A perfectly balanced half moon 🌗
It’s been two months now since Michael and I got married on the Washington coast, woven in the embrace of our loving community. We’d been sharing and building our home for two years, so I figured “marriage” wouldn’t really change our life or love - but I was wrong! I love being married and it does feel different. Yes, we have a marriage certificate leaning on the piano stand. And yes, I love calling Michael my husband and seeing that ring on his finger. But, I think things feel different mainly because our sweet community, through ritual and open-hearted celebration, cast a marriage spell on us throughout the wedding weekend.
I’ll be sharing a fun, indulgent wedding post with lots of photographer pics soon. But today, I have a few shots to share from the lead up to the day. Thank you for luxuriating in this romantic, nuptial season of my life! <3
Our marriage spell was soundtracked by the bewitching 17-person Wave Flower Band comprised of our many talented musician friends. Michael restrung 5 guitars to each have 6 of the same string, tuned to the same note (some guitars tuned to “F”, some to “C”) so when played together they produced a droney, harmonic sound. He also bought 2 second-hand chord organs and a flock of bird calls for the piece. Look at this incredible chart that Michael made for the ceremony music. I love his brain!!
A couple of weeks before the wedding, a few “wavies” came by for dinner and a music rehearsal. We ate ratatouille in the back yard as the evening light lingered on our fading asters and goldenrod, turning to seed in anticipation of fall.
Erin was our wedding goddess - she read a poem, gave a speech, played violin, and generously filled the role of florist as a wedding gift (along with other angels Jane, Carly, Julia, and Katie). As we were packing up on Thursday, our house was lush with fox glove, dahlias, cosmos, strawflower, olive branches, and oak.
On Thursday, we packed a 12 person passenger van and giant trailer with piles of my former students’ posters, boxes of crafts, mason jars, rugs, 4 wedding dresses, 2 wedding suits, 2 chord organs, 6 guitars, a PA system, and crates of bells, singing bowls, and bird calls. Finally, by 8pm we were on the road to sou’wester. A vibrant, golden half moon lit our drive the whole way to the Washington coast.
The sun bleached the Long Beach Peninsula on Friday, delivering a blazing performance for the last day of summer. After a slow morning in the bridal suite, we drove the van through the lush, verdant countryside and small coastal towns to Oysterville to begin prepping the church and historic one-room schoolhouse for the next day.
We were joined by a few friends and family members. Here are all 3 of my parents together for the first time in 33 years. I loved their dynamic and the kindness and camaraderie they afforded one another.
Didn’t catch this one on film, but here is the first ever pic of me with both of my birth parents.
My dad lost his mom while he was flying to America a week before the wedding. As soon as he landed, he had to get right back on a plane to Greece for her funeral. Still, he made it back in time for the wedding. I was deeply touched by his efforts to be present for both of these powerful rituals and felt honored and held by his commitment to our deepening relationship.
One of the reasons Michael and I decided to get married on the autumn equinox was to symbolize the way we balance one another. I’m extroverted and performative - I love being around friends and loved ones and I’m recharged by being in the spotlight. Michael prefers to contribute behind the scenes and needs time alone, or with just our little family, to recharge. Over the years, I’ve learned to honor these needs in Michael, and in doing so, I reap the blessings of introspection, intimacy, and connection. So instead of rushing to greet our guests for Music Night after our ceremony run-through, Michael and I escaped to the beach, just as the sun was beginning to drift toward the waves.
We arrived at sou’wester to the loving embrace of our wedding guests, some of whom we hadn’t seen in months, or even years. With the help of our friend, Ben (who married us!), and my classroom TAs, I had spent months compiling a songbook for the evening (and to gift to our guests). Michael’s dad and step-dad manned the grill, friends and family brought soups, veggies, desserts, beers, and more to share, and we played, sang, and laughed to tunes like “I Want It That Way,” “Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da,” and “Forever Young.”
When Sou’wester quiet hours kicked in at 10pm, lots of us migrated to the beach in small packs. Michael, on a mission, studiously collected piles of driftwood - stoking a roaring beach fire, drawing us together like fox kits returning to the warmth of their mother’s den. Briefly, the perfectly balanced half moon parted the shoreline’s clouded backdrop, demanding cheers and applause, which we happily offered up. At what seemed like the exact moment that the sun crossed the celestial equator (11:50pm), shifting the season from summer to fall, rain drops began falling, hissing as they made contact with the whirling flames. Heart full, I kissed Michael goodnight, and walked back to the sou’.
Lots of love,
Suzanna <3