the ceremony
solstice elopement at golden hour
We wanted our big day to feel intimate. We opted for a “just us” ceremony to focus on what matters most: our unconditional love for each other.
We exchanged our vows under the sacred Redwood giants on the summer solstice—the first day of summer and the longest day of the year.
Sunlight flickered through the canopy above, casting a warm glow around us, while the sweet sounds of birdsong created an enchanting backdrop.
OFFICIANT: Though the wedding day is full of happiness and joy, it can also fly by much too quickly. Let's take a moment to slow things down, take a deep breath, and remember what this day is truly all about: the unconditional love shared between Amy and Micah. I want to extend an invitation to each of you - an invitation to enter a brief time of silent waiting and joyful anticipation together.
Now close your eyes or lower your gaze, and take in a slow deep breath in, and a slow deep breath out, relaxing into this place, and this moment. Connecting to the steady rhythm of your breath, arrive completely in this beautiful place, at this joyous celebration of love.
[Brief Pause]
And now I invite you to raise your gaze, and return to this place - take a moment to look around at your surroundings, to take in the smiles, tears, and love that is here today; to fully be here, embraced by the magic of living in the now.
OFFICIANT: We gather here today to witness and celebrate the love and union of Amy and Micah. Today, they are able to make their lifetime personal commitment to each other official.
What makes their relationship truly unique is their deep gratitude and appreciation for each other. They feel incredibly lucky to have found one another, and they nurture their partnership with love and care. Their love for each other is exciting, and it is evident in the way they look at each other and speak about each other. They are each other's balance. They are best friends.
As Amy and Micah embark on this journey of partnership their priorities, goals, hopes and dreams align perfectly. They envision building a beautiful home, traveling the world, and eventually growing old together in a cozy cabin. Their shared vision is a testament to their deep connection and commitment to each other throughout this life.
Today, as we witness their vows and exchange of rings, let us celebrate the love that has brought them to this moment. May their journey together be forever filled with magic, joy, and laughter. Amy and Micah, may your love be a shining example to us all, reminding us of the beauty and power of true love.
AMY:
“Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us. The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every finer and cell of the substance of our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own and sings our love.”
— Mountain Thoughts by John Muir
MICAH:
“Home is not where you are from—it is where you belong. Some of us travel the whole world to find it. Others, find it in a person.”
— Buried Light by Beau Taplin
AMY:
“Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, ‘You owe me.’ Look what happens with a love like that, it lights up the whole sky.”
— The Sun Never Says by Hafiz
MICAH:
“Love, like life, flows through the heart. Feel the thrill of the flow and say nothing.”
— Love, Like Life, Flows by Rumi
AMY: Micah, today I am here to tell you how much I love you. It’s easy to love you. You are the partner I’ve always longed for, and you came into my life at exactly the right time. I am grateful and honored to be able to love you for the rest of my life.
Because of you, I finally know what it feels like to be ‘at home’. You have helped me create a beautiful home where I feel safe and loved, where my creativity is nurtured, and where I’m inspired to be my best. And throughout our journey together, I have found that my home is in your heart.
Today I make a promise to you that you will never be alone; my heart is your home.
I promise to perpetually build and fortify this home with you—a home that is a sanctuary for us.
I promise to dream with you and to work together toward our goals.
I promise to always make our marriage a priority, and to have gratitude for our beautiful relationship that we work so hard to maintain.
I promise to never take you for granted.
I promise to respect, admire, cherish and appreciate you for who you are, as well as for the person you wish to become.
I promise to celebrate your spirit and all of your accomplishments.
I promise to love you and accept you unconditionally, and without hesitation.
I promise to want you, to always pursue you, and to root for you.
I promise to practice patience and kindness with you, and to remember that above all else, you are the only thing that matters.
I promise to live in the moment with you, to savor our time together, and to continue to write our story.
I intend to care for you, hold you, and grow very, very old with you. I trust you to take care of me when I am old, and to help me remember how wonderful our life has been together.
MICAH: Amy, I am so happy and proud to stand here with you today as we start this new journey together.
You have been my coworker, best friend, and my inspiration. But above all, you are the love of my life. I am truly lucky to have found you in this world and to be able to wake up next to you every morning.
You make my life sweeter than I ever imagined, more loved than I thought possible. Your love means more to me than anything in this world. I can’t wait for everything our future holds: building our home together, traveling, retiring in a cabin along a river—LIVING.
I promise to be faithful to you and everything we stand for.
I promise to respect your individuality and treat you as the queen that you are.
I promise to not hold anything back and to give you my all in every moment we share.
I promise to hold you tight when you need a hug and to give you space when you need it to grow and recharge.
I promise to take care of you. I will do everything in my power to create the happiest life for us.
I look forward to growing old with you and sharing countless adventures, laughter and love along the way. And when we are old, I can’t wait to reminisce about this day.
OFFICIANT: Let us bless these rings. These circles, symbols that remind us of the sun that shines above us, the Earth holding the ground beneath our feet and the cycle of the tides that rise and fall against the coast. In this moment, bring blessings to these rings to be symbols of unity, commitment and renewal. Grant that the love which Amy and Micah feel for each other this day reside always in their hearts.
[Officiant to receive the rings]
You will now affirm your intent to marry by gifting a ring to one another. This ring will serve as daily reminder for yourself and a symbol to the world around you of the commitment you have each made to one another here today.
[Officiant hands Amy's ring to Micah to place on Amy's finger]
OFFICIANT: Do you, Micah Zaayer, take Amy Long to be your lawfully wedded wife, your constant companion and partner through all the adventures and challenges in the shared life ahead of you? Do you promise to maintain and strengthen this commitment in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health from this day forward?
MICAH: I do.
[Officiant hands Micah's ring to Amy to place on Micah's finger]
OFFICIANT: Do you, Amy Long, take Micah Zaayer to be your lawfully wedded husband, your constant companion and partner through all the adventures and challenges in the shared life ahead of you? Do you promise to maintain and strengthen this commitment in plenty and in want, in joy and in sorrow, in sickness and in health from this day forward?
AMY: I do.
OFFICIANT: In as much as you have accepted the vows which bind you together in love, and have pledged yourselves to each other, by the authority vested in me as a Circuit Court Judge, I now pronounce you partners in life. You may now kiss!
