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Fields of love
Congratulations to newly weds, Anna and Jon, wed on a stunning day at the Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens. Their wedding was a true love story, simply full of love and care. Anna and Jon chose to wed, almost exactly five years from their first date. Five years and one day to be precise! The photos by Luke Going tell the tale of their wedding day.
Today’s story is about married names. Anna and Jon came up with a new solution to the traditional bride’s change of name…. they considered how much love abounded in their family union; bucket loads, fields in fact… fields of love.
But allow me to first set the scene for a wedding….[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”40160″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]
The Wedding location
The Maroochy Bushland Botanic Gardens are one of the most delightful natural places for a wedding on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. It’s not quite a set of fields…. However, natural bush is all around, yet there are sculpted gardens for ceremony locations. A glade of stone sculptures is divine for a wedding backdrop. The grassy areas are perfect for a wedding picnic or for wedding photos. During the wedding ceremony there is no traffic or humdrum noise, but simply the sounds of the bush surrounding you. It is an exquisite retreat from life for a special occasion. On a more practical level, there is plenty of car parking, amenities and access to a pavilion for wet weather options.
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Focus on Love
A great deal of thought and love and attention to detail goes into every wedding day. Anna and Jon focused on love, as the defining theme around which all the details were designed. It was a joy to witness their attention to the details of how each special guest would feel, and how their role in the day could be made perfect. Every family member was considered, thought was given to each child or friend and what to do to make them feel comfortable with the wedding day and the combining of two people’s lives in marriage. Extra special consideration was given to Jon’s daughter; how to make sure she felt comfortable with the marriage of her Dad to Anna. Standing beside her Dad, she was proud to be the official “groomsmaid”. Bless these two for their deep thought and care for others on their wedding day.
Weddings are often about more than two people; bringing two or more families together, a community of friends and a wider circle of acquaintances and colleagues. The way these two negotiated the path towards their wedding day was a delight to behold. For example, hanging in the trees, a string of bunting created from photos of loved ones who could not be there. Consider the role of a daughter, the groomsmaid, who strolled with the gals, then stood by her Dad’s side.
Fields of love
It is a western tradition for a bride to celebrate her marriage, by taking a new name, the surname of her husband. And the law gives modern brides a few options for how she can negotiate this tradition. Ask me how.
In fact, it is a tradition of many cultures to celebrate many of life’s milestones with a new name, not just in marriage.
On their wedding day both Anna and Jon, chose to celebrate their union by both taking a new surname, in a kind of acknowledgement of equality and indeed in celebration of a new beginning together, and a new future to plan.
The name they chose? Fields; fields of love, fields of natural beauty, fields of possibilities stretching out before them. Congratulations Mr and Mrs Fields, you are a great example to us all.
As a marriage celebrant I can guide you through the minefield of name changes and give you the options… plus an extra something to make it even easier. To follow in Anna and Jon’s footsteps, there is an easy way, if you organise for it early in the wedding planning. Ask me how.
And they said:
Thank you Kari, for the most beautiful ceremony! You were there for us every step of the way – providing guidance with a warmth, depth and spirituality that fit with us perfectly. We could not have asked for more … Jon & Anna Fields xo
Thank you to photographer Luke Going for the story in pictures. He manages to capture the details of the wedding story, in a natural non intrusive fashion.
Here is a glimpse:
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Woodford Festival wedding celebrant
Considering getting married at the Woodford Folk Festival? Many couples do. They all need a wedding celebrant.
Imagine having an extraordinary, and I mean….Extra Ordinary, array of options for wedding ceremony location, restaurant reception options AND even entertainment options for your celebration afterwards.
The festival is a place of ritual and celebration. It is the energetic home of these things. A more unique place to marry, exists not on this earth![/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
A Marriage Celebrant at the Woodford Folk Festival
Every wedding needs a marriage celebrant. Kari has years of experience, both in weddings AND at the festival. Having conducted numerous weddings at Woodfordia, both at festival time and otherwise, she knows the Woodfordia site like a second home.
Whats more …… Kari will be at the festival. No need to pay for entry or travel or even accommodation.
However you will need to lodge paperwork with your celebrant at least one month prior to your wedding date.
