Massey-McDermott Wedding
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you with love: Mr. and Mrs. McDermott!
An intimate ceremony at Stories of A Lifetime, with Stephen’s immediate family in attendance and Lyndsay’s family viewing the live stream from Scotland, was just right for this happy couple to say, “I do!” The micro wedding venue was bursting with joy as loved ones blew bubbles and Stephen and Lyndsay walked out into the world as husband and wife. It was a joy and honor to get to know the bride and groom and to officiate their wedding ceremony.
Enjoy a few excerpts from this special ceremony below.
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With their love story, Stephen and Lyndsay are bringing the world closer together. Four years ago and five time zones apart, Stephen met Lyndsay through the world of online gaming. An international friendship and courtship ensued with trips to Scotland and the United States becoming the norm.
No ocean or time zone or jet lag or language barrier was going to stop Stephen and Lyndsay from being together. With unwavering positivity, this couple spoke their togetherness into existence. In April of 2023, near the shore of Lake Michigan, which to Lyndsay might as well be an ocean, Stephen proposed.
With intense love and planning, Stephen and Lyndsay (and two Scottish cats) now reside together in the United States of America. Through the world wide web of gaming, Stephen and Lyndsay’s love story has become a beacon of joy and hope for others, and this couple helps fellow gamers gain the confidence to reach out and make connections all across this great big, beautiful world.
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The couple is going to take some symbolic action to join their two families with the Scottish tradition of drinking from a Quaich.
This cup, with a handle on each side, is also known as a love cup. When two families come together to take a sip from this cup, they have their left hand folded and their right hand holding the cup. With this gesture, they are not able to place their right hand on their sword- symbolizing trust and unity.
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Vows
(Lyndsay) “For all my adult life, I have had to fight and survive on my own. When times were tough and I struggled, I just had to deal with it. And you have shown me that I don’t have to fight on my own, and you have shown me how much easier and less lonely life is when I am part of a team.
You have given me experiences I have never had, from sharing food off the same plate to watching classic movies like The Little Mermaid to having the courage to try new things and to believe in myself.
In the beginning, we spoke about how worried we were about making this relationship work. We spoke of the hurdles in our way. We spoke of the million and one ways that we shouldn’t cross the line between friendship and relationship. We gave a big middle finger to that line, and I am so happy we did. From every good morning text, to every good night, every William Wallace “Freedom” gif when I get off of work to every “Welcome Home” message when I step through that door, every game we play, every among us video we watch, every joke (no matter how rotten they are), every bit of gossip and story we shared, we made our relationship work, despite the “Stupid Ocean.”
Two Christmases ago, we were boyfriend and girlfriend. Last Christmas we were fiancés. This Christmas, we will be husband and wife. I can’t wait to experience life together with you in person from now on.
With my hand and my heart, I take you as my partner, acknowledging your strengths and accepting your faults, as you do mine. I promise to stand with you, to fight with you, to protect you. To encourage, support, and cheer for you. I will be yours in plenty and in want, in sickness and in health, in joy and in sorrow, in failure and in triumph. I promise to be faithful and to make our love and happiness a priority. You are my person, and I will continue to love you to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond, for eternity and always.
Ohakakaco, Mon Cher.”
(Stephen) “Lyndsay, from the first time I met you, your energy and excitement and love and care for everyone you met astonished me. I was enchanted by your endless support and positivity, and my heart fluttered every time I saw your name on the chat board.
Neo means “New”, and you’ve been My Neo. My new partner, my new love, my new life. A new view on the world, a new adventure, a new beginning into a type of relationship I never knew could exist for me.
You’ve helped teach me how to accept myself, to open up and to be free in my emotions. You’ve showed me that I can be loved and am deserving of love by a wonderful partner, the yin to my yang, my missing Pisces, and made me feel whole- finally.
Here and now, I vow to love and support you in every venture you choose to follow in our life together. To be the main tag team duo, standing at the edge of the ring, ready for a smack down whenever you need me. To massage your feet and cuddle up for movies and gaming every chance we get. To build a home and a family that brings more light into our world than ever seen before. To cherish our similarities and to nourish our differences. To never hold you back or block you in anything that you wish for in life. To hold you in your darkest moments and celebrate you in your achievements.
Time and space are just a figment of this world, because I will love you, Lyndsay Anne Massey McDermott, to the moon and back, to infinity and beyond, for eternity and always. In this life and all the ones to come.
My Wolfie Wife. My cara mia. My Neo. Ohakakaco.”
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Stephen and Lyndsay, may your love be strong when life and love are simple, and may your love prove even stronger when life and love are challenging. May your marriage be modern enough to survive and thrive through the ever-changing years and old-fashioned enough to last forever.
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To Stephen and Lyndsay and a lifetime of love! Cheers!