Someone told me that it sounded odd to hear me describe it as "lovely," so here I'll call it beautiful. (I think both words similarly apply, and similarly are rarely among that set of words I typically use to describe things).
I have been to three or four beautiful weddings -- weddings at which the rite actually conjures palpable magic among the principals and congregants, rather than remaining the dry series of formal gestures many weddings rush stuffily through to get to the staged photo ops and the slightly-less-stuffy dinner. This was one of the former, one of the best of them: Everybody involved was so sincerely happy about the event and his or her involvement and the community sanctification of the principals' marriage.
A highlight of this wedding were the vows, which the nuptial couple have allowed me to post here.
Through building a partnership with you, I have begun to understand my heart's desires for a life companion.There were many other remarkable aspects to both their wedding (: there was a magic circle and a broken glass of 'mazel tov!' exclamation; some guy played iron maiden on a banjo; some craft brewers shared the fruits of their labors; one gentleman tried to recruit clinical trial subjects; many pages from many parties' written comments were inexplicably not-at-hand though none suffered any loss of words; cries of "captain compost" echoed; toddlers and kinder were cute, in charge, and raised havoc when not running amok . . . and more!) and my trip to and from it (: 22 hours round trip!; there was a crow harrying some sort of bird-of-prey in the way I am accustomed to see mockingbirds harry crows, back home in spring; there were many 70 mph speed limits, which can really change the complexion of a journey; there was tree pollen and flower pollen and honeysuckle, and the smell south of Richmond; a Jeep Cherokee burned fiercely on the side of the highway, the flames roaring through blown out broken windows . . . and more!) but that's the part I really wanted to share here.
In honor of our shared past, present and future, these vows signify both my offering to you and what I ask of you in return.
My mind, body, and spirit wish to communicate honestly with you, and intentionally -- in ways we know now and will learn.
I will actively engage in this process of discovery.
Responsibility is important to me: please expect me to be accountable to you and our community. I promise to turn my attention especially to the work of cultivating sweet equity in our encounters with each other. I vow to revisit this with you again, and again, always with an eye to the importance of balance and compromise.
Wildness and sense of place have been formative in our individual lives and have been cornerstones in our relations with each other.
Let us explore this foundation and welcome its teachings: humility, connectedness, beauty, as well as risk and its rewards.
I will continue building a healthy home and community with you.
I will engage in the practices of gratitude and forgiveness -- every day.
I vow to love you and be loved by you.
I will join you in these ways to build a marriage.