One.

Written by Sara on July 17, 2011 – 8:00 am -

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One year ago today, I married my most favorite person in the world. I married the world’s best cuddler, the world’s best doggy-daddy. I married way out of my league, because I married the best man I’ve ever known.

I’m a lucky gal.

To my husband of one year, Jordan: here’s to many more years together. I’m so excited for the adventures ahead of us!

And also, a reminder of the reading that was read one year ago today…I still feel these words to my core, my love.

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a person loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.” “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?” “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

Love always, your wife, Sara.


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Our Wedding: Ceremony Readings

Written by Sara on April 15, 2010 – 9:00 am -

This past weekend, Jordan and I began designing programs for our wedding ceremony. We’re embracing the booklet style of DIY wedding programs, and we spent countless hours this weekend designing each page (while simultaneously watching The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy…which was rather fun!).

While we’re not yet ready to show you all the design of our programs, I can tell you that one page features printed versions of the readings we’ve chosen for our wedding ceremony. We haven’t yet discussed these with my uncle, a retired Methodist pastor who will be officiating our ceremony, but I’m excited to share our chosen readings with you all!

First, Jordan and I wanted to include a Bible verse to reflect our Christian faith. One of my favorite verses is Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, which reads: Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. We’re hoping this verse will be the basis of my uncle’s ceremony message to us as newlyweds.

I graduated from college with a bachelor of arts degree in English and journalism and a minor in philosophy. I love to read and to write, and I firmly believe that the power of the written word lies in helping us to understand life’s complexities through story. Therefore, it was important to me to select two secular texts to also include in our wedding ceremony.

The second reading is an excerpt from Margery Williams’ The Velveteen Rabbit, and I owe many, many thanks to Ami Elizabeth from the lovely Elizabeth Anne Designs for this particular variation:

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a person* loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.” “Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit. “Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.” “Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?” “It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in your joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.” **

The third and final reading that we’ve chosen to include comes from the wonderfully creative e.e. cummings – “i carry your heart with me”:

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it (anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet) i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that’s keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

What readings have you chosen for your wedding ceremony?

**wording slightly modified from the original version
[Photo: www.weddinganswers.co.uk]


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