Deanna looks thoughtful as she adjusts her skirt; she's found that wearing her uniform seems to make people more hesitant in counseling sessions, but she misses it and is considering going back to it.

"There are multiple elements to the ceremony, Tasha, and to both sex and love in general for Betazoids." And the most painful one she will deal with last, if she has to.

Deanna immediately feels guilty for the thought and continues explaining the one she thinks might be easiest for Tasha to grasp as a starting point. "Most Betazoids are telepathic, Tasha, and even empaths like me can communicate telepathically with other Betazoids, as well as--as with non-Betazoids with whom we've formed certain bonds. The bonds are...something perhaps best described as between special and sacred.

"The result is many Betazoids, especially those who rarely go offworld, pay little attention to the bodies and dress of those around them. Even those close to them. So on a certain level, nudity is a way of saying--and reminding all who are present at the wedding--that the bride and groom are actively, at least for those moments, taking in all parts of each other. Body and mind. And that the body that contains the mind is just as loved as the mind it houses."