Back in the winter, I had the pleasure of officiating the wedding of Dani and Brandon, who came to New York from New England. Everything about them captivated me. The decided to marry in Central Park because they were both so acutely connected to nature. Dani arrived in a long flowing red cape and Brandon was all in tweed—very professorial.
Both of them were artists and very intentional about every aspect of the ceremony. We started with a smudging ritual to set the energetic stage for the wedding. I had purchased the sage and abalone shell in my native Oklahoma, which has a good number of shops paying tribute to our Native American history. When I purchased the smudging kit, I knew I would gift it to someone, but didn’t know who that might be. After learning about their story, the gift was clearly meant for these two.
With words such an important part of their actual love language, they exchanged tender vows, carefully written in beautiful leather-bound journals. And, after their ring exchange, they embraced a celtic handfasting story, with forest green and amethyst braided ribbon, again paying tribute to their love of the outdoors. For those unfamiliar, the handfasting ritual is as old as time and visually represents the couple “tying the knot.” When asked about their hopes for the future, they mentioned things that resonate with us all—health, shared adventures, time with people that they care about deeply. But they also aspire to be able to purse the arts as their livelihood. With their innate passion, I’m sure that dream will come true.
The wedding was coordinated by Simply Eloped. The portraits of the bride and groom featured in the collage are by Gianna Leo Falcon.
