A Touching Family Celebration

… Below is a reprinting of my blog entry from April 8th 2009, due to a technical difficulty, past blog entries were deleted. 

Last night I had the honor of coordinating a very special wedding at Carambola Beach Resort. The bride & groom spent a significant amount of time planning a beautiful small destination wedding celebration for 16 of their closest friends and family. It had a very cute, yet elegant theme with aqua and deep blue colors to match the beautiful caribbean sea with starfish accents. But, what touched me the most was the thought and time that went into creating a ceremony that celebrated the blending of their two families.
Both the bride & groom each had been married previously and each had two young girls. They spent a lot of time crafting a touching and beautiful ceremony with Reverand Lindsay Houston that reflected the blending of two families into one. The four girls in gorgeous aqua dresses made up the wedding party. Children are always a delightful addition to a wedding party, but in this ceremony it was so much more special as they were an integral part of the celebration. Chairs for the guests were arranged in a circle so that during the ceremony, guests could stand together, holding hands and forming a circle of support… another reflection of the important part that family plays for this couple.
During what I found to be the most touching part of the ceremony, the bride and groom not only exchanged rings with each other, but gave each girl a necklace that symbolized their joining as a family. There were lots of giggles from the girls and tears from the guests (and me!). It was so clear that this was already a cohesive and happy family unit. This was a celebration of the love and permanent bond that they now shared with each other. It was heartwarming to see the way the two oldest girls (one the bride’s daughter, one the groom’s) worked together, clearly as sisters, to bustle the brides dress. I noticed from the time that I met them before the wedding that these were already 4 sisters, a Mom and a Dad. The wedding was just the formality.
The reception was equally joyful and family oriented. All 18 guests sat around one large table. My favorite moment was between the appetizer and entree being served. The photographers and I looked up and saw lots and lots of bubbles floating through the air as the whole family of 18 laughed and giggled and blew them up into the air. It was a magical moment of joy and family togetherness. A memory that I’m sure they will cherish all of their lives. Its one I know that I will remember very fondly.
Blending families can often be a challenge. Likely there are hurt feelings along the way. Making the choice to acknowledge as part of the ceremony that this marriage is not just between the Bride and Groom, but also a union of children and family, is one that I think will strengthen and bond the new family. A symbolic exchange of necklaces – or even a beautiful locally crafted bracelet like the Infinity Bracelet at ibdesign – is such a wonderful way to continually remind the child that they are loved and welcomed into this new life.
My warmest wishes for a long and happy life full of joy and celebration go out to this wonderful new family.