Love is Love
“Here is calm so deep, grasses cease waving… Wonderful how completely everything in wild nature fits into us, as if truly part and parent of us. The sun shines not on us but in us.
The rivers flow not past, but through us, thrilling, tingling, vibrating every fiber and cell of the substance of our bodies, making them glide and sing.
The trees wave and the flowers bloom in our bodies as well as our souls, and every bird song, wind song, and; tremendous storm song of the rocks in the heart of the mountains is our song, our very own, and sings our love.”
— John Muir, “Mountain Thoughts”
Like so many modern couples, Bobbi and Marrissa met online.
Marrissa knew Bobbi was the one the first time they met face to face. It took her days to catch her breath.
Giving as coping: Inspired during the excruciating wait to see who would be our next president, the uncertainty in the week after RBG’s seat was filled, and because human rights are essential to who we are, Elope Montana decided to give away an LGBTQ elopement ceremony.
The Love is Love Giveaway was fueled by concerns that the Supreme court would take away LGBTQ people’s right to marry. So many times in our lives, there’s not much we can do to really help our fellow humans. In this instance, we at Elope Montana saw an opportunity for action.
Love is Love Giveaway winners Marrissa and Bobbi incorporated an oathing stone into their marriage ceremony. They picked up the heart-shaped rock on the hike Marrissa proposed on— just after these two decided, for sure, they were going to spend the rest of their lives together. They held the stone as they said their vows and accepted that the making of their marriage is in their hands. Their vows have been set in stone.
We transformed the large greenhouse that I used to grow cut flowers in into a stylish and inviting space with the help of friends, neighbors, husband John, and nephew Landry. Back in September, we had cleared the spent plant material, raked the soil smooth, and laid down sod. My nephew Landry constructed the arches and helped me give the walls and ceiling the Clark Griswold treatment. The day before Bobbi and Marrissa’s big day, Kate Berry, Megan Crawford, and I hauled rugs, furniture, vintage awesomeness, and dried flowers down to set up our Vanity Faire-esque photo lounge. The opaque roof and walls of the greenhouse provide diffused light— a photographer’s dream, and a sanctuary from cold rain and wind.
Many happy tears and heartfelt words christened the ceremony space. Even on a dark and rainy day, inside, we were all smiles and sunshine.
“Today, you are embarking on the longest camping trip… the adventure of marriage. A lifelong sleepover with your best friend, complete with all the peaks and valleys and heart-healing beauty of a great hike. The peaks are the good times: hard-earned, savored, and celebrated. The valleys are life’s inevitable struggles: endured, shared, and overcome. Sometimes you’ll just be putting one foot in front of the other, sometimes you’ll fall.
You’ll have each other:
to lean on when you get weary, to encourage, saying we’ve got this and you’re awesome, and to help each other back up when you stumble.
Enduring the difficult, steep and arduous sections seems a little easier because you are persevering together. When you summit the peaks, the clouds clear, and the challenges are behind you— you can see how strong you are as a team. When you swim in the glacial lakes, reveling in your successes together, your happiness is doubled because it is shared.
Like a great hike, a great marriage makes you feel fortunate for the journey and grateful you have a fun, loving, and supportive partner to share it with.”
