The other wedding

Its been a triple duty trip back to Australia for Megan and I. Not only were there family visits over Christmas, and Sophie's wedding; my sister also coincided her wedding with our visit.

Tony, the happy groom

My sister, Ayla, bride to be.

These two weddings were very different in style and content, so some background may be in order. Sophie's wedding was spectacular, and very traditional in every way. It had all the accruements of a modern wedding: gift register at David Jones, hen's party, kitchen tea, bucks night, honeymoon in Hawaii, classy photographer, live band, sophisticated fully catered reception, with the married couple whisked away by chartered water taxi at the appointed hour.

The beach site for the wedding, flags in background

The circles for the ritual

Ayla's wedding was not traditional at all. Ayla moved to Byron back when hippies and the alternative community were based there. She belonged to a group called the Gaia Choir, which celebrated a return to paganistic rituals deifying the Goddess and feminine energy, as well as a certain reverence for sphagnum moss. So there was no way she would adopt traditional religious ceremonies for her wedding. She designed her own ceremony.

The base camp at Flat Rock beach 

From a base camp at a local beach, the men left first to create the male 'space'. They were facilitated by Peter, who instructed each man to carry a stone down to the beach. The stones were to represent each man's intentions for Ayla's and Tony's marriage.

Peter, the male circle's facilitator

The men walked down onto the beach and created the male circle, while mindfully holding their intention for the union.

The men begin their journey to the beach

Male procession

Down to the beach we go

The male circle formed on the beach

Groom and best man anxiously await the Goddess

Then the women, with brightly coloured parasols, each carrying a gerbera bloom, arrived in dramatic fashion.

The female energy enters the domain

The women arriving

Like a flock of bright lorakeets

Each carrying a symbolic bloom

The women formed the female circle. The celebrant drew our attention to the infinity symbol thus created. And then, in a reflection of traditional ways, the bride arrived.

The arriving bride, anxious mother in tow!

Radiance personified

and the circles are joined

on the symbolic marriage alter.

The female circle then interpenetrated the male circle, the women weaving between the men. They placed flowers in the centre of the now united circle, buoying the gravity of the male stones.

Female fecundity?

The gerbera's at the focus of the circle

Male groundedness?

The interwoven circle

The spoken part of the ceremony began, the celebrant explaining the symbolism of the hand tying and the circles.

The celebrant

Mother of the bride and father of the groom ...

joining the newlyweds together.

My mother and Anthony's father formed a bridge that the newly weds passed through; the joining of the two families.

The hand binding

No caption, just loved this shot

Here we go!

Rings were exchanged, songs were sung, we danced and laughed and cried as you do at weddings.

Vows and rings

With this ring, I thee wed

And of course, kisses were kissed.

The moment

Hello, darling!

All the legal bits were attended to.

Ayla signing, with Tayler,  new step daughter.

The ink still not dry

Its all official now

Brian, best man.

Kito, Tony's new step son.

Confetti and rose petals were thrown, then we all packed up and left. The seagulls and surfers returned, perhaps a little puzzled as to what had just occured.

Tunnel of love

Confetti moment

Vacating the beach

Its all over, and just beginning

I had the job of photographer, and there were lots of formal photo's to take.

Anu and Laurie, doing the song bird thing

The new family

Inlaws

and friends

Mother and son

We then departed for a reception at a local restaurant, and later, partied on at the base camp at the beach.

Wedding cake and cup-cakes

Arriving at the restaurant

 A little 'just-married' song from Shanti

A spaghnum moment

A mother's moment

Taking the plunge

As an aside, I have to congratulate Tony and Ayla for creating their own meaning, and their own celebration of their wedding. It was a truly unique experience. My hope for them is that they carry this creativity and uniqueness throughout their new lives together. Our hopes fly with you.