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.

The Ties that Bind

We're back in Australia, residing up in Ballina during the silly season. This is the season of consumption, not just of goods and food, but also of basic utilities. Goonellabah features a street, Trinity Drive, whose inhabitants compete for the title of greatest electricity consumer, related to Christmas lights.

Trinity Drive display

Clearly the winner!

We've already blogged about our feelings of returning to Sydney, and the subtle alchemy worked on us by Pavlov. We feel no longer captivated by the baubles of city living and the status symbols of the bright lights. We feel somewhat cast adrift, with only Pavlov to call 'our home'.

However, what has proved enduring are the ties of good friendship that have endured our absence. Its been wonderful to catch up with old friends, to share the tales of our adventures and theirs, and to realise that true relationships endure, despite the separations of time and distance.

Megan and Dave

Helen

Their new macadamia farm

Some friends had new additions. Bernie and Sandra had a new son, Draken, as well as a new house. I remember Bernie starting the first Sketch-up drawings of the house when we were teaching together in Casino. It was amazing to see the building finished; such an achievement.

Bernie, Big W standing proud on his new veranda.

Sandra, with a sleepy Draken

Some had just moved house, with exciting new plans waiting fruition.

Bernie, ensconced in throne.

Ngaire

We're about to welcome some new in-laws, with Ayla's marriage to Tony tomorrow. Its also great to catch up with far flung siblings; Anu down from Townsville with Laurie and Zion.

Tony, a man of many dips.

Laurie, Anu and Ayla in family confab.

We might have 'up-anchored' to possessions and property, but its grounding to feel that we are still anchored to Australia by our good friends and by relationships that matter. They are indeed the ties that bind.

I need a dollar, dollar, dollar, that's what I need... hey hey!

Post wedding, we enjoyed a lovely day with Michael at Clovelly beach in Sydney. I lived in Clovelly many years ago as a poor student studying undergraduate psychology. The suburb has been greatly gentrified since then, and its now a very exclusive Sydney address.

Path down to Clovelly beach

View of Clovelly beach

Concrete ocean baths, great for swimming

It reminded us that although Sydney is crowded and expensive, it still has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

Megan and Michael at Coogee beach

Headland at Coogee beach

Looking from the headland over Coogee

But we had to end our Sydney sojourn, and so flew to Ballina, Northern NSW to spend some time with my mum. However, we've been having a few expenses back in Australia, so its the old refrain (with the image of the seven dwarfs, picks over shoulders, marching into the coal mines) ...

I owe, I owe, so its off to work I go

I was lucky to get some part time work with Tony, the new to-be husband of my sister, Ayla. He owns a small food manufacturing plant in Byron Bay, Northen NSW, Naked Byron Dips. Contrary to its hippy indications, we did not need to work in the nude. I think OHS regulates against short curly hairs falling into food.

The business

Entrance to the plant, Byron style

Its been quite fascinating, and excruciatingly hard work, to go back to a small factory. I worked in a lot of small factories while I was still at school; mainly holidays and weekend work. I remember that sinking feeling of finishing a drum full of thousands of parts I had just repetitiously manufactured, only to see several more drums stretching off into the distance.

Production manager, and all round texan good guy, Maurice

Big Tony, da Boss.

It was the same feeling that I was now having, facing a mass of eggplants that needed peeling, and seeing the next load going into the oven. I've blogged before about the passage of time, and how changes in psychological circumstances can radically change our experience of time. Well, I can tell you, time stands absolutely still when faced with boring repetitive tasks! The minute hand just crawled around that clock!

Co-worker Ella

But all that was ameliorated by a great and entertaining work crew, and a happy factory environment. Its been psychologically grounding to earn some money again, and to have to persist in tasks. A great contrast to our current life.

Plant in the factory.

Next event is the marriage of Tony, owner of Naked Byron Dips to my sister, Ayla. That's happening next week, and I'm the designated photographer. So soon, I'll report back on the second wedding for our trip, this one Byron Bay style.