Savage and Deelighful Wedding

The wedding of Dee and Nick was held in an amazing chapel at the Hyatt Regency, Sanctuary Cove, Queensland, Australia. To see the wedding in full go to my vimeo site (link below)
http://vimeo.com/34211987
It was a wedding with a difference! Enjoy viewing

Wedding Welcomes

The welcome is an important part of a wedding ceremony.  It sets the tone/theme  and a good welcome makes all those present feel part of the ceremony. After chatting to the groom I then, at the designated time, gather the guests, introduce myself (usually using a bit of humour) and then go to meet the bride. One thing I usually say to the bride that leads to a bit of laughter is “oh by the way , the groom’s here.” I then return to tell the groom the good news of his bride’s arrival.

These questions that I ask the couple help me to organise an appropriate welcome:

-          What tone would you like for your wedding? I asked this of a couple, Christine and Claude, yesterday and they said “cruisey” – they are being married on the Dawn Princess in January.

-          What values are important to you as a couple?

-          Anything significant you like me to say in the welcome?

Some things that I may speak about in the welcome include:

-          Mention of those who have come a long way

-          Remembering those unable to b e attend

-          Honoring the parents

-          Community approval

-          Introduction of a ring warming

-          Some thoughts on the nature of marriage/love

-          The couples’ values and the importance of those in a relationship/marriage

-          A short reading

A Beautiful New Babe Chanelle

Naming ceremonies are thruly wonderful. I had the privilege of performing one recently at Forest Lakes. A theme involving a candle shining a bright light to the world permeated the ceremony and was a focus utilsed by Chanelle's parents, godparents and grandparents. (Picture above - presenting certificate to one set of grandparents). Garth and Catherine, Chanelle's parents, had organised a brilliant day at the lake - the ceremony was followed by a cooked lunch for over forty guests. Below is Chanelle's poem I wrote for her special day.

Chanelle

Born on 6^th August in the year of 2011

A babe who is to all a little touch of heaven

Chanelle Sophia Krumins – just a beautiful name

To mother Catherine and father Garth she sets their pride aflame

Long in size, so active and energetic

A fast grower, a smile that’s just magnetic

Entertains herself in her bouncer, bobbing on the spot

Trying so to talk, letting all know her lot

Good at making animal noises, like a peacock on the track

Bum scoots up till the end of the crib – nothing holds her back

What of the future for this special baby do we see?

A beautiful child and then adult, filled with constancy

Catherine would like her to be happy, Garth reckons fulfilled

On whatever path she chooses her loving parents will be thrilled

I see joy and excitement, times to make the heart swell

May you be a bringer of peace and love to all, dearest Chanelle

Peter Waterman

Mary and Tom - Out of the Ashes

After the tragic accident that led to the passing of Mary's three brothers and sister Mary's mother received letters from all over Australia offering help. Some offered free holidays. One was from a Mrs Grace who had flats at Surfers Paradise. Mary's mum decided to take up the offer and so Mary headed down there with her Mum, younger brother Gerard and friend Sharon who had also been through tragedy of her own.
 
At the flats also at the time was Mrs Grace's son and daughter and their son Tom. Mary was 15 at the time and Tom a few years older. Tom befriended Mary and Sharon and they spent time together often, the three of them, going to the movies or just walking along the beach. It seems that initially Tom was sweet on Sharon but on the night before they all left Tom held Mary's hand. Mary and her family then left for Melbourne and Mary decided to send Tom a postcard. That was way back in 1971. They corresponded and eventually married in 1975. They recently celebrated their 36 year wedding anniversary - out of the darkness of Mary's tragedy at Cleveland, sunshine returned with the brilliance of a romance with Tom.
 

A Profoundly Sad Story

(this story was sent to me by Mary Grace - it was as a direct result of this that she met her future husband, which will be described in a later blog)
Thank you Mary

MY STORY 1970 (by Mary Grace)

My family packed up our belongings to move from Gympie where Michael, Mary, Peter, Bernard, Catherine and baby Gerard were growing up. We were excited and nervous about moving. We were looking forward to seeing our dad again after a long separation while he was having treatment in Brisbane for kidney problems but on the other hand we were extremely anxious about leaving our friends and starting new schools in Brisbane. Our eldest brother Michael was already working in Brisbane.

The news of our dad’s death came unexpected on the night of September 23^rd 1970 when we were staying the night with our Nana (Dad’s Mother).  This changed all the plans, as we were to travel to Brisbane to start our new life but had to deal with the grief of losing dad so the journey down was sad.

We moved in to a temporary house at Cleveland after my dad’s funeral. I recall what a horrible house this was, but we were to live there until our new house was built at Manly West.

My big brother Michael who was 18 yrs old at the time moved to be with us to help my mother out. I hated the new school at Cleveland State High School because we previously went to a Catholic School in Gympie.

The morning of Tuesday the 9^th February 1971 at 8.03am changed my life and everyone that knew us forever.

