Two people met. They decided they liked each other enough to get married. And they did – exactly one year ago today.
So here tis… our wedding ceremony!
The only reason there’s a video of our wedding is because my dad decided to buy a small video camera and film it. Well, my dad didn’t film it. My cousin did – under strict instructions to not get in the way of the photographer. This is why the camera never moves during the whole thing. He was down the back, staying out of Lara’s way.
I was always very adamant that we weren’t getting anyone to film our wedding. I was never interested in spending the money on a video that we’d never ever watch. But when my grandmother couldn’t make it, my dad decided it needed to recorded so she could see it. And you know what? These days I’m pretty glad he did. The whole thing went by so fast. It’s all a bit of a blur in my memory so having this video – even though it’s not the best quality – is great.
Our celebrant was the awesome Jon von Goes. He was fun and his take on the whole process felt different. He’s interested in putting on a show and making what can be a dry and boring ceremony into an experience that’s worth being there for. (You have to admit that most of the time the ceremony is the bit you have to suffer through to get to the fun bit – the reception!) I also really liked his idea of not having us sign the wedding certificate stuff during the ceremony. That was done outside on the nearest available flat surface – which in our case was a plinth! – with all the guests mingling about. It meant that the ceremony was all about us (and it didn’t take quite as long!).
Anyhoo… in case you’re interested, the nice wordy bits.
My reading (is super-long so I’m linking to it rather than putting it in) came from Offbeat Bride. Friends of mine used it at their wedding and I just had to have it. Why? Because… zombies!!
Richard’s reading came from Douglas Adams So Long And Thanks For All The Fish.
The moment became a longer moment, and suddenly it was a very long moment, so long one could hardly tell where all the time was coming from.
For Arthur, who could usually contrive to feel self-conscious if left alone long enough with a Swiss cheese plant, the moment was one of sustained revelation. He felt all the sudden like a cramped and zoo-born animal who wakes one morning to find the door of his cage hanging quietly open and the savanna stretching gray and pink to the distant rising sun, while all around new sounds are waking.
He wondered what the new sounds were as he gazed at her openly wondering face and her eyes that smiled with a shared surprise.
He hadn’t realized that life speaks with a voice to you, a voice that brings you answers to the questions you continually ask of it, had never consciously detected it or recognised its tones until it now said something it had never said to him before, which was,
“yes.”
The Asking
(definitely nothing about obeying in here!)
Richard, will you take Lauren to be your wife,
Will you respect, love and cherish her,
Stand by her whatever may come,
Will you give your relationship all it requires and deserves,
So that you can live the rest of your lives together in love and happiness?
(It was nice when he said “I will”. Heh. I, of course said exactly the same thing when asked.)
The Vows
I, Lauren, call on the people here
To witness that I take you,
Richard, to be my husband
I want to be with you always
Just as you are
I choose you above all others
To share my life with me in marriage
I love you, not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you, not only for what you have made of yourself
but for what you are making of me.
Want to see our photos again? Go on, they’re pretty awesome.
We owe a huge thank you to…
Jon – for being an awesome celebrant.
The staff at Monstalvat – it’s so beautiful out there and it makes actually having a wedding really easy when you don’t have to go anywhere else.
Louisa – who played the piano so beautifully for us.
Marta – who made the most awesome, delicious wedding cake.
Lara and Paola – Lara was recommended to us by a friend. It turned out to be the most wonderful decision. There are things I’d do differently if I could do it all over but not having Lara photograph our wedding.
To all our family and friends who shared this day with us – thank you. Thank you for witnessing a small moment in time that meant so much us. Thank you for supporting us and being so happy for us.
