Here are some segments from their ceremony:
I am especially proud to officiate today: D+S are equally brave individuals. I admire them; their relationship inspires both to become better people. But not only do they give the gift of love to each other: they share the best of themselves with their family, friends, and community throughout the year. Mutual support encourages each to make a special contribution to the world. In particular, they have dedicated themselves to protecting others from harm. We ought not to ever forget the sacrifices such courageous individuals make. In honor of the strength Shauna and Dustin give one another in the face of life’s challenges, I’d like to share a poem entitled “A Fireman’s Wife”:
When you are gone, I feel alone-When you’re away, I want you home. I miss you here, right next to me-But that’s the way it has to be. When duty calls, it seems unfair-You should be here, but you are there. Helping people, saving lives-I am one of many wives. God, keep him safe, watch over him-When the work is hard, when the times are dim. Late at night or the early morn’. When he is tired; When his spirit’s worn. Give him strength, be his guide-Let him know you’re at his side. I love this man, he’s one of a kind-He’s one of the Bravest-The best you’ll find. So this is what I ask of thee-Just know how special he is to me. Protecting the helpless, a defender of life-I am proud to be A Fireman’s Wife.
Moment of Silence……
Convocation: To your credit, you know that too often weddings are the relentless propagation of the idea of marriage; they arouse in us an impulse to become glamorous. But a marriage has more substance. Marriage is not merely an institution into which one matriculates and then departs from when we no longer want it or need it. It is a mystical, ineluctable union whose power eclipses most worldly affairs and may not be cast aside. The hearth is indeed a physical place, but it is also has an incomparable spiritual plane that will not wither or dim. It transcends the coffers of time to possess perpetual worth. Because marriage comes with such a flurry of blessings, it resonates deeply within the core of our being. Therefore, the vows of marriage are all-encompassing; they are comprehensive and inclusive.
I would like to leave you with a little advice as well. It may seem counter-intuitive and against what many therapists might suggest: gifts, vacations, and merely being together are not always remedies to problems. If you are truly upset and your partner proclaims that alone time together will help you get re-acquainted, preventing your contorted face from glaring in first-class reproachfulness will prove unfeasible. Sadly, it’s true: date nights and psychology can help, yet they are trite platitudes to persevere in spite of tender aches. Patient faith in the overall belief you will eventually grasp the truth of your bond is the only means to endure and eventually surmount stinging dejection. You must be able to work despite feeling affronted. And to do this, you must grasp onto optimism and never let go. Diligently make an effort to be courteous and decorous without being too demurely deferential when you lack the energy to look at your partner through dewy eyes. Why only this ostensibly superficial, flippant advice? Because if your love is authentic, indubitable, and reciprocal, then your partner will make sacrifices for you too. Simply put, hold onto faith in the future. Have hope.
Declaration of Intent…
Wedding Vows…
Benediction & Blessing…
Pronouncement…
The Kiss…
Signing of License…
Wedding Officiant in NYC and the Hudson Valley 