Sunset
- Kristen Butler
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| Andrew officiating. Photo by Astri J.S. Kvassnes |
Our ceremony was at sunset. We left our shoes in the sand
and waded out until we were ankle-deep in salt water. The ocean is what unifies
Carl and me, and the beach is where I go to talk to God. It was the perfect
place to take our next step together and join our lives.
My dear friend, Andrew, officiated. I knew he would honor our
wishes for the ceremony, and it was absolutely perfect. Andrew shared his
impressions of us as a couple and wisdom gained from his own 15-year marriage. We
spoke our vows of commitment to one another. We exchanged our rings. I was full
to bursting with love, joy, and hope.
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| Our first sunset together. Photo by Stefanie Kaboth-Bahr |
Andrew pronounced us husband and wife, and then I got the
first surprise of my marriage. Carl put one arm around my waist, lay the other
behind my knees, and picked me up in a fireman carry. He walked a few more
paces out into the water, and then promptly dumped me in! I landed on my back
and got soaked up to my shoulders. We had wanted to follow Hawaiian marriage traditions
to connect to the place we were in, and while I was excited to wear the
traditional lei, it is also apparently Hawaiian tradition to jump in the ocean
after your wedding. I was dripping and laughing and ecstatic. It was perfect.
We watched the sunset, gave soaking-wet hugs to friends and family,
and headed home. Friends, I am married. And I have never been happier.
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