Jenny and Bill's Wedding

The Baltimore Museum of Industry celebrates Maryland’s industrial legacy and shows how innovation fuels ongoing progress. We chose this lovely setting because of the awesome location and the really interesting exhibits. It was a real joy to celebrate there!

I'd like to welcome you all to this wonderful Baltimore harbor scene. Bill and Jenny are honored that so many of their friends and family were able to join them today to witness this important step in their lives and celebrate with them. For those who don't know me, my name is Steve Cuccaro, and I've had the pleasure of working - and playing - with Jenny and Bill for almost 25 years. Ann Landers once said, ''Love is friendship that has caught fire,'' and that fits so well with what I've seen over the past months as Bill and Jenny found each other in new ways. It's been great to see the happiness in their faces when they are together, and I feel blessed that they asked me to be here as they commit to joining their lives together.

Standing with Jenny and Bill for their ceremony today are:

Best man: Don Becker,

Matrons of Honor: Margaret Hanoian (Bill's sister) and Susie Snyder (Jenny's sister),

Judge Michael Greenlick (Susie's husband), and

Mellie and Bill Zito (Jenny's children).

We'll start by hearing from Susie and Margaret.

We are here today to celebrate and validate the partnership of Jenny and Bill. A partnership that is easy to celebrate with enthusiasm given that Jenny and Bill are two dear individuals who have found each other and together created a beautiful partnership.

My sister is a force of nature, a loyal and devoted advocate for her family and friends. She is whole-hearted and exuberant in her capacity to find joy. Jenny lives her life with a commitment to intelligence, rationality and justice. She has a smart, creative and playful approach to life’s opportunities and challenges. My sister sparkles with zestful creativity. She is a gem.

In Bill, Jenny is blessed with a person who accepts, appreciates, and joins with her playful spirit of creativity and fun. When it comes to Jenny’s children and extended family, Bill is strikingly thoughtfuland invested. He has shown such tenderness and finesse in quickly developing a strong and comfortable attachment to Mellie. Over the past few years as I have gotten to know Bill it has become clear to me that he is an exceptionally kind and wise soul. Bill brings to this marriage and to all his endeavors, an admirable and graceful balance of adaptability and integrity. Bill is loving, generous, and solid.

He is a gem.

That these two delightful souls have found each other seems quite miraculous. The vitality and joy in their partnership is visceral. In their presence I find myself pulled along by a contagious sense of ''Wow, life is so fun! What is the next adventure? What interesting problem can we tackle and solve?'' I see in Jenny and Bill a great compatibility of brain-power, humor, emotional maturity and respect. I also see in each of them a deep admiration and love for the other and an enthusiastic support of the other’s interests and growth. I can’t imagine better qualities to predict an enduring and joyful marriage.

We couldn’t be happier that Bill and Jenny are marrying and we welcome his family into our family and his friends to be our friends.

We are truly filled with joy as we celebrate the marriage of Jenny and Bill.

Jenny, as you know so well, you are very blessed to have Bill as your husband. Bill is truly a family man. Not only is Bill a wonderful brother, he has been a brother to Martin, and a most special uncle to Grace and Nicholas. Over many years, Bill has made the commitment of love, time, and attention to stay connected with our whole family.

Jenny, in the past couple of years, I've seen Bill transition successfully to being part of your family. He’s what they call ''all in.''

Bill, we welcome Jenny into our family. She is a warm, open, and brilliant person who makes you happy beyond belief. She has made our lives richer by sharing her gifts and by appreciating ours. She is a sister to me, and will always be in my life. I expect as time goes on, Bill and Mellie will always be in the lives of our children, Grace and Nicholas. The love that you two share is deep, strong, and filled with mutual respect. You will grow with each other, not change each other. You don't always agree, but your approach to life is the same: act with thoughtfulness, follow your curiosity, and have fun!

Jenny, you are what we've always wanted for Bill – Welcome and congratulations!

For years I enjoyed your company as a friend. You help bring out the best in those around you, because you are pleasant, generous, have a deep solid goodness, and are incredibly perceptive about what course of actions is most likely to have good results.

You have a lively sense of fun and joy in your dealings with children. I loved to hear you tell of your latest adventures as Uncle Bill to Grace and Nick, and to your god-son George. My kids remember your Christmas parties and getting to play with your trains.

Before we started dating, I knew you were both intelligent and wise, loved your family deeply, had an easy smile, a gentle disposition, and a fun attitude about life.

