Our Ceremony Script
Color Key
Green: Instructions
Black: Mike Krug - MC
Blue: Adam Higuera - Groom
Purple: Shira Kaminsky - Bride
Pink: Netta Kaminsky - Matron of Honor
Orange: Rima Mahmoud - Maid of Honor
Red: Tiago Szvarca - Best Man
Burgundy: Adam Green - Best Man
Musician: gray
Musician plays “Hallelujah”
Mike and the guitarist are at the front of the amphitheater as guests take their seats. The guitarist is sitting in the front row on the rightmost section of the amphitheater.
Usher and groomsmen instruct guests to sit in the center and left sections of the amphitheater - see orientation here.
The ceremony takes place on the gravel part of the amphitheater (not the stone stage).
The ceremony officially starts when the guitarist starts playing “Adam Betoch Atzmo”
Order of procession:
-
Adam, Groom, is accompanied by his parents while walking down the aisle. Hugs and kisses, and then Adam joins Mike at the front. Adam’s parents take their seat in the front row (center row, right of aisle).
-
Netta, Matron of Honor, walks down the aisle and takes her place to the left of the altar.
-
Adam Green, Best Man, walks down the aisle and takes his place to the right of the altar.
-
Rima, Maid of Honor, walks down the aisle and takes her place to the far left of the altar.
-
Tiago, Best Man, walks down the aisle and takes his place to the far right of the altar.
-
Uri & Ran, ring bearers, walk down with Dvir holding his hands with one arm, and the ring pillow with the other. Ran hands his ring pillow to Netta. Uri hands his ring pillow to Adam Green. Then all three of them sit down in the front row (left of the aisle).
-
Ana Pope, flower girl, waves a wand of ribbons she walks down the aisle, gives a little curtsy to the audience when she reaches the altar, and goes to sit in the front row (right of the aisle).
Please rise for the bride.
-
Shira, Bride, walks down with her parents. When they reach the front, Shira hugs and kisses each of her parents. She joins Adam at the altar, and her parents sit at the front row (left of aisle). Shira hands her bouquet to Rima.
Please be seated.
Welcome, family and friends. We gather here today to celebrate the union of Adam and Shira. But before we start this very special ceremony, Adam and Shira requested I do the honors of taking the official wedding selfie.
Mike shows the crowd the selfie stick
Everyone, please smile.
Mike takes the selfie.
Thank you, everyone. Now that we have this selfie, please silence and put away your phones. put your phones on silent and away.
As I said, we are gathered here today to celebrate the union of Adam and Shira. I can’t think of a better spot for these two to declare their love and commitment to each other - overlooking their beautiful home, the city of Boulder, Colorado.
Adam and Shira’s love story is a very modern one. They “met” on reddit, where they knew each other only by username only for a few months. They fell in love online, on G-Chat. The first time they saw each other’s faces was on their respective OKCupid profiles. The first pictures they exchanged were memes. And the first time they heard each other’s voice was on Google Hangouts.
But don’t do not think that this modern love lacks romance. These two extremely verbal individuals fell in love with each other’s words first. They fell in love with each other’s online personalities - personalities that were more honest and raw than “real life”. Before they ever met, they spent hours unknowingly creating a day-by-day, hour-by-hour transcript of their story, a diary of their relationship, a digital collection of modern love letters.
Perhaps most importantly, Adam and Shira’s connection transcended geography. When Shira moved from Boston to Boulder to be with Adam, they were already in love.
As demonstrated by your presence here today, your love for them has also compelled you to travel. Thank you all for joining us from all over the world to celebrate these two.
For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Michael Krug and I’ve known Adam for 12 years now, since we were both freshmen in college. I met Shira for the first time in the summer of 2015, when Adam brought her along to a beach camping weekend in California. This was the fateful trip where I introduced this happy couple to the game “Yellow Car”. The rules are simple: when you see a yellow car, you shout out “yellow car”. Shira was a natural at this game. For Adam, it took a little while, but he caught on.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s been over three3 years, and they still play “Yellow Car” on a daily basis. They send each other photos of yellow cars when they’re not together. They can tell you which supermarket parking lot always has that yellow pickup truck, and which driveway has a yellow VW Beetle.
