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MIT staff blogger Matt McGann '00

Ritual & Ceremony by Matt McGann '00

I'll be out of contact the next two weeks as I celebrate a big event.

Just as you all have been preparing for one of life’s biggest rituals — applying to and going off to college — I, too, have been preparing for another of life’s big rituals: getting married.

Tomorrow, I will marry an amazing woman (and, yes, an MIT alumna). Together, we will declare our love before our gathered family and friends, and celebrate our union. The following day, she and I will depart for our first trip together as a married couple, as we explore romantic Italy.

As I’ve been preparing for the big day, I certainly find myself empathizing with your situation — it’s exciting, but at the same time, there’s a bit of anxiety. For me, the anxiety is about planning the big event: have we forgotten anything? WIll our guests enjoy themselves? Your anxieties are different, but just as real. But I know that in the end, for you and for me, things will turn out well regardless.

My wedding and honeymoon does mean I’ll be off email and the blogs for the next two weeks. If you have a pending question, my colleagues in Admissions will be happy to help you.

And not 24 hours after I return from Italy, I’m on another plane, this one to San Francisco, where I’ll be doing three Central Meetings (and seeing Mitra & Sam!). If you’re in Northern California, I hope to see you, too.

Best wishes to all of us as we together enjoy life’s great adventures!

61 responses to “Ritual & Ceremony”

  1. Paul '11 says:

    Congratulations to you and your (soon-to-be) wife, Matt! I’m sure the thoughts and prayers of all of us are with the two of you.

    Enjoy your two weeks in Italy – I can think of no better place to get away from the bustle of MIT admissions. wink

  2. Anonymous says:

    Congratuations! Congratuations! Congratuations!

  3. Star says:

    To echo what Paul just said, conratulations to you and your soon-to-be wife, have a great wedding, and enjoy Italy (a very beautiful and romantic place – I was just there a week ago!). Glad to see you actually get some time off from the crazy admission schedule, enjoy it while it lasts smile

  4. HungYee says:

    I’ve been one of this admissions blog stalkers for more than one year and here goes my very first post lol:

    CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR HAPPY MARRIAGE!!!!

    (must use all caps and 4 exclamation marks raspberry)

  5. Shruthi says:

    Congratulations, and wishing you a very very happy married life!! smile

  6. Erin says:

    Congrats to you and T!

    — Your former housemate

  7. Sh1fty says:

    Congratulations! Are you sure you’re noot geeky enough to check your email during honeymoon? :D Don’t worry about guests, it’s your day tomorrow wink

  8. Mikey says:

    Congrats man! Best wishes to you both, see you soon! smile

  9. lulu says:

    yayyyy matt!

  10. Congrats!!

    Ankit Chandra
    Gaborone, Botswana

  11. Isshak says:

    Happy weffing and happy honeymoon !!!! Italy, so romantic, an important place in romantic poetry. I’m sure you will love it there ! And don’t forget to make a wish and throw a coin in a pond (the pond being behind you) to make it true !

  12. Hawkins says:

    Congrats, Matt! You have some great times ahead of you. Enjoy them!

  13. Leslie says:

    Congrats! Enjoy your honeymoon!

  14. Laura says:

    Wait, when exactly is Mollie’s wedding? Haha.

    Congrats!

  15. Hunter '11 says:

    Happy marriage! =)

  16. Anonymous says:

    Congratulations Matt!

  17. Lulu '11 says:

    Congratulations!

  18. Viksit says:

    Matt,

    We love you. Wishing you the very best for the coming times. Some of the most beautiful moments of your life await.. Hope you’ve a wonderful weekend.

    Viksit

  19. Rebecca says:

    Whoa congrats!! Italy is amazing, I hope you enjoy it!

  20. Congratulations to you and your bride! The only thing that rivals the thrill of finding the right person to share you life with is having children with that person! So I’m happy for you that you have found that person. After spending 10 days in Italy this past summer, I’m also happy for you that you have chosen the most fabulous, amazing country for your honeymoon! Many good wishes are sent your way! Ciao!

  21. Lotte says:

    As everyone else says, congratulations! When you end your trip to Italy (which I’m sure will be wonderful) and come to the Bay Area, I’ll be there. I haven’t decided if I’ll go to the one in the City or in San Jose.

    I hope you have a nice trip!

  22. Amy says:

    Congratulations and best wishes, Matt!

  23. Nihar says:

    Hearty Congratulations!!!…Wish you and you wife-to-be a veryyyyyyyyyy long and happy married life!!!