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Woodfordia – A place to marry
There are many pathways to your wedding. Spiritual pathways, emotional journeys, long roads, short stays…..
There are many places to marry. Festival streets, hilltop grassy glades, shady trees, cosy corners, outrageous outdoors.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
The Sacred Labyrinth
The Sacred Labyrinth is a magical space where anyone can walk a path to the heart and connect more deeply with themselves. It can also be a place for your own wedding.
The Labyrinth is especially designed for couples to celebrate their connection through a marriage ceremony, a hand fasting or a special ritual of honouring. There are also other ceremonies that take place in the Labyrinth. In any of these rituals the woman enters on the left and the man on the right. The couple meets at the top after making their solo journey and setting whatever intention is appropriate. They can then walk together into the centre for the ceremony. Ceremony engages some moments in deep connection or exchange. At the completion of the rituals they leave through the archways together and out into the world to celebrate with friends and family.
Woodford Festival Installations
Installations of art and lighting abound in the festival streets, creating wonderlands of locations to have your festival wedding.
Music and fun
The choice of music is endless. Simply approach your favourite band for the perfect music at your wedding.
Or here’s some ideas for your festival wedding…..
Find a ritual dancer.
Have your hands decorated with henna.
Order a wreath of flowers for your hair.
Find an original steam punk costume or festive hat.
Go Woodfordian.
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A Mc and a Mac
When McNamara married MacKinnon, there was bound to be somescotsman around somewhere!!! And what a lovely use of tartan. And what a choice of place! Congratulations Sandra and Jason, married at Gardeners Falls, Maleny. Unique, different, touching, romantic and down to earth, their DIY wedding was simply perfect.
A Scotsman and a Nymph
When Sandra and Jason first met in Canada they recall talking about travelling Australia and the food they both missed. Jason proceeded to load up the juke box while Sandra picked most of the songs and introduced him to her love for disco. Not less than two days later Jason had to leave Canada!! Mere hours before his flight took off they were enjoying their first “date”. The conversation flowed easily and touched on so many subjects that they would have forgot to order food, if the waitress hadn’t kept reappearing to ask if they were ready to order. Jason’s friends were worried he was cutting it close for time to catch his flight. There was really no time for eating!
It was not long before they were together again, in Australia.
Sandra describes Jason as her calm in the storm. Jason describes Sandra as his down to earth rock. No wonder it threatened to storm on their wedding day. But come the right time, they stood on a rock mid stream, with not a drop of rain.
They relish each other’s company, laugh at each other’s jokes and make fun happen every day. These are qualities that will sustain a relationship. They are also great qualities for planning an extraordinary wedding.
Dressed in wedding Tartan
They turned up to their wedding dressed as Scotsman in family tartan (complete with sporan I may add) and forest nymph. They wanted something quite unique and intimate for their ceremony, and yet grand in meaning. Choosing Gardeners Falls, a small out of the way place, with running creek and rainforest all around, they created a wonderland.
Wed Over Water
Sandra and Jason asked if they could be wed on the water. We took off our shoes and stepped onto a rock in the stream. Guests gathered on a larger rock close by. They chose a hand binding ceremony to seal their vows. In this way drawing on Celtic traditions from ancient times, bringing the ceremony into modern day with our own twist on the promises and bindings. Jason had prepared a strip of tartan for the bindings. For wedding rings they had special rings created, each a combination of an Australian saphire and two Canadian diamonds.
Tartan sash
At the conclusion of the service, Jason draped a MacKinnon tartan sash over his new Mrs MacKinnon, and had photos taken in the middle of the running creek. He carried her across the water. Later that weekend they continued the fun by taking their own wedding photos, with just tripod and themselves.
Here is a glimpse of their DIY wedding day:
What they said:
Kari was an amazing celebrant. She was just what we were looking for, she listened to our suggestions, went with our ideas adding her own input when we knew what we wanted but weren’t sure how to do it.
Kari got a good feel for how we were as a couple and what we liked. She even offered us choices to choose her dress colour for the ceremony and was even willing to go barefoot.
Kari helped a lot making our ceremony just what we wanted and we had an amazing day. Sandra and Jason MacKinnon
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