Celebrate the 23nd (!) Wedding Anniversary of Days of Our Lives’ Marlena and John With a Scrapbook Full of Their Romantic ‘I Do’ and ‘Redos’
Wednesday, July 6th, 2022
July 6, 1999 wasn’t technically the first time that the supercouple tied the knot. But it was the first time that they did so knowing to whom they were reciting their vows.
“If it first you don’t succeed, try, try again” doesn’t really apply to marriage-minded Days of Our Lives duo John Black and Marlena Evans. Their first marriage, begun back in 1986, was a roaring success. There was just one problem: When they entered into it, she believed that she was taking as her husband her “late” love, Roman Brady.
Well, that and she herself would soon “die” in air quotes.
But by 1999, John and Marlena were ready to “I do” it for real. By then, they knew that Roman was alive and well — oh, and it goes without saying that John wasn’t him. He’d lost wife Isabella. Marlena had tried and failed to fight her feelings for John, even after reuniting with Roman. The exes had even gone through hell to rid Marlena of the demon that had taken possession of her heavenly body, and banished she-devil Kristen DiMera from their lives.
Well, as best anybody can; like a bad penny, she always comes back.
More: Marlena Evans through the years [PHOTOS]
“Oh, honey,” sighed John, beaming at his radiant bride, “we are meant to be together, and I’m so happy that we are.”
More: John Black’s life in photos
So are their legion of fans, who perhaps more than reading a rehash of the ceremony would enjoy taking a stroll down the aisle — and, at the same time, Memory Lane — to revisit not just these nuptials but all of John and Marlena’s “I dos” in one massive photo album. If that’s you, RSVP yes by clicking here or on the picture below.
Video: YouTube/me900100
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>During John and Marlena’s first wedding, when she thought he was Roman Brady, they exchanged these vows…</p> <p>Roman (John): That is the true season of love.</p> <p>Marlena: When we believe that we alone can love.</p> <p>John: When no has ever loved so before us.</p> <p>Marlena: And no one will ever love in the same way after us.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>John and Marlena remarried on Tuesday July 6, 1999. Their vows were extensive for this go-round. Read them all in order in the next three slides from their wedding ceremony, cake cutting and honeymoon photos…</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
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<p>Marlena: I love you…I thought I’d lost you and then I got you back…I always believed that having someone come into your life that you can love as fully and as completely as I love you is very rare and very special…I held on to that when you were gone, and it saw me through some unbearable pain…Most folks go through their whole lives and never have that, you know. Not us. We got to have it twice in this lifetime. I know what it’s like to be without you for a month, for a week, for a day. I was for 17 months and 3 weeks and 2 days. That’s how long I hurt…To be back with you now…..We’re more than blessed – we’re twice blessed. I love you. I love you.</p> <p>John: Doc, the circumstances here have kind of dealt us a funny hand, and there are things in my life, which include our life, that I don’t remember. But I do remember the first time that I saw you after I came back again. From the hospital when you were working and I had no idea who I was….there was a major connection there. My heart stopped. They can take a human being and they can do a lot of things to him, but they can’t take away his love…I know there are a lot of people here today who might have thought that when you were in the hospital and you were lying in that bed, well, they might have thought that I thought I was losing you…But I didn’t…Oh honey, we are meant to be together and I’m so happy that we are. I love you.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Their ceremony vows continued…</p> <p>Marlena: John what I chose to say to you is from the Song of Solomon. It signifies to be the end of bad times, the beginning of the good times. Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away, for lo the winter has passed, the rains are over and gone, the flowers are appearing on earth, and the time for singing birds has come. My beloved is mine, and I am his until dawn breaks and the shadows fade. Turn my beloved and be thou ever mine. I really do feel as though our winter has passed, our bad times are over, and the good times are beginning. Now I know that nobody can ever promise what the future will bring, but I will make you one solemn vow. I will love you no matter what, whether rain or drought or sun or storm, whatever comes, I will laugh with you, weep with you, celebrate with you, and mourn with you. Whatever comes, I am yours, my love, until death part us.</p> <p>John: No wonder we are getting married because I chose a poem also. It is about a hundred years old and what it does is capture the essence of how I felt the first time I saw you. And I was never struck before that hour with love so sudden and so sweet. Her face it blossomed like a flower and stole my heart away complete. Are flowers winters choice, is loves bed always snow, she always seemed to hear my silent voice let love appeal to know.I never saw so sweet a face as though before me stood. My heart has left its dwelling place, can return no more. That sums it up Doc. I fell in love with you the first moment I laid eyes on you, and from that moment till now, well I think it’s safe that a lot of water has gone under the bridge. We experienced sadness, a lot of pain, but somehow through it all our love was strong enough to endure, and everything we’ve been through. My love for you has never changed, and I know it never will. So that brings up to today, and I can stand here in front of my family, and my friends and I can promise you that I will love you until I die. I am going to be a good husband to you. I am going to honor you, I am going to protect you, I’m going to care for you, and I’m going to make your cares my cares, I’m going to make your sorrows my sorrows, and by damn I’m going to make your triumphs my triumphs. And I’m going to grow old with you, and love and joy in all the great stuff life has to offer until death parts us.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
