I now pronounce you...

It was a beautiful ceremony. A girl who attends my wife's church got married today, and we were invited. I have to say the minister performing the ceremony was so good. His words to the bride and groom were insightful and relevant. He also did an excellent job explaining how young marrieds have this exhuberance about this day that is sometimes lost over time, and that the best marriages are those that keep that spirit alive. My wife and I had a civil ceremony only at a local wedding chapel. There was no religious aspect to it, because neither of us would have felt comfortable getting married in the other's place of worship; nor would be have felt comfortable in any kind of religious middle-ground.

We've been married 14 years, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat; but it was really uplifting to hear such words as part of a religious ceremony. After the ceremony, I made a point of approaching the minister to congratulate him on his selection of hymns and messages. He then surprised me by saying that the whole thing was taken from the original 5-books (translation - the Hebrew bible) because the original wedding ceremonies, as described in the original books of the Old Testament, just couldn't be beat.

Old Testament or New, the words were perfect, and the ceremony was lovely.

The reception begins in about an hour, so I guess I should start getting dressed up again!