Now that the man-bag controversy has finally blown over, I can rightfully acknowledge the amazing and profound recent landmark in my life: on September 23rd I was married to the inspiring and beautiful Olivia Bagley. We were married at St. Paul Antiochian Orthodox Church in Brier, Washington with our own parish priest the V. Rev. A. James Bernstein serving. I currently have a number of pictures of the ceremony if you click on the sidebar to the right but I'm still waiting for pictures of the reception and more of the professional shots to trickle in.
In the Orthodox Church, marriage is a sacrament. The centerpiece is the crowning ceremony which symbolizes the divine unity between a man and a woman in Christ. As you might see in the pictures, Olivia and I are crowned in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit with floral crowns which are signs of both royalty and martyrdom. As humans who have fallen into death and sin, we are restored as kings and queens of creation in Christ. However, this restoration can only take place through the Cross. We are crucified with Christ in this world, which leads to the death of my self-centered pride and its roots that go so deep into my heart that it is hard to see sometimes where my pride ends and my heart begins.
Music plays an indispensable role in each Orthodox liturgy, and the marriage ceremony is no different. The choral music in the marriage liturgy is particularly noteworthy however and several of my musician relatives/friends commented on how stunning the music was, with one noting that the Our Father (the Lord's Prayer) nearly moved him to tears.
It was the hope of Olivia and I that the reception would be a big celebration/party with as many of our relatives and friends as possible and the event itself exceeded my expectations. Great food and drink, lots of laughter, good music, and humbling toasts left me glowing for several days afterward. As I recall that day now I can't help but think we all tasted a little slice of heaven and if I do say so myself, I doubt that's a coincidence.
9 comments:
Congrats once again J.B. (and Olivia). The pictures are great - Bruce, Carole, Ost, the whole gang was there. We truly regret not being able to be there too.
We missed having you there too but also know if there was any way possible for you to be physically present you would have been. I have bestowed upon you the title of "honorary groomsmen in absentia."
very beautiful wedding... congratulations from Jacob and Tania.
The pictures are so amazing! I can't wait to see more. Although we weren't able to make it, we felt so honored to see you in the UK during your honeymoon.
Wow, thanks for the honor. Did you throw away our wedding gift upon your return?
It was a beautiful ceremony, jergens bodywash.
Chuck, we pitched it at Heathrow. I'm kidding of course. We love the gift and it is currently on display in the kitchen.
We were hoping you would display it in your bedroom, perhaps next to an icon. Just kidding. Btw, I noticed a Leffe icon on your sidebar (not to be confused with the aforementioned icon) - it's quite popular here for those who do not prefer the warm British beer. We drink it responsibly.
While I've had the opportunity to try other delicious Belgian beers, I am new to Leffe. There is a import beer store not too far from our place that allows me to sample a large selection of tasty beers. Ironically, a co-worker of mine from London (who really, really likes beer -- both English and Belgian) has a particular affinity for Leffe as well.
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