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Category Archives: Wedding

Humanist Ceremony, Daymer Bay and Happiness

What a beautiful day I have had! The sun shone and the air was warm and I went to stunning Daymer Bay to conduct a Humanist Ceremony of Re-affirming Wedding Vows on the cliffs and it was just brilliant! The lovely couple had been married for 6009 days today and it was his birthday.

As a surprise, she had organised friends and family to be on the cliffs and it was just the loveliest, happiest ceremony that brought tears to many an eye. It included a Hand-fasting which I have not done before and many readings done by family and friends, one of the most moving poems being written and read by their lovely daughter. It was so very special and I have permission to share these photos with you. Click on any photo for the caption and detail.

L’s bouquet in my favourite colours

About to go under the confetti arch

Nearly through and everyone very happy

The Hand-fasting ribbons

Cornish Violets growing on the cliff at the Ceremony spot

The Wedding party

Confetti

The view when walking back to my car afterwards

15 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on April 6, 2015 in Beauty, Cornwall, family, Happiness, Humanist ceremony, Postaday 2015, Wedding

Tags: Daymer Bay, Hand-fasting, Re-affirmation of wedding vows

Boat Jumble, Humanist Wedding and Simple Supper

25 May

1 We went to the annual Boat Jumble today and I found a beautiful terracotta wash basin with a painted rim. We understand it came from a boat and would love to know more if any reader can help.

Decorated boat basin

2 I conducted a Humanist Wedding today with torrential rain outside and the sunniest of smiles inside the marquee. It was, as always, a beautifully simple event, unique to the couple involved. Click on any photo in the gallery to see detail.

Welcome

A Wedding in the field

View from the field – the sea at St Ives

Wedding arch and hay bales

The Beautiful Bride

Cheese biscuits served with the Champagne

My Wedding umbrella

Ready for the reception

3 A simple supper was called for tonight – a delicious Asparagus, Pea and Lemon Risotto. We didn’t have any white wine so I used a splash of red instead and it was truly scrumptious.

Simple supper

7 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on May 25, 2014 in Beauty, Celebration, Food, Humanist ceremony, photography, Postaday 2014, Wedding

Tags: Asparagus Pea and Lemon Risotto, boat jumble

Weekly Photo Challenge: Object – The Family Locket

04 Feb

Every day, I write about beautiful things. Today, for the Weekly Photo Challenge, I’m writing about one of my very special and favourite objects – The Family Locket. This has been in the family, on my Mother’s side for at least 154 years and is now entrusted to my care.

My Great Great Granny’s Locket

We know very little about my Great Great Grandmother, whose locket this was, apart from the fact that she was Spanish and we think the locket probably is too. The front of the locket is particularly beautiful, the silver being inlaid with a black stone, maybe jet.The back is covered in very delicate engraving. My Mum attributed the fact that her hair never went grey to her Spanish genes!

The front of the locket

Inside the locket are two tiny photographs, one of my Great Great Grandmother and the other of my Great Great Grandfather, the only photo we have of him.

Inside the locket

My Spanish Great Grandmother and her Husband

My Spanish Great Great Grandmother and her Husband

In the photograph, taken we assume sometime around 1860, she is wearing the locket and just look at his wonderful moustache! We treasure her studio portrait in its original card frame.

Studio portrait c 1860

We have a photo of my Great Granny and Grandad but not wearing the locket and we don’t know if it was worn by the Bride at that wedding.

My Great Grandparents

I am told that my Granny, whom I was lucky enough to know well – she taught me to knit, to crochet and to play cards, though never on a Sunday! – wore the locket at her wedding on 27th April 1882 but I don’t have a photograph of that wedding. I do have a photograph of Granny and sometimes, when I pass a mirror, I fleetingly catch her image. I remember her as always smiling and I’m told I do that too!

My Granny

My Mum, married on 2nd September 1939, by her Father, The Very Reverend William Richards, the day before the Second World War was declared, wore the locket at her wedding but their honeymoon, planned to be in Paris, was a few snatched days in Blackpool instead. The photo isn’t very clear but the chain and shape can just be made out in this photo.

My Mum at her Wedding in front of Cockerham Vicarage, Lancashire

I, too, wore the locket at my wedding in Truro, Cornwall almost 30 years later in 1967.

I wore it at our Wedding August 1967

KJ, our second daughter, wore the locket at her wedding in London July 2006. KJ also has Granny’s grin!

KJ at her wedding

When my Brother and Sister-in-law were married in June 1993 in the Chapel at Truro School, the locket was V’s borrowed and old item.You may know the saying – ’Something old, something new, Something borrowed, something blue’ to bring good luck to the newly wedded couple.

