Phyllis and Debra’s Wedding

 

As the somewhat tumultuous year that was 2016 wound to a close, two days before January 1st, my mom and her partner Debra were married in a tiny and incredibly intimate ceremony in their apartment. 2016 was a year filled with a few sad and scary things, but also with a handful of beautiful moments for my family; my dad’s marriage to his wife Nicole, my brother’s engagement to his fiancé Julie, and now my mom and Debra’s exchange of wedding vows. We’ve all known for a while that my mom and Debra would take this step in their relationship eventually, but with the surprises that 2016 held in store for us, they decided to take that leap a bit earlier than they may have otherwise. But regardless of the circumstances, my family couldn’t be more excited to welcome Debra and her family into ours, and I for one could not feel happier and more privileged to call myself a part of this ceremony that was nothing short of an incredible moment shared between two people so obviously and deeply in love.

My mom and Debra wanted to keep their ceremony short, sweet, and incredibly intimate. The only guests in attendance were me, my brother Ben and his fiancé Julie, and Debra’s daughter Sophie, along with my mom’s long time friend Ken, who officiated the wedding, and his girlfriend Rachel. Ken did an incredible job as minister, performing a ceremony that paid homage to my mom and Debra’s Jewish roots and speaking words that were both spiritual and incredibly personal. The ceremony took place under the traditional Jewish chuppah, literally a canopy or covering, that a couple stands under at their wedding. The four legs of the chuppah – gorgeously knotted and twisted branches found on Ken’s property – were held by myself, Ben, Julie, and Sophie, and the covering was quite fittingly a fitting rainbow tallit. As the four of us stood holding up each corner of the chuppah that rose above our soon to be married mothers, Ken asked us to close our eyes and imagine our respective energies flowing into the branches of the chuppah and becoming one, as our family also became one.

My mom and Debra exchanged beautiful handwritten vows, and cheers and cries of mazel tov erupted when the two smashed the traditional glass and shared their first kiss. Our night was rounded out with a few bottles of champagne, some delicious caviar and cheese, and then an incredible dinner at the restaurant Babbo – by far the best wedding dinner I’ve ever had. But instead of going into any more detail, I’ll keep this post short and sweet, just like the wedding itself, and instead let a few pictures speak for themselves. I think it’s pretty obvious how joyful this day was, and how truly happy my mom and Debra are to be married.