Friday the house was busy with preparations of all description for the wedding. The kitchen was a hive of industry. The house was tidied and cleaned and tidied some more and cleaned some more and decorated with balloons and prayer flags, and has seldom looks so spic. The shrine room was reorganised for the ceremony and to seat the guests. And we had rehearsals. We do not do many weddings, and this was a particularly special one being the first within our resident community. We had new chanting to master, choreography to perfect, lines to familiarise ourselve with so that they would flow off the tongue, and a remarkably large number of props to manage - flowers to offer, small candles with poesies, the wedding candle, rosary for binding the couple, asperge, incense, water offerings, cards with the bride's personal vows, the grooms personal vows, garlands, and so on, not forgetting the RINGS! and felt underlay for the rings, and platters to put them on before use, and..... Three side alters, main altar, and ancestor shrine. High church Buddhism at its best was what we intended to offer. The first rehearsal was pretty ragged, but we got better. Friday night, Sundari and Bhaktika arrived. We had them stand in for the bride and groom in our final rehearsal. This was extremely touching and very real for them as they did not have a Buddhist ceremony at TBH when they married and so this was more like the real thing than a rehearsal. On Saturday morning Ian and Mudita went into Leicester for the five minute ceremony at the registry office. Sundari and Bhaktika accompanied them. Members of the household put up a sheet on the side of the house announcing Mudita and Ian getting married so that it would be there flying in the wind for the whole village to see when they got back from town. Tables were set; a final detail of choreography was sorted out; everything was prepared for serving refreshments to guests who now started arriving; breakfast was brought to a prompt end so that the dining room could be readied. Soon the lounge was full of guests including some very young ones. At noon all were ushered into the hall. By 12.15, Gareth, as bellmaster, was telling the assembly what was about to unfold. The bride made her entrance. The groom made his. The ceremonial was underway. Once in the hall, as celebrant, I felt much more in the flow than I had in any of the rehearsals. It is wonderful how the reality of the relationships with the congregation and with the couple and with the rest of the house team bring everything to life. The ceremony all went wonderfully. The chants were full of strong voice. Everybody played their part extremely well. The bride cried once. Her parents watched from North America via an internet link.
There were lots of photos during and after the ceremony. Soon after the rites were complete people were filing through to the dining room where copious quanities of wonderful food - primarily Susthama's good work - were appearing. Then there was the cutting of the cake, toasts, and opening of presents. Eventually the happy couple were beginning to make their way. The car had been suitable decorated by well-wishers. Off they went to Wales, covered in confetti. What a wonderful life we have!
Thank you for the wonderful ceremony, it was perfect, and I think I cried twice...
Love Mudita
Namo Amida Bu
Posted by: Mudita | 01 April 2007 at 05:39 PM
It sounds beautiful! Best wishes to the happy couple, albeit somewhat late.
Posted by: Alison (India volunteer Alison) | 22 April 2007 at 06:31 PM