Just over ten years ago, I did not believe in the institution of marriage, and I never planned on getting married. Now I have been married for eight years, and I am a wedding officiant who works with couples to plan and celebrate their marriage ceremonies. What caused such a paradigm shift in a relatively short amount of time? The short answer is my wife. The longer answer is what my wife and I did together to celebrate our love with our family and friends.

I grew up believing that marriage and love were two separate concepts. Almost every marriage within my family had ended in divorce, and most of the ex-spouses were completely out of the lives of their former partners. I knew love existed and could exist between two people, but I also thought that being married and being in a loving relationship were never the same thing. ...(continued)