My Brother, my Sister-in-law and my Dad

There is something very special about being able to lend such a precious item to someone you love. My Mum had died only three weeks before the wedding so this is a particularly poignant memory. She would have been so pleased that the locket was being worn again, at another family wedding and welcoming another daughter into the family.

You can click on any photo to see more detail. Several of these are photos of photos so are not as clear as the originals.

For others in this Challenge, see http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2014/01/31/photo-challenge-object/

21 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on February 4, 2014 in antiques, Beauty, family, family history, Happiness, photography, Postaday 2014, Wedding, Weddings, Weekly photo challenge

Tags: beautiful things, family treasure, Postaday 2014, Weekly Photo Challenge: Object

A Wedding, A Dedication and A Celebration

02 Sep

On this day in 1939, my Mum and Dad were married.They were to have honeymooned in Paris but given that WWII broke out on September 3rd they had a weekend in Blackpool instead before my Dad went off to the army for five years.

My Mum at her wedding in 1939

My Dad retired early to write and dedicated his first novel to my Mum ( using a nom de plume as advised by the publishers as it was thought that women read more historical romantic fiction and that they like to read books written by women!) The novel is set in Cornwall in the late 1800’s and its background is the tin mining industry that was so important to the Cornish.

Dad’s first novel, published in the US and the UK by Weidenfeld and Nicholson, in paperback by Sphere

The dedication

Their Golden wedding in 1989 was a great big family reunion in Cornwall as by then my older brother and his wife and two children were living in Munich, Germany, my younger brother and his wife were in Atlanta, Georgia and my sister and her growing family were in Phoenix, Arizona and I was in Yorkshire with my family. The advance for Ellen Bray paid for everyone to come to the two week long party!

11 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 2, 2013 in Beauty, Celebration, family, family history, photography, Postaday2013, Wedding

Tags: Ellen Bray, Jane Julian, nom de plume

Weekly Photo Challenge – Masterpiece

31 Jul

Four Tier Chocolate Wedding Cake with roses, made for second daughter’s wedding

17 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on July 31, 2013 in baking, Beauty, photography, Postaday2013, Wedding, Weekly photo challenge

Tags: chocolate wedding cake, four tier wedding cake, Mary Berry recipe

Stained Glass, Eulogy and Wedding Plans

26 Jan

1 A beautiful sunny day today gave us a new shadow, this time of our little replica of a funny little wren from a stained glass window in York Minster. It dates from the 15th Century and can be found in the Zouche Chapel.

Shadow of the little wren

Replica stained glass

2 Yesterday’s WordPress writing prompt invited the writing of one’s own eulogy. That reminded me of something I used to work on with my 13 year old pupils as the last chapter of their autobiography. I invited them to write a pastiche of the following poem, ‘Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep’ changing the items to reflect their own personality. There were so many amazing and moving poems from them. My pastiche follows the original. You may like to write your own and put it as a comment. I’d really love to read yours.

‘Do Not Stand’ by Mary Frye

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning’s hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die

.‘Do not Stand’ by MBT

Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am primroses in the sun,

I am the waves that run and run,

I am seagulls on the wing,

I am in choruses that sing.

When you awaken in the dead of night

I am in stars that bring you light

Of peace and love and life and hope.

I am the bubbles in your soap.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die.

3 In my role as a Humanist celebrant, I met with a lovely couple today and we began to plan their Wedding Ceremony for the end of May. It’s such a delightful, happy job to have!

19 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on January 26, 2013 in glass, Humanist ceremony, painting, pastiche, pastiche, poetry, Postaday2013, Uncategorized, Wedding, Weddings

Tags: 'Do Not Stand at my Grave and Weep, 15th century window, Humanist Wedding, Humanist Wedding Ceremony, Mary Frye, Postaday, postaday2013, wren, York Minster, Zouche Chpel

Clouds, Chimney-Sweep and Clock Tower

10 Nov

1 There was sun and rain this morning and I hoped for a rainbow. No luck but this beautiful dramatic sky instead.

Dramatic sky

2 Looking in the yellow pages for a chimney sweep, I found this delightful advert with the chimney sweep offering to attend weddings. Tradition has it that 200 years ago, a Chimney Sweep saved the life of King George II by stopping his runaway horse and carriage. The King issued a Royal Decree that Chimney Sweeps are bringers of luck and should be treated with the greatest of respect. So started the tradition and because sweeps are lucky, couples sometimes arrange to meet the sweep at their Wedding!