Now, that’s commitment.
Before declaring their commitment here publicly today, Adam and Shira would like to share what they love about each other.
Shira: Adam, I love how supportive you are. I love that I can count on you, no matter what. I love being in your arms and by your side - there’s nowhere else in the world that I would rather be.
Adam: Shira, I love how you imagine our future so vividly. So many beautiful things about our home and our life together sprang from your ideas.
Shira: Adam, I love how considerate, warm, and kind you are. I love that can anticipate my wants and needs. I love that you take care of our home, our kitties, and me.
Adam: Shira, I love your affection. Every minute of every day is full of small reminders of your love, enfolding me and sheltering me.
Shira: Adam, I love how silly we can be together. I love the silly songs, the stupid puns, the ridiculous hypothetical situations. I love that you never judge me or make me feel embarrassed, and that you accept and love me for who I am.
Adam: Shira, I love your candor. I can always rely on you for fresh insight and every conversation is an adventure.
Thank you, Adam and Shira.
Now I would like to ask some of the couple’s loved ones to come forward and share a few words and sayings about love and marriage.
First I’d like to invite Adam’s good friends Tiago and Adam Green.
Tiago and Adam Green step to the front.
Tiago:
Adam and Shira collected some of their favorite quotes that are relevant to this occasion, to share with you.
The first is a passage from Ernest Hemingway’s “A Farewell to Arms”:
Often a man wishes to be alone and a woman wishes to be alone too, and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. We were never lonely and never afraid when we were together.
Adam Green:
The second one happens to be attributed to another physicist, Albert Einstein:
Gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love. How on earth can you explain in terms of chemistry and physics so important a biological phenomenon as first love? Put your hand on a stove for a minute and it seems like an hour. Sit with that special girl for an hour and it seems like a minute. That's relativity.
Tiago:
The third quote is one you probably have heard before, probably at a wedding, and for good reason. From Corinthians 13:
Love is patient, love is kind
It does not envy or boast
It is not arrogant or rude
It does not insist on its own way
It is not easily angered
it keeps no record of wrongs
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends.
Adam Green:
This next reading is inspired by Bible passage, from Proverbs 31, which was edited by Adam and Shira to fit their own circumstances.
Tiago:
A loving marriage who can find?
For its price is far above rubies.
Adam Green:
The heart of the husband does safely trust in his wife,
And he has no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Tiago:
He is like the merchant-ships;
He brings her food from afar.
She rises while it is yet night,
She considers a field, and buys it;
With the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
Adam Green:
He girds his loins with strength,
And makes strong his arms.
His lamp does not go out by night.
Tiago:
She stretches out her hand to the poor;
He reaches forth his hands to the needy.
Adam Green:
She is not afraid of the snow for her household;
For her family is always well-clothed.
He opens his mouth with wisdom;
And the law of kindness is on his tongues.
Tiago:
He loves her.
And she loves him.
Tiago and Adam Green step back.
Thank you, Tiago and Adam Green.
Now I’d like to invite Shira’s sister Netta, and her very good friend, Rima, to share a reading with us.
Netta and Rima step to the front.
Rima:
This is an adaptation of “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”, by Doctor Seuss.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
Netta:
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You're a couple. And you know what you know.
And TOGETHER you'll decide where to go.
Oh, the places you’ll go!
Rima:
You'll be on your way up!
You'll be seeing great sights!
You'll join the high fliers
who soar to high heights.
You won't lag behind, because you'll have each other
You’ll achieve all your goals, one after another.
Wherever you fly, you'll be best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.
Netta:
Except when you don't.
Because, sometimes, you won't.
I'm sorry to say so
but, sadly, it's true
that Bang-ups
and Hang-ups
can happen to you.
