The Wedding Day Part 2: Ceremony

Our ceremony was held on the pond at our ranch.

While guests waited for the ceremony to start our string quartet, Supernova, played traditional ceremony fare…Pete had 4 groomsmen…And a groomswoman!His best friend from childhood Anne, who since we have moved to Chicago has become my bestfriend…She wore a navy version of the bridesmaids dresses to match the groomsmens navy suits. Isn’t she pretty??The House-Party walked down the aisle first escorted by Pete’s ushers…Then, as the bridesmaids walked down the string quartet switched from the traditional tunes to Coldplay’s Viva La Vida, which they played in the style of Pachelbel…The violinist played his instrument like a guitar. It ruled.Nervous.As I came out of the house and walked to meet my dad the band played ‘Til Kingdom Come by ColdplayPete seeing me for the first time…

Happy.

Pete and I spent a lot of time planning our ceremony. We knew we wanted a traditional Christian marriage rite, but it was really important to us that our readings speak to our relationship. I think sometimes Brides get caught up in all of the INSANITY that is planning a wedding- and it can get insane- and by the time they get to the ceremony they are so relieved that there is something that doesn’t necessarily require a kagillion choices, and don’t take as much time personalizing it. That is not to knock anyone for choosing Biblical passages- in fact we did for one of our readings- I just think the ceremony should reflect the couple, however that may be. Afterall, at least in the Christian marriage rite, your congegration is pledging to support you in your vows, and for many of them the ceremony is one of the only times they can get real insight to who you are as a couple.

Anyway, that is how we felt. So we met with a Priest (again, capitalized? not sure.) here in Chicago who was incredible and really supported our desire to marry the Christian tradition with our personal experience.

After my Dad gave me away, we asked our guests to read the Prayer Attributed to St. Francis with us as a responsive. We then chose three readings. The first, SUPERBLY read by my step-brother, Patrick, was from Exodus about Moses at the burning bush and spoke of place as something sacred. Pete and I fell in love on a trip to Aspen, and so my families home there is a sacred place to us and I could not have imagined getting married anywhere else.Our second reading, delivered by our Priest, was the Gospel of Matthew and spoke of the importance of a child-like faith. Finally, my soon-to-be new sister-in-law, Caitlyn, read an exerpt from the children’s book “I Like You” by Sandol Stoddard Warburg. It is super long in its original format, and so we cut it down a bit…Here is an exerpt from our version:

I like you and I know why/ I like you because you are a good person to like/ You know how to be silly/ That’s why I like you/ Boy are you ever silly/ I never met anybody sillier than me till I met you

If you find two four-leaf clovers, you give me one/ If I find four, I give you two/ If we only find three, we keep on looking

I like you because I don’t know why but/ Everything that happens is nicer with you/ I can’t remember when I didn’t like you/ It must have been lonesome then/ I like you because because because/ I forget why I like you but I do

So many reasons./ On the 4th of July I like you because it’s the 4th of July/ On the fifth of July, I like you too/ If you and I had some drums and some horns and some horses/ If we had some hats and some flags and some fire engines/ We could be a HOLIDAY/ We could be a CELEBRATION/ We could be a WHOLE PARADE

See what I mean?/ Even if it was the 999th of July/ Even if it was August/ Even if it was way down at the bottom of November/ Even if it was no place particular in January/ I would go on choosing you/ And you would go on choosing me/ Over and over again.

It was perfect for us, and we were a bit nervous that our friends and family wouldn’t get it, but they loved it and it ended up being the sort of uniting theme of our wedding. The idea of love growing and maturing but still remaining child-like, very true to what I hope is the essence of Pete and I as a couple, and which the Priest summed up in a beautiful homily.In what seemed like no time at all we were exchanging vows, and QUITE surprisingly I managed to hold it together.I love this picture, the look on my face as I give Pete his ring says, You are MINE buddy. Fer Rill, now.Then a little kissy kissy…And whaddya know!Mr. & Mrs. McCarthy!Which felt, and still feels, just awesome.Our recessional was also played by Supernova, God Only Knows by the Beach Boys.Immediately after the ceremony and some brief…VERY brief portraits…We gathered the whole Bridal Party on the back patio of the cabin for a little private cocktail reception with our besties…It was so nice to have a moment with our closest people before getting swept in to the craziness of the reception…
Especially because you are such a high from the ceremonyAll you want to do is just relax and have yosef a cocktail and just chill with your people for one hot second.Well hello there, Mr. & Mrs. McCarthy!
Plus, Pete got to show off His ring…Which we all know is super important…Meanwhile, down at the barn, a cocktail reception was being held for the rest of the guests.There were lighted trees leading you in through the barn……And out through to the other side where an outdoor cocktail lounge had been setup between the barn and reception tent.Luckily we had THE most gorgeous night everAnd everyone was able to frolic outside with a cocktail…These poor bartenders didn’t even know what hit them!

Name tags were attached to these posts, and after retrieving their table assignments, guests were encourage to leave us a notecard filled out with what “Love Is…” to them, which were then gathered and sent to us- and while some of them were really sweet and thoughtful, a few of the answers were downright strange and made me seriously doubt the wisdom of my friends

Just beyond cocktails lurked the mysteries hidden, heavily guarded, in the big tent…which you will all find out about…tomorrow! In what will, I guarantee, be one of your favorite posts you have ever read on here. The summary of our wedding as told by Pete’s good friend, and comedy writer, Will Hettinger. Set your alarms early tomorrow, you are going to want to read that post straight off the presses!