Wedded

Katie's cousin stands with his lady and a friend they've pressed into service as an officiant in a courtyard beneath an enormous beech tree. The air is cool beneath a fitfully overcast sky, but the bride wears a golden rayed headdress that, along with the glow of her nuptials, seems to make her a perfect stand-in for the absent sun.

We all watch as they exchange rings and vows, and even with the relatively non-traditional ceremony, I can feel something happening, something to do with the weight of our attention and the fervor of their intention. In a moment they are married, and the closest thing to magic anyone ever experiences happens right in front of our eyes, in the mingling and binding of two souls, and then we all sit down and eat cake.