A Cute Kid's Reading.

I am writing up a ceremony for a couple with children, who really want the kids to perform a reading. There are quite a few lovely ones out there, but I just adored this one. The sentiment is sweet, and I cannot wait to hear a child read it out for their Mum and Dad. It may make me cry however.....

A LOVELY LOVE STORY: Edward Monkton

The fierce Dinosaur was trapped inside his cage of ice. Although it was cold he was happy in there. It was, after all, his cage.

Then along came the Lovely Other Dinosaur.

The Lovely Other Dinosaur melted the Dinosaur’s cage with kind words and loving thoughts.

“I like this Dinosaur,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.  “Although he is fierce he is also tender and he is funny.  He is also quite clever though I will not tell him this for now.”

“I like this Lovely Other Dinosaur,” thought the Dinosaur. “She is beautiful and she is different and she smells so nice.  She is also a free spirit which is a quality I much admire in a dinosaur.”

“But he can be so distant and so peculiar at times,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur.  “He is also overly fond of things.  Are all Dinosaurs so overly fond of things?”

“But her mind skips from here to there so quickly,” thought the Dinosaur.  “She is also uncommonly keen on shopping.  Are all Lovely Other Dinosaurs so uncommonly keen on shopping?”

“I will forgive his peculiarity and his concern for things,” thought the Lovely Other Dinosaur, “for they are part of what makes him a richly charactered individual.”

“I will forgive her skipping mind and her fondness for shopping,” thought the Dinosaur, “for she fills our life with beautiful thoughts and wonderful surprises. Besides, I am not unkeen on shopping either.”

Now the Dinosaur and the Lovely Other Dinosaur are old. 

Look at them. 

Together they stand on the hill telling each other stories and feeling the warmth of the sun on their backs.

And that, my friends, is how it is with love.

Let us all be Dinosaurs and Lovely Other Dinosaurs together. 

For the sun is warm. 

And the world is a beautiful place.

A Surprise Wedding.

This wedding was amazing in that it was organised under a veil of secrecy, in quite a short period of time. The ruse was the groom's pending 30th birthday with the plan to marry on the day announced at the beginning of the party. Steve and Karrina did a brilliant job as most people had no idea that they were about to marry. They are also great car fans and had a brilliant old race car as a back drop, which made for great photo opportunities.

Fair Dinkum Love - written by Kim Cockerell.

Fair dinkum love isn’t about bringing in a dozen red roses,

It’s about bringing in the washing.

It’s not about standing next to your partner because they look good on your arm

It’s about standing by them even when they look foolish.

Fair dinkum love isn’t about stiff posture and smart clothes.

It’s about wrestling on the couch in your tracksuit.

It’s not about oysters and candle-lit dinners.

It’s about bringing home Chinese when your partner’s had a busy day.

Fair dinkum love isn’t about exciting getaways and fancy resorts.

It’s about being totally content sleeping-in together at home.

It’s not about gym memberships and facelifts.

It’s about growing old and fat together.

Fair dinkum love is not about romance or image or success.

Fair dinkum love is about two average people adoring and accepting each other for who they are.

Kayla's Naming Day.

I was invited to perform a naming ceremony for a dear little 2 year old girl, named Kayla.  The day was so extremely hot, in Melton, with very little breeze, but I could see how loved Kayla was when she had a large crowd arrive to celebrate her day with her. 

Her parents described her as funny, independent and head strong, words which made for hilarious moments as she kept running off to play with all her friends, squealing with joy. She was delightful.

A child, who lives with criticism, learns to condemn.

A child, who lives with hostility, learns to fight.

A child, who lives with ridicule, learns to be shy.

A child, who lives with shame, learns to feel guilty.

But a child, who lives with tolerance, learns to be patient.

A child, who lives with encouragement, learns confidence.

A child, who lives with fairness, learns justice.

A child, who lives with security, learns to have faith.

A child, who lives with approval, learns to like himself.

When a child lives with acceptance and friendship,

She learns to find love in the world.

Written by Dorothy Law Nolte.

The Beauty of a Small Gathering

Sam and Andrea were determined to have a small and intimate ceremony, to keep their day focussed on themselves, their children, their family and their friends. And they succeeded, in a room filled with love and joy: no great production, no great hassles, just them expressing their love for one another and their children. It was beautiful.

A Wedding in the Ballarat Botanic Gardens.

Tash & Tim were married in January, in the Ballarat Botanic Gardens. It was quite a warm day, but their wedding spot was blessed with dappled sunlight and a cooling breeze. They were married surrounded by close family and friends, with a simple, personal ceremony, just perfect for them.

They chose a beautiful reading, which was read out by their bridesmaid, which spoke of their deep love for each other.

Love: written by George Betts

We love each other, this is not the end result, but the beginning.

Love begins when two people join together to form a unity of souls written in their hearts, a new direction which requires acceptance, patience and understanding.

Acceptance for the differences, for the struggles and the hardships, and most of all for change and growth.

Patience to allow time to take its natural course to flow, to blossom.

Flowers and love thrive on the same things, time, warmth and care.

Understanding is the wisdom of maturity, the combination of patience and acceptance.

And so, my friend, I offer these things to you as one - my   gift to you.

A Quick Catch Up

How slack have I been? I have not updated what I have been doing in MONTHS! Perhaps this is because it has been really busy around here, setting up my new business, which is actually (thankfully) doing pretty well. And for this I am so grateful. It has been a whirlwind of phone calls, meetings, writing, promotion, marketing, and enjoying being able to marry people, to see the joy in their faces. I am also so very thankful for the support of my family and friends, who believe in me and just accept that this is the new me. Thank you.

The following is a wedding vow that I came across recently, and I think it is really sweet. I hope you do too.

"There's lots of things

With which I'm blessed

Tho' my life's been both Sunny and Blue,

But of all of my blessings, 

This one's the best:

To have a friend like you. 

In times of trouble

Friends will say, 

'Just ask...I'll help you through it.'

But you don't wait for me ask, 

You just get up and you do it!

And I can think

Of nothing in life

That I could more wisely do,

Than know a friend,

And be a friend

And love a friend....like you"

- Author Unknown