Over the blustery Memorial holiday I officiated a wedding for a very cool and techy couple from Austin. The wedding was held at a private home in the tony Hamptons. The bride, also a part time jewelry artist, obviously had a fun time adding special details to the ceremony and reception space.
She picked patriotic colors of red, white and blue for guests’ apparel and decorations. (This Calvin Klein “Americana.”) She arrived on a boat, as the ceremony was situated on the Long Island Sound. And she elegantly circled the tented ceremony area where the chairs encircled the wedding, enhancing the feel of intimacy. All about were old photos of the couple, held stationery by anchored balloons. Also, about the various food stations were notecards for the guests to add remembrances for the couple—fun stories or anecdotes, first impressions, hopes for their future, and so on. The food for the day was also unique—a variety of childhood favorite entrees, sides and desserts that friends and relatives lovingly prepared. Mac and Cheese, food from the girl, Slavic potato soups, and cupcakes of every possible variety. The groom had performed an original guitar rendition of the favorite Pachelbel’s Canon, for the processional. And the couple had a romantic story that was filled with humor. Consider the reading below that was included in the ceremony script:
And so I say to couples like this, who really “think outside the box”—Bravo! Let your creativity flow freely……express yourself and have fun with the big day!
A meteorology professor stood before his Meteorology 101 class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly he picked up a very large and empty glass mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a jar of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open spaces between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar and of course the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous yes.
The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and then proceeded to pour the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the grains of sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things — your family, your partner, your health, your children, your friends, your favorite passions — things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.
“The pebbles are the other things that matter, like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for your life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out dancing. Play another 18.
“There will always be time to go to work, clean the house, give a dinner party and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of beers.”
