To Eric and Steph

The pictures came in! The pictures came in!

On June 4th, my sister-in-law and (now) brother-in-law were married. I've been waiting for the professional pictures in order to give a proper tribute to the celebration of a marriage between two beautiful people in my life.

Today is the day, my friends. In celebration of nearly two months of marriage and all the days after this, I give you the words I shared on the day of Eric and Steph's wedding day. And some fantastic pictures, of course.

 Eric and Steph, it is an honor to be standing here, celebrating your marriage with you today. Thank you for inviting me- and all of us here today- to be a part of your big day. It is a beautiful thing to have been able to watch the two of you grow as individuals and as a couple over the past few years.

Eric- you are a talented writer, a hard worker, an insightful scholar, and a fiercely loyal and loving man. You have won the heart of a woman who I deeply treasure, and you have proven through time, actions, and heart that her heart is something you do and will continue to protect, nurture, and cherish. Although I certainly know you don't do it for me, I thank you for who you are on behalf of me and everyone else who loves Steph.

Steph- I loved you even before I loved your brother. You and I have danced in the rain and picked strawberries in the rain together. You opened up my world to indie movies, different ways to eating, different ways of seeing the world, and people and needs I didn't before think a lot about. You, my dear, have changed my life with that soft and adventurous heart of yours, and I am thrilled to see you marry the man you love today. I know you have brought the same things to him- and so much more- that you have brought to me. And today- I celebrate you, I celebrate the man you love, and I celebrate the official beginning of your lives as a family. I promise to continue celebrating you both through the years.

After all the anticipation, the planning, the meetings, today may seem to go relatively fast. But throughout this day, and when it is over, I hope you feel surrounded by love and support. Simone Signoret said, "Chains do not hold a marriage together. It is threads, hundreds of tiny threads which sew people together through the years. That is what makes things last." Today is one of those threads. Eric- your servantheartedness and your teachability are some of those threads. Steph- your sensitive spirit and your thoughtfulness are some of those threads.

My prayer for you is that your marriage will continue to grow richer and stronger and tighter as you add threads of experience, honesty, acts of selflessness, unconditional love, forgiveness, and security.

Eric and Steph, we celebrate you and your marriage today, tomorrow, and every day after that.

All photos taken by Beth Licitra Photography. To view more, click here.