Hey There! If you’re just now joining us, we’re talking about Melanie + Vickie’s ridiculously gorgeous and colorful farm wedding. (part 1 here) AND we’re just now getting to my (and their) favorite part of the day…
One of our favorite moments of our wedding was during the ceremony. Our beloved friend and officiant, Rami Margron, had the wonderful idea of extending a long ribbon around our congregation comprised of friends and family. She and her husband had done this at their wedding, and it has become something of a tradition among people who know the two of them. We told Rami we wanted rainbow to be the subtheme of our wedding (with apples and oranges being the primary theme), so she offered to buy ribbons in multiple rainbow colors and tie them together. When it came time for our ring exchange, the ribbon went around the circle, allowing each person to touch and bless the rings, and bringing their energy into our union. We played a song by Hapa, a band from Maui, which had particular significance to Vickie’s father George Martin and her second Mom, Toni.
Each guest was surprised and delighted to be able to take part in this ritual, and also to see the rings as they went around the circle. Some people held the rings, some people blessed them, others just passed them along, but everyone looked overjoyed. Just as the rings came back around to us, a voice came out of the audience and sang, “L is for the way you Look at me,” then another voice sang “O is for the Only one I see,” and so on, to the tune of Nat King Cole’s classic song, “L.O.V.E.” This was a surprise serenade coordinated by our wonderful friend Rami for the people at the ceremony to express their love for us! It felt like something out of a movie! By the time we exchanged the rings, we were so swept away in the emotion and love we felt from the ring ceremony and the impromptu serenade by our guests, that when we put the rings on each other it was an even more blissful moment than either of us could have ever imagined.
Now I’ve seen various versions of the ring blessing (we did one ourselves!) but the crazy awesome love on their guests faces just slays me. And a subtheme? Dude, these are brides after my own heart. Their “details” weren’t too shabby either:
And of course, more of those loving (and gorgeous) friends:
It’s pretty much perfect. And there’s still more. More color. More smooching. And dare I tempt you with a choreographed dance number? Yeah, they’re pretty much rockstars.
See ya tomorrow. Come for the dancing, stay for the crafts!
Vendor Love! Venue: Oz Farm/ Wedding Photography:Rose Street Studios/ Videographer: NVA Productions/ Cut Wildflowers: Coastal Posies/ Wildflower Bouquets: Stephanie & Irma Case, Toni Martin/ Wildflower Arrangements: Wedding Guests/ Caterers: North Coast Catering/ Rentals: Fort Bragg Rent-All/ Wedding Banners & Fabric Mason Jar Belts: Casa Murriguez/ Cupcakes: Franny’s Cup & Saucer/ DJ: Salvador Cerrillo (DJ Estilo)/ Projected Art Installation: Brandon Neubauer/ Guest Book: Lazy Lightning Art/ Table Name Holders: Button Boy/ Gowns: Lula Kate, Alvina Valenta/ Stationary: Hello!Lucky/ Ribbon Wands: Glitter & Ganache/ Custom Dog Vest/Bowtie: Sig Hafstrom/ Coordination: Sharon Murriguez, Casa Murriguez
It was just the “bestest” wedding ever. I’m still telling my friends about it. I was on the edge of crying throughout the ceremony, and I had only met the brides just a few days earlier.
eeeee! (squealing!) Hi Tabitha! Thank you for posting this beautiful wedding. My lady and I got engaged on Monday … but I’ve long since been in absolute love with your previous site and now this one
I am seriously wishing I could go back and read all of your wedding planning posts now that I’m going to be planning my own! I have my fingers crossed you’ll continue to post fantastic weddings like this one. This is going to be totally cornball but until I started reading your posts on ms.awesome I’d never been to a wedding I felt I could connect to, or envision myself having. None of my lady loving friends are married and I had no idea it was possible to create something so meaningful and important (and outside of what I’d come to know a “wedding” to be like).
All of this to say, please keep posting weddings! And everything – inspire me in the most real way possible! And oh! how I long for the posts on your many short wedding dresses! (that’s what I’m currently dreaming of!)
Thanks for sharing
xo
Hi Sarah!
*Blush. blush. blush. Okay, I’m bright red now, but you totally made my morning! In all seriousness though, I think I’m the one who should be squealing (eeeeeee!)
Big Congratulations to both you and your honey! And are there engagement stories to be told?
AND…you can check out (almost) all of my wedding posts over at weddingbee.com- I’m Ms. Stripes over there! But shh! Don’t tell anyone that I still haven’t finished my recaps!
Just a little story! My lady had big plans to propose in a grand way at a conservatory near our house. It’s our favourite place to go in the winter when it’s -45 (celsius) – it’s fun to escape with a coffee and enjoy the heat, humidity and tropical plants, we like to go there on dates when we have the winter blues!
This past week I was awfully sick with the flu and we were all snuggled up in bed with our cat and talking about the future, having a house for our little family (I’m just going into grad school, and she’s a paramedic so we’ve got some time and money saving before that will happen!). I had been feeling like an absolute goofball, trying to make her laugh even though I was quite under the weather.
She got up to change her shirt while I got myself some more meds and when I looked up she was wearing a shirt I’d never seen before. When my sick little eyeballs focused I read that the back said “Will you…” and the front said “Marry me?” — I immediately burst into giggles and tears (and sneezes!).
She sat down in front of me on the bed and explained that for the rest of my life she wants me to know, whenever I’m feeling down on myself, or am having a hard day that she proposed to me when I was most myself – sitting in bed with her, no makeup, being silly with our little family all together in one room.
I’ve never been happier – and the best news is – she beat me to it! Her ring is on the way, I’ve been waiting for it since November – she has no idea. I’m still working out how I’m going to make it just as special for her!
Thank you so much for asking
I haven’t got to tell that story much yet! And I am so excited that I can go back and read your posts – you have no idea how helpful it will be!
Again – thank you so much for sharing all you do !
xo
What a beautiful wedding, I love all the little personal touches-the ribbon circle is such a lovely idea
Sarah
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