needing to confirm his reality through touch, and for several long seconds they existed in a bubble that contained only the two of them and the commitment they had just made.
The two tourist women applauded softly, clearly moved by witnessing this intimate ceremony despite being complete strangers to the couple. The priest smiled with the satisfaction of someone who had performed countless weddings but still found joy in seeing two people commit themselves to each other with such obvious devotion.
"Congratulations," he said warmly while producing the necessary paperwork that would make their marriage legal and official. "You are now husband and wife in the eyes of God and the law. I will need you both to sign here, and our witnesses will sign here, and then I will file this with the appropriate authorities to ensure your marriage is properly recorded."