It was raining constantly that morning and my brother Michael was driving the family Holden station wagon (1964 model) with me, my brothers and little sister from our house in Cleveland to our new schools at Wynnum. Michael had transferred to a job at the bank in Wynnum. I had started school at Mt Carmel College at Wynnum in grade 9, my sister Catherine at Guardian Angels Primary school across the road from my school and Peter and Bernard at Iona College at Lindum. I don’t recall what grades they were in.

As we were driving along Sturgeon Street at Ormiston the rain was extremely heavy and vision through the windscreen was foggy, so Michael asked me to open the corner glass in the window to de fog the windscreen as I was sitting in the front passenger seat. I remember so vividly that day even now. It was driving rain so bad we couldn’t see in front of the windscreen. Sturgeon Street was a long straight stretch of road. The next thing I knew was that the car hit something extremely hard and we were all in the car sinking in the water of Hillards Creek.

I was lucky to find an opening (which later I discovered was where the windscreen had broken) and somehow I was free to swim to the top of the raging flooded creek. I could almost touch the underneath of the bridge but couldn’t reach so I had to gain my strength to swim across the current to the side of the creek (I remembered from swimming training to swim across current).  As I crawled up the bank of the creek I could see that the car had slammed into the bridge. I walked around in a daze. It was still raining. There were a few people around but they hadn’t realized that I had been in the accident. I couldn’t believe what I saw and what had happened.

A school teacher on her way to work noticed I had a bleeding knee and saw that I was stricken with grief, so she drove me to her home which was at the other end of Sturgeon Street.

 As the hours passed during the day the chance of the others being alive was hopeless. When the car was lifted from the creek my 2 brothers and sister in the back seat were washed down stream. My eldest brother Michael was the only one found. Later Peter and Bernard were found drowned in the creek but my young sister Catherine had washed further down the creek and her body was not recovered until the next day.

The injury I had was very small and only needed stiches which healed quickly, but the memory of this day never fades away.

The kids are buried together at Hemmant Cemetery – Lawn 3 – Grave 681

v     

In Loving Memory of

REGINALD JOSEPH LESLIE HORE

Born 13.1.1924 - Died 23.9.70

______________________________________

MICHAEL REGINALD JOHN HORE

Born10.12.1952

PETER GERARD HORE

Born16.2.1957

BERNARD JOSEPH HORE

Born 22.8.1958

CATHERINE TERESA NAN HORE

Born 8.8.1962

Accidentally killed 9.2.1971

Kayleen and Brent - A Very Public Proposal

It was Valentine’s Day 2009. Brent suggested that they go to the movies to see “He’s Just Not That Into You.” They arrived early and settled in to watch the movie. But first the adverts !

They sat through a few ads taking little notice and then one seemed to attract Kayleen’s attention. Several segments  were shown in different languages and seemed to involve words of love being spoken between couples. Kayleen thought that was nice to have on Valentine’s Day. Suddenly her eyes were riveted to the screen as some English words appeared “Kayleen will you marry me?” A myriad of emotions flooded through her. She turned to her boyfriend Brent, who at this stage was on his knee. People throughout the cinema strained to catch a glimpse of this very public proposal.

Kayleen and Brent never really knew what happened in the movie they were so excited. They were pleased when it ended so that they could share the happy news with family and friends. Exactly one year later at Banora Point, just over the Queensland border in New South Wales, I had the pleasure of pronouncing them husband and wife after which the music of Taylor Swift’s “Two Became One” reverberated across the waters as they signed their certificates – the first task in beginning their married life together.

Bazikki - A Unique Beach Wedding

Baz proposed to Nikki at the summit of Tabletop Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. Baz had just finished a trans Atlantic Ocean race and Nikki had flown from Australia to be with him. It was at this special place, where they saw the waters of the Atlantic Ocean meld into those of the Indian Ocean, that Nikki happily agreed to be his wife.

Their wedding ceremony spoke of their love of the outdoors, and especially the sea. South Gorge Beach at Stradbroke Island is a beautiful little cove and the venue for the ceremony. The weather the preceding week had been horrific  - rain, rain and more rain. As Trish and I travelled over on the barge it was still raining and I was thinking that plan B was to be put into action. However when I arrived the rain ceased and Baz was determined for the wedding to happen on the beach. And what a brilliant decision it turned out to be.  There were about 120 guests, mostly barefooted and a two hour dry “window” without any wind or rain made conditions perfect. The sands of time were perfectly aligned.

One of the lovely things they did was to go around to each guest during the ceremony with a vase. People were asked to give them a special wish for their marriage and place some sand into the vase. I began proceedings by wishing them “sore mouths from smiling.” It took 6-7 minutes for them to go around the group. We played some music while this was happening and the crowd was entertained by a swarm of bees that were attacking the groomsmen. They told me later that the few seconds spent with each of their guests and receiving those personal wishes was very special for them and something they will always treasure.

I remember saying that they will use that vase as a doorstop – one to keep their front door always open as a sign of welcome to their family and friends.

After the ceremony the eskies containing beers and champagne were opened and people happily mixed for about an hour on the beach toasting the wonderful “Bazikki.”

That was on the 6^th March 2010 – a magical afternoon indeed.