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 Couple: Pam Zellers Kinsmith & Kirsten Vogt Kinsmith
Married At: Massachusetts
Date Married: July 26, 2003 and May 21st, 2004
Where They Live: Massachusetts
Our Wedding Story:
Kirsten and I met over a game of pool in April, 2001 as I am sure many couples do. We kept winning, kept talking, and found despite my being an artist and she being a math teacher, we had much we share. It wasn't long before we both realized that this time, it was different. We hiked, camped, cooked, and laughed our butts off. We moved into a wooded cottage and began building a life together in CT. We discovered Northampton, MA, began searching for a home and found the community we longed for there. A year later we began to plan to for our ceremony, to stand up before all of those we love and say "I Do" regardless of whether the state would recognize it or not. Ironically, it might have been legal with the legal conversations being discussed the week of our July 26th ceremony in 2003. We weren't holding our breath for any legal recognition and wouldn't wait to celebrate our love because of it.
Underneath a pine amphitheater with a hundred or so of our closest friends and family, our friend and reverend Cindy Greb accompanied us on an emotional hour where we declared our intentions and received many well wishes in a sharing of stones to signify the strength of our foundation created by all those present. To us, we were now married and changed our names to reflect our new family.
Our legal marriage was a small affair with our wonderful JP Sally Masters and our terrific fairy god neighbors Al and Roxanne standing up with us. We went back to that glorious amphitheater and again exchanged the vows we wrote with just each other in mind ten months before. Just as emotional as the first time around, Sally acknowledged the importance of this moment, but not as one that would diminish the ceremony already passed. This had unique significance, one that affected us more than we thought it would. At first to us it was a formality as our wedding had already taken place. But as time grew closer, the importance grew, and we were overwhelmed with joy, excitement, reverence, and love at having our union be respected just as many others who happened to be man and woman before us had been.
So now we are heartfully and legally wed. To death do us part.
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