GET IN TOUCH
The beats of a wedding day are universal. The specifics vary from culture and region and faith. An interfaith wedding can be an awesome blend of different cultures and this one was.
A Jewish/Italian hybrid same sex wedding with two loving families bringing their traditions together. The two brides thoughtfully, mindfully and artfully crafted a day that brought their two faiths and two unique women together into one family. It was a huge day, full of joy and tears and laughter and music. Which makes for this mega blog post. Enjoy!
MISSELWOOD WEDDING
GETTING READY
FIRST LOOK/MEDITATION
Friend and officiant, Edie, led R into the room where D waited. Back the back, they turned at the same time to see each other in their wedding dresses for the first time. There were tears! Smiles! Laughter!
Then Edie led a guided meditation. We left the brides to spend some quiet moments together and private, personalized vows were said only to each other.
BRIDAL PORTRAITS
Misselwood, the house and the grounds, provided us with so many gorgeous places to do bridal portraits. Here are a few of my favorites.
KETUBAH
Signing a ketubah before the wedding ceremony has its roots based in the Jewish marriage traditions. A ketubah is essentially a marriage contract – signed and witnessed words that reflect a couple?s shared vision of their commitment, their life together and their aspirations. Sentiments that both families, and both faiths share.
In the wood paneled Oak Room at Misselwood, the two brides, their four parents and 2 bridesmaids as witnesses. Blessing cups used were brought from each family, parents poured wine into their daughters’ blessing cups.
As the ketubah was signed, one official part of the wedding was complete.
explaining the importance of signing the ketubah
One of my favorite moments of – beaming brides surrounded and blessed by their parents.
CEREMONY
As with each piece of the day, the outdoor ceremony on the lawn was created to reflect both cultures, faiths and their own personalities. Bringing in a little of everything to complete the vows and make this marriage official.
The processional aisle was split into a Y shape, so what the brides, who were each escorted by their parents down the first half of the aisle where they said goodbye to their parents and then simultaneously approach the chuppah united.
Once under the chuppah, the Rabbi welcomed the guests and asked for the community gathered to give their vocal vows of support. After the Shehecheyanu blessing, each bride poured her blessing cup wine into a shared unity cup.
A coin toss to decide who would give their vows first, and then the rings. A nephew brought around a time capsule for the family and wedding party and friends to add letters to. The brides will open one letter each year on their anniversary, to remember the love, brilliance and joy of their wedding day. This wedding would not be complete without breaking the glass. Specifically breaking the glass with a pair of custom sparkly Yankees sneakers.
Embraced by their parent, they linked arms and walked down the rest of the aisle themselves.
The spectacular ocean view was backdrop for the outdoor ceremony at Misselwood.
Each bride brought a blessing cup from her own faith, which were joined symbolically into one unity cup.
A coin toss to decide which bride would say her vows first.
A new tradition: guests wrote letters which were gathered into a time capsule that they brides would read year by year, letter by letter, on their anniversaries.
Breaking the glass with her custom pair of glittery Yankees sneakers.
TENTED RECEPTION
HORAH AND TARENTELLA
The band was FANTASTIC! To kick off the dance party, they did a Horah and Tarantella mash up which got everyone on the dance floor. Both involve circles, hand holding, spinning and exuberance – so everyone jumped right in.
SUNSET ON THE WATER
As the sun was setting and the temperature cooled off, we pulled the brides out for a few images by the water. They remembered the pathway to get out onto the rocks. It looked more precarious that it actually was.
Congratulations! It was a beautiful day to spend joyfully with friends and families. And all the more meaningful to incorporate so many thoughtful gestures of love throughout the ceremonies and the celebrations. When you can make up your own wedding rules, this is the way to do it.
The kick-ass team that made this happen:
