Love At The Ranch: Love at The Ranch: The Ceremony (Part II)

We had considered the untraditional tradition I wrote about previously, with bottles of wine, love letters, and a box we would nail shut, but decided we'd rather do that privately than at the wedding. Instead, we decided to do a secular handfasting which I thought was a beautiful representation of the lifelong commitment we were making that day. Mrs. Cherry Pie's version of this tradition was so tear-jerking, we decided to use it as a guide for ours.

We took each others palms, one at a time. Our officiant said a few words about our hands and how they would be the same hands that would be there for the years to come.

Then, we moved our hands up to grab each others arms in order to be fasted.

One of my maid-of-honors came forward with the cords. The other maid-of-honor had the job of holding my bouquet, so I felt that this gave them equal duty. She placed one cord for every line our officiant read about our hands.

My favorite line was when our officiant talked about our hands as the hands that would hold each others children. Mr. CB gave me a knowing smile after that one, because he knows I want kids one day.

Finally, all of the cords were laid. My maid-of-honor tied them in a knot around our arms...

...until we were completely intertwined.

After the handfasting, my aunt Melani and our friend Justin Bobb, performed Patty Griffin's Heavenly Day for us.

I so wish we had a video clip of my aunt singing it, because she was unbelievable, but we won't until our video comes back.

This song had Mr. CB (and me!) close to tears.

The lyrics to that song felt entirely too appropriate for the day, especially with the rain clouds that were blowing in:

"O heavenly day, all the clouds blew away

Got no trouble today with anyone

The smile on your face I live only to see

It's enough for me, baby, it's enough for me...

...Tomorrow may rain with sorrow

Here's a little time we can borrow

Forget all our troubles in these moments so few...

...All we really have to do

Is have ourselves a heavenly day

Lay here and watch the trees sway

...Can't see no other way...

Heavenly day

No one at my shoulders bringing me fears

Got no clouds above me bringing me tears

Got nothing to tell you, got nothing much to say

Only I'm glad to be here with you

On this heavenly...day

All the trouble's gone away

Oh, for a while anyway, for a while anyway

Heavenly day"

Then we were pronounced husband and wife.

Photo by Amanda Wilson

I love how Mr. CB is smiling while kissing in the picture below. And our wedding party is also beaming for us. Or maybe they were beaming because the ceremony was finally over.

After our kiss, our officiant read our benediction, which I'd come across on the internet while writing our ceremony. It's my favorite part of the whole ceremony.

May your home be filled with laughter and the warm embrace of a summer's day

May you find peace and beauty,

Challenge and satisfaction,

Humor and insight,

Healing and renewal,

Love and wisdom.

May you always feel that what you have is enough.

We made our way down the aisle with massive smiles on our faces to the sounds of a very celebratory Irish tune.

Photo by Amanda Wilson

The one thing we might have rehearsed was the recessional because we weren't sure when to make that happy walk down the aisle. Our wedding party didn't follow us (as they were supposed to), but luckily, we were too blinded by happiness that we didn't realize any of this.

How did we get here?

Mr. CB and I road-tripped it to Colorado.

I spent a peaceful morning with my girls.
Followed by a rowdy bachelorette party.
Two days before the wedding, we fought.
Then, we made up.

On Saturday, Mr. CB recuperated while I hiked with friends.

We celebrated our rehearsal dinner.

Sunday Morning: The girls got ready.

And the guys got ready.

Mr. CB and I had our First Look.

Budget Breakdown: Bouquets and Bouts.

Potraits of the bride and groom.

Our wedding party braved the cold for photos.

We all lined up for the ceremony.