutual joy. As well as for help and comfort given to one another and prosperity and adversity. Therefore, marriage should not be entered into unadvisedly or lightly. But reverently, deliberately and in accordance with the purposes that God has instituted it. I invite you all to feel perfectly free to smile. I can see you in the back there, yes. Yeah, keep those smiles going. And enjoy the pleasure and the privilege that we have to witness this wonderful celebration of love. My duty requires me to ask a very important question. Who presents this woman to be married to this man? We do. Oh, they're excited to get rid of, I mean to give her away. That was great. Well, Cole and Victoria, as we worked on the details of this great day. You told me you'd have a very special group of people here to celebrate with you. And because you're good friends and you're family members. I have an important question to ask each and every one of you in the audience today. Do you as parents, family members and friends give your blessing and support for these two to be joined together in marriage? If so, please respond together with a very warm, we do. Nice, yeah, you should see the smiles on their faces. They're happy that you're excited to be here. Please be seated. Victoria and Cole, I know you really appreciate having your family and friends here to celebrate with you. And some very special people standing here supporting you. Your bridesmaids and your groomsmen. Victoria, your matron of honor is Brittany. And bridesmaids Katie, Emma and Jess. Cole, your best man is Caleb. And groomsmen Tyler, Griffin, Landon and Thomas. Each one is very special to you two. And you have many, many memories. And I'm sure many more to come. Well, Cole and Victoria have chosen at this time to honor both their mothers and their fathers who are present with us today. You have both expressed to me how truly blessed you are to have such wonderful parents. And how you admire and respect them for the many years that they've been married to each other. Victoria, your parents, Connie and Bob, have been married for 34 years. Woo-woo! Connie, that's amazing. Yeah, absolutely. Cole, your parents, Diane and Kevin, have been married for 35 years. Woo-woo! Diane, you're a saint. Absolutely. You're a saint. Absolutely. That is almost 70 years of marriage experience. Their commitment to each other is an inspiration to you as you begin your life as husband and wife. Well, Victoria and Cole have chosen a reading from the Bible, God's very words to us. For our reading, they have asked Madison, niece of the groom, to come and read a portion of 1 Corinthians chapter 13. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice, but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful and endures through every circumstance. Three things will last forever. Faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to celebrate the love that these two have for each other. But what do we mean by love? I have some very important words for you two. So please turn and face each other, holding each other's hands. Cole and Victoria, the commitment of marriage is one of the most important decisions you will ever make in your life. The vow of marriage is the pledge of a lifetime of love. Did you catch that? A lifetime, not a short time. A lifetime of love. Your commitment to share all life has to offer, the good times and the bad, with patience and understanding. For your marriage to remain strong, the trials and tribulations of everyday life must not shake your faith in each other. But beyond the love and respect you share, there must be a strong sense of commitment and loyalty. And a willingness to understand and accept each other's strengths and weaknesses. You must have an openness and a willingness to communicate with each other. To be great friends. Yeah, I like that look, Cole. You're like, communicate? Do I have to talk? Yeah, you're going to have to talk a little bit. To communicate with each other. To be great friends who really like each other, as well as love each other. Loving is the easy part. Liking is the hard part. So, Victoria, good luck. You have to like him for the rest of your life. We'll be praying for you. Absolutely, yes. So, how did their love story begin? Oh, this is a good one. At the end of January of 2021, Victoria was bored. It was wintertime. It was still COVID. And honestly, what else is there to do except reload Hinge for the millionth time? Meanwhile, Cole, who was also on Hinge, was scrolling along when he came across this beautiful girl wearing a two-person Christmas sweater with a friend stuck in that sweater with her. Festive, fun, and clearly someone that has the energy to commit to sharing such an ugly sweater as that one, yes. He was quite impressed, especially when he saw that she was a social worker working in a hospital during COVID. So, he commented on her picture. When