A lovely couple contacted me many months ago to officiate their wedding. These two people were very interesting: she was a lawyer with poise and creativity, and he was a college teacher who was originally a psychology major but was now completing his PhD in mathematics. They had known each other for 17 years and seemed already married; they were extremely easy with one another.
We first met at my apartment in NYC, and then it was my turn to visit them at their house in Long Island. I love these visits because they tell me so much about the couple: the treadmill machine in the den confirmed they are both runners, and all the artwork on the walls – she actually sketched the drawing for her chuppah. He had traveled through 42 states in the U.S., and she had toured around Europe.
Over wine and cheese, we spoke about their life together. She said her high school teacher advised her to “marry someone smarter than you and you’ll live a happy life and never be bored.” She thinks that over the years, they have discovered that each of them is smart in different ways, and their differences make them a stronger couple. How wise. The groom wrote that his bride-to-be is a woman who cares for him fiercely and gives him a sense of security like none he has ever known.
The actual wedding took place on a picture-perfect day in June at a beach club on Long Island. Seventy friends and family watched as I officiated the service that the couple and I had written together. A low-key, warm, and welcoming ceremony, it was a true reflection of this wonderful couple.