Natalie and Kerry enjoy a bush wedding at Glengarry.
A heartwarming story of love found on the net and celebrated in the bush…
Kerry and Natalie met on RSVP several years ago. At the time Natalie had a night shift job so finding time when they could be together was a real challenge at first. However they got over that hurdle; and the laughter, fun and real connection they shared meant that a gradual friendship turned into genuine love, trust and respect for each other. It was again the net where Kerry Facebooked Natalie’s Mum to ask for her daughter’s hand! Their talking cocketiel Comet had already given his consent with a “Hello Baby!”
The proposal was notable and hilarious because they were in Vegas with family and friends and Kerry had planned to pop the question at a revolving restaurant (The Stratosphere) but Natalie had gone on a death-defying ride and Kerry was needing incontinence pads thinking that there may be no one to pop the question too! When Natalie finally returned alive she blurted out, “Will you marry me” and Natalie who is never lost for words shouted some unprintable expletives and then was unable to speak for the next hour with the shock!
Given how precious family and friends are to them both, they chose to have a weekend of celebrations at the great bush setting of Glengarry, a Girl Guides NSW property up at North Turramurra in Sydney where all guests could stay and chill or party all weekend and both families could get to know each other in a relaxed setting that the girls could afford. It also offered a peaceful outdoor ‘bush cathedral’ where the kookaburras acted as the laughing choir, much to everyone’s delight and amusement!
The ceremony began with four young relatives, each with a hand-drawn sign announcing, “Here” “Comes” “The” “Brides” and included the beautiful reading from Corinthians on Love read by Natalie’s grandmother Loretta. It also cleverly incorporated key family members who came up to participate in a Handfasting ceremony using coloured cords: red for love, strength and courage…. blue for trust, stability and peace, green- representing life , fertility and health and yellow for happiness, hope and luck.
Their commitment ceremony was co-crafted with the help of well known LOTL celebrant Melissa Halliday at Heart and Soul Celebrations and was an honest and heartwarming reflection of their relationship and love.
They decided to share sacred Pledges with each other that neither had shared until that moment and which added a spontaneous element to the ceremony. Their Vows made to each other included a simple “I DO” to the question, “ Do you take [Kerry/Natalie] to be your partner-in-life. Will you love and respect her, be honest with her and stand by her, through whatever life may hold so you can genuinely share your life together?”
And although the YES had been made in the heart of each, years before that day, the opportunity to declare it in front of friends and family was a transformational moment for each of them that cemented their commitment in a way nothing else could. Long Live Love!
