The

Wedding

Christina M. Getz

and

James D. Robins

June Thirteenth,

Nineteen Hundred, Ninety Eight.

Blocking notes and background information are in Mixed Size Capitals

Area separations specified with bold capitals

Specific readers specified with bold capitals

PRE-CEREMONY

Quiet space.

Candles, incense, Indian temple bells.

Intent to create focus

Guided meditation

CEREMONY

Grandparents, parents, attendants walk down to their “spots”

Mark walks down aisle, sweeps area for us, narrates;

MARK: “In various traditions throughout the world, it is customary to create a sacred space, a space of vulnerability, love and trust, for events such as we are about to participate in. I have swept this space, clearing it of discordant influences for this celebration of Christy and Jim’s friendship, love and commitment.”

MARK: “Throughout time, those who have loved have come together and committed to one another in forums not unlike this. In many lands, it is believed that the union of marriage increases the potential for peace and holiness in the world. As in the past, we now come together to offer our prayers for this union to be a blessing, both for this couple, and for the entire world.”

C & J walk down aisle, and they circle with flower petals, and face each other with profiles to the guests

MARK: “The couple now stand together in the sacred space beneath this magnificent oak, the natural chuppah which symbolizes the new home they are creating together.”

MARK: “Now I ask each of you to take a moment to clear yourself in the same way. Forget your discomforts for a moment, clear your mind, and open your heart...”

MARK: “On behalf of Jim and Christy, I would like to thank all of you for being here today to witness this joyous occasion.”

MARK: “For this couple, marriage is an agreement of acceptance and support... of a willingness to forgive, cherish and renew. It represents for them a weaving together their communities of family and friends. Without the support of their communities, and in particular, several of you gathered here, Christy and Jim would not be together today.”

MARK: “Across the entirety of our world, and throughout all of time, countless words have been written on love and marriage. To tie together this space with those that have come before, and those that will come after, we will now hear some of those words.”

Mark gives visual cue to first reader.

READINGS

An Oscar Romero homily

Read by Steve Getz & Chris Ogilvie

Theme: Justice

CHRIS: I call on all of you, makers of so many families, builders of so many

homes, that each family in El Salvador not be a hindrance to the urgent

changes that society needs. Let no family isolate itself from society as a

whole because it in itself is well off. No one marriage exists just to be

happy. Marriage has a great social function. It must be the torch that

lights up the way to liberation for other marriages around them.

STEVE: From the home must come the man or woman able to promote the changes

needed in politics, in society, in the ways of justice. It will be easy

once boys

and girls are changed in the heart of each family to aspire not to have

more but to be more, not to need more but to give abundantly to others.

They must be educated in love.

BOTH: Loving is what family is all about and loving means giving oneself,

surrendering oneself to the well being of all, and working for the common

happiness.

READINGS (Continued)

The Song Of Songs (The Song Of Solomon)

Read by Todd Robins and Elizabeth Landsberg

Theme: Passsion

ELIZABETH: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth

For thy love is better than wine.

ELIZABETH: As a apple tree among the trees of wood,

So is my beloved among the sons.

Under its shadow I delight to sit,

and its fruit is sweet to my taste,

and his banner over me is love.

Let his left hand be under my head,

and his right hand embrace me.

My beloved is mine, and I am his.

Yes, this is my beloved, and this is my friend.

TODD: Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away,

For, lo, the winter is past,

The rain is over and gone;

The flowers appear on the earth;

The time of singing is come.

Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

TODD: Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;

Thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes,

With one bend of thy neck.

How fair is thy love, my sister, my bride!

How much better is thy love than wine.

Thy lips, O my bride, drop honey,

Thou art a fountain of gardens,

A well of living waters and flowing streams.

ELIZABETH AND TODD:

Set me as a seal upon thy heart,

As a seal upon thine arm;

For love is stronger than fire.

Many waters cannot quench love,

Neither can floods drown it.

READINGS (Continued)

“On Marriage” from Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet

Read by Drew Robins and Aileen Wu

Theme: Partnership

DREW: Then Almitra spoke again and said, And what of Marriage Master?

And he answered saying:

AILEEN: You were born together, and together you shall be forevermore.

You shall be together when the while wings of death scatter your days.

Aye, you shall be together even in the silent memory of God.

DREW: But let there be spaces in you togetherness,

And let the wind of the heavens dance between you.

Love one another, but make not a bond of love:

Let it rather be a moving sea between the shore of your souls.

