Kathryn's baby shower

I have a lovely friend called Kathryn. We met through our husbands, who used to work together, and they are also good mates. From the moment we met, Kathryn and I have bonded, and I know that we will always be friends.  She funny, warm, caring,  she has an enormous generosity of spirit, she is beautiful and smart and she is PREGNANT! Yesterday we had her baby shower, where I was able to meet some more of her friends and family. It was actually the first baby shower I have ever been to, and it was just so sweet, to focus on such a joyous event in her life. And look at the cake! It was amazing, and obviously, "we" are having a baby boy. He is a lucky little boy, because he will have a very happy family life, his parents are awesome, and I am so pleased to be able to call them my friends.

Janine & Troy got married!

Last Saturday I had the honour of officiating at Janine & Troy's wedding. I first met these two at a previous wedding, on an extremely HOT January day. I was struggling to carry all my equipment to the venue & I was wearing stilettos. Troy offered to help me, & as I told Janine at our recent rehearsal, that was the day that I fell a little bit in love with Troy. He is such a caring man, what an absolute gentleman, & she is just a carbon copy of him, a warm, loving & genuinely awesome woman. They took my card, & then contacted me to officiate their wedding. I adore these two, they are so funny together & it is patently obvious how in love they are. We had fun: so many laughs, a few tears but above all there is their abiding love & respect for each other, which made this a perfect day.

They chose to marry at Mount Buninyong Winery, in Scotsburn. What a great venue! This was their first wedding after updating all their menu. It was a beautiful venue, set in amongst the bushland. Please go to have a look yourself, they are lovely people.

The First Day of the "Official" Wedding Season 2013.

Welcome to the first day of Spring, 2013, which is also the first "official" day of the 2013 - 2104 wedding season. I hope that if you are marrying soon, you have the wedding of your dreams, with few mix ups and muck ups, and a long and happy married life with the one you love.

From "THE Irrational Season", by Madeleine L'Engle

"But ultimately there comes a moment when a decision must be made. 

Ultimately two people who love each other must ask themselves how much they hope for as their love grows and deepens, and how much risk they are willing to take. 

It is indeed a fearful gamble. 

Because it is the nature of love to create, a marriage itself is something which has to be created, so that, together we become a new creature.

To marry is the biggest risk in human relations that a person can take. 

If we commit ourselves to one person for life this is not, as many people think, a rejection of freedom; rather it demands the courage to move into all the risks of freedom, and the risk of love which is permanent; into that love which is not possession, but participation. 

It takes a lifetime to learn another person. When love is not possession, but participation, then it is part of that co-creation which is our human calling, and which implies such risk that it is often rejected".

A Winter Wedding

Last Saturday I had the joyous privilege of conducting Tam and Kenny's wedding ceremony. Gorgeous people, lovely crowd, and I actually knew some of the people attending (nice for a catch up and gossip) so it was all rather lovely. Tam's dress was beautiful, totally perfect for her, being a black full length, with a mermaid tail bottom. It was absolutely spectacular, and they looked beautiful together as a couple.

Their venue was also great, with the wedding ceremony and reception being held at The Plough, in Myrniong. I have never been there and I was just delighted at how intimate the ceremony space was. The sun even came out at the right time, which was a super bonus on the day.

The ceremony area at The Plough

And the best little gems to see and enjoy were the flower arrangements. I just loved them. Simple. Elegant. All mainly from the bridal couple's garden. The use of glass jars just made them all seem so simply perfect and congruent for the area and the couple.

And the impressive thing, the lady who designed the flower arrangements is still a floristry student and what a talent she is. She will definitely be one to watch into the future. Her name is Rachel Leonard, and she can be contacted on 0434 964 772. 

The Naked Wedding Cake.

This is a new wedding cake trend, which I actually quite like, the naked cake. Yep, nudie cakes, dressed with just layers and no covering. I particularly love the one in the photo below. I have never seen one "in the flesh", but would love to, just to see if they look as great in real life (hint hint to friends who are getting married soon).

Thanks to Bridal Guide Magazine for the photo.

Make your wedding your own.

Sometimes I wonder at the stress placed on brides and groom from their families and friends. I understand that it is a family day and everyone is dreadfully excited, but really, it should be up to the couple to plan what they want for their day shouldn't it? Of course, if they wish to make concessions for special requests then that is lovely and thoughtful, but I do think that they ultimately should have final say. They only get one chance to have this day, and I hope that no-one would have any regrets from the decisions that they have made. It is supposed to be a happy day, full of laughter and love, and all parties need to remember that, and not play the guilt card. So, brides and grooms, plan YOUR day and enjoy it, and do not let other's agendas upset you. You only get this once.

For the bridesmaid.

I found this very interesting article about one girl's experience of being a bridesmaid and why she resigned her position (click here). It does sound to be quite an extreme example but I do wonder how often bridesmaids feel this way. Do some brides truly take advantage of their bridesmaids and do the bridesmaids feel resentful and used? Obviously the answer would have to be yes, because we see the story here. So, it is something to consider for all involved in planning the wedding day: what do the brides expect and what are the bridesmaids prepared to commit to? Let's hope that the actual friendship survives the day, and possibly even becomes a stronger one.