Jamie and Mark's wedding pictures.

My sister, Jamie and her husband, Mark (one of Kearson and my really good friends from college) tied the knot on August 10th, 2002. They met at the "Annual" and have been together for over five years, now. Jamie spent the better part of this year planning her wedding down to the last detail. The result, you'll see, was an absolutely beautiful and totally unique wedding. Congratulations Mark and Jamie!! P.S. Sorry if this takes a long time to download with all these photos on one page. If it is too slow, you should get broadband. Do it NOW! :)


Here I am helping Jamie get ready for the big walk down the aisle. The wedding was outdoors at Corbin Park just outside of Postfalls, Idaho. My folks let us borrow their motor home for the bridesmaids and bride to change in at the wedding site (thanks Mom and Dad) so we wouldn't be all hot and sweaty. There is almost nothing worse than sweating in a bridesmaids dress, (except possibly sweating in a wedding dress) don't you know!


Kearson got ordained online as a minister of the Church of Universal Life just for Mark and Jamie so he could perform their wedding ceremony. Since Idaho law stated that the officiant is entitled to a fee of $5.00 for his/her services, Jamie and Mark signed and had framed a five dollar bill and gave it to him as a thank you gift. Here's "the Rev" all decked out in his "vestments," which I made to match the wedding colors. The symbols are Celtic runes, which Jamie and I picked out. I ran out of time to write down their meanings in time to include them with the vestment as part of our shower gift for Jamie, so here they are in order from top to bottom, left to right:
Gebo
Gifts, both in the sense of sacrifice and of generosity, indicating balance. All matters in relation to exchanges, including contracts, personal relationships and partnerships.
Ansuz
A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom.
Algiz
Protection, a shield. The protective urge to shelter oneself or others. Defense, warding off of evil, shield, guardian. Connection with the gods, awakening, higher life. Used to channel energies appropriately. Follow your instincts. Keep hold of success or maintain a position won or earned.


Here's another picture of me and Jamie. I love my sister! We have been inseparable since high school despite the fact that we now live over a thousand miles away. I SO enjoyed spending so much time with her before and during the wedding. Note our jewelry. Jamie had a necklalce and earrings designed and made for each of the bridesmaids as thank-you gifts, and a set for herself. Each set was perfectly suited to the woman who was to wear it. I secretly think mine is the prettiest (grin), but I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear every one of the bridesmaids thinking the exact same thing!! Jamie is so thoughtful!


Here's a picture of the matching tattoos Jamie and I have. I like to think of them as "twin birthmarks" that show the world we're soul sisters. The Raven is for Jamie, and the Moon is for me. (Yes, it's a Moon. No, it's not a pizza or a cookie. Now Shush!) After we both graduated from high school, a psychic told Jamie that we had had many different lives together, and that in one of them we were twins. Freaky!!


These bridesmaids ROCKed!! I had so much fun getting to know the fabulous women who are my sister's closest friends. From left to right: Me, Niki, Jamie, Caitlin (daughter of our friend Margaret), Meg, Lauren, and Kerri.


Jamie's son (my nephew), Dakota was the ring bearer. See the exquisite ring box he's carrying instead of a foofy pillow?? He and Caitlin looked so sweet at the wedding. Don't you just LOVE Caitlin's fairy wings?!


Jamie and her Dad, Stephen. He is a real jokester most of the time but was so handsome giving away his little girl. Jamie told me later that he said something really sweet to her just before they walked down the aisle, and that is why in the next picture she is pretty close to losing it!


Mark and Jamie at the alter (note the expression on Jamie's face. Shame on you Daddy!). You can't see it in the photos, but there is a beautifully ornate woven tapestry at their feet. At the beginning of the ceremony, when Kearson asked "Who comes to this place to speak their vows?" they each stepped onto it - kind of took the place of a more traditional canopy or alter.


The ceremony included the ancient ritual of "handfasting" where the bride's and groom's hands are bound together to symbolize the uniting of two into one. I made the sash that was used, also given to Jamie as a shower gift, and it is embroidered with a Celtic triple knot, which is a symbol of something never ending. I guess the old handfasting tradition required that the couple be tied together until they consumated the marriage, but, we let Mark and Jamie off the hook and they were unbound before the next part of the ceremony.


The Kiss! (sigh). If you look closely, you can see a picture tied to Jamie's bouquet. It is a picture of her Grandfather, who has passed away but that she always felt very close to and wanted to include in the ceremony.


Here are the groomsmen goofing around. I was SO impressed with how well we all (guys AND girls) cleaned up - seeing as how we mostly see these folks only once a year on our camping trip, and, well, it's not always pretty after a week on the river! From left to right: Eric (Jamie's brother), Ryan (the best man), Mark, Joe (caught the garter at the reception!! You're NEXT!), Tim (Mark's brother), and Tony. Oh yeah, and the chick in the white dress is Jamie. :)


Why should the guys have all the fun?? Yeah, right. That was before we actually had to pick Marky up. Dude, lay off the Hagen Daaz! (just kidding). Thank GOD Meg was there, though. The rest of us wimps would have never pulled this off!


I just LOVE this picture of the bridesmaids and flower girl. I really like how no one is paying any attention to the camera - it's as though the photographer has just happened upon this group of wood nymphs in the forest.


And they lived happily ever after... Love you, guys!

I wish that I had taken more (read ANY) pictures throughout the week and at the reception that followed, but alas, I was too busy experiencing these things to record them. Suffice it to say that the bachelorette party was WILD, the reception was great, and the bride and groom made it to their honeymoon without a scratch. Anyone with pictures to prove this is welcome to email or send them to me!

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