A Maine Wedding: Ceremony Part 3

Yes, my goal was to be done with these wedding recaps by the end of summer.  I mean it’s been almost a year and half since we got married.  I promise, I’m almost done with them :-P

We last left off with me walking down the aisle to Jason Mraz’s “I’m Yours”.  My parents “gave” me away to my awaiting fiance and then we finally got the ceremony started :)  Our officiant was one of our college friends and he did a great introduction – it was light and not too serious which made me feel much more comfortable standing up there in front of everyone.

We included a couple readings that I fell in love with while doing ceremony research.  I think both of these poems were very fitting for us as they’re not super popular for readings, but still very meaningful.

First up was Sista’s reading, “i carry your heart” by e.e. cummings.  In Her Shoes is on my top 10 list of all time favorite movies, and in my opinion, the best scene was when Cameron Diaz’s character reads this poem at her sister’s wedding.   Even though I first saw this movie years before I was engaged, I knew from then on my sista would be doing this for me when I eventually got married:)

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                    i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant 
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

Our other reading, “Blessing for a Marriage” by James Dillet Freeman, was done by one of hubby’s groomsmen.  He is such a great public speaker and had no problem when we asked him to do this task during the ceremony.  I love this blessing since it’s not specifically religious – I find it more spiritual.  

May your marriage bring you all the exquisite excitements a marriage should bring, and may life grant you also patience, tolerance, and understanding.
May you always need one another - not so much to fill your emptiness as to help you to know your fullness. A mountain needs a valley to be complete; the valley does not make the mountain less, but more; and the valley is more a valley because it has a mountain towering over it. So let it be with you and you.
May you need one another, but not out of weakness.
May you want one another, but not out of lack.
May you entice one another, but not compel one another.
May you embrace one another, but not out encircle one another.
May you succeed in all important ways with one another, and not fail in the little graces.
May you look for things to praise, often say, "I love you!" and take no notice of small faults.
If you have quarrels that push you apart, may both of you hope to have good sense enough to take the first step back.
May you enter into the mystery which is the awareness of one another's presence - no more physical than spiritual, warm and near when you are side by side, and warm and near when you are in separate rooms or even distant cities.
May you have happiness, and may you find it making one another happy.
May you have love, and may you find it loving one another.

 

We then attempted to light our unity candle…attempted is the key word here.  It was so windy that day, but we did not complain since the sun was out, the sky was perfectly blue and the temperature was just right.  We pretended to light the candle so we at least got a few pictures of it and then our officiant made a joke about how a good sense of humor is important in marriage which all of our guests chuckled at.

 

Next up…we repeat our vows, get some new bling and finally kiss!