My Wedding Day
My sweetheart, Forest, my partner of over 4 years and I got married on February 2nd, 2025 at Philippe Park in Safety Harbor. We tied the knot in front of an intimate gathering of just 20 of our closest friends and family.
Weeks ahead of time, to prepare for our ceremony, I did a meditation to commune with the land and with this beautiful tree, to ask their permission to allow us to use this space and to bless our ceremony. The Earth and the tree gave their blessing, in exchange for a request to leave offerings (nuts, seeds, apples) to the land on the day of. This location, in Philippe Park, is also near an Indian burial mound, which is believed to contain the remains of the Tocobaga indigenous tribe, a now extinct tribe who were some of the first peoples to inhabit Florida. The Tocobaga were a fishing and hunting people who primarily resided in what is now Pinellas County.
I sat with the Tocobaga in meditation and asked if they would grant their permission to hold our ceremony on their land, and what I could offer in exchange. I received such a warm and joyous welcome from them, they gave their blessing, and in exchange simply asked that I remember them, that I keep their memory alive. I agreed, with love in my heart. We included a prayer to them the morning of the wedding as we left offerings to the tree and surrounding land.
On the day of the ceremony, the sky was overcast, it was a cool 67°, and there was a misty, romantic fog that hovered over the water. The service, officiated by a dear friend, brought tears, laughter, and memories.
Miraculously, during the ceremony, at least four or five times throughout, we heard a sound emerge from the woods behind us, it was a strange, loud and high-pitched call: "Ooooo-EEEE! Ooooo-EEEE! Ooooo-EEEE!" The first time I heard it, tears filled my eyes. I felt within my spirit that it was the Tocobaga people letting us know they were there. I was so moved and deeply grateful for this sign from them, and for their presence throughout our wedding. Their call is memorialized in our wedding video. This is me honoring their memory. I will mention them every time I talk about our wedding, every time we revisit this day on our anniversary.
Since we got married on a Sunday, the park was calm and serene, yet filled with families and people walking their dogs. Many people greeted us with warm smiles, blessings and well wishes as we passed by, taking photos at different places in the park. At one point, a couple with their toddler walked by as my husband and I were posing for the photographer. The little boy kept looking at us and our clothes, mesmerized. The mother whispered something into the child's ear, and he looked at us with a timid smile and said "con-wat-choo-lay-shuns". My heart melted. It felt like the whole community was a part of our special day.
I am so happy to share this memory with you all---my beloved clients, friends, and followers---since you are a huge part of what gives my life purpose and meaning
In honor of today's Venus Retrograde initiation, I will say that I am so deeply grateful for all the love and blessings in my life. It was a long road of heartbreaks and divorce to get here, but I see those experiences now as stepping stones along a journey of continuity which brought me to this place, to this love.
I will savor every moment.
