Chequesssett : Land of Whispering Waters

Just returned from officiating at Jeff and Ali 's wedding at the boathouse at Chequessett Yacht and Country Club in Wellfleet.  For a Cape Cod Wedding officiant this is a dream setting to celebrate a quintessential seaside wedding. Working with Reven Oliver, the manager at Chequessett  is so easy and the boathouse itself is an authentic Cape Cod treasure. Coming down the cut stone steps on to the beach makes for a stunning processional and recessional.

The calm before the storm provided a perfect late summer evening with a whispering wind coming off the water. The bride and groom, Ali and Jeff, were sincerely interested in what I had to say during the ceremony; they hadn't wanted to see a draft of the wedding ceremony so, as they said , 'We will be hearing it for the first time."

Their love was contagious and we were all so happy that Irene didn't  crash the party.

Allison and Jeffrey made sure their favorite line from Braveheart was a part of the wedding ceremony.

They exchanged rings saying, "Love you, always have, always will" and I adapted a poem with that line at the end.

"In the chaos and in the pre-storm still

I love you, always have, always will." 

Bedouin Beach Wedding: Just the Two of Us Way Out on Ballston Beach

Danielle and Tom constructed and decorated their own wedding arch which provided shelter way out on Ballston Beach, Truro. I could see the orange and pink scarves rustling in the wind as I hiked out to the spot they had chosen to exchange their nuptials. As I approached this beautiful couple, they joked about how far out on the beach they were. I was awed by the setting and their sweet sincerity and reassured them: "what's not to like about walking on the sands of Truro on a gorgeous July Day. "

The ceremony was like the two of them; light-heartedly sincere and that 'something'  that happens,  happened.

 A touch of eternity, a drop of the Divine Ocean of Love, sprinkled the proceedings with pixie dust.  

What is this Standing on Ceremony?

Whether it is just the two of you on a sandy expanse or at an upscale venue with a huge guest list  there is some 'standing on ceremony' that is inherent in a wedding ceremony. What does this mean.... this standing on ceremony? It is a feeling more than an action, an atmosphere of an inner grace merging with a greater power of love sometimes only witnessed by the elements and your celebrant . Something happens. Almost beyond words; it can't be choreographed or scripted.

Before your big day it is good to mull over just how you feel about standing on ceremony. Is it something that comes naturally to you? Has your family always been celebratory types? It is a balancing act . The bride and groom are not performers. They are not on stage. They are participating in an ancient rite of passage. This does not need to be solemn nor does it lend itself to a free form haphazardness. It is that beautiful balancing act made up of equal parts enthusiasm and equipose. As the writer John O'Donohue says,

 "to be natural is to be holy." 

Standing on Ceremony