Our Guest Book

All photos by Edmund Moon of Daily Thousand Words Photography

For our guest book we were inspired by the tradition of the Quaker marriage certificate. We wanted something meaningful and not something that would be packed away to collect dust. Also since we had such a small intimate wedding we also wanted something that would be inclusive of our guests. We had Lauren Brown our stationery vendor design a poster sized certificate which she had mounted and we set it outside the reception room for display. On an easel beside the table we had a large fame of family photos of couples in our family with an explanation of the certificate.

After the wedding we had it professionally framed and it now hangs at the bottom of our stairwell and I see it every morning when I come downstairs. A constant reminder of the commitment Roe and I have made to  each other and the people who witnesses our declaration of love.

Later displayed on an easel in our reception room for the formal signing by Roosevelt and me.

Here is the wording of our marriage certificate/contract.

On September 12th, in the year of our Lord, 2009

Nicole XXXXX XXXXX and Roosevelt X XXXXXXX appeared together, 

and Roosevelt taking Nicole by the hand, did, on this solemn and joyous occasion, declare that he took Nicole to be his wife, promising with Divine assistance to be unto her a loving and faithful husband; and then Nicole, did in like manner declare that she took Roosevelt to be her husband, promising with Divine assistance, to be unto him a loving and faithful wife.

And moreover as a further confirmation and declaration of their love they do commit their hand to the following pledge in the presence of God, family, and friends.

To love each other earnestly, with passion and enthusiasm

To love with compassion and understanding and without reservation or judgement

To give the best of themselves and to ask of the other no more than they can give

To strive to achieve their potential as God’s creature and support and celebrate the other’s progress towards this goal

To be open and share with the other their innermost fears and feelings, secrets and dreams

To stay by each other’s side through times of illness, struggle, and poverty as well as times of health, happiness, and prosperity

To respect the other as their own person and to realize that their interests, desires, and needs are no less important than their own

To be patient with each others differences and to remember that they imbue their relationship with resilience, strength, and humor

To be the others rock of support and champion in the face of adversity, to be each other’s advisor and trusted confidant, and to always believe and trust in the others abilities and dreams

To grow together and be willing to face changes in order to keep their relationship alive and exciting

To do what they can to stay healthy and fit in body and mind so that they may age gracefully by each other’s side

To create a home that is welcoming, inclusive, spirited, and inspiring

To celebrate, cherish, and mark the blessing of their union each day

And we having been present at this marriage, hereby set our hands offering our love and support to this union

[AT THE BOTTOM]

 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

1 Corinthians 13 4:7