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<p>Their ceremony vows ended with…</p> <p>John: This gold ring is a symbol of my love and fidelity to you, it’s made from precious metal, in the shape of a circle, which has no beginning and no end. And so is my love for you, it is precious and never-ending. As this ring encircles your finger, never forget that your love encircles my heart.</p> <p>Marlena: This gold ring is a symbol of my love and fidelity to you, its made of precious metal, formed in the shape of a circle, which has no beginning and no end. As my love for you, it’s precious and unending. As this ring encircles your finger, always remember, your love encircles my heart.</p>
Image: J Graylock/JPI
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<p>John: I am the luckiest man in the world because you are standing right here beside me, and you’re still here, even after I broke your heart. Now I would give anything to undo what has happened, but I can’t do that. All I can do, Marlena, is a promise that I will fill today and all of your tomorrows with so much love that the pain of yesterday will simply fade away. I pledge my devotion, my entire life to repairing and restoring our marriage, and our family. God is my witness, I will never let you down or cause you one moment of pain ever again.</p> <p>Marlena: We always find our way back to each other. There was a time last year when I was not sure we were going to make it. But the vows we made to each other carried me through. The worst has come and gone and I still love you more than ever. I will always love you and I promise I will never ever give up on us.</p> <p>John: Neither will I.</p>
Image: Paul Skipper/JPI
7/9
<p>John and Marlena renewed their vows in Italy…</p> <p>John’s vows: Father, before we go on, I have something I want to say. Doc, you and I have been here before. We’ve stood before God and pledged our commitment. I sure don’t take the vows we’re about to say for granted. I’ve come too close to losing you too many times. But the one thing that’s always brought us back to each other is our love. Because our bond is unbreakable and everlasting. “Till death do us part” are not just words to repeat. For us it’s the truth, as sure as the sun rises and sets. Our hearts will be one forever. For richer, for poorer. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish till death do us part. I give you this ring as a symbol of our vows, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you.</p> <p>Marlena: John, I wish there was a way to put on canvas what I feel for you in my heart. To paint you a picture, because there are no words. But even if it were possible, it would take a Picasso, an artist for the ages, to capture something so profound. A happiness so complete, if I could paint a picture, I’d hang it on the stars to share with the world because everyone in their lifetime should know such a love. And if they did, the world would be a much better place. I, Marlena, take you, John, to be my husband. To have and to hold from this day forward. For better for worse, as a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my husband this day and forevermore.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
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<p>From the Horton Square…</p> <p>Marlena: I love you so much. You are my life. You are my love. You are my commandant. Every time you call me Doc it reminds me how much you understand the work that I do. I’ve been doing this a very long time. I’ve seen a lot of relationships. A lot of love stories. And the one thing that I never really clearly understood was what makes people fall in love with each other. I mean, love is mysterious, unpredictable. People fall in love and they do things. Sometimes good, sometimes bad they would never normally do. You see love doesn’t have any patterns. It doesn’t have any rules. It really is just a leap of faith. Maybe they call it that because we’re never sure somebody is going to be there to catch us and yet we leap. It is such a show of courage and bravery. I fall for you every single day. I know sometimes you make me a little crazy but there is no one else I would rather be crazy about and crazy with. So I vow to you today to be with you on this crazy adventure called love. For every day until I die.</p> <p>John: She did it again. Sweetheart, you just stopped my heart when I saw you standing there at the aisle. And then you took my breath away when you started walking towards me. The final steps of this incredible journey that’s lead up til this moment we promise ourselves to each other. You know it just hit me again how lucky I am to have you in my life. It’s taken us too long to get back here and that’s been bothering me. I hope you know that you’re always on my mind and my heart is always here with you. No matter how far away I am the place I want to be is right here by your side. Sweetheart, I want you to know that sometimes I have been so damned wrapped up in my work that I cause you to believe I’m not thinking of you. Well, those days are over. From now on I am going to spend the rest of our lives telling you baby you’re stuck with me and you better get used to it. Because what we said before about love you can’t explain. It just is. And in this crazy world that we live in now we are so damned lucky to have found our one of a kind, crazy love. Personally I’d like to see the world settle down because God knows you and I have shared enough of that crazy but no matter what lies ahead of us I will always be mad about you. That’s a fact.</p>
Image: NBC screenshot
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