Getting the church was an adventure in itself. I'm Catholic, so we were married in a Catholic church which of course brought up that whole "marriage preparation classes" thing. We thought that it would take us way too much time and that they would attack John too much for us to handle it well (especially since he wasn't even baptized), but it turned out to be quite painless. First of all, I could marry someone who doesn't have set religious beliefs. We didn't even have to sign our kids away (made John's parents very happy!). The preparation seminar took one Saturday out of our lives, so our future as newlyweds was secured regardless of our busy scholastic schedules.

The ceremony itself was beautiful! My mother was seated to a song titled "Always be a Child." It was a real tear-jerker, although I, of course, didn't get to hear much of it. Then the priest, groom, and groomsman, as well as the bridesmaids walked in to Canon in D by Pachelbel; not all at once, of course. I was led down the aisle by my dad to Trumpet Voluntary in D by Clarke (the song Lady Di walked to at her wedding). Carol, my musician, made it sound like a string quartet per my request. We could have gone with the organ sound, but I was already crying during our original meeting 2 months before the wedding when she played it like that for me, so I chose to go with the less regal, but more me, sound. It worked really well and made me cry anyways, but I'm just really sick of hearing the traditional wedding march. During the ceremony, Carol sang one song, "God, a Woman, and a Man." Yet another tear-jerker. And for the finale, we walked out to Beethoven's Ode to Joy.

I've gotten a lot of e-mails about the 2 songs that most people don't know about. I'm sorry to tell you, but I don't know where you can find the music to those. Ask a person who does a lot of weddings and maybe they will know. If you want to, you can contact Carol Sage at Love Notes who did my ceremony music.

Opening prayer	Father, you have made the bond of marriage a holy mystery, a symbol of Christ's love for his Church. Hear our prayers for John and Ewa. With faith in you and in each other they pledge their love today. May their lives always bear witness to the reality of that love. We ask you this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Old Testament reading Prayer of the New Spouses Tobit 8:4-9	Tobias rose from the bed and said to Sarah, "Get up, my sister; You and I must pray and petition our Lord to win his grace and his protection." She stood up and they began praying for protection and this was how he began: "You are blessed, O God of our fathers; blessed, too, is your name for ever and ever. Let the heavens bless you and all things you have made for evermore. It was you who created Adam, you who created Eve his wife to be his help and support; and from these two the human race was born. It was you who said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make him a helpmate like himself.' And so I do not take my sister for any lustful motive; I do it in singleness of heart. Be kind enough to have pity on her and me and bring us to old age together."
New Testament reading The Greatest of These Is Love I Corinthians 12:31-13:8a	Be ambitious for the right gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them. If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophesy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever. Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes. Love does not come to an end.
Gospel Marriage Feast of Cana John 2:1-11	There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited. When they ran out of wine, since the wine provided for the wedding was all finished, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus said, "Woman, why turn to me? My hour has not come yet." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." There were six stone water jars standing there meant for the ablutions that are customary among the Jews: each could hold twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water," and they filled them to the brim. "Draw some out now," he told them, "and take it to the steward." They did this; the steward tasted the water and it had turned into wine. Having no idea where it came from-- only the servants who had drawn the water knew--the steward called the bridegroom and said, "People generally serve the best wine first and keep the cheaper sort till the guests have had plenty to drink; but you have kept the best wine till now." This was the first of the signs given by Jesus: it was given at Cana in Galilee. He let his glory be seen and his disciples believed him.
Exchange of Vows	Priest: "Since it is your intention to enter into marriage, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and Church." Priest to John: "John, do you take Ewa to be your wife? Do you promise to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love her and honor her all the days of your life?" John: "I do." Priest to Ewa: "Ewa, do you take John to be your husband? Do you promise to be true to him in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love him and honor him all the days of your life?" Ewa: "I do."
Blessing and exchange of rings	Priest: "Lord, bless and consecrate John and Ewa in their love for each other. May these rings be a symbol of true faith in each other, and always remind them of their love. Through Christ our Lord. John (repeating after the priest): "Ewa, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Ewa (repeating after the priest): "John, take this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Nuptial blessing	My dear friends, let us ask God for his continued blessings upon John and Ewa. Holy Father, creator of the universe, maker of man and woman in your own likeness, source of blessing for married life, we humbly pray to you for this woman who today is united with her husband in this sacrament of marriage. May your fullest blessing come upon her and her husband so that they may together rejoice in your gift of married love and enrich your Church with their children. Lord, may they both praise you when they are happy and turn to you in their sorrows. May they be glad that you help them in their work and know that you are with them in their need. May they pray to you in the community of the Church, and be your witnesses in the world. May they reach old age in the company of their friends, and come at last to the kingdom of heaven. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.