Our wedding ceremony. :)

DMG Wedding Ceremony

November 13, 2010 at 11AM

We are here to bear witness to the joining of this woman – and this woman – and this man in union to each other.

Marriage ceremonies have become the official proclamation for couples to express and share their love for each other in a public, visible setting. It is to illustrate plainly the depth of their hearts for each other, the spoken and implied vows of friendship and companionship, and mutual trust and security. And this union –while not a duo—is proof positive that good things come in threes.

In 2003, Michael, this dashing hunk of man right here, and Genevieve, this dark-haired vamp before me, made a crucial decision that would affect the
rest of their lives, and the surrounding lives of many. They decided to love more.

Danielle, my best friend and a saucy minx for all concerned, did not pose a threat to either side. She was not – despite literal logistics – The Other Woman. She found herself in a situation only a few of us can truly admit they have been in—and she herself made a decision that would affect her life forever. She decided to love more.

Since then, the love has continued to grow, and stood strong against fear, doubt, sickness, economics, allergies, impossible choreography, loss, insomnia, reality TV, bad movies, and indignity.

It is said “Love is not proud.” Respectfully: to hell with that. May we all be privileged enough to see in 2 eyes what I see in 6, and to know how much their journey has brought to them, and breathe deep and say “You know, I think it may all be worth it as long as I have these soldiers on my side.”

And it is clear by your invitation here, they appreciate the support, love, and care that you have held for them. Because they all know it’s not always easy. But I think it’s pretty likely it’s also worth it.

We here are among those who honor the commitment that time, practice, and deed has already shown is strong and deep, and know that a ceremony—a wedding ceremony—is justifiably celebrated.

I asked Michael, the Biblical scholar of the trio, to help me out here with a Biblical leaning on the subject of their wedding and he supplied me with the following. I am reading it exactly because Michael has a specific gift for words.

“Okay, so I’ve searched the Bible and found a staggering lack of positive statements about plural marriages, mostly because the Old Testament spends so little time saying anything good about marriage or wives. There are plenty of references to plural marriages, but they’re mostly found in laws about how to resolve disputes and settle wills. Romantic stuff, lemmetellya. There are no statements about it being okay or desirable, because the writers have no reason to think they _need_ to defend it. It’s treated matter-of-factly. The best I can do is suggest you talk _about_ the Bible, rather than quote it directly:

Abraham had Sarah and Hagar.
Jacob had Rachel and Leah and Bilhah and Zilpah.
Esau had five wives.
David had at least eight.
Gideon had so many wives, they bore him 70 sons.
According to the Book of Kings, Solomon ‘had seven hundred wives of noble
birth and three hundred concubines’.
So really, Michael is an underachiever.

THE RINGS

So there is no confusion, Michael and Genevieve pledged their union to each other in a separate ceremony. Danielle will be sharing rings with both Michael and Genevieve, using rings that were decided between them individually and symbolize the unique relationship she shares with both of them. In wearing both sets of rings, Danielle symbolizes her dedication to both Michael and Genevieve.

– May I have the rings to be shared between Danielle and Genevieve?

Danielle, with this ring, you vow to continue your commitment to Genevieve — to be a friend, confidante, a co-conspirator and to go forth with love in your heart. If you pledge, please say “I do.”

Genevieve, with this ring, you vow to continue your commitment to Danielle — to be a friend, confidante, a co-conspirator, and to go forth with love in your heart. If you pledge, please say “I do.”

– May I have the rings to be shared between Danielle and Michael?

Danielle, with this ring, you vow to continue your commitment to Michael — to be a friend, confidante, a co-conspirator and to go forth with love in your heart. If you pledge, please say “I do.”

Michael, with this ring, you vow to continue your commitment to Danielle—to
be a friend, confidante, a co-conspirator and to go forth with love in your heart.
If you pledge, please say “I do.”

FINAL WORDS

In conclusion, I would like to read an excerpt, paraphrased from a song called “Triad,” by Jefferson Airplane. From the gospel of Grace Slick—

“You all stand there, your long hair flowing
Eyes alive, your minds still growing.
I don’t really see why you can’t go on as three.
You love each other—it’s plain to see.
There’s just one answer that comes to me.
Live your lives together now, as three.”

Danielle, Michael, Genevieve. It is an honor to say Congratulations to you. You may now kiss… each other!

And now, friends and family, we enjoy delicious food and gracious company as we celebrate: The Stuebers.