The mood was set, we were at the alter and that, my friends, is where it begins.
Our officiant, Tom, started the ceremony with some words of welcome to our guests, then proceeded to the introduction of the concept of marriage, and the importance and significance of what was to take place that day.
If I hadn’t mentioned this before, I actually wrote the entire ceremony, but was very happy to have had Tom graciously perform it…I did some mixing, matching and constructing of words, verses and quotations from Reverend Judith Johnson’s Wedding Ceremony Planner, which probably was one of the best investments I made, wedding purchase-wise! I followed the reverend’s suggestions closely, by intermingling tradition and personalization – and one of the highlights was definitely the reading performed by my bestie, Liz.
She read, “Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog,” by Taylor Mali. Here’s the full text:
First of all, it’s a big responsibility,
especially in a city like New York.
So think long and hard before deciding on love.
On the other hand, love gives you a sense of security:
when you’re walking down the street late at night
and you have a leash on love
ain’t no one going to mess with you.
Because crooks and muggers think love is unpredictable.
Who knows what love could do in its own defense?
On cold winter nights, love is warm.
It lies between you and lives and breathes
and makes funny noises.
Love wakes you up all hours of the night with its needs.
It needs to be fed so it will grow and stay healthy.
Love doesn’t like being left alone for long.
But come home and love is always happy to see you.
It may break a few things accidentally in its passion for life,
but you can never be mad at love for long.
Is love good all the time? No! No!
Love can be bad. Bad, love, bad! Very bad love.
Love makes messes.
Love leaves you little surprises here and there.
Love needs lots of cleaning up after.
Sometimes you just want to get love fixed.
Sometimes you want to roll up a piece of newspaper
and swat love on the nose,
not so much to cause pain,
just to let love know Don’t you ever do that again!
Sometimes love just wants to go for a nice long walk.
Because love loves exercise.
It runs you around the block and leaves you panting.
It pulls you in several different directions at once,
or winds around and around you
until you’re all wound up and can’t move.
But love makes you meet people wherever you go.
People who have nothing in common but love
stop and talk to each other on the street.
Throw things away and love will bring them back,
again, and again, and again.
But most of all, love needs love, lots of it.
And in return, love loves you and never stops.
Another highlight was the ‘hand ceremony,’ which was another aspect that I really wanted to incorporate – we did this right before the vows and the rings.
Speaking of the rings…we had a little snafu, involving Tom trying to give Eric his ring to me, instead of mine. Haha. Moving on, though! =)
After that, comes my other TOP 3 moment of the ceremony…the reading of the Apache Wedding Blessing by our Best Man and Maid of Honor!
Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth for the other.
Now there is no more loneliness.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you.
May your days together be good and long
upon the earth.
I love that series of pics, as it reminds me of those old flip books…and in the fourth pictures, you can see a bubble over us, as we had distributed bubble wants with the tag, “blow bubbles of good wishes with e+k are pronounced mr.+mrs.!”
With that, we were married!
Stay tuned for the very next post, also known as the recessional, which was so magical I feel it deserves its’ own post =)
All gorgeous images thanks to Amanda McMahon Photography.
Keepin' it Real...Organized. 
