This Texas Wedding: Ceremony - Reading

We always knew we wanted my aunt Anita to have a part in the ceremony. She is a beautiful singer, but we never found a spot or a song for a soloist. So instead we had her read this beautiful passage I found. The passage is from Dante Alighieri, yeah the poet who wrote The Divine Comedy! I still have never found if this passage came from another one of his poems or what.

Remember tonight, for it is the beginning of always.

A promise, like a reward, for persisting through life so
long alone. a belief in each other and the possibility of love.
A decision to ignore, simply rise above the pain of the past.
A covenant, which at once binds two souls and yet severs
prior ties. a celebration of the chance taken and the
challenge that lies ahead.

For two will always be stronger than one, like a team
braced against the tempest civil world. and love will
always be the guiding force in our lives.

For tonight is mere formality. only an announcement to
the world of the feelings long held. promises made long ago.
In the sacred spaces of our hearts.

Man, it's got me going even now. It just gave me goosebumps when I first read it and I knew it fit Robert and I perfectly. The opening line is where I got the inscription for the inside of Robert's watch.

Almost as soon as she stared reading she got teary-eyed.

I tried to not follow suite by smiling.

It didn't work to long!

Remember how I mentioned Susanah provided some humor during the ceremony? Well at this point she has realized that her mommy is crying, so she says "mommy, are you crying?" and "mommy, are you ok?" It kind of gave every one who could hear a good chuckle.

I think this is one of the most memorable parts of the ceremony for me. That quote just spoke so much to me and it tied back into the scripture reading from earlier in the ceremony and ties into the song we played during the unity candle ceremony.

Next, the unity candle and the best wedding song ever!