Saturday, March 04, 2006

An Herbal Wedding



















Ok, so the indoor ceremony is going to have to do. This just means that I have to do everything possible to bring the great outdoors indoors. As an herb and garden lover (and fan of inexpensive wedding decorations), today I made a list of the herbs I hope to be able to use in copious amounts in the Great Hall of our UU Society for the ceremony. Many herbs have traditional symbolism, and quite a few have been used at weddings through the ages, so with the help of the "Herbal Wedding Planner" article published in the Herb Quarterly last spring these are the favorites:
Ivy for luck, fidelity, and disspelling negative energy
Rosemary for remembrance, of course.
Lavender for luck and love
Myrtle for love and fertility
Yarrow for lasting love and marital harmony
Cumin for protection and fidelity
Meadowsweet (otherwise known as Bridewort) for happiness
Mint for hospitality
Thyme for health and courage
Sage for longevity
Marjoram, which is Aphrodite's herb, for marital bliss
Lady's Mantle for ladies' love
Angelica for protection and because it has big, pretty leaves
Lovage for love
Catnip for lifelong friendship
The two of us will be carrying roses, red for me, and white for J, and I don't know about our fair sisters. I hope that the tall herbs especially can bring a nice garden-feel to the sanctuary. I'd like to also buy those "ionic" air filter/fans, too, and set them going for a few hours before the ceremony for fresh air. Lastly, on the walk up, I'm thinking of setting up white cloth in long flags to being blowing around as our guests walk up to the building- get them away from the street feeling (since it is on Main St. in a busy town) and into a magical wedding feeling. Too crazy? I don't know. We'll see!

1 comment:

Trista said...

Oh I LOVE this idea. I love love love it!

I am an herb NUT. I have many many books on herbs and when I was younger I really wanted to be an herbalist. Now I'm thinking that when I get older I'll focus on it more, or maybe if I can get a yard with a big sunny patch for me to grow them.

If Kristin and I ever get married again I want to do this, make sure you post the pictures so I can see!