The Ceremony

Marquette and Paul exchanged vows beneath the oak and palm trees of the outdoor amphitheatre at Laguna Gloria. The couple complemented the space’s natural beauty by bringing in ten bougainvillea bushes to fill out the decor; after the wedding, they gave them to close family members and the wedding party. Marquette and Paul incorporated many traditions into their ceremony, which they wrote themselves, including penning their own vows. To honor Paul's beliefs, they worked in some Catholic traditions, and they even devised a new one, based on Hawaiian, Celtic, and Native American customs. With each RSVP card in their invites, the couple sewed on a piece of fluorite (a green and purple semi-precious stone) with silver thread. We asked the guests to hold the stone, make a 'wedding wish' for us, and return it with their RSVP card, the bride explains. When all of the stones had been returned, they strung them into a long, single strand which they later adorned with orchids, and had their celebrant wrap around them in an infinity symbol. We truly were wrapped in the love and good wishes of our friends and family, Marquette remembers. We then tied the individual ends of the strand together, symbolizing the joining together of our lives for eternity.