Okay, read below please. (sorry for the large type) I am getting married on the beach before heading into town for the reception. The choice to be married at the beach is very intentional so how's this:
There is no place more spiritual than the ocean. It is full of mystery, and beauty. If you are listening to it, it will teach you about life and about death. It will teach you about humility, tenacity, power, rhythm and compromise. It speaks about history, possibility, and science. It is the superlative image of fantasy and imagination. Its tides ebb and flow, its currents travel and its depths both figurative and literal evoke awe. To many, the experience of simply being near the ocean is emotional and healing. It can be both invigorating and calming at the same time.
There are over 1 million known species of plants and animals living there, and scientists say there may be as many as 9 million species we haven't discovered yet. So there really are plenty of fish in the sea. You know you’ve found the right one for you when your gills still feel funny when that fish swims over next to you for the millionth time.
There’s nothing more compelling, more wondrous or more majestic than the sea. Like the sea, a marriage is vast and complex, full of beauty, strength, and depth. And like the sea, a marriage must be regarded with great care, compromise and the will to keep learning and discovering. And like the sea, a marriage is at once a source of solace and a source of energy. Both fragile and the most powerful force on the Earth, the ocean- like a marriage- must be cared for and respected. It takes all five senses and your soul to truly appreciate the ocean. Just like life in a marriage. The old saying goes, “Never turn your back on the ocean.” In a marriage, you spend a lifetime with your soul mate. When you are meant to be together you face things head on as a team and as long as you don’t turn your back on the marriage, you will find a way to jump the largest of hurdles.
The ocean: in its presence, you will smile, breathe intentionally, laugh, cry, reflect, remember, and question. It will heal you, sooth you, carry you amongst its waves and send you to yourself. In its presence, you will be reminded of what it is important and what is real. But you will also be reminded of what is not real yet or what will never be real but is also important. Its legends will inspire, and its magic will make you want to try. Just like a marriage.
There is no more perfect cathedral for a wedding than the edge of the sea. The power of its metaphor serves to remind us that a marriage should be timeless, and have depth. It will change each day of your lives together, but will always be a source of beauty, support and an occasional sand burn from riding the waves a little too hard.
Please join Jeb and Jennifer in a silent moment to contemplate the spiritual part of the sea, what it means to you personally, and what it means as a metaphor to a marriage. Breathe, remember, hope and wish.
(…………………few moments of silence)
Thank you.