Two of my friends are getting married tomorrow. I was asked to officiate the wedding. I’ve been blown away at what an honor this has been!
Which is why I ask all of you readers to not tell anyone that I just now finished my wedding speech(!) The wedding is in 17 hours.
I always say: creativity works best under pressure.
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When M. and G. asked me if I would officiate their wedding, I was blown away with what an absolute honor it was. I think I can speak for everyone here today when I say that I feel so lucky to be in M. and G.’s life. But getting to officiate wasn’t just an opportunity for me to get to show M. and G. how special they are to me, but it gave me the opportunity to be part of creating love.
They showed their love by asking me to do this, I got to show my love by saying yes.
So, because I was so touched, I went about doing research. I was not about to mess this one up. (In fact, I’m still hoping that.)
I asked a friend who has officiated over 50 weddings with her husband how she comes up with the perfect way to honor each couple. She said she sits down with them, and asks them about their values, and has them think about what they want their marriage to look like.
“Every marriage is wildly different,” she said. “There is no one right way to do marriage.”
So I sat down one night with M. and G. and asked them:
“What’s important to you, and do you want your marriage to look like?”
“Family. Community. Supporting each other’s growth as individuals. Being independent, but making something that is better than what either of us could do on our own.” That’s what they told me.
Creating something that is more than what any of us can do on our own. That is the gift. And love can take many forms: family, friendship, community, or marriage. But no matter what, it is something bigger than ourselves, more than what we could create with just our little will. Right here, in this moment, look at what we are all creating together.
An expression of love. We’re all part of it.
I think it’s really clear that Melissa and Genaro are two amazing individuals who are full and complete in and of themselves. But it is in their choosing to be together, that they create something even more amazing. A sum that’s greater than its parts. The gift they give each other is not just a gift of themselves; it’s the opportunity to create love, every day, for the rest of their lives.
So today, you both get to show your love by asking. And you get to show your love by saying yes. ///
(Congratulations, M. & G. I love you both.)
