And who brings the rings?
There is that moment in a wedding when the marriage celebrant looks up and asks who brings the wedding rings.
Sometimes its grandma. Occasionally a favourite pet or a child with a cushion.
Generally it is the moment for the Best Man to pat every pocket in his suit and pretend he has forgotten the rings. It gets a little laugh, and then he breaks out in a smile and fishes a ring box from his pocket.
I encourage this little game to lighten the mood at a wedding ceremony. The best man has his moment of fame, and everyone is relieved that nothing is going to go wrong. “Just joking”, his smile says!
From the beginning
Jason and April’s wedding began like expected. Jason waited patiently for his bride, accompanied by his groomsmen. As the marriage celebrant I waited with the guys, calming them about late brides & would she arrive.
Held on the shores of Lake Baroon in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, at Secrets On the Lake, we all enjoyed being outside in the warm sun with rainforest all around.
The girls soon arrived, to oohs and aahs, and the wedding ceremony got underway.
It was, so far, what the guests expected; a little emotional, some laughs, a sweet and funny love story.
The ceremony approached the moment to exchange rings.
What if he doesn’t?
But what happens when the best man looks genuinely worried, and gives a meaningful but slight shake to his head, looking back at the celebrant with a “Don’t ask me!” expression on his face.
I continued the charade and asked him to check all his pockets. Fortunately Matt was a good sport, and didn’t mind when we all looked at him expectantly. He just continued to shake his head and look at me, the celebrant, with expectation. Perhaps he might have guessed something was up. Note the groom looking away…..
Enter an eagle
Suddenly everyone felt the air above their heads move, as Soren the eagle swooped down almost touching the hairdos of the entire guestlist.
There were many audible gasps as the wind from his wings lifted spirits in surprise, startled us all and brought an emotional tear even to my eye. At that moment I felt the awe of nature, of the power in one creature, the wonder in life around us. This huge bird swooped over us all, and landed on the arm of Jason, the Groom who by this stage had donned a leather glove for protection.
Soren
Soren, the eagle, is specially trained to carry wedding rings. They hang from his tresses on his ankles. Paul, his trainer keeps a nature refuge, a training and conservation centre for wounded animals. Soren is a star of Broadwings Events.
Paul very kindly allowed me to hold Soren for a photo after the ceremony and photos were over. I can assure you there is nothing like holding a powerful bird on your arm, and experiencing a wild creature so close.
Allowing nature in
Many say that the presence of water blesses a marriage like no other. There is plenty of water at Secrets on the Lake, one of the most beautiful wedding venues on the Sunshine Coast. The lake over which the tree houses look is actually the drinking water for this area. It is special water, clean water, and was a very special blessing for this couple. To honour the place and the water, April and Jason chose a finale ritual for their wedding.
The pebble toss…
Guests were invited to participate in a Celtic wedding tradition, that of the Pebble Toss. Stones were handed to each guest at the conclusion of the ceremony. Behind this tradition is the notion that natural things can anchor a thought. It is important that water is involved in the pebble toss. Water is the element that represents emotion and spirit. In a wedding it is about wishing prosperity and flow. The stone is the carrier of wishes and prayers, happy hopes and cheeky thoughts for April and Jason’s future.
Holding their pebble for a moment, each guest waited by the shores of the lake. Imbued with warm thoughts and story the stones were tossed into the water, sending wishes into the ether to come true for April and Jason.
Thanks to Malin from Love Is A Place Photography for the images.
This is what the couple said:
Kari was one of the vital pieces of our wedding that we couldn’t have done without. We are so glad to have chosen her as our celebrant after a lot of careful searching. We were quite lost as what we wanted, but she listened carefully and crafted for us an amazing ceremony which both we and our guests loved. She also helped us keep our “ring delivery” secret a huge surprise from everyone (rings flown in via wedge-tailed eagle). Kari is a fantastic celebrant and also a truly talented lady. I hope many other couples get to experience the same joy she brings to their ceremonies too. April & Jason
See this wedding story in pictures by Malin from Love Is A Place Photography :
Read about another unusual ring bearer: