Day 121: May 1, 2011

The first day of May was a day that felt like it would never end; it was a day that felt like many days crammed into one. In a good way.

I was up bright and early but excited about it because it was wedding day! I love weddings! We had a peaceful and quick drive to Nevada City. We chatted, listened to our book on CD, and made a pit stop in Sacramento for some delicious coffee (I remembered Caroline at Coeur de La talking about Temple Coffee, so we made a detour through downtown to try it out).

We had a great time browsing around the quaint town of Nevada City and spending time with old friends and some seriously adorable kids before the wedding. I even picked up an new old antique copper pot for my collection!

The wedding was at the Miner's Foundry, an amazing old building right in downtown. I was mesmerized by the beautiful stone walls and old glass windows. As I said, I love weddings. I love the ceremony, the reception, the essence of love that always infuses the day, the cake...I like it all. Since my own wedding though,  I really love weddings because it makes me think about my own. I mean that in the most non-self-centered way. I am not a guest at someone else's wedding and thinking about or comparing it to my own, but rather after having experienced being married and having a wedding, I am now fully aware of what an honor it is to be witness to someones own exchanging of vows and a marrying of two families.

I know a lot of people who dread the wedding ceremony and wish they could skip to the reception, but for me, the ceremony is the best part. No matter how well I know the couple, I always leave the ceremony feeling like a got a glimpse into their "real" relationship, the side of it that they usually reserve for private, and I love that. 

This particular ceremony encompassed all that I think is great about wedding ceremonies: The Groom cried, they had amazing, personal vows, and it made me laugh and cry, and it reminded me of what it means to be married. And the Bride and Groom? To quote the Officiant, "a match made in Heaven". I love seeing two people who are glaringly well-suited for each other.

The ceremony included a reading by Louis de Bernieres from Captain Corelli's Mandolin that was also a part of our wedding ceremony!
"Love is a temporary madness, it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides. And when it subsides, you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being in love, which any fool can do. Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Those that truly love have roots that grow towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossoms have fallen from their branches, they find that they are one tree and not two."

Today I am thankful for fortunate accidents, I'm thankful for love that inspires, and I'm thankful for weddings.
Chris and Beth- thanks for letting us share your big day!