At the Threshold: A Gathering for Jonathan, Taylor & the Work of Matrimony  

You’re invited.

On April 30th, we’re gathering at a threshold moment in Jonathan’s life - His bachelor party.

He’s about to step into marriage, and this evening is not simply a party, but a moment for the wider tapestry of our community to come together—to hold, to witness, and to honor the union as it begins to unfold.

This night marks the beginning of a larger rite of passage that Jonathan will be moving through with his groomsmen in the days that follow.

So in a way… this is a farewell.

Not to Jonathan himself, but to a version of him.

The man who arrives that evening will not be the same as the one who emerges from the weekend.

And at the heart of this transition is not only Jonathan, but Taylor, his partner, and the shared life they are stepping into together.

And beyond even that, something larger that holds them both as well as the rest of us: matrimony itself.

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What this evening is about

If matrimony is anything at all, it is not merely a celebration of love, it is a reckoning with what love asks of us.

It asks for a kind of devotion that outlives mood.
A willingness to be claimed by something larger than oneself.
A consent to be shaped by obligation, by care, by endurance.

Marriage, in this sense, is not a private arrangement.
It is a cultural act.

And culture does not exist in isolation - it lives in the hands of those willing to witness it, to uphold it, to remember what was promised when things grow difficult.

So this evening is not only about Jonathan.

Nor only about Jonathan and Taylor.

It is about matrimony itself - as something we gather around, participate in, and help bring into being.

Jonathan and Taylor are, in many ways, the catalysts for this moment.
Through their union, they invite us into something larger than celebration - into participation.

Into the remembering that love is not only felt… it is practiced, witnessed, and held in community.

And so we gather:

  • To celebrate Jonathan

  • To honor Taylor

  • And to stand, in service of the life they are stepping into

What you can expect from the evening is a living expression of the community itself.

A kind of cultural weaving - where what each person carries has a place to be shared.

There will be:

  • A melting pot of offerings from the community - song, dance, ceremony, poetry, storytelling, and moments of presence

  • A shared feast, where the food itself becomes part of the ritual - an expression of the cultures and lineages we each bring

  • An ecstatic dance set - cause duh

  • And space to wind down - to land, connect, and simply be together

All of it held within the spirit of matrimony.

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A small note on surprise

Jonathan does not know about this gathering.

It’s important that everyone arrives on time so we can hold the moment of his arrival together.

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Event Details

Location: Plein Soleil Club, Montreal QC
Date: April 30th
Time: 4:30pm – 12:00am

Please arrive by 5:30pm sharp latest

Jonathan will be arriving at 6:00pm. If you cannot arrive by latest 5:30pm, please arrive at 6:30pm so we don't ruin the surprise.

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Evening Flow

4:30 - 5:30pm – Community Arrival (please be on time)
6:00pm – Jonathan arrives
6:00pm – 6:15pm – Opening words
6:15pm – 8:30pm – Community offerings & shared meal
(potluck, music, poetry, ritual, movement, etc.)
8:30pm – 10:00pm – DJ set
10:00pm – 12:00am – Closing words & hang time

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Potluck

We’ll be sharing a meal together as part of the evening.

Please bring something to contribute.

You’re warmly invited to bring a dish that comes from your culture, your family, or something that carries meaning for you.

This is part of how we gather - not just as individuals, but as carriers of the lineages and traditions that have shaped us. All of it is welcome here, and all of it becomes part of the shared table we’re creating together.

Note: To keep things accessible for everyone, we’re asking that food be:

  • Gluten-free

  • Lactose-free

  • Peanut-free

Simple is perfect.

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For the Women — Bring Water

You are invited to bring a small amount of water with you to the gathering.

It can come from wherever you feel called - spring, river, rain, ocean, or simply from your home.

What matters is not where it comes from, but that it comes with intention.

This water will be gathered and used in a shared ceremony - an offering that carries with it the places, lineages, and lives we each come from.

In this way, what you bring becomes part of something larger.

Many sources will become one.

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For the Men — Bring a Candle

You are invited to bring a candle with you.

Something simple is perfect - as long as it can stand on its own.

This candle will be used in ceremony.

A gesture of presence. Of witness. Of the responsibility we carry as men to tend to what is being formed.

Each flame, its own.

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For deeper context 

If you’d like to better understand the spirit behind what we’re creating, you can listen to this conversation between Stephen Jenkinson (Author of "Matrimony: Ritual, Culture, & the Heart's Work") and Adam Jackson (Co-Founder of Sacred Sons)

https://open.spotify.com/episode/20TeOZqp4kQWsiXEscAg3f?si=Jd737U41SNS_On-MwHsvmw

I highly suggest listening to it as it will offer a deeper orientation to the meaning behind gatherings like this, and the role we each play within them.

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Cost & contributions

We've set the cost of this event at $30. This cost is purely to cover the room & related expenses. If you cannot afford to contribute in this way, please reach out to Umi & we'll make it work for you.

Please send an e-transfer to umi.martinu@gmail.com to confirm your attendance.

We’re looking forward to sharing this moment with you.

This is more than a celebration.

It’s something we get to hold - together.