elphie101
Left my heart in Tomorrowland
- Joined
- Sep 30, 2008
The following is transcribed exactly from our livestream, exactly as it was - including a couple of unplanned bits and pieces along the way!
Greg: Welcome, family, friends and loved ones. As you may have noticed in your programs, we will be having an unplugged ceremony this morning, and Jennifer and Kevin would like to ask that you please put away your electronic devices and cameras for the duration of the ceremony, so that you may be fully present and a part of the moment with them today. We gather here today to celebrate the wedding of Jennifer and Kevin. As most of you know my name is Gregory Losco, sister of our bride today, and it is my great honor to be officiating this wedding ceremony. You have come here to share in this formal commitment they make to one another, and to allow Jennifer and Kevin to start their married life together surrounded by the people dearest and most important to them. From the bottom of their hearts, both Jennifer and Kevin would like to thank each and every one of you for traveling from near and far to be with them today, and for offering them your love, support and encouragement at the beginning of this next chapter in their lives.
Though marriage is still unforeseeable for my future, its an idea I, and everyone, think quite regularly about. If theres one thing we can all conclude on, its that marriage can be pretty complex for many people. That being said, I couldnt be more happier that Jenn and Kevin have figured it out. Im happy to see my sister, with whom Ive lived all my life, find a person with whom shell want to spend the rest of her life. Amidst the crushes and fleeting romances that plagued our teen years (years we, unfortunately for our parents, had to endure mostly at the same time), Im in awe that Jennifer has found Kevin and vice versa and the two have harvested something real. While I wholly attribute my silly and dramatic side to my older sister (and my loud side as well), I am so impressed by the seriousness with which she enters the next stage of her life. And as her younger brother, you can be sure that I wouldnt be standing here today if I didnt believe whole-heartedly in the groom standing beside her.
Fortunately for me, Kevin is one of the funniest, caring, and easy-to-get-along-with guys I know, but those characteristics pale in comparison to the simple, passionate, and genuine way her cares for and loves my sister. Their personalities could not be more compatible. The excitement they carry together is palpable; however amazing these Jennifer & Kevin are individually on their own, they are most certainly made better by each others company. They are the epitome of strength in numbers, power in a partnership. To unite them permanently in this moment, is an unbelievable honor. I am excited also for the future to come, and the long, happy union that will continue to grow throughout the years. While I have no doubt that Jennifer & Kevin have fallen deeply in love with each other, I would also like to celebrate their commitment to stay in love with each other. Its important to recognize the reality were talking about here: this marriage is for life. Its a commitment to stay dedicated to each other and each others goals, because over time, people change. You may not be the same person you are today, or ten years from now. Or fifteen years from now. Or forty years. You will change, and your partner will change. To expect that your marriage will stay the same is unrealistic; it will have to change as well. Dont be scared or hesitant; be excited. Its a part of the commitment; it's a dedication to change alongside one another, to maintain healthy communication, and always to get to know each other just a little bit better.
I have no doubt that the challenges they may face they will overcome. Like I mentioned earlier, this is no fleeting crush: they are each others best friends. They have complete confidence in even the nerdiest of their shared interests. You can tell that the time they spend together, be it adventuring through Disney World or just a relaxing night on the couch, is a precious treasure for the both of them. And who knows, if they one day decide to start a family, their child may ACTUALLY be medically allergic to chocolate and thankfully wont have to pretend. Jennifer & Kevin's unity is infectious: everyone here wants to be in on it. Thats why we're all here. These people here, as well as I, couldn't be more excited to be in your lives and to share in what will surely be many glorious memories to come.
Greg: Kevin, do you take Jennifer to be your wife and your partner in crime (Kevin: "I do - oops.") Do you promise to love and trust her, from this day forward to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
Kevin: I do
Greg: And Jennifer, do you take Kevin to be your husband and your partner in crime? Do you promise to trust and love him, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?
Jenn: I do
Greg: Jennifer & Kevin have chosen as a couple to perform a Wine Box ceremony. You can see up here with us a box, containing one bottle of wine. Jennifer and Kevin have written letters to each other expressing their feelings as they begin their marriage. These letters have not yet been read. They have detailed why they fell in love and what they truly admire about the each other. Jennifer and Kevin, together you will seal these letters in the box, and on the happy occasion of your 5th anniversary, you will open the box, read the letters, share the bottle together, and upon your next anniversary of opening the box you will have new letters that will be added to read again. The only exception to this tradition is should you ever find your marriage enduring insurmountable hardships, you are to as a couple, open this box, sit and drink the wine together, then separate and read the letters you wrote to one another when you were united as a couple in marriage. By reading these love letters you will reflect upon the reasons you fell in love and chose to marry each other here today. The hope is, however, that you will never have a reason to open this box other than as a celebration of an anniversary, and I trust in what we all know of you that this will be the case. Jennifer and Kevin, you may now seal the box.
(Continued in next post