9/1/10: Martin & Cecilia

This week I did my very 1st BEACH WEDDING!I met with Martin & Cecilia in late August to discuss their September 1st wedding. We had enjoyed coffee at Le Pain Quotidien in Central Park one evening at dusk, I met their dog Mac & infant daughter Felicia, and they told me their love story & wedding ceremony dreams. We discussed a beach wedding...Montauk...excellent...! And then Martin said he imagined being married *at dawn*, with the sun rising in the East over the ocean! I took the train out to Montauk the night before the ceremony, and Martin & family picked me up at 5:20am for the drive out to Montauk Point on the tip of the South Fork of Long Island--referred to as "The End." It was amazing to watch the sky go from inky black to saturated indigo as it absorbed more and more light. Sunrise was at 6:14am, and a miraculous pink sun rose over the ocean and we started the ceremony. Every word of the ceremony was deeply personal & meaningful to Martin & Cecilia--we co-created their wedding script exactly to their specifications. It began with me sharing some of their love story: their 1st meeting, their 1st date, when they knew they had found "the one," what they love about each other, and their aspirations for their future. In addition to traditional vows & ring exchange, we did a Celtic handfasting with different pastel ribbons, and Cecilia & Martin also wrote their own personal vows. To symbolize the blending of their lives with their daughter Felicia, we adapted "The Sand Ceremony" to a stone ceremony, and the couple layered black, brown, and white stones they'd collected on the beach the day before. Caroline Roccheta was our photographer, and she did an awesome job! She was right in there, in a non-invasive, gentle way. I really appreciated her gentle style and artistic eye, and look forward to opportunities to work with her again. When the ceremony was over, it wasn't even 8am yet! We signed the license with Martin's parents as witnesses, we took some photos, and drove back to Montauk Village where I said goodbye and wished them every happiness on their continuing journey. Before heading back to NYC, I went for an oceanside lunch at Nick's and had *the best seafood salad in the history of the universe*! What a perfect day, awesome wedding, and wonderful trip! Thanks Martin & Cecilia for sharing your joy and spirit of adventure with me! With love, Rev. Annie