Victoria saw his comment, she checked out his profile and got excited immediately. He worked at Aldi, her favorite store on the entire planet. He went to Iowa, the school that she wanted to go to. And basically, he was already a catch, and she hadn't even met him yet. They messaged for a day before she asked him for his number. Woo-woo, yeah. She's the one making the movie. I like that. Because she is a woman of efficiency, yes. A week later, he asked her to meet up. And on February 6th, they had their first date at Empire Restaurant in downtown Naperville. Cole got there first and waited anxiously. Victoria was just a little late, thanks to all the snow that has been falling. But when she walked in, he immediately thought, thank God, she looks exactly like her pictures. Meanwhile, Victoria had been nervous about one very specific thing. His teeth. Every profile pic that he had, he had a closed mouth smile. So, she was bracing herself for that moment of when she saw his teeth and was not sure what she was going to see. But when she walked in, he was grinning from ear to ear, and she thought, okay, great teeth. That's good. We're good. She also loved how tall he was. I don't know why that matters, but whatever. The date went great, especially because Victoria did most of the talking. What? That's such a shock. Which, for Cole, was just perfect. He loved every minute of it. By the end of the night, he walked her back to her car. As they stood there chatting, he leaned in 90%, and she came the other 10. And they had a very first quick sweet little peck. The next day, he texted her asking her when he could see her again. She melted. They saw each other several times over the next couple of weeks. And on February 27th, they went downtown for a romantic date. At dinner, Victoria looked at him and asked the relationship question. So, what are we? There they decided to be exclusive, officially becoming boyfriend and girlfriend. Around that same time, Cole and my pad just changed on me. There we go. Let me get back to my place. Around that same time, Cole told her that Aldi was sending him to Germany for the next two years, starting that summer. Meanwhile, Victoria's parents were moving to Arizona. But she and her brother, Thomas. Thomas, wave at everybody there, big guy. Thank you, Thomas. Yes. Wanted to stay local. So, the two of them moved in together in the house together. They were roommates for survival. On March 13th, Victoria and Cole went downtown with some friends, including Tyler. Tyler, wave at everybody. And Megan, where are you, Megan? There you are, Megan. Thank you. They had a great day. And as they were walking around Lincoln Park, slightly behind their group, after a bit of liquid courage, Cole turned to her and said, I want to tell you something. Victoria thought he was about to discuss dinner plans. But instead, out comes, hey, I love you. Then he got the response every guy hopes for when saying those all important words. Really? Then there was another pause. And after she had thought about it for a little bit, she said, I love you too. After that, they started saying it all the time to each other. That summer, Cole prepared to move to Germany. He sold his townhouse in early July and moved in with Victoria and Thomas until leaving. Since they were going to be doing the long distance thing for nearly two years, Victoria suggested that they get promise rings. Cole, in the peak of practical mode, responded, how about I buy you a washer and driver instead? Dude, that is one of the best lines I've ever heard, I tell you right there. But that's true commitment, much more than a ring, right? I mean, washer and dryer, that's a lot of commitment right there, absolutely. And so he did, he bought her a washer and dryer. That's awesome, I love that dude. Much better. After in the next year and a half, they lived on FaceTime, talking as much as they could. Victoria was sad every time they had to hang up. But thanks to Adriana and Richard, where are you guys? There you go, thank you guys. Because of you two and their girls, she was able to stay busy enough and felt supported by them to make it through that difficult time. She visited Cole twice in Germany and even traveled around Europe with his parents on one of those trips. Woo-hoo, that's commitment too, right there, yeah. Thankfully, Cole's time overseas was shortened, and after a year and a half, he came home and moved in with Victoria permanently. On July 20th, 2024, they were back in Iowa visiting his family and stopped at the local jeweler where Victoria found the perfect ring. He ordered it the next week, picked it up in August, and somehow smuggled it back to Chicago without her expecting a thing. In September, they traveled to Arizona to visit her parents. Cole figured this would be the perfect time and place to pop the question. He asked her dad, Bob, for his blessing. Bob responded the