You May Kiss the Brides : Pairs Reaffirm or Make Their First Vows of Commitment in Church Ceremony That Unites 24 Couples

Some of the couples saying “I will” Sunday were already married, but for others, like Damon Andres and Ticia Ewing, this was their wedding day.

It was not official under the law. But, to them, it was official.

They exchanged rings, and kissed--along with the 23 other couples affirming commitments to each other at the Church of Religious Science.

Some family members looked on from the pews and others joined the couples who formed a large semicircle before the altar as the Rev. Mark Vierra performed a 20-minute ceremony.

“This is somewhere where you can have a holy union,” said Ewing, 26. She and Andres, who live in Van Nuys, said Sunday they don’t feel the need for a certificate to legitimize their marriage.

“You don’t have to have it on paper as long as you feel it in your heart,” said Andres, 26, as he held their newborn daughter, Sasha.

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, members of the church had asked Vierra for a ceremony celebrating commitment and partnership.

The ceremony Sunday included couples who were married, others who were engaged and some who because of their sexual orientation might be turned away at other houses of worship.

“We thought that Valentine’s Day was a great time to do it,” Vierra said. “We want to bring honor and recognition to everyone’s commitment as a couple.”

Bill Jones and Karin Pedrick were engaged a year ago and plan to marry this December. But the ceremony gave the Burbank couple a chance to acknowledge their love before getting married.

“It reminds you of what you agreed to when you (first) did this,” said Kathryn Christy, 46, who has been married to husband Michael for four years.