About My Wedding
When Cody and I first talked about what kind of wedding we wanted, we both discovered that we were mutually old-fashioned. I mean, really old fashioned. Like the way weddings used to be before the "wedding industry" existed. We didn't want flashy. We didn't want glitzy. I didn't want to look like a cupcake. And neither of us wanted to spend tons of money we didn't have, nor for our friends to feel compelled to spend money they didn't have. We wanted our wedding to be about not just us, but our tribe - our family and closest friends. We wanted our community to be a vital part of what we were doing - not just to witness our vows, but to take an active part in the ceremony and in the wedding itself. I'll tell you something: it was the best decision I think either of us have ever made.
Our wedding was wet. The weather was horrible. I mean, really, really awful. It rained - nay, poured - from just before cocktail hour and steadily through the night until the next morning.The ground was completely saturated and everyone's shoes, pants cuffs and dress hems got ruined. We had to be in the ugly, too-small, crowded white tent the entire time, and didn't get to enjoy the majestic, beautiful landscape at my grandfather's house. We didn't get to do the portraits we wanted. We didn't get to have our bonfire. It certainly wasn't at all like the wedding we had planned...
But it was perfect. PERFECT.
Our friends and family made it so.
Our friends and family made our dress, brought our wine, had our cake made, made a trellis. They helped us wrap utensils, prepare food, set up, make centerpieces, put up extra tarps and canopies, make parking signs, make bouquets, do my hair and makeup. They changed the tent from ceremony space to reception space, brought out food, brought out booze, grilled meat, smoothed out family drama without my having to even know about it. They participated in the ceremony, played ceremony music, took thousands of photos, took video, entertained the children, and so much more. In fact, I highly suspect they helped us in ways I don't even know about yet... and just might never know. Best of all, they endured a veritable monsoon to be with us on this very important moment in our lives - and they had FUN doing it! I mean, I'm sure nobody actually enjoyed the weather (although several of my friends decided a rain dance was in order, which delighted me no-end), but they made the most of it with grace and passion, and refused to let it get them down. Refused to let it get Cody and I down, too! They celebrated with us with joy and utter abandonment.
For me, this wedding didn't just celebrate the union of my new husband and I. It celebrated and strengthened the love I share with my tribe. My heart is bursting right now with love, admiration and devotion for every single friend who was present there. I have never felt so incredibly blessed, so loved, so supported. Cody felt it too - at one point, as we sat down to dinner and looked out at the tent filled with our friends and family, Cody looked at me in amazement and said "look at all these people! They're all here for us! Can you believe it?" And we both got teary and then laughed and just enjoyed the feeling for a while.
And you know, here's a few interesting things in the "silver lining" department: for one, the weather report was predicting thunder and lightening, which would have been a disaster and would have ended our wedding right there and then. It never happened. Secondly, when my aunt got married there a couple of years ago, the weather was perfect. Everybody spread out all over the grounds... and they stayed in cliques. Nobody talked to anyone they didn't know. The downpour at our wedding forced everyone inside the tent (although my mother's side of the family, true to form, hid in the house - but that's another story) and our friends met, bonded, reunited. New ties were formed. And my parents got to know some of our friends and finally truly understand why we simply could not move to California.
I could sit here and tell you the details of the ceremony, which was glorious and meaningful and magickal. Or I could tell you about how great the band was, and how gracefully they braved the weather. I could go on about our wonderful officiant, or my friend Maya who took charge of the day like a champ and made sure I had to worry about nothing. I could babble about the adorableness of the children who brightened the scene more than the sun possibly could anyway. But I won't bore you with the details, since the most important thing is how every single person at that wedding participated and supported us, and that's what made it a day we will never, ever forget.
Like I said, our wedding was perfect.
Here are a few photos, below. If you are bored or if you really like wedding porn, there are many more at my photobucket site, and more still to come: http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg159/Harpiegirl4/Our%20Wedding/
A HUGE thank you to melebeth who took many of these...
Sloshing down the aisle during the procession (Kristina was playing "In Dreams" from Lord of the Rings).
Recession. (Kristina was playing the theme from Star Trek).
Our beautiful friends ladyjoust and Kate creating atmosphere
Jumping the broom
melebeth , tomincloset and fjordhopper dancing in the rain. Best picture ever. :)
The Lieberman women: my sister/MoH Emily, my mom and me.
Dancing with my daddy.
