DIY is just our way of life. Growing up in the strange land between city and rural you learn to care for yourself in many different ways including making your wedding happen in just a weeks time.
OK, technically it was 10 days from the engagement to the ceremony but it all came together and I am now a part of the "wives club". Where do we wives meet again? ;)
For starters, I traded my craniosacral therapy (or osteopath) session time for our ceremony. My cranio therapist is ordained, and we were meeting anyways, how about marrying my partner and I instead?!
I wore clothes I already owned and my baby Sister Mimi did my hair (with blessed botanicals, fruitstoroots.com - local beauty products for multi-racial lovelies). Mimi helped me into my regalia: otter furs with peyote stitching, giant clam shell heart hair pieces and giant clam shell beaded necklace, brain tan elk hide moccasins, and my beautiful eagle wing fan (for smudging).
Mmmm, that felt good! My sis and I haven't done the regalia routine since we were kids.
If you're a dancer or performer of some kind you know the feeling. Old diggs don't die, they just mingle somewhere in the back of the mind.
My Treetrunk made the beeswax candle at the Eugene Waldorf School Winter Light Fair which we used for our family lighting ceremony.
Treetrunk wore a felted flower pin from one of my besties whom just got back into town from her 3month ramble around South America. He picked out some new shoes from our local board shop in EUG, Boardsports: http://www.myboardsports.com/
We got the best service I've ever had anywhere, hands down!
A new friend, who gave our Woolly Mama Lara a ride into town, made Treetrunk a daisy chain crown, thanks dude! I had a dream that he would wear a daisy crown, it was meant to be.
Lara took these beautiful photos and donated an Iris Faerie (found on her etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/mountainhearth) to my bouquet of fresh flowers (a gift from Mimi) and I added a pin wheel (life just keeps on moving).
I made my partner a temporary ring from the same yarn I made his fave wool hat with. I also made my Treetrunk a ring from light blue cotton yarn.
We were running late so (as therapy which double as a gift) I had time to rip up a white sheet which turned into white scarves for our guests. Om shanti!
We said our vows after our self scripted ceremony. I chocked up, cried through them and was so nervous that I couldn't even read my notes. I don't even remember what I said. At least it wasn't, "Dude, I really like you...let's do this thing!"
We kissed, signed the wedding license, and saw our friends off before our family hike.
Before the hike I gifted our ordained friend with DIY gifts.
A washcloth, hand knitted and soaked in lavender oil water.
A dish towel/hot-pad, hand knitted with a rescued dish towel backing.
On the Family Hike tender Salmon berry shoots were all over, dog's tooth (native pink) lilies happily greeted the rare sunny day, and my Treetrunk and new husband gathered walking sticks.
We ended our special day by eating crepes near Treetrunk's school so we could shuttle him off to finish out his day with his mates (Waldorf Schools are in full force with Play Season - he couldn't miss his ques).
The ceremony was built around our life: school, work, appointments, and our daily "to-dos". If that isn't the essence of or foundation of DIY, I don't know what is?
Love to all!
~The Swan Pacheco Family
