What a beautiful Humanist Wedding Ceremony I was privileged to be part of today and in the loveliest of settings overlooking Mawgan Porth.
Flowers on the window sill
Special Guest
The couple
Tag Archives: Humanist Wedding Ceremony
Wedding, Water Lily and Wet Leaves
I conducted the loveliest Humanist Wedding Ceremony this morning, in a beautiful garden with Cornish mist mizzling and everyone smiling. It was personal and very moving and made even more special by the fact that a small group from The Suitcase Singers, one of the choirs I sing with, sang a number of most appropriate songs, chosen by the couple and beautifully arranged by our MD, Claire Ingleheart. Thank you to the singers who helped to make that a very special ceremony for everyone involved. Photos will follow later.
Two of our number invited us all back for lunch and that was really good too, to unwind with friends over a truly delicious meal and then to have a walk around their lovely and very productive garden. There was a Water Lily just opening on their pond. (Thank you, P and J, for the rhubarb!)
Water Lily
I love taking photos in the rain! I love how droplets collect and act as little magnifying glasses on the leaves. Do click on the photo and then zoom in – it’s like magic!
Water droplets
Wedding, Anemones and Pear Tarte Tatin
1 I met with a lovely couple this morning who want me to be the Celebrant for their Humanist wedding ceremony next May. I do love my job! It such a happy and positive thing to do.
2 I love Anemones, such beautiful, vibrant colours. Only one in the bunch is fully open yet – the whole bowlful will be a treat indeed.
Anemone
3 Pear Tarte Tatin, warm with ice-cream – comfort food for a wild wintery evening such as this, rain hammering against the windows, wind howling down the chimneys and the wood burner glowing!
Pear Tarte Tatin
NaBloPoMo I’m joining in this challenge of writing everyday in November. Check out others here
Reds, A Wonderful Way With Words and Apache Wedding Prayer
1 In a gap between showers, we went into town and the greengrocer’s display was just so red – from the crimson of the cherries to the orangey-red of these tomatoes still on the vine. I love the smell when they are broken off the vine – so delicious.Do you remember making earrings when two cherries were joined together on the stalk? Simple pleasures!
Tomatoes on the vine
Precious and very expensive cherries
2 I have had such a lovely thing happen today. An ex-pupil has been in touch to tell me how I have never been forgotten and how I am the motivation for this person deciding to go into teaching. S/he was serendipitously introduced to my blog by a good friend and then discovered my photo on the About Me page and left me a comment…….. I’m walking on air tonight! (Now, of course, I’m wondering where that expression comes from!)
3 Interestingly, this beautiful poem has come my way twice in as many days. It is to be one of the readings at a Wedding Ceremony I am conducting next week and a good friend sent it to me too.
Apache Wedding Prayer
Now you will feel no rain,
For each of you will be shelter to the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
For each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there is no more loneliness,
For each of you will be companion to the other.
Now you are two bodies,
But there is only one life before you.
Go now to your dwelling place
To enter into the days of your togetherness
And may your days be good and long upon the earth
What lovely sentiments with which to begin life together.
Stained Glass, Eulogy and Wedding Plans
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!
Beach Wedding, Sweet Pea Posy and Potatoes
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
Wedding Rehearsal, Cornish Ice-cream and Email
1 The rehearsal for tomorrow’s Wedding Ceremony went off really well. We are planning for it to be on the beach even if it rains! We did the run-through indoors today as the tide was too far up!
The beautiful beach where the Wedding will take place.
2 There was a Kelly’s Ice-cream van on the cliffs when I went back to check out access to the beach later. I can never resist one of their ice-creams, one of the best in Cornwall!
Kelly’s Cornish ice-cream
3 Since meeting the poet, John Siddique, a few years ago at a local Readers’ Day, I’ve been getting his newsletter so I though I’d tell him about yesterday’s post. He wrote back a lovely email today, thanking me.
Together, Rain Resilient Flowers and Wedding Words
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.
1904 Etched Window, Nest, Two Humanist Weddings and a Bit More Babel
1 Something quite magical happened today that has not happened in the four years we’ve been here. There was a reflection from the windscreen of the car on the drive through the etched window of the inner front door and up onto the stair carpet at the top of the stairs – beautiful!
Etched window from 1904
Reflections
2 We went to Hardy Exotics this afternoon, in Whitecross, on the A30, to find a tree to survive the wind in our garden. We didn’t get a tree today but were shown this scruffy and very beautiful nest with the mother bird sitting in one of the staff-only greenhouses! What a sensible bird! It’s warm, dry, only Di goes in there to pot up new plants and she can listen to Radio 4!
Mother on nest
3 Had two meetings today with couples wanting non-religious Wedding Ceremonies, one to be on Little Fistral Beach (Carnmarth Hotel if the weather is bad), in Newquay in September and the other at Trevenna Barns, Bodmin in May next year. Both lovely couples with whom it was fun to start the planning.
4 An added extra for today – There’s a fabulous review of Babel here – this reviewer totally gets it, at last! http://teatimeinwonderland.co.uk/lang/en/2012/05/12/babel/
Wedding Run-through, Planting Courgettes and A New Wall
1 I spent the morning at a run-through of the Humanist Wedding I’m doing on Sunday. The whole Ceremony is going to be so beautiful – the vows written by the couple themselves, the readings they’ve chosen and the song, “Make you Feel my Love” – recently sung by Adele, but originally a Bob Dylan song – that a friend is singing for them and all in the most beautiful setting, Treassowe Manor, one of Cornwall’s Listed Buildings.
This is where the Ceremony will take place.
2 I’ve made a heap of compost and planted just one courgette plant and three seeds. I’m hoping the slugs will find the heap hard to climb!
Courgette protected from the wind
3 From the rubble our beautiful new wall is growing!
The old concrete is dug up and piled up
The new wall is growing – another new planting opportunity!