When we started dating ... it was a blossoming, such sweetness in getting to know each other better and fall in love. We felt simultaneously clear-headed and a bit deranged in those first months. Our intelligent brains observed that we make a good pair, we are comfortable with each other, we have fun, we are both good-hearted and loving, we accept and appreciate each other. Our emotional brains were loopy with happiness.

The goodness in you, called out to the goodness in me, and my heart sang out “well met”.

I adore you my Bill.

You are gentle, kind, welcoming, and fun. You made it easy for my children to find a safe and joyful space with you. On Mellie’s school mornings we get up together at 6am and make her breakfast and lunch, if I ever suggest you might like to sleep in, you say “What? and miss the fun?” The children know they can go to you for assistance: Mellie talks with you about how to handle stressful situations, and Billy calls to let you listen to his engine noises over the phone. All of us enjoy our family time together: traveling, talking, and playing games.

I love the gift you have given me of your own family, my wonderful new sister and brother Margaret and Martin, and all the fun we have had with them and with Grace and Nick their children.

I love the way we share joys and responsibilities together. You are a pleasure to work with, each task, challenge, and decision is easier together. We both love a good project, creating solutions, and have so much fun together whatever we are doing. You combine a childlike delight and exuberance, with the abilities and talents of a grown-up. How lucky for me that my wonderful love has also turned out to be the best friend I could imagine.

You are a run-on sentence of goodness. You are considerate, responsible, warm, fun, adventuresome, game, perceptive, smart, curious, thoughtful, fun to talk with, an awesome buddy, clever, sweet, tender, passionate, generous, competent, creative, and kind.

You make every day a pleasure.

You are worthy of all my woman-hearted love. My man, you love a wild storm, or a quiet evening cuddling, I feel both elated and safe in the warm harbor of your strong and gentle arms. It is an honor to be loved by you. We are fortunate beyond words to have found each other and to each recognize how special that is.

November 28, 2012. This is the day that I will always remember when you Jenny changed my life. Compeltely. Wonderfully. And I am so grateful for that day and all those that have followed leading to today.

You were my friend for 20 years but on that day you came into my life in a new and wonderful way. I'll quote a passage from an email I sent you that evening which is as true today as it was when I wrote it first:

What I keep coming back to from our conversation is your telling me that of the friends you know now, you choose me as the one you'ld like to try dating. Obviously that's quite an ego-booster for me, but what I can't get out of my mind is that when I turn that around and think of who I would choose from the corresponding set, I get you.

So, after your courage to tell me how you felt, my own (more modestly courageous) response is to tell you the answer to your question is most definitely yes!

What I've discovered since that day is how your amazing characteristics have enabled us to build a strong and lasting love. I so appreciate each of these.

Your love of family

Your drive to do good in the community and world

Your strength of purpose and intellectual curiosity

Your open heart

Your love of family has brought me the me opportunity to be ''almost-step-dad'' to Bill and Mellie and the family togetherhas bonded strongly. From everyday things like helping Mellie with a math problem and playing together in clash of clans; to deep family convesations often led by Bill on his cherished visits to Maryland.

Your drive to do good in the commuity and world inspires me to do more as well.

I adore our late night conversations on topics ranging from science fiction to neuroscience to quantum mechanics. Your mind is truly a beautiful thing.

But most of all the way you have opened your heart to me, that you care for me, and that it is so clear to me that you feel very much as I do is simply a thrill.

We are partners in every way. Partners in love, parners in fun, partners with our families, partners parenting, partners morning, noon and night. I cherish you every day and am so happy we are marrying.

I love the way we fit so well together: Physically, Emotionally, Intellectually

I love that we live so well together: as a couple, as a family, as part of a community

I love that we work so well together: on projects, work, and fun

I am so grateful for our lives together

I love you.

Welcome everyone,

Jenny and Bill have chosen to call their community together today in this beautiful place to witness their marriage.

Five months ago, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, ''No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were.'' Justice Kennedy understood that the lifelong union of two people promises dignity, offers unique fulfillment and allows them to find a life that could not be found alone.

Five decades ago, Jenny's grandfather, an insightful theologian and philosopher, wrote, ''A family is people who genuinely care about each other – even in conflict.'' And ''The nucleus out of which any family grows is the creative fidelity of husband and wife to each other.'' He defined creative fidelity as a dedication that is both active and thoughtful and that is characterized by an ongoing delight in the other's continuing growth and which results in the development of a shared culture of justice and love.

