Welcome Baby Aika!

Isn’t she lovely?  Truly heaven sent!  I was able to share tea and cuddles with Aika and her lovely mother, Yukari recently.  And there are no words when I have the joy of holding one of my couples babies.  I was the officiant when Stephen and Yukari were married at the Edgewater Inn several years ago.   Aika is three months old.  She is healthy and strong.  She smiles and coos.  And Aika truly is here to make us all realize the miracle of life.  Thank you for the divine reminder Aika!

The Journey Continues…

This note arrived yesterday from dear clients…

Dear Rev Mary,

Your presence was so crucial to the intimacy of our wedding that you felt like family when it was all over.  From the way you warmly welcomed us into your home for dinner, to the way you put our family at such ease at the rehearsal and ceremony, we cannot thank you enough.  But the dearest gift you gave us was the deeply thoughtful planning guide you gave us for our marriage.  We still refer to the “promises we made each other for Rev Mary”.

Today we are happy to report that we welcomed our baby Cecilia Clare into the world on November 18, 2011!    I’ve been thinking about having a blessing for Cecilia and wonder if you would tell us about the services you offer?  It feels that you are such a special part of how our family’s journey began that I would love to have you continue that journey with us!
I hope all is well in your world.
Warm Regards,
Jennifer

Baby Audrey Louise – Welcome!

Meet Baby Audrey – who is a very blessed baby to have Carter and Lisanna as parents.  I performed Audrey’s parent’s wedding on July 29, 2006 at Gasworks Park.  I will NEVER forget the day I met them and they asked if I would do a “SURPRISE WEDDING”.  What is a surprise wedding?  It is when the Bride and Groom tell everyone to join them for a casual breakfast to celebrate their engagement.  Then the Wedding Couple gets dressed up (in traditional gown and tux) early in the morning and waits in a limo in the parking lot – a limo fitted with black windows – to watch all of their guests arrive!  It is when all the guests are escorted into an area of a Gasworks Park that has a flower-draped arch, white chairs and Rev. Mary all ready to go!  I remember pinning the father’s boutineers onto their fleece vests and the shock on their faces.  And we called the “surprise” Bridal Party to stand up front, one by one! Carter and Lisanna just didn’t want the fuss of a big, complicated wedding.  And all of their friends and family were such good sports.  And they REALLY did go for breakfast afterwards!  Baby Audrey – I think that you are going to have a marvelous adventure – with lots of surprises!!!

The Quinn Family

This past Sunday morning, a precious little ceremony took place in The Highlands Chapel in North Seattle.  A small group gathered to join in blessing Kerry and Rafe’s beautiful children.  Grandparents, Godparents and parents brought favorite flowers for Alden and Lily, representing their continued role in these children’s lives.  You can see the colorful collection of blossoms on the lower right side of this photo.   Rafe’s mother read The Apache Blessing and we took a moment to honor beloved family members that have passed on.  Children’s Blessings are an intimate time for a family to gather and reflect – and celebrate the next generation!