AILEEN: Fill each other’s cup, but drink not from one cup.

Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.

DREW: Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,

Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.

AILEEN: Give your hearts, but not into each others keeping.

For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.

And stand together yet not too near together:

DREW AND AILEEN: For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

READINGS (Continued)

If You’re Afraid of the Dark, Remember the Night Rainbow. By Cooper Edens

Read by Robby Morse (Christy’s 12 year old brother)

Theme: Limitless possibilities

If tomorrow morning the sky falls.....

have clouds for breakfast.

If night falls...

use stars for streetlights.

If the moon gets stuck in a tree...

cover the hole in the sky with a strawberry.

If you have butterflies in you stomach...

ask them into your heart.

If your heart catches in your throat...

ask a bird how she sings.

If the birds forget their songs...

listen to a pebble instead.

If you lose a memory...

embroider a new one to take its place.

If you lose the key...

throw away the house.

If the clock stops...

use your own hands to tell time.

If the light goes out...

wear it around your neck and go dancing.

If the bus doesn’t come...

catch a fast cloud.

If it’s the last dance...

dance backwards.

If you find your socks don’t match...

stand in a flower bed.

If your shoes don’t fit...

give them to the fish in the pond.

If your horse needs shoes...

let him use his wings.

If the sun never shines again...

hold fireflies in your hand to keep warm.

If you’re afraid of the dark...

remember the night rainbow.

If there is no happy ending...

make one out of cookie dough.

READINGS CLOSE WITH:

Song (written and performed by Dave Taylor and Rich Poller)

BLESSING OF THE WINE

Christy hads tulips to Elizabeth.

MARK: “Many traditions use wine for celebrations, festivals, blessings, and simcha – joy.” Jonathan and Matt will now bless the wine. Jonathan?

JONATHAN: --kiddush in Hebrew--

MARK: Matt?

MATT: --kiddush in English--

MARK: “Drink now, sharing from the same cup. May the sharing of your lives halve the bitterness of life, and double it’s sweetness.”

J & C Drink the wine – drinking off their ring fingers, then drink from the same cup.

MARK: “Those here have spoken for the community, for the past, for your love, and for the future. Now, speak for yourselves.”

VOWS

Christy's:

“Today, I reaffirm my commitment to you.

A commitment to be your lifelong partner in love, in friendship, in justice

and in passion.

I cherish the many aspects of you: your love of natural beauty, your amazing

talent with children, your appreciation of the simplest things in life.

I celebrate your friendship, your values, your commitment to family, your

sense of justice.

I eagerly await each day with you.

I commit to loving you unconditionally.

I commit to viewing our struggles as opportunities to learn about myself and

our relationship.

Everyday I am thankful that I found you.

You are my best friend, you complete me. “

VOWS (Continued)

Jim's:

Today, I reaffirm my commitment to you.

A commitment to be your lifelong partner in love, in friendship, in justice

and in passion.

I cherish the many aspects of you: your boundless commitment to family and

friends alike, your compassion which softens everything you touch, and your

wild sense of adventure.

I celebrate your friendship, your values, your smile, your sense of justice.

I eagerly await each day with you.

I commit to loving you unconditionally.

I commit to viewing our struggles as opportunities to learn about myself and

our relationship.

Everyday I am thankful that I found you.

You are my best friend, you complete me.

RINGS AND CLOSING:

MARK: “As a token of your marriage, you have selected these rings. May they become symbolic of the vows you make here today and the love you hold in your hearts.”

Robby gives rings to Mark or to J&C

CHRISTY: “With this ring, I give my life: my love: and my friendship.”

JIM: “With this ring, I give my life: my love: and my friendship.”

Mark picks up rose from table.

MARK: “The Apaches said these words to their people when they were married:

Now you will feel no rain, for each of you will be shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold, for each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no more loneliness, for each of you will be companion to the other.

Now you are two bodies, but there is only one life among you.

Go now to your dwelling place to enter into the days of your togetherness

And may your days be good and long upon the earth.

Mark hands rose from table to Jim for presentation to Christy.

MARK: “In as much as you both have joyously pledged yourselves to live together in marriage, so declaring by the giving and receiving of pledges and rings, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

MARK: “You may now kiss the bride.”

BREAKING OF THE GLASS

(we don’t want a verbal explanation... we might say something in the program)

Mark picks up the glass, wraps it in cloth, and lays it upon the ground.

MARK: shouts “MAZEL TOV”

(Everyone will follow!!!)