Friends and family who have invited us to celebrate their marriages,

I've been reflecting on the marriages Robyn and I have attended (especially the ones since last year) and before I go any further let me say this - thank you. It has been wonderful to celebrate with you on one of the biggest days of y'all's lives. We are attending one next weekend (yay Liz and Tyler!), which is our last for the foreseeable future. We've only missed a few, mostly because we had family conflicts or other weddings. Thank you all for inviting us, and letting us celebrate with you both in person and in spirit.

Of course, I'm thankful to you all because of all the fun we had. You've hosted us - as guests, travelers, friends, & family and showed us tremendous love and kindness. The food and drink, the music, the dancing, the company, the beautiful places - it has all been a blast.

But I say thank you for a deeper reflection as well, one I've had about weddings we've attended since Robyn and I began planning our own.

On our wedding day, there's a feeling I first felt when I saw the church doors open to Robyn walking down the aisle with her father, that lasted until we walked out of the church sanctuary together, hand in hand. It's not a happiness or a joy, but something just as special. I can think of no other way to describe it, other than calling it a lightness. I felt as if my soul itself was slowly rising, as if it was being lifted upward, levitating from the soles of my shoes to the top of my head.

It wasn't an explosion of emotion (those feelings of happiness and joy came at plenty of other times on our wedding day) but it was just a lightness. I have only felt that lightness one other time since - when we found out the sex of our first child.

It was a feeling I didn't know existed until about a year ago. But ever since our wedding day, I've felt a little bit of that lightness every time we've been to y'all's weddings. I've felt it when we walk into the ceremony venue. I've felt it when I see the groom's face as his bride starts coming down the aisle to marry him. I've felt it at the cocktail hours when old, true, friends embrace after too much time apart. I've felt it during the reciting of vows and during the toasts. I've felt it on the dance floors, regardless of how good or bad the DJs have been. I've felt that lightness in so many different ways at each wedding we've attended.

Feeling just a little bit of that lightness at so many moments - both big and little - helps me to relive the best day of my life and be grateful for all the days since. The privilege of feeling that lightness is a gracious gift you've all given me, and I appreciate it deeply.

So friends and family, thank you for letting me be around on one of the most intimate, special, profound days of your life. Thank you for the fun memories, of course, but thank you even more for sharing a little of your lightness with me. It has been such a blessing to see and feel it at each of your celebrations of marriage.

Love,
Neil