Rima:
But you’re Shira and Adam, Kamiguera’s your name
You’ll surpass any challenge and get back in the game
With your heads full of brains and your shoes full of feet
And your love for each other, so tender and sweet
You will clear every hurdle, overcome every strife
As a duo, a team, a husband and wife.
Netta:
Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!
There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.
And the magical things you can do with that ball
will make you the winning-est team of all.
You'll be as in love as a couple can be,
You’ll feel happy, and peaceful, and warm, and carefree.
Rima
Except when you don't
Because, sometimes you won't.
Even twosomes like you
Some times may feel blue.
Netta and Rima Alternating:
But on you will go
though the weather be foul.
On you will go
though your enemies prowl.
On you will go
though the monsters howl.
Onward up many
a frightening creek,
though your arms may get sore
and your sneakers may leak.
Netta:
On and on you will hike,
And I know you'll hike far
and face up to your problems
whatever they are.
Rima
You'll get mixed up, of course,
as you already know.
You'll get mixed up
with many strange birds as you go.
So be sure when you step,
Step with care and great tact
and remember that Life's
a Great Balancing Act.
Netta
Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.
And never mix up your right foot with your left.
And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
Kids, you’ll move mountains!
Rima
You're off to the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So get on your way!
Netta and Rima step back.
Thank you, Netta and Rima.
In their three years together, Adam and Shira have built a home and a partnership. They have two cats that they love dearly. They cook together, clean together, and practice Muay Thai kickboxing together. Their home is their refuge, their source of strength, their pride and joy.
But today, they take the first step in building a family, a life, and a future. They are committing to each other until the end of times before their loved ones, joining their names and families to one another. Before they embark on this new journey together, they will exchange their wedding vows. Adam, why don’t you go first.
[Adam’s Vows]
Shira, I vow to work to make our dreams a reality, to do everything I can to make sure every member of our future family has a chance at the life they want, to contribute my affection, my support, and my honesty to everything for which we strive.
Shira, I vow to always be attentive to your needs, to warm you against the cold of the world with the heat of my love, and to be ready whenever you need me.
Shira, I vow to surround you with beauty. I promise to remind you of your own, so that you may love yourself as I love you.
Shira, I vow to be your husband from this moment and forever more.
Groomsmen, please bring the rings forward.
Adam Green hands rings to Adam
Adam, please repeat after me
I, Adam take you, Shira, to be my wedded wife [pause and let Adam repeat]
to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse [pause and let Adam repeat]
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, [pause and let Adam repeat]
to love and to cherish, till death do us part. [Adam repeats]
Adam puts ring on Shira’s finger
Shira, please read your vows to Adam.
[Shira’s Vows]
Adam, I vow to do my best to make our life happy and our home welcoming and warm. I promise to be patient, or at least try. I promise to acknowledge whenever I am wrong. I promise to stand by your side and always have your back, no matter what. I vow to be forever loyal to you and honest with you, and to persevere with you through life’s challenges.
Adam, I promise to continue to earn and to deserve your love and affection. I promise to try to make you laugh, to entertain you, to send you links, memes, and pictures of our cats every day that we’re apart, even if just for a few hours. I promise to always brighten day and lighten your load.
Adam, I vow to have fun with you. I promise to sing in the car with you, go on backpacking trips with you, and explore more of the world with you. From travel, to new foods, to shows, and museums – I want to share it all with you. I might even start eating more spicy food, although that I cannot promise. I have no doubt that we will have a rich and interesting life together.
Adam, I vow to be your wife from this moment and forever more.
Shira, please repeat after me
I, Shira, take you, Adam, to be my wedded husband [pause and let Shira repeat]
to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse [pause and let Shira repeat]
for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, [pause and let Shira repeat]
to love and to cherish, till death do us part. [Shira repeats]
Shira puts ring on Adam’s finger
It is my honor and delight to declare Adam and Shira husband and wife, and invite them to self-solemnize their union with a kiss.
Adam and Shira kiss.
Musician starts playing “This Thing Called Love”.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Kamiguera!