Wedding Ceremony

This October, I will be performing my sister's wedding ceremony. This is a rough outline of what I intend to say.


THE MO:
Good afternoon, and welcome to the ceremony that will unite Justin and Kathleen in marriage.We gather here today to celebrate their union, and to honor their commitment to one another. Today Justin and Kathleen proclaim their love to the world, and we rejoice with and for them.

In marriage, we give ourselves freely and generously into the hands of the one we love, and in doing so, each of us receives the love and trust of the other as our most precious gift. But even as that gift is shared by two people who are in love, it also touches the friends and family members who in various ways support and contribute to the relationship. All of you are Kathleen and Justin’s community, and each of you has played some part in bringing them to this moment. This is why gathering as a community is such an important part of a wedding ceremony. Because Justin and Kathleen are now taking a new form as a married couple, and in this form, they become part of their community in a new way.


(NOTE: This is the appropriate place for Justin and Trix to state their intentions with the personalized vows they wish to make or to do the handfasting – see below).

Justin and Kathleen, we are here to remember and rejoice with you and to recount with one another that it is love that guides us on our path, and to celebrate as you begin this journey together It is in this spirit that you have come here to today to exchange these vows.

VOWS

Groom: I call upon all present to witness that I take you to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.
Bride: I call upon all present to witness that I take you to be my lawful wedded husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.

OR

Officiant: (Groom) will you take (Bride) to be your lawful wife, will you love her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live.
Groom: I will.I (Groom) take you, (Bride) to be my lawful wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.
Officiant: (Groom) will you take (Bride) to be your lawful wife, will you love her, honor and keep her in sickness and in health and forsaking all others keep only unto her so long as you both shall live.
Bride: I will.I (Bride) take you, (Groom) to be my lawful husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health while we both shall live.

RINGS

For thousands of years lovers have exchanged rings as a token of their vows. These bands are made precious by our wearing of them, for what they tell our community. Your rings say that even in your uniqueness you have chosen to be bound together. Let these rings also be a sign that love has substance as well as soul, a present as well as a past, and that, despite its occasional sorrows, love is a circle of happiness, wonder, and delight.

Justin, take Kathleen's ring and put it on her finger, and repeat after me:
Just as this circle is without end, my love for you is eternal/ Just as it is made of indestructible substance/ my commitment to you will never fail/ With this ring I take you to be my trusted confidante and partner for life.

(REPEAT SAME FOR KATH, OR MODIFY IF YOU WISH)

PRONOUNCEMENT
Justin and Kathleen, although I'm officiating here today,it is not truly in my power to sanctify, legitimize or bless your relationship in any way, because the two of you have already done that in your hearts. So, by joining hands right now and looking into each other's eyes,let it be known that you are joined, body and soul in this lifetime, and that this bond is sacred and eternal. And now that you have stood before me and exchanged these rings and these vows,and have agreed to be married according to the laws of the state of Massachusetts, it gives me gives me great pleasure to pronounce that you are Husband and Wife.

*HANDFASTING is an ancient Celtic wedding ritual in which the couples' hands are tied together with a ceremonial ribbon or cloth (if you saw the movie BRAVEHEART you might remember the scene where they were married in the forest. The priest wrapped their hands in a strip of cloth, his family's tartan). It's often done in modern times with a beautiful ribbon the couple chooses. It's tied in a bow with an opening loose enough so that the hands can come out freely, or simply draped across the hands. The couple saves the ribbon or cloth as a keepsake.. Here are some words that can be said with handfasting:

"Justin and Kathleen, as your hands are bound together now,so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust.Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars your love should be a constant source of light,and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow."

New cat

On Monday, I acquired a new cat from the Humane Society. She is adorable, as you can see from her picture. She is 5 years old, and was given up by her previous owners because they "didn't have time". She's a cat. How much time does she really require of you?

Of course, I am starting to figure out how much time cats can require, as I now have the duty to introduce her to her new brother, Loki. He is 7, and has been with me about 2.5 years. So far I've limited their interactions, and they make lots of strange noises and glare at each other, but neither has tried to attack the other. I suppose that is the best you can hope for initially. I am a little nervous about leaving them unsupervised, but at some point I suppose you need to let them work it out.

Luisa in captivity. 

Sigh. Even in his mugshot, he was a dreamboat. 

If I were a Survivor...

If I were Steph from the current Survivor, living on the beach all alone, I would spend my entire day giving deadpan interviews to the cameraguys, who are at least as bored as she is. I would mention that it was hard to know who to trust on the island, and that I was rethinking my original alliance with myself. "Is Team Steph the way to go? I've been going along with it because it seemed that was the way the wind was blowing, but now I'm not sure..." (looking wistfully at the sea).

Damn right!!