Isn't it Romantic

Roses and hearts, red and pink, don't overthink, celebrate chance, dance, take a leap,

become each other's kind fate. Isn't it romantic. Isn't love great!  Happy Valentines' Day

A Smooth Sailing Couple Wed at Breakwater Beach- Dan and Katie

Katie and her bridesmaids- All photography by Paul Blackmore Photography

Bless these rings and the two that now wear them.

Love and life and ladybug blessings. A vow to stay sweet as well as salty. True smooth sailing partners in life love and now marriage.

This Cape Cod Wedding Celebrant

wishes everyone a Happy Valentine's Day. A time devoted to the anticipation of romantic love.

The subject tonight is love and ANTICIPATION. For all of you who are secretly anticipating a marriage proposal on this day savor this amazing moment! And remember some people want to surprise you.

Anticipation can feel like "Keeping me waiting" as Carly Simon says.

For some couples anticipation can feel like anxiety and these moments prior to the ceremony can be difficult.

 Here is my niece, Leah, in the moments right before she wed.

 I usually get the fun job of being with the groom and groomsmen. On occasion, I've been enlisted to calm the nerves of an anxious bride. Who wouldn't be a bit nervous? This is a big step and you're about to cross an amazing threshold.

 I have found brides who are nurses usually are 'go with the flow.' They know the difference between happy stress and distress.Maybe I just resonate with nurses since I am one. but let me give you a great example of what I mean.

 Last autumn I had a wedding in Bristol, RI. The bride is a nurse.The weather was iffy.The ceremony outside in the Blithewold Mansion garden. As the time to begin was upon us, there was great concern, for two busloads of family and guests hadn't arrived. The news came in: the only bridge to Bristol was closed due to an accident. It was astablished that all kin were fine just at a standstill. The waiting began. The guests were already in their seats outside as the afternoon mist grew heavy and the sun began to set over Mt. Hope Bay.

A suggestion was made that the bar be open but the wedding planner wasn't sure. It was then I saw two bridemaids scurry out and back in with something hidden beneath their schawls.

Soon, from the bridal chambers below, came a chorus of bridemaids singing in harmony-

                                       "Going to the chapel and we're going get married."

The groomsmen petitioned the caterer. The cocktail hour commenced and the buses were soon on their way. The bride was so happy to have her grandparents there for the ceremony.

Here are Siobhan and Jay on their surprisingly harmonious wedding day.

From Yes to a Marriage to Bless: Tying The Knot without getting tied in knots.

This Cape Cod wedding celebrant wants to share some insights about how to get from "yes" to having a marriage to bless. After the Big Question is popped a series of other questions begin to pop up. When, where, how many, and who will preside are a few questions that need to be answered as you plan your Big Day.

My first suggestion is let the depth of the moment sink in. You have just said yes to a lifechanging proposal. This is an extraordinary experience and should be honored as such. Don't let planning your wedding day interfere with your upcoming marriage.

On the other hand there are some couples for whom a shorter engagement period feels just right. Prioritize what is important to each of you: A date that is significant or a place that holds your heart.

                                    Andrea and Arthur Tie the Knot at Wychmere Harbor last June

Here are some tips on how to tie the knot without getting tied up in knots. It is a challenge, the first of many you'll face as a united front of two. Keep a sense of humor. Have a word or face or gesture that cracks the two of you up when stress rears it's head. 

It is such a great preparation for the state of marriage. A chance to learn so much about one another and how you make decisions.

Keep a beginner's mind. If this is your first wedding you may have held for quite some time a vision of your dream wedding day. If that vision doesn't jib with your fiancee's vision or lack of the same, cultivate big-heartedness- be open and listen, be ready to give and give-in. The key to happiness. 

Catch it and take some time off if it feels like a runaway wedding - out of your hands and no longer reflecting who you are as a couple.

  There will be conflicts to work through, that is normal, but remember -Love Prevails!

Get to know the person who is presiding over your ceremony so you trust them. The ceremony is one part of your day that is all about a sweet surrender. You are about to be carried over a threshold into the state of matrimony. How cool is that!

Enough for now. Small portions are easier to digest.

Thanks to Helene and Zack for the inspiration for this posting. And Maggie for the darling

"He asked and she said yes!"

Keep happy!

Kathleen at Soulful Wedding Ceremonies

Cape Cod Weddings by the Sea

In her book,Gift from the Sea, Ann Morrow Lindberg addresses the ever changing yet constant ebb and flow of the tides. Her words speak to how we envision love to be always 'hightide happy' when the deepest love is revealed when the sea recedes and we discover hidden treasures. Living on Cape Cod Bay one learns to love the mile-out, low tide that occurs twice a day. It is a seemingly endless seascape of sky meeting far-off surf with all that smooth sand in between. The Brewster Flats are snow covered now but sooner than we know, the season of increasing sun will be upon us. In the photo above Nikki and Mike look out over Chequessett Harbor in Wellfleet below Marie and Michael take a moment to walk by Cape Cod Bay after their nuptials at Borsari Gallery in Dennis. The next photo is at Crosby Landing in Brewster.