Reminds me of NYRF. ;)
Cocktail hour when the rain began
Cutest. Flower girls. Ever. Natasha, Zoe and Elana.
Our adorable little ringbearer, Misha, giving the rings to our Priestess, Laura.
James, our chalice bearer, is very macho. See how fierce his expression is? Grrrr! (never you mind the daisies).
Sealing the deal. :)
Our wedding was wet. The weather was horrible. I mean, really, really awful. It rained - nay, poured - from just before cocktail hour and steadily through the night until the next morning.The ground was completely saturated and everyone's shoes, pants cuffs and dress hems got ruined. We had to be in the ugly, too-small, crowded white tent the entire time, and didn't get to enjoy the majestic, beautiful landscape at my grandfather's house. We didn't get to do the portraits we wanted. We didn't get to have our bonfire. It certainly wasn't at all like the wedding we had planned...
But it was perfect. PERFECT.
Our friends and family made it so.
Our friends and family made our dress, brought our wine, had our cake made, made a trellis. They helped us wrap utensils, prepare food, set up, make centerpieces, put up extra tarps and canopies, make parking signs, make bouquets, do my hair and makeup. They changed the tent from ceremony space to reception space, brought out food, brought out booze, grilled meat, smoothed out family drama without my having to even know about it. They participated in the ceremony, played ceremony music, took thousands of photos, took video, entertained the children, and so much more. In fact, I highly suspect they helped us in ways I don't even know about yet... and just might never know. Best of all, they endured a veritable monsoon to be with us on this very important moment in our lives - and they had FUN doing it! I mean, I'm sure nobody actually enjoyed the weather (although several of my friends decided a rain dance was in order, which delighted me no-end), but they made the most of it with grace and passion, and refused to let it get them down. Refused to let it get Cody and I down, too! They celebrated with us with joy and utter abandonment.
For me, this wedding didn't just celebrate the union of my new husband and I. It celebrated and strengthened the love I share with my tribe. My heart is bursting right now with love, admiration and devotion for every single friend who was present there. I have never felt so incredibly blessed, so loved, so supported. Cody felt it too - at one point, as we sat down to dinner and looked out at the tent filled with our friends and family, Cody looked at me in amazement and said "look at all these people! They're all here for us! Can you believe it?" And we both got teary and then laughed and just enjoyed the feeling for a while.
And you know, here's a few interesting things in the "silver lining" department: for one, the weather report was predicting thunder and lightening, which would have been a disaster and would have ended our wedding right there and then. It never happened. Secondly, when my aunt got married there a couple of years ago, the weather was perfect. Everybody spread out all over the grounds... and they stayed in cliques. Nobody talked to anyone they didn't know. The downpour at our wedding forced everyone inside the tent (although my mother's side of the family, true to form, hid in the house - but that's another story) and our friends met, bonded, reunited. New ties were formed. And my parents got to know some of our friends and finally truly understand why we simply could not move to California.
I could sit here and tell you the details of the ceremony, which was glorious and meaningful and magickal. Or I could tell you about how great the band was, and how gracefully they braved the weather. I could go on about our wonderful officiant, or my friend Maya who took charge of the day like a champ and made sure I had to worry about nothing. I could babble about the adorableness of the children who brightened the scene more than the sun possibly could anyway. But I won't bore you with the details, since the most important thing is how every single person at that wedding participated and supported us, and that's what made it a day we will never, ever forget.
Like I said, our wedding was perfect.
Here are a few photos, below. If you are bored or if you really like wedding porn, there are many more at my photobucket site, and more still to come: http://s247.photobucket.com/albums/gg159/Harpiegirl4/Our%20Wedding/
A HUGE thank you to melebeth who took many of these...
Sloshing down the aisle during the procession (Kristina was playing "In Dreams" from Lord of the Rings).
Recession. (Kristina was playing the theme from Star Trek).
Our beautiful friends ladyjoust and Kate creating atmosphere
Jumping the broom
melebeth , tomincloset and fjordhopper dancing in the rain. Best picture ever. :)
The Lieberman women: my sister/MoH Emily, my mom and me.
Dancing with my daddy.
Reminds me of NYRF. ;)
Cocktail hour when the rain began
Cutest. Flower girls. Ever. Natasha, Zoe and Elana.
Our adorable little ringbearer, Misha, giving the rings to our Priestess, Laura.
James, our chalice bearer, is very macho. See how fierce his expression is? Grrrr! (never you mind the daisies).
Sealing the deal. :)