Anna and Will Wed in our nation's capital

Update on Sunday, January 8, 2012 at 6:53PM by Soulful Wedding Ceremonies

Just over a week ago this small town Cape Cod Wedding officiant flew to DC with her husband to preside over the wedding of Anna and Will. I began the story a few blogs ago when I wrote about going inside to do winter weddings. 

Our family met Will when he played for the Cape Cod League in 2004. He came as a temporary player and ended up an All-star and MVP for the Whitecaps not to mention having the highest number of stolen bases. Months ago when I was thinking about Anna and Will's ceremony I opened a little book of inspirational quotes given to me by another couple whose wedding I officiated last summer and read these words

Progress always involves risk.You can't steal second base without taking your foot off first- Fredrick B. Wilcox

 At the rehearsal dinner I made a futile stab at paraphrasing this quote. I had imbibed a bit and was attempting to rebute the previous toast. The previous toast was suppose to have been given by the best man, who is also Will's twin brother, but Jonathan, the best brother-man,  had put in a pinch toastmaker. This pinch hitter came in the form and figure of their childhood friend, Tom Flanagan. Well, Tom did this hilarious bit about how the officiant should be an ump or at the very least, be dressed in an umpire's uniform .... 

I digress....and I do have some pictures of the rehearsal dinner and the laughter this toast brought out but back to creating the ceremony. I had never met Anna and only seen Will once since his summer on the Cape. But as Jonathan the best brother -man noted in the make-up toast at the reception, Will got a look in his eyes whenever he mentioned Anna. He had that look, Jonathan reported, immediately after he met Anna on a car ride to Myrtle Beach back in the autumn of 2004. Call it love eyes or the look of love or just the look. He had it and still does.

The amazing thing was Anna totally trusted Will when after he proposed to her he went on to propose the idea of his summer host parents and their son not only be invited to the wedding but have Miss Kathleen officiate. And here is another totally trusting act on their part. They never saw one word of the ceremony. Not even at the rehearsal. This says so much to me about them.

 Progess always involves risk...

They were present and had to listen and let themselves be presided over and moved (especially when their friend Cori sang so beautifully) and tickled by the Ode to Anna and Will, and then to make those sincere and solemn promises and secure those vows with a ring and a kiss- all in the course of a half an hour without ever really reviewing the game plan.

..... You can't steal second base without taking your foot off first.

 What is riskier and more sacred, in this day and age, than taking the leap of faith into married life.

        As Will said, " Anna and I only want to do this once."

        Not only for Anna and Will, but for everyone who felt the power of their love, this was a once- in- a- lifetime fun and faith-filled wedding.

        Hooray, Hooray Will and Anna are married today! ( and no one had to wear an ump's uniform; not even Otis.)