The Wedding of Marianna Baskin Gabriel to Federico Anteola Mejia

2 PM Saturday June 10, 2000
Soquel, California

Music: Bonnie Barnham and Chris Caswell

Guests seated

• Minister T. Mike Walker enters, followed by carpet being unrolled.
• Federico enters with mother Bea, followed by his adult children Maggie (Magdalena) & Manolo. When they reach the first row of seats, Federico hugs his mother and she sits down. Maggie and Manolo proceed with Federico to the wedding platform.
• Minister: Please stand for the entrance of the Bride. Before the bride enters Katie and Aradia will scatter flowers and flower petals.
• Marianna enters with her father Jack and her son Elun on either side of her. At the first row, Marianna hugs Jack, who sits down.
  Marianna and Elun proceed to wedding platform and take their positions.
• Federico & Marianna stand facing each other in front of the Minister.

Minister (to guests)

Please take your seats…Welcome, everyone, to the wedding of Marianna and Federico. Thank you all for coming today to bear witness to this marriage. We also welcome those who are with us today in spirit though not in body. We remember, this tree was planted three years ago last May, days after moving here, to honor the passing and the spirit of Marianna’s mother. Marianna and Federico want to honor those who have given them life, the parents and grandparents, including those still living, who have gone before them in the human cycle, and also those who have come after, the children they have birthed and their children’s children, who will continue this human cycle. Both generations of their lineage have helped to shape them to be the people they are now, the man and woman you see here so perfectly suited to one another, so full of love and caring for one another, as they join their lives together today in the formal ceremony of marriage.

As many of you may know, Federico and Marianna met twenty-seven years ago at Sweets Mill Dance and Music Camp in the Sierras. In fact, Marianna rode up to the Mill that year with my family and me. I had met Freddie two years before at the Renaissance Pleasure Faire, where he was playing every weekend with a Flamenco Troupe. We both had attended Mission High School in San Francisco, and both spent our teenage years living in the Mission. So all three of us have been friends independently for many years. Well…I’m sure that many of you here know the magic of Sweet’s Mill—especially back at the beginning when they had that huge outdoor stage and the spontaneous dance and music shows that went on all night long. Marianna was caught there by the spirit of Flamenco, that Flamenco bug that gets inside and never lets go, when she heard Freddie play his guitar. She was so inspired by Freddy’s music that she started studying Flamenco in San Francisco with Rosa Montoya on Freddie’s recommendation, specifically so she could dance to Freddie’s music.

Freddie and Marianna kept in touch, having many mutual friends and their bond of music and dance. Over the years they developed trust, respect and admiration for each other. In fact, on three different occasions Freddie lived in various dwellings at Marianna’s Amesti Road home in Watsonville, as close friends, separate families living in community, where Flamenco artists came to visit them from around the world! Needless to say, Marianna fulfilled her first dream of dancing to Freddie’s music many years ago. Now they are fulfilling a mutual dream as they continue their lives together, from here on as husband and wife. Their lives are like two rivers joining; together they become strong and powerful, capable of great passion and also soft stillness. Together they are in balance; together they are whole and are more than before.

Today we celebrate and honor their commitment to each other, which is a reflection of the great love they share. They are grateful for having found each other and they are excited about getting to spend the rest of their lives together!

RINGS

Minister: May we have the rings for presentation?

Kyle and Kita and Zane walk up, with Kyle holding the ring boxes. He hands them to Maggie who hands them to Manolo who removes the rings from boxes & hands them to the Minister.

Minister: Your rings are round like the sun and the moon, diamonds sparkling in the circles, uniting husband and wife with their brilliance and clarity. Marianna’s ring contains emeralds because she loves the color green and the nurturing earth. Federico’s ring contains rubies because he loves the color red, reflecting the warmth of the sun. The sun and the earth together make magic, they fulfill the promise of life and fertility. Your rings will serve as reminders to you and to others of the promises you make here today, of the love you share and the commitment being witnessed today of becoming husband and wife.

You may exchange rings as you speak your vows.

Marianna hands her bouquet to Elun to hold during ring exchange.

VOWS

Minister hands Marianna Federico’s ring.

Marianna recites: Now I choose to add Mejia to my name, in the style of North America I honor you my love. And yet close to myself I keep my names of birth and the names I’ve used in my past, because they too speak of who I am and where I’ve come from, before blending lives with you, my love. So my name becomes Marianna Chaya (my Jewish name) Jane Baskin Gabriel Mejia. As I now end my name with your name, my love, may I live and end my life with you by my side. I celebrate our partnership by adding your name to mine.

Here the Minister does the repeat after me:

• By marrying you I acknowledge before the world the soul bond I feel for you and I will continue to honor and love you and our relationship as I do now because I know that to be true.
• I thank the spirits for guiding me to my soul mate at last.
• Federico, Freddie my love, I know it to be true that I will love, honor, respect and enjoy you, as your lawful wedded wife, for the rest of our lives.
• May I dance to your music eternally.
• With this ring of gold and diamonds and rubies, all of which you outshine, I take thee Federico to be my lawful wedded husband.

Marianna puts ring on Federico.

Minister hands Federico Marianna’s ring.

Freddie repeats after the Minister:

• Marianna, my beautiful love, by marrying you I acknowledge before the world the soul bond I feel for you and I will continue to honor and love you and our relationship as I do now because I know that to be true.
• I thank the spirits for guiding me to my mate of the soul at last.
• Marianna my love, I know it to be true that I will love, honor, respect and enjoy you, as your lawful wedded husband, for the rest of our lives.
• May I make music for your dance eternally.
• With this ring of gold and diamonds and emeralds, all of which you outshine, I take thee Marianna to be my lawful wedded wife.

Federico puts ring on Marianna

Minister: Marianna and Freddy, you have exchanged vows and tokens of your love before these witnesses. Therefore, I pronounce that you are husband and wife. Please seal your marriage with a kiss.

Kiss. Applause.

Minister: In the Jewish tradition the smashing of the glass signifies the enduring nature of the marriage. And so, to reaffirm the lasting nature of their love, Federico will now smash the glass for himself and his bride.

Federico smashes the wedding glass.

Minister:
Now you will feel no rain, for you will be shelter for each other.
Now you will feel no cold, for you will be warmth for each other.
Now you will feel no loneliness, for you will be friends for each other.
Now you are two people, but there is only one road you will walk together.
Go now to your home, and may your days be long upon the earth.

Minister: Please stand for the Bridal Recessional and join Federico and Marianna Mejia for their wedding celebration and the feast prepared by Andres Martnez with the help of many friends!

Music:

Bridal Party Exit in reverse order.

______________________________________________________
Written by T. Mike Walker, The Traveling Minister, Universal Life Church Inc. and Marianna Baskin Gabriel, Bride and Minister of the Circle of the Sacred Earth.

The Wedding of Marianna Baskin Gabriel to Federico Anteola Mejia