The contract of marriage is most solemn and is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities.

Barbara and Leah, no other words of mine or any other person truly marry each of you to the other. That is done when you exchange your promises and commit yourselves to this marriage and each other. By entering into this marriage, you are pledging yourselves to a lifetime in which each will enrich the life of the other. You will be partners standing together to cushion the difficulties of life. Rejoice in your partner's graces. Nurture your marriage carefully and watch it grow gracefully. Marriage is a point of honor. Marriage is a full time job.

Do you, Barbara, take Leah, to be your lawful wedded spouse? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?

Do you, Leah, take Barbara, to be your lawful wedded spouse? To have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?

"I give you this ring, in token and pledge of my constant faith and abiding love. With this ring, I thee wed."

You have joined yourself in solemn matrimony. May you strive all your lives to meet this commitment with the same love and devotion that you now possess. For love is truly the greatest gift we are given to share; love's compassion is the glory of life. Delight in each other's company, and never take the other for granted, for you are destined to enjoy the blending of your two lives.

And now, in as much as you, Barbara and Leah, have given and pledged your love and faithfulness, each to the other, and have declared the same by joining hands, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Deputy Marriage Commissioner by the State of California, I now pronounce you spouses for life.

The two magic phrases of a happy marriage:

"I don't see why not!"

"I'm sure you must be right!"

This is the speech that we made at our wedding party -

LEAH: First, I want to thank everyone for coming tonight. And special thanks to our family members—Jane, Danny, Jonathan, Meredith, John, and Fran—for flying and driving through smoky skies to get here today.

This morning at San Francisco City Hall, we were legally married!

I know people think about politics as something that strangers do in Washington DC. Barb and I know that’s not true. Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we saw the changes that came when we marched in the streets, wrote letters, and made our voices heard. When Nixon resigned, I felt that I could take a smidgeon of personal credit.

BARB: For those of you who don’t know this, Leah and I met in 1982 during a political campaign. Reagan was president and we wanted to pass a state law demanding that he negotiate with the USSR to freeze production of nuclear weapons. When the cold war ended, we felt the personal satisfaction of having had something to do with it.

LEAH: I believe that everything we do causes ripples of reaction out into the world. Our actions form great waves. These waves are what we call political forces. It wasn’t just San Francisco’s mayor or the judges of the state supreme court that made this day happen. It was all our friends and relatives who loved and accepted us and grew comfortable with us over the years.

BARB: We are lucky that we have lived long enough to see this day. It doesn’t take away any of our joy to remember our family members and beloved friends who did not live to join us or experience their own joy at this long-awaited civil right. Both our mothers, our fathers, our grandparents, and Bob, Danilo, Charlie, and Glenna — we hold these people in our hearts. They are all here with us today.

LEAH: We have so much to celebrate. Not only are we married, but we have been together for 25 years. It’s important for us to think about all the things that we are celebrating today.

Barb: We have traveled all over the country and the world, learning about each other’s abilities on the road and expanding our sources of inspirations.

LEAH: We have built many homes and gathered our friends and family around us.

BARB:  We have been at each other’s side during all the ups and downs of our lives, in sickness and in health. During funerals, weddings, bar mitzvahs and births. Each of us has become part of each other’s family.

LEAH: The secret of our long union has been that each of us supports each other’s passion. Barb’s writing and my singing are essential to who we are, and we each give each other the time and latitude to pursue excellence.

BARB:  Leah has helped make all my dreams and goals come true, from pursuing my career to inspiring me to run as a delegate and attend the Democratic National Convention this summer. She helps me remember we are always present at history and can help shape it.

 LEAH: Even on the most ordinary day, we make each other laugh. And we never run out of things to talk about. Barb’s zest for life and her ability to fearlessly reach out to others keeps me constantly entertained and enriched.

 BARB: The message behind a wedding ceremony is for two people to stand together and face the future together. After 25 years, we know we can honor every vow, every promise and we are ready for whatever comes next.  In the past, one of the hardships of being gay was all the hiding. For us here today and for so many others around the world, it’s been an effort and a victory to reveal our truth. To every young person here, I hope you know that it may be hard to reveal your own tru self but the effort to do that will not only change your life for the better, it will also make a big difference in the larger world.

 LEAH: We will keep on dreaming big and continue to participate in all the riches of life. From this day forward, we hope to share all the small  joys and big milestones. We arrived here today carried along on the wave of your love and support. You all are part of the rich future we envision together!