Chimney-sweep advert

3 I love the colours on our town clock face. You might like this bit of history about our lovely clock: “Clock Tower Situated midway along Fore Street is the Town Clock which has stood on or very near this site for a long time, certainly since the 1700’s. In 1828 the former wood built tower was demolished and replaced by a stone tower. In 1841 the open arches at ground level were closed in for use as Police cells. With the increasing height of the surrounding commercial properties the Clock Tower was extended in 1904 so that the miners living at the top of the town could see the time, and also chimes were added.”

Redruth Clock Tower

The date is 10.11.12 That just pleases me!

4 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on November 10, 2012 in Cornwall, environment, local history, photography, postaday2012, Redruth, senses, Wedding

Tags: chimney sweep, Clock Tower, good luck, Postaday, postaday2012, wedding

Beach Wedding, Sweet Pea Posy and Potatoes

29 Sep

1 The Wedding was absolutely beautiful! The sun shone, the couple were radiant and the tide stayed out! After the very moving Ceremony, I managed to snatch a couple of photos.

The newly married couple

Called for the formal photos

Dress from behind

These lovely words were read by the Groom’s Mum. It is called ‘Beauty of Love’

The question is asked: ‘Is there anything more beautiful in life than a young couple clasping hands and pure hearts in the path of marriage? Can there be anything more beautiful than young love?’ And the answer is given: ‘Yes, there is a more beautiful thing. It is the spectacle of an old man and an old woman finishing their journey together on that path. Their hands are gnarled but still clasped; their faces are seamed but still radiant; their hearts are physically bowed and tired but still strong with love and devotion. Yes, there is a more beautiful thing than young love. Old love.

2 Last night I was given this highly scented and very pretty posy of sweet peas. Thank you, Brenda! (and also for the pheasant which we will so enjoy on our return from babysitting in London.)

Present of a Posy

3 This afternoon has been spent in the beautifully sunny garden doing tidying up Autumny jobs – another picking of beans and the container grown Christmas Day potatoes needed earthing up.

Christmas potatoes ready for earthing up

12 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 29, 2012 in Cornwall, flowers, Food, garden, growing, Humanist ceremony, Wedding, Weddings, Words

Tags: Beach wedding, Christmas potatoes, Humanist Wedding, Humanist Wedding Ceremony, Postaday, postaday2012, sweet peas

Together, Rain Resilient Flowers and Wedding Words

26 Sep

1 A beautiful quiet day at home together, catching up with ourselves after a hectic few weeks!

2 A look around the garden shows some flowers which have just about managed to survive the stormy rain that fell while we were away.

Calianthus Gladiolus

Gladiolus

Japanese Anenome

3 I’ve printed out the Wedding Ceremony that I’m conducting on Saturday. The whole ceremony, to be held on the beach if the weather allows, is going to be so beautiful.

10 Comments

Posted by mybeautfulthings on September 26, 2012 in family, flowers, garden, Humanist ceremony, postaday2012, Uncategorized, Wedding, Weddings

Tags: Calianthus gladiolus, gladiolus, Humanist Wedding Ceremony, Japanese Anenome, nature, plants, Postaday, postaday2012, quiet day, weather, wedding ceremony

Different Birthdays for Twins, Fuchsia with Bee and Vegetable Ring

16 Sep

1 Our twins were born 35 years ago, Daniel on 16th September and Lucy on 17th September. It was always my plan that they should have their own birthdays and I managed it! Daniel arrived a few minutes before midnight on his Great Granny’s birthday which delighted me and my Mum; Lucy just nine minutes later. We Skyped this morning with Daniel and Ami in Barcelona to sing Happy Birthday!

Daniel and Ami

2 The fuchsias in the garden are really beautiful just now. I sent this photo to Ami as she loves the colour (as you will have seen from her Wedding dress if you’ve been following long) If you would like to see photos of the wedding in Senegal and the very beautiful Ami in her fuchsia wedding dress, have a look here

Fuchsia in the garden with a bee

3 We have been eating vegetarian meals since P arrived for his holiday. Tonight I made the Vegetable Ring as on my Recipe page. I added fried onions to the mixture as I said I would but it made the mixture rather damp and it splatted in the baking. It tasted even better though!

Vegetable Ring before baking

Vegetable Ring, baked

When I sent the photo of our supper to Ami, she asked that I teach her how to make it when we visit them in Barcelona next weekend. It will be my pleasure! I hope I’ll learn how to make Lakh, a Senegalese dish we enjoyed when in Dakar for the wedding.