Fall Wedding on Lake George

       One of my favorite weddings last fall was held at Crest Haven Lodges on Lake George. Right off the bat I was happy getting there because I didn't have any trouble finding the venue! This is not always the case,  so arriving early at a wedding venue without the flustered nerves that accompany a difficult-to-find site is always a plus. Since I arrived early I got to catch some of  Andy and Melinda's photography session in this beautiful setting.

       I especially enjoyed Andy and Melinda's wedding ceremony because of its unique elements, such as a song written and sung by the bride's mother, and their romantic love story that included Andy's proposal idea to tuck Melinda’s engagement ring in a bed of rose petals inside an Easter egg. 

Melinda and Andy taking their vows

       Best of all was the chemical reaction ritual that these two scientists performed, combining two solutions, sodium bicarbonate and acetic acid, to represent the blending of their individual personalities. The combined elements created a bubbly reaction, symbolizing how their marriage will create a new and exciting relationship that can have a much greater influence on the world than they would have as separate individuals.

       For the grand finale, Andy stomped on a glass to signify that the bond of his and Melinda’s love will be as difficult to break as it would be to restore the shattered glass. 

Handfasting Ceremony

Kate and Travis were married under a graceful white arch that the groom had built and placed in front of Oquaga Lake. The ceremony took place at Scott's Inn last Saturday. Miraculously, it didn't rain, and the wind didn't blow! There were several highlights, including the two-year-old ring boy, toddling down the aisle in his little white suit, and the handfasting ceremony for which the bride had braided cords of ribbon in six colors, each symbolic of an attribute the couple will aspire to in their marriage.

Kate said afterward:"I just wanted to say thank you and that our ceremony was so beautiful. All of our guests were telling us how beautiful and unique it was, and everyone who really knows us said it was so perfect for us and reflective of who we are."

www.customceremonies-in-the-hearland.com

Genaganslet Lake Wedding

Kyle and Julia are a delightful couple who met in a most unusual way. They were both looking for an apartment at the same time and decided to share one after meeting in the realtor's office. So they were apt-mates FIRST - then friends, and then sweethearts. On July 11th they became husband and wife at the lake home of Julia's family. An afternoon downpour spoiled their plans to be married on the dock, but under the tent we were able to have the Unity Candle Ceremony without fear of the flame going out! The inclusion of Kyle and Julia's love story in the ceremony brought lots of smiles and tears to the guests' faces. Afterward the sun came out and the bridal party was able to go out on the dock for pictures. When I get one I'll add it to this blog!

Lake Wedding

What could be more fun than a boat wedding on Goodyear Lake? How many celebrants get to spend their rehearsal hour out on a boat on a beautiful afternoon while the pilot practices getting the boat into the right position for the ceremony? This is what I got to do this past July when I officiated at the wedding of two water-lovers, Les and Holly.

On the wedding day the guests stood up on the tiered deck of Les's lake-front cottage while we processed down to the dock, onto the boat, and then out onto the water. There was just room on the boat for we three, the best man and maid-of-honor, and the pilot. I used a microphone so that those on the deck could hear me above the lake breeze. The ceremony was simple, without any rituals, but I think the boatride itself was a ritual, symbolic of this couple's love for water - both lake and ocean. Their first date was a walk on the ocean beach in Florida, and most of their time together is spent either in Florida or at the lake cottage. The bride and her daughter, the maid-of-honor, wore shell necklaces and shell belts, and the men wore white Hawaiian shirts. Even the wedding cake was decorated with white scallops!