1st Reading (Kevin)
Excerpts from “Still Life With Woodpecker” – Tom Robbins

The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the mediocre and vile can be transformed, and (c) doing that makes it that. We waste time looking for the perfect lover, instead of creating the perfect love. Wouldn’t that make love stay?

Love is the ultimate outlaw. It just won't adhere to any rules. The most any of us can do is to sign on as its accomplice. Instead of vowing to honor and obey, maybe we should swear to aid and abet. That would mean that security is out of the question. The words "make" and "stay" become inappropriate. My love for you has no strings attached. I love you for free.

Welcome Statement (Adam)
Welcome friends and family. We’ve come together today to celebrate the wedding of Aspen and Michael, to share in their future together, and to offer our support and blessings.
For my own part, I would like to offer this blessing. It is the prayer of Shehecheyanu, a prayer of thanks reserved for special occasions:
Barukh atah Adonai Eloheinu melekh ha-olam, she-hehiyanu v'kiy'manu v'higi'anu la-z'man ha-ze.

Blessings/Affirmations (Adam)
Historically, weddings have been public occasions where family and friends gather to express the joy and approval that they feel for the new union.

With that said, I ask the parents this:

Do you, Lee and Judy, and you, Louis and Lorraine, who have raised and nurtured these two, give your blessings now to them as they enter into this new relationship, and do you aspire in the days and years ahead to give them your deepest love, understanding, and support, during both good times and bad? If so, say: "We do." (parents answer)

And let me ask the rest of you gathered here today:

Do you who know and care for Michael and Aspen give them your blessings now as they enter into this new relationship, and do you aspire in the days and years ahead to give them your deepest love, understanding, and support during both good times and bad? If so, say: "We do."
(crowd answers)

Remembrances and Acknowledgements (Adam)
Michael and Aspen have asked that we take a moment to honor those loved ones who are not with us today, namely:
Aspen’s “Paw Paw”, Winston L. Taylor, Sr. and her “Granddad”, Archie Ladshaw; Aspen’s “Aunt Mo”, Margaret Owens; Michael’s grandfather, Dominic Federico and his “Gramp”, Michael Talarico; and his “Grandma Vinnie”, Vincenza Federico.

[Moment of silence]

Thank you.

Michael and Aspen also ask that we recognize those who are still denied the civil right of wedded union and forbidden the social and legal benefits of marriage. We have come a long way toward treating all men and women as equals, and yet, we acknowledge that we have farther still to go and more we can do to respect the choice to love, and be loved.

2nd Reading by Cameron and Dana
“A Lovely Love Story”—Edward Monkton

C: The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.
The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts.

D: ”I like this Dinosaur”, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. ”Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny. He is also quite clever, though I will not tell him this for now.”

C: ”I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur”, thought the Dinosaur. “She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice. She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

D: “But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times”, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. “He is also overly fond of things. Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

C: “But her mind skips from here to there so quickly”, thought the Dinosaur. “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping. Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

D: “I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things, thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur. For they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

C: “I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping”, thought the Dinosaur. “For she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.”

D: Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. Look at them. Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

C: And that, my friends, is how it is with love. Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. For the sun is warm. And the world is a beautiful place.

Statement of Intent/The “I Do’s” (Adam)
Aspen and Michael, do you, with family and friends as your witnesses, present yourselves willingly and of your own accord to be joined in marriage? Do you promise to care for each other in the joys and sorrows of life, come what may, and to share the responsibility for growth and enrichment of your life together?
[Aspen & Mike: WE DO!]
Then please turn to each other and share the vows you have written.

Vows

Aspen's vows:
Mike, today I join my life with yours.
I will do my share, with my hands and with my heart,
to build a life for us that is blissful and abundant.
I will laugh with you when you are happy
and I will hold you when you are sad.
I will respect, honor, and listen
as you tell me your thoughts, your hopes, and your fears.
I will support the dreams of the artist within you,
and make them as important as my own,
in order that we may share one dream for a future together.
(I will also totally support the dream of a Chicago Cubs World Series win. Go Cubbies!.)
Today, I promise you that though the world may change
and though we may change with it, I will always love you,
always cherish you, and will always share my life and all that I am with you.
And I promise to love you fully, deeply, and truly.
For it is your heart that moves me,
your head that challenges me,
your humor that delights me,
and your hands I wish to hold until the end of my days.
Wherever our path leads us, it leads us together.
I am proud, from this day forward, to be called your wife.
Thank you for your courage in taking this chance,
for beginning a new journey and coming here today to become my husband,
and in doing so, making a gift of yourself and your life.
Thank you for always being my sanctuary, my comfort, and my light when life is dark.
Thank you for coming so far with me, for seeing the person I have become,
and for always seeing IN me the person that I strive to be.
And thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world.
I love you.

Mike's vows:
Before reading the vows he had written, Mike "went off the dome" and said some of the sweetest, most loving things he's ever uttered to Aspen. The gist of it was: He had been so sad and "lost" for many years before he found Aspen. He never thought he'd ever be as happy as he is when he's with her or love someone as deeply and as truly as he loves her, and then there she was, and his life is richer for it!

I promise to take care of you and to be taken care of by you.
I promise to support and encourage you in everything you do.
I promise to do what I need to do to put points on the board.
I promise I will learn to cook at least one meal for you.
I will do all I can to give you the chance to adopt all the puppies, kitties, horses, and tiny goats you want.
I will answer all of the question you ask when we watch horror movies together.
I promise I will make you proud.
I love you very much.

Ring Exchange (Adam)
Over time, the ring has come to symbolize many things: completion, clarity, order within chaos, unity, ultimate rule over Middle Earth. Today, Michael and Aspen, let the ring serve not only as a symbol of your love for each other, but as a reminder of the promise you now make (Mike and Aspen repeat after Adam)

(Mike goes first, placing Aspen’s hand on his heart and vice versa):

From my heart to your hand / I give you this ring / as a sign that I choose you to be my love /, my partner / and my best friend / to the end of my days. / Wear it, think of me, and know that I love you.

Pronouncement of the Marriage/Blessing (Adam)
By the powers vested in me by all that is awesome and fair, I now pronounce you husband and wife. As you go forth now, may the longtime sun shine upon all your days, may light and honor guide you on your way, and may you bring pure metal fire to the world! You may now seal your new union with a kiss.

*KISS*

Presentation of the Couple (Adam)
Family and friends, I present to you Michael and Aspen Ta’Rico!