More on Weddings

This is the post I originally wrote on Sunday and then after it was posted, I got cold feet and changed it.  However, I do know that some of you read the original before it was deleted and don’t appear to have been offended by it.  So I thought I would re-post it. The changed bit comes after the wedding quotes. It might be a little different to the original but you get the idea.

“I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.”
~Author Unknown

For several years I acted as the Wedding Coordinator at an historic church here in Wellington.  New Zealand is a very young country, so historic in this instance is only some 140 years.  However, I enjoyed my time there and loved being involved with so many brides and grooms.  Each year we had around 90 weddings, so there were plenty of people for me to interact with.

For whatever reason, today I found myself looking through some of the poems that had been read at the ceremonies.  Of course, there were those that were used again and again, eg  from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

“….Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,
they find that they are one tree and not two…”

and the Apache Blessing

“Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you….”

and of course 1 Corinthians 13

^“… Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…”

And many others.

And then I wondered about synchronicity being at work.  When I opened my emails today I found this. I apologise wholeheartedly to my blogging friends in Virginia but it is posted without malice.

Have a good day

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Weddings

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown

For several years I acted as the Wedding Coordinator at an historic church here in Wellington.  New Zealand is a very young country, so historic in this instance is only some 140 years.  However, I enjoyed my time there and loved being involved with so many brides and grooms.  Each year we had around 90 weddings, so there were plenty of people for me to interact with.

For whatever reason, today I found myself looking through some of the poems that had been read at the ceremonies.  Of course, there were those that were used again and again, eg  from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin

“….Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,
and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.
Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,
and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,
they find that they are one tree and not two…”

and the Apache Blessing

“Now you will feel no rain,
for each of you will be shelter for the other.
Now you will feel no cold,
for each of you will be warmth to the other.
Now there will be no loneliness,
for each of you will be a companion to the other.
Now you are two persons,
but there is only one life before you….”

and of course 1 Corinthians 13

^“… Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; ⁵ does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; ⁶ does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things…”

And many others.

During my tenure I made many friends.  I have heard from some of the brides and grooms on where/how they spent their honeymoon, when their first child was born, how they celebrated anniversaries and generally they have kept me in the loop.  I received several invitations to the reception that of course I always refused and have many thank you letters filed away.   I feel very honoured to be treated this way.  After all, for most of them, I was only in their lives for a very short time at a very busy period in their lives.

And many have given me approval to use their photos in my blogs so here are a few:

Love is in the air

Love is in the air
Everywhere I look around
Love is in the air
Every sight and every sound

And I don’t know if I’m being foolish
Don’t know if I’m being wise
But it’s something that I must believe in
And it’s there when I look in your eyes

Click to see the JPY’s promo-video for the hit single ‘Love Is In The Air’ (May, 1978), taken from the 1978 album ‘Love Is In The Air’

A bride from my Wedding Coordinator Days

So much has been written already on the subject of the Royal Wedding but I wanted to add a few thoughts from this side of the world.  There are many Royalists in New Zealand, and probably as many anti-Royalists.  But it is amazing how many people watched the spectacle on Friday.

All the magazines, newspapers, radio and TV stations were full of The wedding.  And it is still the main topic of conversation among sentimental New Zealanders.

We are told that Kiwis (New Zealanders)  were so inspired by the love story of Prince William and new wife Catherine that they went in search of their own Prince or Princess.

The dating website Find Someone has recorded a 60% increase in people on the site, with a large number of users messaging other singles.

And yesterday while having lunch I eavesdropped on the people nearby.

• At the next table was a group of young women all of whom had apparently, recently been married.  From their conversation it emerged that they had all got together on Friday, dressed in their wedding finery and had their  own party while they watched the TV coverage.  They weren’t concerned that their official invites hadn’t arrived.  They enjoyed the evening in the comfort of home with a group of like-minded friends.

• In complete contrast, at another table a woman was loudly decrying the waste of taxpayers money spent on this spectacle.  She claimed that the 48million GBP (figure in dispute) could have been better spent on housing the homeless or some other equally deserving cause.  She is certainly entitled to her opinion but how did she think the future King of England was going to celebrate his wedding.  And what about all those people on the spot who celebrated with the young couple.
• And at another table a group of young women and one man, were discussing the upcoming wedding of one of them.  The excitement and the stress of the planning were quite palpable.  I hope the wedding celebrations work out as well as that of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

• And there were other weddings taking place on Friday around our City.  I want to wish the happy couples joy and love for the future.

And that’s my take on the Wedding of the Decade.  And my favorite wedding quote from an unknown author –

“I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.”

“How can you think love will end when I’ve asked you to spend your whole life with me”

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Weddings and other foolish things

I dreamed of a wedding of elaborate elegance,
A church filled with family and friends.
I asked him what kind of a wedding he wished for,
He said one that would make me his wife.
~Author Unknown

For four years I acted as the Wedding Coordinator at Old St Pauls a local historic church.  The church had been built in 1866 and was superseded in the 1970s by the new Cathedral of St Paul nearby.

But the old church was never de-consecrated and it continues to be used for weddings, whether civil or religious.  Weddings for all faiths have been held and during my tenure, we had between 90 and 100 weddings each year.

One memorable year we had 101 weddings, 28 of which were held in March.  On the 31st of the month, having coordinated 4 weddings and a rehearsal, I went home and dropped into a chair with a glass of wine.  I switched on the TV and horror of horrors the movie being played was ‘Four weddings and a Funeral”.

Of course, all brides are beautiful but I really think my own brides are just fabulous.

Daughter 1996

Our daughter, Cate was married on a glorious October day.  Early spring in New Zealand. The sun shone, the birds sang.  Proud father, mother and brother – what more could one ask?

Daughter in Law 1990

Our son and daughter-in-law Rose were married in March the beginning of autumn here in New Zealand. After days of pouring rain, the sun came out on this lovely bride, the sun shone, birds sang and both mother and father-in-law smiled on our new daughter.

But then I started thinking of other family weddings

Our wedding 1957

We were married on a foggy, November Sunday afternoon in London in November in 1957.  At that time weddings were only ever performed in churches or other places of worship or Registry Offices and never on a Sunday.  Because of my Mother’s upbringing in the Jewish Faith, she wanted us to be married on Sunday and so we had to obtain the permission of the Archbishop for this.  And as the  wedding had to be completed prior to sunset and before the evening service it was at 4.45pm.

My Parents 1935

My parents were married in 1935 in London.  Sorry about the quality of the photo.  It’s the best we could do.

My Mother was so tiny and on one of my visits to her, when she was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s she told me she had a lovely dress upstairs that perhaps I would like.  I still have that beautifully hand-made silk dress.  She was so very tiny that none of us would ever have fitted into it.

Bob’s Parents

Bob’s parents were married in 1928 in Dunoon, Scotland but it was a short married life as she died some 4 years later.  She left a small son who was brought up by his two maiden aunts in the family home.

And here are a few true words from the late, great John Lennon, my favourite Beatle.

“We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant.You can’t just accept it and leave it in thecupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself.
You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.”
— John Lennon, musician, singer-songwriter 1940-1980