way every father dreams of responding. Are you sure? There's a common theme going on in your family here, you know, and stuff like that, yeah. I love that though, good, I love that. And then they laughed and welcomed him to the family. Cole planned to propose on Monday, September 23rd. They went out for a nice sushi dinner. And here's where Victoria started to get a little suspicious because Cole insisted on bringing his jacket with him. It was a 100-degree hot day. His excuse for bringing the jacket? Well, it might get cold in the restaurant because of my sunburn. You thought, well, that was a good try, yeah. She knew what exactly was going on. The car ride was weirdly quiet. Victoria thought he was mad at her. Really, he was having a mild internal meltdown at that point in time. Once they parked, Victoria hopped out immediately because sushi waits for no one. And while Cole stayed behind, fumbling with the ring in the back seat, he realized if he didn't do it now, he might chicken out. So at the back of the car, he said, hey, I have to ask you something. Dude, that is the most romantic area I've ever heard of a proposal. Then he dropped to one knee, pulled out the ring, and said, will you marry me? Victoria was in total shock. She didn't say much, just tears. Then he slipped the ring on her finger. They hugged it out. And then Cole being Cole clarified. So is that a yes? This time she actually answered, oh, my God, yes. They celebrated with a fancy dinner and ice cream. You've got to have ice cream, absolutely. They went back to her parents' house. And her parents had bought them a bottle of champagne waiting to celebrate. And that leads us to today. So what is it that Victoria especially loves and appreciates about Cole? Well, I asked them to write little love notes to each other. They have not heard what the other one has written to them. So this will be the first time they will hear these words. Now, Cole, don't get confused. It's my voice, but this is Victoria saying this to you, okay? So look each other in the eyes, and this is what she says. From the very first time they met, something about him stood out. A quiet strength, a steady confidence, and a sense of purpose that drew her in. He always carries himself with responsibility and courage, facing life with determination and grace. What she appreciates the most is that he thinks deeply about everything. He looks at all angles, considers every perspective, and never makes her feel small. He listens and leads with both strength and kindness. She loves the way he shows up for family and friends, the way he cares, the way he makes life feel a little more grounded, fun, and a lot more meaningful. What is it that Cole especially loves and appreciates about Victoria? This is what he wrote. He appreciates everything she does to make him the best version of himself. She encourages him to try new things and has always supported him personally and professionally. He appreciates her ability to find humor in any circumstance. She's always finding ways to make the both of them laugh. He loves that she is so thoughtful, considerate of others. She is always thinking of how to make everyone's day better. He appreciates her approach to life. She is curious to try new things. She is confident to tackle new challenges. She can talk to anyone, and she is courteous to all those she interacts with. He loves everything about her. She is truly his best friend. He would do anything for her, and he can't wait to spend the rest of his life with her. And now the tears are flowing, so let's see. Do you have one? Good. Nice. This has already been used. All right, there you go. Well, the couple will honeymoon in Maui, and I'm going to carry their luggage for them. I booked a room right next door. The three of us are going to have a great time together. Woo-woo! Perfect time of year to go to Maui, too, as well. Well, Cole and Victoria, I challenge you to love with the greatest love there is, unconditional love. It's pretty easy to love someone who does nice things for you, right? It's also pretty easy to love someone you respect and admire. But there's something that goes far beyond the words, I love you if, I love you because. Unconditional love says to the other person, I love you anyways, and I will love you always, no matter what. Now this is the rarest love of all, and it certainly has the most risk, but no marriage can last without it. It should never be given lightly, but once given, it should never be withdrawn. When we pray the Lord's Prayer, we ask God to forgive us in the same way we forgive others. Well, Cole and Victoria, unfortunately, neither of you are perfect. Now you look absolutely perfect today, but you each will make mistakes. But unconditional love says to the other person, I forgive you, I still love you, and I will stay with you for the rest of my life. Well, Cole and Victoria, you've now chosen