Laura and Steve, today you are surrounded by your families and friends, all of whom are gathered to witness your marriage and to share in the joy of this occasion, one of the most memorable and, we pray, happy days of your lives. 

I begin with a sincere word of thanks to you Laura, for giving me the privilege and honor of standing here before you, and with you, to officiate at your marriage to Steve. I am grateful to be part of your life, to be your father, and to share in this joyful time of celebration with you. 

I thank you also Steve, not only for permitting me to be part of this celebration, and for teaching me to kayak, but for loving my daughter, for giving her your support and strength, for sharing with her the love of Nicole and Westi, for being her friend and companion, and for giving her happiness. She is a precious part of me. Sometimes I have had difficulty letting go. But when she calls and says: "Dad, I am happier than I have ever been in my life," I am truly grateful to you. 

It is, indeed, a wonderful and holy mystery this gift of love. It has the power to transform darkness into light, to turn strangers into a family, to fill a future with new hope. Thus we all come to celebrate your love which you are declaring publicly and to promise you our support, friendship, strength, hopes, and prayers.

No minister, no priest, rabbi, or public official can marry you. Only you can marry yourselves. You will define your own marriage. It will be a unique partnership determined by the people you are and will become. Born of your love and commitment to caring and consideration and respect and a willingness to help each other through whatever hardship or pain may come, it will come alive as you live it day by day. 

On this day of your marriage, you stand a little apart within the charmed circle of your love… which is as it should be. But love is not meant to be the possession of two people alone. Let it be a source of common energy, nourishing your strength to live your lives with courage. Even as this love draws you ever closer, may it at the same time give you the strength to stand apart, to seek out your own destinies, to make your special contributions to the world, to share your love and talents with others. 

Today, as you join yourselves in marriage, there is an unknown future stretching before you with vast possibilities open to you. You will create, by the paths you choose to walk, the meaning of your lives. If your love is vital it will make the choosing and acting easier and transform each step into an exciting adventure. 

All of us come, wishing you blessings and happiness. But more specifically, we wish for you a love that makes both of you whole, that forever gives you joy and zest for living, and that provides you with energy to face the responsibilities and challenges of life. We wish for you a home, not a place of stone and wood, but an island of sanity and serenity in a frenzied world. We hope that this home is not just a place of private joy and retreat, but rather a temple wherein the values of your lives are generated and upheld. We hope that your home stands as a symbol of human beings living together in love and peace, seeking truth and demanding justice. We hope that your home encompasses the beauty of nature, and that it has within it the elements of simplicity, exuberance, beauty, silence, and color in accordance with the very rhythms of life. 

We wish for you patience, strength, and joy in the love you share with Nicole and Westi. We hope they will not be mere reflections of yourselves but will learn from your best traits and will go forth to recreate the values you shall have instilled in them. We hope that you will give them the freedom to find their own way, that you will stand by them when they need you, and that you will stand aside when it is time for them to seek their personal destinies. We hope you will pass on to Nicole and Westi the embodiment of the family as a bond with generations passed and those to come, as a force that brings people close in time of joy and in time of need. And not only may Nicole and Westi learn from you, but may you learn from them, and grow with them in love and in the excitement of life's adventures. 

Finally, we wish at the end of your lives you will be able to say these two things to each other: because you have loved me, you have given me faith in myself; and because I known the good in you, I have grown in my faith and appreciation for others.

Nicole and Westi, you are important players in this drama. Do you approve of this marriage and if so, do you give to Steve and Laura your support and love? If so, say: "We do!" 

Steve, place the ring you are giving to Laura on her finger and declare to her, and before the world, your love for her. 

"I, Steve, take you, Laura, to be my partner. I will be faithful, open, and honest with you, support, trust, and care for you. I will share with you the plans, dreams, failures and fantasies of our life together." 

Laura, place the ring you are giving to Steve on his finger and declare to him, and before the world, your love for him. 

"I, Laura, take you, Steve, to be my partner. I will be faithful, open, and honest with you, support, trust, and care for you. I will share with you the plans, dreams, failures and fantasies of our life together." 

You have heard the exchange of marriage vows of Steve and Laura. You are witnesses to this relationship joined together by love, respect, friendship, and mutual hopes. 

Therefore, according to the form of solemnization of marriage by the State of California, but most of all by the power of your love, I pronounce you married. May the love you feel for each other at this moment grow and flourish to such abundance that it spills over, enriching the lives of others with your caring. This is our prayer for you. God's Blessings upon you! You may seal this moment with a kiss. 

—Super Rev Dad