The Canopy of Blessings

So when G and I were planning our wedding, which was eight years ago tomorrow, I had this great idea.

While dating, we had been to a Winter Solstice celebration where there was this bamboo canopy thing, like this chuppa without the cloth, and smaller.


Everyone wrote their wishes for the coming year on slips of paper and then attached them to the canopy with pipe cleaners. The whole thing was set over a small table of votive candles, which made the papers flutter slightly and was really pretty.

So my brilliant idea was that we would have our wedding guests write their wishes for us on slips of paper and tie them to the canopy as they arrived. Then, at the end of the ceremony, we'd get four friends to carry the canopy up to the stage (we were married outside) and actually be pronounced married while underneath the canopy of blessings. I envisioned a moment where we'd be silent and take in all the blessings from our friends and family.

We asked the guy who ran the Solstice celebration to come and bring his bamboo canopy. He was also supposed to lead the gathering in some sacred chants to set the mood, and he was supposed to bring a big tapestry for the stage. We are, in fact, quite the groovy-ritual planning pair.

Except Groovy Dude forgot to come. You know how those groovy types can be. Turns out he was making loads of money filming a car commercial that weekend.

Fortunately, my ever-resourceful oldest sister was in charge of coordinating the day, and grabbed the decorated shoebox for guests to put their cards in, emptied it, stuffed the blessings in it, and set it on the corner of the (bare) stage. The priest improvised and had a moment were we all stared at the shoebox.

So instead of a canopy of blessings, we had a shoebox of blessings.


And we spent two nights at the Hilton Waikoloa with the money we would have used to pay Groovy Guy.

Anyway, last night I came home to the blessings of eight years ago strung up in the family room. We had fun reading them to the boys. (G. actually strung them up on our first anniversary, too.) Some are funny, some are unsigned and anonymous, all are sweet.



You know, I still think it was a good idea. And we still have all these really cool wishes from people who love us. And we had a great time at the Hilton.