to exchange your wedding vows. So Cole, as you look into the eyes of this beautiful woman, please share these vows and truths with her, repeating each phrase after me. Hi, Cole. Take you, Victoria. To be my 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. As long as we both shall live. All right, Victoria, without letting go of this wonderful man, and as you look into his eyes. Without the tears. Without the tears, your best you can do. But if you tear, it's okay to repeat after me. Hi, Victoria. Take you, Cole. To be my 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. As long as we both shall live. Well, the bride and the groom have provided rings to symbolize these vows. No box. He did a great job. Well, traditionally, the marking to the status of husband and wife is noted by the exchange of rings. These are powerful statements of love and are sealed upon your wedding vows. Let them mark you as husband and wife and wear them with joy for they are gifts as you guys are gifts to each other. Remember that tonight and tomorrow and next week and next month through the decade upon decade of the celebration of life together. May these rings always remind you of the vows you just made. So, Cole, take her ring, place it on her finger, and then repeat after me. Look her in the eye and say this. With this ring. I, thee, wed. I give you the ring. As a symbol of our vows. With all that I am. And all that I have. I give myself to you. All right, Victoria, take this ring, place it on his finger, and then repeat after me. Anybody got super glue? We're just gonna seal this baby on so it doesn't come off for a long time. You get my gist? Look him in the eye and say this. With this ring. I, thee, wed. I give you the ring. As a symbol of our vows. With all that I am. And all that I have. I give myself to you. Well, family members and friends, you've just witnessed these two exchange their vows and their rings. Will you be responsible to help them fulfill their vows? When times are tough and you see one of them wavering, will you actively help them? Not just with words, but come alongside of them. When anniversaries come up, will you celebrate with them? You're here today because you're important to these two. And they invite you to be on this journey with them. If you will help them stay married and to strengthen their marriage, please respond by saying, I will. Great, they still want you guys to get married. This is fantastic. Well, Cole and Victoria, you have now chosen to light the unity candle, symbolizing the uniting of your lives here today. You both will also keep your individual candles lit. Don't blow those out because you maintain your own individuality. However, the focus of your lives will now become we instead of me. From this day forward, you'll be two persons in one union. Well, I encourage you to keep this unity candle in a prominent place in your home. Light it often, especially on your anniversaries to remind you of this day and your promises and vows that you've made to each other. Now, before I pronounce you husband and wife, I have one more thing I'd like the two of you to do. This is your wedding day. It's a day that will seem to fly by. It's a day filled with emotions, plenty of those, rings, friends and family, and dances. Can you dance? Oh, he's saying yes. Yes. Oh, confidence. I love that. Awesome. I did not see that coming, dude. I'm proud of you. That's great. Well, many people here remember how fleeting their own wedding day was as well. So I want you to take a few moments to stare into each other's eyes and think about the happiness you're feeling right now at this very moment in this very place. Let it really register with your hearts and your minds. Now I'm going to get you to cry a little bit more, Victoria. Yeah, I know. Please turn and face everybody, and I want you to soak in their faces, their joy, their smiles. This is a moment that you never want to forget. All right, back around one more time, because now I want you to think about your life 20 years from now. Where will you be? What will you be doing? How many kids will you have? Well, many people here want you to remember that it's important to always keep this memory in place. John Lennon once said, a dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together, that is reality. So let that new reality start now. So Cole and Victoria, you have vowed your vows, promised your promises, and exchanged your wedding rings. Therefore, in the presence of God and these witnesses, I now declare you to be husband and wife. I now invite you both to seal this day with a kiss worthy, we worked hard on this, yes, worthy of this great occasion. Cole, you may kiss your bride. All right, everybody, please stand and cheer with me, because it's my privilege to present to all of you for the very first time, Mr. and Mrs. Smith as they begin their new life as husband and wife.