Creating a Sacred Space

"Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again."

"Sacred Spaces evoke a feeling of a sacredness of space and time, where Heaven seems to touch Earth and we find ourselves aware.... A higher energy resides in a sacred space, a power beyond human control which is part of the feeling of "awe". To find ourselves in the midst of great beauty is an awakening into moments of heightened spiritual consciousness..."

I am working with my florist to rent this awesome pergola for the wedding ceremony. It is an idea I have been in love with since the beginning of the planning process. I really wanted to have a special structure for the rituals of the ceremony. I want to create a "sacred space."

The florist is going to decorate the pergola with crystals and green orchid blossoms to create a dramatic and sparkly sacred space.

The philosopher Mircea Eliade said, "A manifestation of the sacred is always a revelation of being." Designing sacred space involves creating opportunities in our environment to pause and reflect on our lives in the context of something greater than ourselves be it family, community, nature or even our connection to the universe.

This particular pergola is round and has large round colomuns. I like the symbolism of the circles and the majesty of the dome top. I had orginally hoped we would purchase the pergola instead of renting it but we just couldn't make it work out this year. Maybe it will still be at the shop on our anniversary and we can keep our sacred space forever....

The shapes of the rooms and other objects that have personal meaning for us brings a sense of the sacred. The circle is a universal symbol of unity and wholeness and has been representative of heaven and the universe. The circle is therefore an important image of the sacred which resonates with us on a very deep level. Most of us spend all our time living and working in square spaces. The square is symbolic of the physical/ material world. Designs that allow some time outside of our traditional square spaces could be good for the soul.

Sneak peak--wedding party

My lovely wedding party! They have been so wonderful helping us with wedding.

Did you ever wonder where the bridesmaid & groomsmen traditions came from?

This tradition dates back to ancient Roman times. Several women were asked to dress similar to the bride in order to confuse any evil spirits that may attempt to kidnap the bride. Nowadays, the bridesmaids may dress differently from the bride, but they wear similar dresses to each other for good luck.

It is believed that the tradition of having a best man comes from Germanic Goths in about 200BC. At this time we are lead to believe there was a shortage of women and so, to claim a bride for yourself, it might come to the point of stealing one you fancy.

This is where the best man, we would assume the groom's best friend or brother, came in. The groom's best man would provide assistance to the groom in the stealing of the bride and be there during the ceremony to fight of her family and friends if they objected. In Anglo-Saxon England the best man would be at the grooms side to provide protection form anyone trying to interfere with the wedding. This leads to the other tradition of the woman standing to the left of the man, so the presumed right handed groom and best man could keep their hand on their sword, just in case!

Sneak Peak--Bridal Jewelry

It is gold & sparkly & vintage! It has a lovely design and unusual mesh texture in the collar. And holy cow matches my amazing shoes perfectly!

When I was in high school I was obsessed with vintage jewelry. Mom and I amassed quite a collection over those years. I have many found memories of us treasure hunting at flea markets and antique stores looking for the "next great piece." All the dances and events were marked by the totally awesome necklaces we found together! I haven't bought vintage jewelry in many years but I couldn't help but to go back to my fashion roots for this special event.

WOW! Should I add this to my techno wedding!

Marriage..."what do people say?"

"Marriage will expand you as individuals, define you as a couple, and deepen your love for one another

To be successful you will need strength, courage, patience and a really good sense of humor.

"So let your marriage be a time of waking each morning and falling in love with one another all over again."

What a beautiful ideal! I hope Jeff and I can cultivate such incredible state of wedded bliss. We consciously work at maintaining a healthy and happy relationship. I have so much more confidence going into our marriage knowing we already had successful experiences being partners in life. I do hope this ceremony will mark a new aspiration in us to perfect our relationship into a beautiful marriage in which you fall in love with each other over and over again.

Bachelorette Party pics! A wild night on the town!

We are the luckiest people in the world and have some of the greatest friends over known to man kind! My lovely girl friends threw me a "Blade Runner" themed party! You remember Blade Runner....the Ridley Scott film with Harrison Ford & Daryl Hannah. It was great fun to get all costumed up at Kristina's super swank downtown condo.

Final Fitting of Wedding Dress Masterpiece

Today is the big day! Final fitting of my wedding dress right before suiting up for the Bachelorette party. Emily is driving up for the party and pending any last minute changes will leave the dress with me. I am incredibly excited!

One month and counting

Today is a big milestone! One month away from the wedding. So many magical moments are coming together. I am so excited to share this special event with all of you!

Love Poem

I will love you forever no matter what,
I will kiss your lips every chance,
I will make you laugh even when you can’t smile

--from Him and Her a love poem by Cheryl Lynn McDowell