so i went to my first state-licensed gay wedding today. it was also my first quaker wedding, kind of a double-whammy. i have yet to be unamazed by how cool friends ceremonies are.
so we had regular silent meeting, which consists of sitting in the meeting room, silently, unless one is moved to speak, starting at 10am Sunday morning. the friends do this until the clerk (a rotating position) is moved to end the meeting, which miraculously always happens right around 11am. then we all say hello and go have some refreshments. during refreshments i talked to a wicked cool guy about a friend of his who is on death row, whom he had met while participating in anti-capital punishment activism.
at 11:30, the wedding ceremony began between Shelli and Carol DuBois, who have been married for over 17 years but now have all legal perks. the wedding was like silent meeting, in that we all sat in the room and people spoke when moved to do so, but many more people spoke--mostly words of encouragement and other statements about the couple. then when the brides were moved to (friends are all about being moved to do things... probably not the favorite religion of writing teachers), they stood and spoke their vows, and for another 45 minutes the popcorn meeting (when people keep standing and speaking with little time in between statements) continued, until the speaking slowed and the clerk again was moved to end the ceremony. then all 80 or so people at the ceremony lined up to sign the marriage certificate--a large piece of parchment with gorgeous calligraphy--as witnesses. then we got to eat.
the other guests were all very nice, although many had to leave early to attend other weddings. two other couples attending had had their own official weddings the previous weekend. 'tis the season i guess. if only i owned a catering company in provincetown...
November dusk
5 years ago
A comment! For the aerob!
ReplyDeleteWerd to the Quakerz (with a Z).
PS: Want to go to a Gaelic football match at the stadium in Dublin June 27th? (We'll be awaking in Dublin that morning, but not necessarily sleeping there.)
I feel moved to post a comment on this blog. Well I went to a wedding this weekend, too, but it was like a wedding with a bride and a groom. I hope that isn't too counter-revolutionary.
ReplyDeleteBut anyhow, in an attempt to break some exclusive news, I'm moved to add that I heard from someone earlier this evening that though Cambridge is not one of four towns in MA that had said it was going to grant same-sex marriage licences to out of state couples, our fair city may in fact be doing so, and just not publicizing it, so that we don't get in trouble from like the governor or some other state officials (the word was that one of my 7th grade teachers, who now apparently lives with her partner in Maine, had recently been spotted at City Hall getting a license). Damn, that was a long sentence.
You heard it hear first folks.
ReplyDeleteAerob's Blog: Where News Breaks
Ooh, how cutting-edge. Hope I haven't gotten the attention of any newspapers or anything yet, lest Cambridge get in trouble... Lucky for Cambridge, the 3 comments so far (plus this one) suggest that I'm still pretty far underground... i'm so hip =)
ReplyDeleteI haven't gone to a gay wedding ever! but my uncle is getting married (to a girl) and that is almost as exciting!!! i hope i have new little cousins soon!
ReplyDeletewell, i'm not writing from a starbucks anymore, but i have to ask HOW DID YOU PUT THE LINKS ON THE SIDE OF THE PAGE?? I WANT THAT!!!!