|
||
On May 30, 1999, I had the honour and privilage of marrying my very best friend and the love of my life. Furthermore, I got to do it at a Renaissance Faire in my very own town, and in its very first year. It was amazing, to say the very least. While we lived together for almost two years before the wedding, and for all intents and purposes we really WERE a married couple, there really was something to this whole ceremony business that I hadn't anticipated until I was in the thick of planning it. Originally it was all about appeasing families and giving our friends a sense of the "reality" of it, although I'd never pass up an opportunity to create the wedding I've always wanted - complete with a Renaissance Faire behind it. But it became something else entirely - a ceremony for US to share with the world what we mean to each other, and an opportunity to acknowledge for ourselves what that meant to us. We spent a lot of time in the months before the wedding reflecting on our relationship - its strengths, its weaknesses, where we agree, where we disagree. Our fundamental differences, which we have found compliment each other, and our similarities, which we have found strengthen our own convictions and theories. We have discussed our future and our past and our present, and what we want to create in our lives together. We have talked of individuality and togetherness....and what does it really mean when you say "forever"? We have talked of what we want to change in our lives, and in our relationship, and what would be a deal-breaker and what isn't. We realize we have chosen each other, and chosen to walk the path of life together, and that neither of us have left anything undone, and that whatever challenges arise for us, we choose to face them together. We agree on the birthing and the raising of our children, we agree on where and how we want to live, we agree that there are certain ways in which each of us can support the other in our growth. We agree on anarchy and on freedom. We agree to give each other the freedom to be our own persons and make mistakes. And we agree to learn together. And to listen to each other. We wrote our wedding ceremony together, with the help of our officiant, Marc, who has been a great friend to both of us and has made a significant difference in our lives. We chose him to officiate because of this, and because of the nature of his belief system, which in many ways is similar to our own life philosophies. The Renaissance Faire found us, via our lovely friends Duckee and Dixie, and the timing couldn't have been better had I created it myself. We have so many wonderful friends that have volunteered to help us create this wedding, in deejaying, catering, frying turkeys, helping with liquor, videography, doing makeup, creating my dress, creating other costumes, making the jewelry, bartending, ushering, helping me shop for whatever I've needed, creating our rings, writing the ceremony.... I want to mention them now. I want to acknowledge them for their generosity, their love, their patience and their kindness. Without them this wedding wouldn't have been the wonderful event it was, and with them my life is enriched twenty-three thousand fold (hail Eris!). I have a truly amazing group of friends in my life - you all know who you are, but for the public, thanks, in no particular order, to: Sharon C., Nikki, Krissy, Mickey, Buck, Eric H., Brian, Traci, Karen, Heather, Eric C., Louise, Marty, Maria, J'nathan, Duckie, Johnny, Jason D., Marc, John D., Mom, Cathy, David, Kirsten, Bill, Sharon W., Riedel's bakery, Allen Weintrop, and more....Thank you for helping to create this day for me. I'll never forget it! I love you all! |
||
The Ceremony - text
|
||
|
||
|
