Max and Maya’s Bear Mountain Wedding
Photographer: Virgil David Photography • Venue: Bear Mountain Weddings • Wedding Planner: Wedding MD • Officiant: Once Upon A Vow • DJ: DJ Deem • Florist: New City Florist • Hair and Make Up: The Glass Slipper Wedding • Stationery: G C Lettering • Nigerian Catering: Divine Flavored Catering • Dress: bhldn • Menswear: The Black Tux
Max and Maya waited a long time to get married since their original wedding date was impacted by COVID. Just like all good things though, their wedding day was absolutely worth the wait! They got married on one of those quintessentially perfect Fall days in Bear Mountain alongside their family and friends who were so incredibly excited to celebrate them at last.
Their love story is the satisfying definition of a slow burn. What began as a non-profit networking connection transformed into laid back ice cream dates all over New York City and eventually evolved into a profound seven-year journey of two progressive, empathetic souls who took care of each other. Sharing their story within their wedding ceremony was as important to Max and Maya as honoring their roots and loved ones within their wedding ceremony and blending their cultures throughout their wedding day.
Beneath the chuppah, they chose to have a moment of silence for their grandparents, share their own personal wedding vows, take part in a circling ritual which is rooted in Judaism but with a modernized twist that embodied the 7 principles of love mentioned in bell hook’s “All About Love: New Visions”, and last but not least, they broke the glass as everyone cheered MAZEL TOV.
Excerpt of Max and Maya’s wedding ceremony:
“You’ve patiently waited for this moment and now that it’s here, let the madness leading up to this day fall away and feel with every fiber of your being that you are exactly where you belong! Beside the one who has made your life come to life in countless impactful, transformative, positive ways. Who has nourished you over the years with their grace, patience, kindness, caring nature, and profound love as you navigate the realities of merging your worlds. You are beside your life partner in every way, especially when it comes to broadening your horizons, savoring global cuisines, and indulging in the most decadent ice cream!
This 5th of November, you are walking into marriage with eyes and hearts wide open, solidifying the profound commitment you’ve made to each other over these past 7 years. You are cementing your choice in one another as one team and one family UNITED in appreciating the best of times and persevering through the worst.
To quote author, educator, social justice activist, and famed Black feminist bell hooks, “When we choose to love, we choose to move against fear, against alienation and separation. The choice to love is a choice to connect, to find ourselves in the other. To live our lives based on the principles of a love ethic – showing care, respect, knowledge, integrity, and the will to cooperate – we have to be courageous. Learning how to face our fears is one way we embrace love. Our fear may not go away, but it will not STAND in the way.
Those of us who have already chosen to embrace a love ethic – allowing it to govern and inform how we think and act – know that when we let our light shine, we draw to us and are drawn to other bearers of light. We are not alone!” We are all united here today to bask in the light of your love, to revel in the joy of your union, to honor this lifelong journey of yours, and co-create unforgettably precious memories by your side!”
Excerpt of Max and Maya’s Circling Ritual:
“This fourth circle you will take is rooted in the principle of respect, may you both continuously hold one another’s cultures, identities, and lived experiences with the utmost respect, infinitely cherishing the power and beauty of your interracial and intercultural union. May these steps protect you both and offer you the blessing of rest. The kind of deeply felt transformative, radical healing power of rest that keeps the embers within burning to shine your bright lights and continue making good trouble.
As you make this fifth circle which represents commitment, may you hold onto the wisdom that love is an action - a commitment to consistent effort, a loving practice full of nurturing acts that uplift your marriage as you grow individually and together. May this principle bring you the blessing of those cherished quiet moments in your lives and marriage, where you breathe in contentment, quiet your minds, and appreciate the safe haven you co-created.
This sixth circle you will make is rooted in the principle of trust. May this sacred space of trust you have co-created continuously expand within your marriage over the years as you remain truthful with yourselves and one another. May this principle of vulnerably opening your tender hearts to one another and actively caring for those hearts bring a deepening serenity to your day-to-day lives, a treasured oasis just for you.
As you take these final steps around Max on this last seventh circle, you are bringing into your marriage the principle of open and honest communication, which has been at the very core of your relationship - what led your connection to deepen and strengthen over time. May this practiced principle that fosters understanding bring infinite prosperity to your marriage. Keep your arms and hearts wide open to receive the abundance and blessings that you are manifesting from this day forward.”
Max and Maya are no strangers to navigating challenges so planning their rescheduled wedding date because of COVID was just one of the realities they faced together. They faced it with gentle patience, kindness, and an abundance of love for one another. On their wedding day, this was evident and beautiful to witness.
On a personal note, their wedding day was the penultimate wedding I performed while pregnant so I very much felt the love-filled energy and embrace of their beautiful families. So grateful to Max and Maya for welcoming me into their world. Congratulations, loves!