* Amy, Pastoral Student & Olivia, Social Worker * Photographer: Elissa R Photography * Soundtrack for Reading: “Parachute” by Ingrid Michaelson (Olivia’s pick and their first dance) and “Everything” by Michael Buble (Amy’s pick and their recessional song) *
One sentence sum up of the wedding vibe: Amy: It was magical!!!
Olivia: We finally get to kiss!!!
The Info—Photographer: Elissa R Photography / Church: Lutheran Church of the Resurrection / Venue: Wimberley Community Center / Olivia’s Dress: Alfred Angelo (Olivia’s aunt took the dress apart and allowed Olivia to redesign it.) / Amy’s Suit: New York & Company / Handmade Cake Topper: The Air Castle / Hangers: From a friend’s sister’s Etsy shop, WisconMon / Wedding Cakes: My Dee Dee’s Pie Shoppe & Deli, owned by Olivia’s mom / Food: From Amy’s friend and favorite restaurant in Wimberley, Linda Allen Catering
Other cool stuff we should know about: Amy: It was the perfect day. I got to watch all of our hard work come together. I had so much fun helping bring our two separate ideas of what our wedding should be and mold it until this beautiful unit. Olivia’s twin brother and I worked together to create the centerpieces. My brother helped hang up over a hundred clear Christmas ornaments with peacock feathers in them. We gave away seeds in little packages that Olivia’s bridesmaids made. Olivia’s friend helped make all of our invitations and programs and write out addresses while we drank wine one evening. Our friends who all have degrees and/or have been practicing their instruments for years playing together at our wedding. My old coworker who made our flower arrangements and Olivia’s coworker who was our DJ. It was meaningful that so many people in our life wanted the day to be special and because of that want, it was perfect!
Olivia: Where do I start? The night before our wedding, during the rehearsal our pastor and Amy’s bridesmaid (also a Lutheran pastor) both laughed when I said, “When do we get to kiss?” And they laughed saying together, “Why does everyone ask that question?! It’s coming! It’s really coming!”
Our first dance was this slow acoustic version of “Parachute” by Ingrid Michaelson and then about a minute into the song it switched to a techno version of the song and all of our friend’s piled on the dance floor and danced in a big circle around us.
The first time I saw Amy in her suit it made my heart race. We had a lunch together in town that morning but after that we went our separate ways to get ready. We would yell down the hall at each other, “I’m coming down the hall, close the door.” We had this bet going about who would cry first. We both knew it would be Amy and she cried before I even stepped out on the carpet. It was like seeing each other for the first time ever…all over again.
I also really loved how we incorporated our engagement(s) into our wedding. The first engagement Amy asked me and the second engagement evening I asked Amy. We both added our own flair to our engagement but when Amy asked me she used this spiritual practice called a labyrinth. Our pastor, a few months prior, taught us to make labyrinths, and it’s a spiritual practice I have used for many years. Labyrinth is a fancy word for maze, but in a labyrinth there is only one way in and one way out. You never get lost and really you don’t make decisions during your walk. I walked into the labyrinth alone the night of our engagement but when walking out we left together holding hands. In the middle Amy shared the passage from Ecclesiastes 4:12: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.” Both the labyrinth and the Ecclesiastes passage were used in our marriage ceremony several times.
Favorite thing about the wedding: Olivia: My favorite thing was when we put dirt in our peach tree. We had spent a long time picking out songs that meant something to us. During this part of our ceremony we had everyone sing “We Are Called” by David Haas, a very “Lutheran” song and our mothers brought us the tree Amy’s mom had given us. “We are called to act with justice. We are called to love tenderly. We are called to serve one another, to walk humbly with God,” is the refrain and pretty much sums up the relationship Amy and I strive for, walking humbly with God and always acting with justice. Amy fights for nutritional justice making sure no one goes to bed hungry and I fight for LGBT justice that we are all God’s children regardless of our sexual orientation or gender identity. Our pastor turned her hymnal towards us to sing the last verse but I knew it by memory. I can’t wait for our peach tree to blossom. I’m sure we will enjoy many years of wine and peach ice cream.
Amy: The ceremony was my favorite part. It was special because we wrote the Lutheran service together with our dear friend and pastor. Our mothers gave each of us away. When my wife walked in I had already started crying because I could feel the love of our friends and family in that sanctuary! It was very meaningful and moving to hear our friends play the songs throughout the service. Every song we picked had meaning to us throughout our courtship and now I smile every time I hear a song on the radio.
