"Playing Dress Up" Ode to a Friend

An amazing friendship would begin on the shore of this beach.  Elizabeth and I would converse on many topics.  We could, also, sit comfortably in silence as our cherubs built castles and splashed in fresh waters.

Playing dress up would become the most prevalent component to the joining of our families.  Hours of childhood were spent steeped in imagination. One outfit blended to the next. There was a gorgeous flow to the way it all worked. 

  

Birthday parties found us celebrating the years.  We marveled as our daughters grew.  We would discuss, commune, and draw comfort in the other. There was a promise of future.

My dear friend, Elizabeth, would be taken from all of us in the late fall of 1994.  A loss that remains and has never resolved into acceptance. However, I have been given the gift of experiencing a continued relationship with my surrogate daughters. On August 10, 2013, I would sit privileged to witness the most ultimate dress up of all.

It is hard to explain how my heart felt.  Elizabeth was so present.  There was a deep sense of her sparkle in the church.  A knowing of her smile that warmed us. The congregation was captured and suspended in this magical ceremony.  

The bride lit a candle in recognition of a mother ever present.

The father spoke in joyful celebration

The uncle immersed us in glorious melody.

The sister sparkled with every life moment culminating to the here and now.

 There were moments of consideration.

 And wonderful moments of levity.

 We rejoice in the knowing that love is kind.

 The evening reception commenced. Our hearts united in spirit.

Taking the Wedding to New Heights

The most important advice that I give perspective brides and grooms is: Honor who you are as a couple.  A wedding ceremony is extremely personal, and I love to accurately represent those who I marry.  "What is it that you want to tell others about who you are as a couple."

Summit weddings leave no room for guessing.  My most recent experience was a hike that the bride had climbed every year with her parents as a child. The groom was, subsequently, introduced to this tradition, making Middle Sugarloaf a journey with deep roots.

The photographer and I hiked to the trail junction, where we came upon this vision of loveliness.  The back country is a place of extraordinary beauty.

 There was a ceremonial braiding of the beard.

 And the wedding commenced under the diffused light of this pine tree.

We took our leave from this lush and green space to climb to the bald summit. 

 

A magical moment as we reached the top.

We have reached this extraordinary summit to celebrate Tye and Amelia.  Every footstep before, and during this climb, is in recognition of their desire to take their relationship to a new height.  It is here on this mountain top that you wish to be married.  By choosing this place, you are honoring who you are as a couple.  Though this hike is one that has been done before, this time, it is with a renewed sense of purpose of sharing intention.  Your love of the outdoors represents you both at a personal level.  Middle Sugarloaf will now be the place of your beginning as husband and wife.

I find great honor and privilege in sharing these intimate experiences.  There are so many ways to say, "I do".  Therefore, wherever you choose to have your ceremony, always reach for new heights.

When You Know the Bride

Have you ever been to a place before you were born?  My parents brought me here (though I was not yet a twinkle in their eyes) to love the White Mountains.  The year was 1945.

Tuckerman's Ravine

Hiking, beach and ski excursions (and a few drunken nights of ukulele playing) would ensue creating adventures that are still legend today.

Sandy Beach

1959

Though I grew up in NY, I now realize I was raised here. My formative years were developing an instinctual sense of purpose.  I had no idea that it was happening. So, when my parents bought their land in 1959, though I was only three, I was planting roots. 

The farmhouse has long been sold, but the acreage remains.  I would build a home of my own in 1981, nicknamed The Shire.  It is much more than a house.  It is a place.  It is an experience.  It is magical.

The generational lineage that exists here allows me family. With beautiful synchronicity our parents would forge friendships that we would build on.  Our children would follow and beautifully, we remain deeply connected.

Me, 2nd from right 1963ish

On July 6, 2013 I stood in a backyard where I probably scraped my knee (photo 1963)  It was there that I officiated my friends daughter's wedding.  A family relationship that spans 60+ years.

When you know the bride, being the officiant becomes extraordinary. The intimate family background creates a gathered company with decades of memories and shared celebrations. It was really hard not to cry.

Blessed music created by the beloved uncle

Though the ceremony can pass quickly, the emotions remain.  The gathered company would carry those dearly departed close to heart. We all felt it.  The gratitude was prevalent.  There were few dry eyes.

Mt Chocorua

We commenced in celebration.  We ate cake, we danced, and we told stories.  We watched the sun set on a glorious hot summer night knowing that there would be more to come.

....

Do you live to work or do you work to live?  When I became a Justice of the Peace 10 years ago, I had no idea what was in store for me.  I have always pursued my passions and the creation of these as a lifestyle has been gorgeous.  From backyards to mountain tops, I am given the privilege to witness amazing moments.  Weddings are so deeply personal no matter how big or how small.  I feel honored every time I am asked to officiate.  So, when I pack up my binder and drive to a trail head or venue, I am filled with gratitude.  I love this work.

There are many places to go and plenty to explore when you are planning a wedding.  The grand landscape of NH creates boundless possibilities.  I will go to great heights to officiate your wedding.