  24. Emily says:

    To add to the resounding chourus, congratulations and best wishes! It’s eerie, knowing that right now, somehwere, you’re undergoing a “ceremony and ritual” whose significance dwarfs the anxiety of college apps. In other words, WOW! and best of luck! You can’t go wrong with 2 MIT grads– it’s a match made in Cambridge!

  25. Wow, Congratulations Matt. Congrats to the soon-to-be wife as well. Hope your wedding and honeymoon go well. Don’t worry about the anxiety, we all have it. Just sit back and take a few deep breaths. Things are going to go great. As Paul said, our thoughts and prayers are with you two.

  26. Harrison says:

    Congratulations!! Have an awesome time in Italy!

  27. tokenadult says:

    Congratulations, Matt. I hope you are seeing NONE of these comments while you enjoy your honeymoon.

  28. Zaira says:

    CONGRATULATIONS, Matt!

  29. Ben P. says:

    Congratulations!!!!

  30. Edgar says:

    Felicidadez, Matt!

  31. deusse says:

    Wow!Three cheers to Matt and soon to be Mrs McGann.
    Congrats!!!!

  32. Rachel says:

    Congrats!!! (And see you in norcal!)

  33. In reply to Laura:
    “Wait, when exactly is Mollie’s wedding? Haha.

    Congrats!

    Posted by: Laura on September 14, 2007 02:23 PM”

    October, I think.

    Congratulations to both couples. 結婚おめでとう。Kekkon omedetou.

  34. Aakriti says:

    Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  35. Ronald says:

    YAY!
    matt, if u are near the french border, then do go up the Aguelle-du midi!You’ll love it!

  36. Basant says:

    congrats Matt!

  37. Karen says:

    Congratulations! Italy is a lovely country – if you can see the lakes in the north, they are truly spectacular. Everyone I met there was very friendly but not many people spoke English outside Milan…have a blast!

  38. Nivedita says:

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!

  39. Shamarah says:

    Oh WOW! Congratulations, I didn’t know you were engaged! Yay, have a wonderful wedding and an even better marriage. :D

  40. YingWei says:

    Congratulations ! ! ! !

    Can u let us see her photo? raspberry

  41. NanoGrady says:

    Congratulations!!!
    恭喜!!!

  42. rfa says:

    well…atleast u didnt have to write any essays!!!

  43. Jean says:

    Congratulations, Matt!

  44. Mollie says:

    Matt, I hope your day was just as perfect and special and awesome as ours was.

    And the sun even came out!

    Maybe next year we can all have a first anniversary party together. smile

  45. Ana says:

    You’ll see this when you are already back, so no enjoy Italy! I hope you already enjoyed it! And congratulations, you deserve to be happy, because you have made so many students happy with your posts.

  46. Christina says:

    Congratulations, Matt! smile

  47. VK says:

    This is offbeat but I want to know if anybody leaves MIT not much later (like withing a few weeks) after joining it?

  48. VK says:

    Congratulations! Kids?! LOL

  49. Jessie says:

    Congrats, Matt. smile

  50. Emily L. says:

    Congratulations on your wedding! I wish you all the best for the future.

  51. KaYnaR says:

    Congrats! Have a good time in Italy smile

  52. Ginger says:

    Wow, congrats! I hope you have a happy marriage with your lovely wife. Have fun in Italy and I’ll be looking forward to seeing you in Norcal! smile

  53. Mohammad says:

    Congratulations Matt,
    You start your new open life, full of new experiences with great love.
    I predict your other pations with a real life beside your wife……

  54. Saturday afternoon, I was sitting up on the 2nd floor of Hayden, tooling for 16.07 on a particularly menacing problem about relative wind velocities for iceboats, looking out over the river. At one point I saw a number of well-dressed people in tuxedos and dresses walk away from Mem Drive towards campus, and I wondered what kind of event would be taking place on campus with tuxes and things like that! (There were no balls or dedications or unveilings listed on the home page or the events calendar, which puzzled me further.) I guess I found out what it was! Congratulations on your wedding – I hope it brings you much happiness.

  55. YaY!

    Congratulations! That’s really an amazing news!
    Really happy to hear that.

    I know you can read some Chinese:

    祝 你 们 百 年 好 合!
    zhu4 ni3 men2 bai3 nian2 hao3 he2!

  56. Jess says:

    congrats matt!

  57. Rashi says:

    CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

  58. JJS says:

    Congrats!!!!!!!!!
    Have fun in Italy……

  59. Jinny says:

    A wedding and a honeymoon in Italy – can’t get better than that. May you be blessed with eternal happiness, long life, and many many many laughs.

    =)