Marriage is so much more than a legal commitment. It is a commitment to always be best friends, to honor each other's dreams, to provide support and protection in the most difficult of times and to help each other grow as individuals while building a life together. Marriage is a commitment to stand as strong partners against all odds, to maintain open communication, and to love each other fiercely and tenderly.

Marriage is a safe haven; a place where you can both feel the warmth of unconditional acceptance and hear the invitation to change. And marriage is a joy; a place where you will celebrate successes together and share the experience of living in a world of wonder and beauty.

I Jenny, take you Bill to be my husband.

To have and to hold, for as long as we both shall live.

I joyfully accept, as my own, the responsibilities you have to those dear to you.

I promise to treasure and care for you; celebrating our joys and working through any challenges.

As we both desire a long and healthy life together, I will also care for my own health and safety.

It is my highest honor to be your wife, I will love you with every beat of my heart.

I Bill, take you Jenny to be my wife.

To have and to hold, for as long as we both shall live.

I joyfully accept, as my own, the responsibilities you have to those dear to you.

I promise to treasure and care for you; celebrating our joys and working through any challenges.

As we both desire a long and healthy life together, I will also care for my own health and safety.

It is my highest honor to be your husband, I will love you with every beat of my heart.

I'd like now to offer a blessing, derived from words spoken by Jenny's father at the weddings of each of his children.

May you have the peace of deep waters, nourishing each other and those your lives touch

May you have the spirited presence of the wind and river, joyful partners creating together

May you have the sturdy integrity and strength of the oak and cottonwood, weathering storms and providing shelter

May you plant seeds of creativity and joy, nurturing justice and goodness in the world

May you live long and happily in each other's company and may you blessed be.

In as much as you, Bill and Jenny, have shared the meaning of your relationship and vowed in our presence to join your lives in love, by the power vested in me as a Judge of the State of Oregon, I now pronounce you husband and wife.

You may kiss!

I am the one surviving parent of the bride and groom and feel grateful and honored to represent all four of us at this joyful celebration of their commitment to each other. All four of us would be bursting with joy at the joining of these two wonderful people in a lifelong adventure.

I know nothing really about John and Marty Carlson, except I have this lovely memory one day at my kitchen table when Bill and Jenny were over for dinner and I was in a constant state of awe that they had found each other. And so I asked Bill how come no one had grabbed him up, before this event of Jenny aggressively coming after him? And Bill said that he had his parents to look at and notice that they had an absolutely amazing and wonderful marriage. And he felt as though he could wait until he found a woman that he could be as happy with as his parents were with each other.

So I want to give this toast on behalf of them, John and Marty Carlson, and also on behalf of my husband, Ross Snyder, who died in 1996, and who couldn't love anyone more than he loved Jenny. So he would have been so happy that Jenny and Bill found each other.

On behalf of four people, I wish you an incredible life together.

Thank you guys for being here. It is great to be here in this moment.

When I think about how incredibly lucky that I am to be here and to have Jenny and Bill in my life, I think about some of the moments of my life, that looking back on know I can see how important they were to me.

I think about the times that my mom taught me to care for my sister, to listen to her feelings as much as her words and how important that was to my development as an individual in the world.

I think about the times in middle school when I just wanted to be normal, and my Mom refused to be anyone but herself, in the most incredible ways, when she wore her navy blue shorts and navy blue shirt which I lovingly called her "bloutfit", and how she taught me that most rules are made up and that I should really just be my own person.

I think about the hundreds of times she shared her interests in learning and observing the world with me and how, when Aunt Susie asked me who my favorite teacher was, I told her about my Mom. And how the contagious enthusiasm she showed spurred my love of math from a young age. Or in senior year in high school when I brought my Mom in as my final project for linear algebra. (lots of audience laughter) That's not a joke. We taught the class more about real life applications of linear algebra in thirty minutes than we had learned about all year. lt didn't hurt that I got an A too.

So when I think about my Mother and Bill joining together, officially now, but spiritually for many years, I think about it in the same way. I've received many gifts from their relationship, seen the ways that Bill gives these same gifts. How during intense family discussions, he reminds us to think about how much we care about each other. How he shamelessly plays clash of clan with teenagers and enjoys discussing strategy and team dynamics. And how he has already taught me more about cars and boats than I knew previously in just a few conversations. I think about the ways their relationship has been a gift to my family, how they've helped make a warm household for my sister to grow up in, led us on many explorations, and taught us all what it means to love each other.

