Amanda, now known as Rayne, and I have been communicating by email and phone for several months. She had a good idea of what she wanted and by using some of my resources we planned the perfect ceremony.
Rayne and Lake have a very special love which was just 'meant to be'.. Life kept moving these two toward each other and now they will travel side by side…
There’s a funny story about their wedding attire, which was hand made using hemp. Evidently airport officials were alarmed with a package containing the word ‘hemp’ so the package had been opened by airport security. (They were kind enough to repackage it once they discovered it contained clothing.)
We had originally planned for a noon ceremony but after giving it some thought, they decided to start their new life together at the beginning of a new day.
We had originally planned for a noon ceremony but after giving it some thought, they decided to start their new life together at the beginning of a new day.
This morning was a perfect fall morning, chilly but not too cold. (it was 32 degrees… I guess that counts as cold, at least my fingers and toes thought so..Luckily we had lots of hot coffee..)
Symbolism was an important element in Rayne and Lake’s ceremony. We began with a hand washing ceremony. We used natural spring water and they combined a mixture of herbs representing the attributes they wanted to bring into their marriage:
Lavender – devotion
Chamomile – patience in adverse times
Sage – long life, good health
Rosemary – remembrance
Ivy – friendship and loyalty
First Rayne washed her hands and then Lake washed his, not to wash away the past but to begin their marriage anew. Then they washed and dried each other’s hands signifying that they will always express loving kindness toward each other.
After personal vows, their wedding rings were blessed using the four elements, air, fire, earth and water. It was a touching moment as they repeated ‘ I take a piece of my heart and place it into yours…..’
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But here’s the coolest thing… They wanted to get married just as the sun was coming up, which is a little later for us since we’re in a valley.. I had been paying close attention to the sunrises so I was hoping the timing would be perfect.
and…. Voilà
A new day and a new life!
It was obvious that Rayne and Lake have a deep love of nature. They were like two young children exploring the creek. We left them there while we downloaded the photos.