I, and you I am sure, have benefited from the joy and growth that they have already brought us, but I am confident that it will take decades for us to realize what incredible gifts Jennifer Zito and William Carlson are to all of us.

I am so happy to be able to attend this wedding. Mom has always been there as a best friend, a teacher, and most of all a mother. Luckily, now she doesn't have to do it alone. Bill is an amazing step father and has helped me so many times while being there for comfort or for fun.

Just recently Bill helped me through boy troubles by remaining calm and cool headed while advising me with his many years of experience. His advice was so useful and he was there to hold onto afterward when I was stressed. That moment still means a lot to me and I am so grateful that he was there for that and for constant other times of stress such as: when he was helping me through my needle phobia, family troubles, and troubles with my best friend. Though these countless times of guidance and comfort have been so important to me at first it wasn't exactly so smooth.

When I first met Bill I was feeling protective of my mom after all the hard things she had been through. I was pretty mean those first two weeks so I'm glad Bill hung through because it took one of my best friends, Katie, to actually snap me out of it by saying “why do you hate bill?” At the time this was very surprising because I didn't hate Bill at all, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that her comment was what everyone else was probably thinking. Unknowingly I had been acting harsh to someone I had barely known but also seemed like a great guy. Ever since then I have grown a stronger and stronger feeling of happiness of having Bill in my life. When an argument breaks out he doesn't jump to take sides, in fact, often he doesn't take sides at all. He listens to both people and acts as a mediator between them. Countless disagreements have been worked out like this but solving disagreements is not the only thing he does.

He has almost been like a little brother to me at the same time. We can play together easily and often I find that we actually take turns teaching each other. Whether its play wrestling, snuggling or playing the iPhone game called clash of clans in our free time together it is always fun. Bill and I constantly confuse new people with our lingo of “gowi”, “barbs”, and “drags” but have fun doing it. When I start play wrestling, he may get a little tired of my pokes and jabs but almost always is a good sport and will return my playful advances. If I ever am too rough he would just have to ask since I cant say no to that adorable face. Which I think mom is glad for since she isnt getting poked anymore.

I am so, so glad that Bill is here and moments when the the five of us, Bill, Mom, our two dogs, Danny and Whiskers, and I can snuggle on my bed. In one of such moments I almost started crying from how happy I was to share that moment with Bill and Mom. I always thought I would have to settle for mom's boyfriend, but I would not describe this as settling. Mom has managed to find the awesomest step dad ever and this is a man I can be so extremely happy with having as my step dad. Bill means so much to me.

Mom has always been there. I can go to her for everything and basically do. We can snuggle and laugh for hours on end just enjoying each other's company. I treasure our girl nights. After everything, she deserves happiness so much and I'm glad she has found it. My biggest worry was and still is to a certain degree, that mom would be unhappy. That fear is becoming less and less each day because I simply don't see that is possible with how Mom looks when Bill is around. I have learned so much from Mom including the things I take the most pride in about myself, being able to help people talk about problems and emotions. She not only helps people talk but will also help out with clean up, help anyone in need, and will help if she sees a car pulled over and the person seems to be in distress. This has really stood out to me and now whenever I can I will help someone who needs to call home or need gas.

She also is like the coolest mom ever. She is very crafty and is very good at art projects. Need an art project for school? She will help you blow your teacher away. Patiently Mom has taught me to draw things I struggle with. I also have an amazing advantage, She's a mathematician! She can break higher math problems down and explain them to me. With any subject she will try to help how she can.

Whenever I am going to hang with friends she is so flexible. She always trusts me to make the right decisions and treats me as an equal. Because I have an awesome house and mom, usually friends come over to our house. Mom creates a fun and comfortable environment for everyone and she thinks of awesomest things.

She is amazingly smart and understanding both emotionally and mentally. I am so lucky to be in a family I can be open with and share my problems rather than keeping them in. I can say at this moment she knows every secret I have and this is because she will take time to understand and help.

Mom and Bill are two of the best people i've ever met and they are even better together. Bill's cool-headedness and Mom's passionate personality balance each other and bring out the best of themselves. I love both of these dorks, and I mean that word in the best way. They are going to make adorable old people. Mom and Bill, I wish you many many years to come of happiness as a married couple.

Our initial website was hosted by GoDaddy. An archive of it is accessible at BillAndJenny2015.com

Our gift registry was at zola.com