It may seem odd that amidst all that is going on in the world that we’re edging closer to what is a momentous event in our lives here. In just two and a half weeks a new life adventure ignites for Dave and I, as we extend our bond in marriage. We’ve already lived this commitment in every way for nearly twelve years, but spirit guided us to anchor the energy of that commitment officially. We embraced this invitation, feeling how important it was on more than a personal level, as what the world needs more of is hope, love, cocreation, and the commitment to build greater harmony, kindness, and courageous integration.

I’m a huge empath, like many of you, and even more so these days due to clearing away veils, so I work at transmuting that energy rather than let it lead me into immobilization and fear.

Adaptation, innovation, and inspired action feel key right now on the micro and macro levels, and these are just what we’ve embraced to make this special day our own, while integrating the times we’re in.

We decided not to let circumstances define us, nor place a damper on things. Rather, we decided to embrace the gifts within this experience and highlight them in ways that reflect our own values.

In essence, becoming the artists of our own lives and creating it from our inspired hearts.

Creating life as a work of art isn’t my motto for nothin’ 😉

Doing things this way and at this time may not be for everyone, but when a universal nudge comes my way, I don’t shrug it off. When the date is downloaded and I have no idea the significance of it energetically until I discover it later, I know things are being divinely guided. And you already know that Astrid is reflecting similar with her new fur messages I posted on Friday.

I was finally able to get the photo of all three upcoming eclipses on her fur – the larger being the Cancer New Moon Solar Eclipse of Summer Solstice for us Pacific Timers – our special day.

Everything has been a sweet unfolding, although odd in comparison to some of the accepted “norms” associated with this kind of event. It’s always about perspective and making something your own.

We can either get upset, let outside influences scare us off from alignment showing up, and lose sight of what’s really important, or we can see the gifts and become innovative to achieve a higher good result we may not realize full potential of until we go for it.

So, we’re creating things in our own way, as we work with what we have and transmute it into something beautiful.

Challenges have presented themselves along the way, but we kept trusting in the bigger picture we saw and were guided toward.

For instance, the county clerk’s office here was closed due to quarantine and we didn’t know when they’d open. The only way to get a marriage license here is in person. We trusted, waited about a month and a half, and eventually they did make services available for only marriage licenses in mid-May. Services were moved to the larger clerk offices about thirty minutes away, were by appointment only, and had to be administered outdoors with mask safety (you can’t tell in the photo, but mine is Peter Rabbit themed). The person I spoke to had forgotten to tell us about the change of location, so we showed up at the office down the street from us, missing the appointment. I called her and she apologized, but rather than see this as a road block or bad omen, we simply got in the car and drove the extra half hour, actually arriving quicker and made it before they closed. It was a success.

We also wanted a close friend of ours to officiate and went on a distanced hike with him to ask him in person, which then took several hoops to jump through to get him registered and official, but this proved a success too.

Unable to have any large groups of people gathering, we opted for a live broadcast to unite with those dear to us, which in essence made it possible for us to share this with people who otherwise would not have been able to join anyway. And we’re implementing creative ideas to have people join in and be a part of it, despite being distanced physically. Another added plus and extra surprise success.

We’ve acquired the things needed for this and will be going through some technical tests to hopefully have things in working order for the day.

Preparations have also included scoping out the ideal outdoor setting for the wedding site that meets our requirements via hikes in the mountains. This making it a blend of the best of technology and nature merged for hopefully something beautiful that we’ll also be able to record and cherish.

Despite circumstances, we were fortunate enough to stay healthy and be spoiled with a beautiful little engagement party a couple of months ago with my parents and brother that was postponed due to distancing guidelines. We made sure to stay safe/quarantined for several weeks so as not to expose anyone and created a safe visit. It ended up being the perfect mini gathering in my most favorite decor – Spring and bunny splendor!

My parents had everything decorated in their usual perfection for the season, which just so happened to not only be symbolically perfect, but would have been my first choice of decorations anyway!

Although in general we aren’t doing any wedding gifts or wedding registries (instead we’ve shared that if anyone does want to give they can donate to one of our favorite animal non-profits), we did receive a few perfectly useful and lovely gifts from my parents – including some for these times we’re in, but also that completed the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” for me. 🙂

I’ve already shared about my rings being vintage and repurposed, coming from my Great Grandmother, my grandfather, and Dave’s Great Grandmother (all with stories connected to strange times mirroring now).

And the rest will continue in the vein of a simple and sweet theme.

I’m making my own bouquet, doing my own hair, and I have a friend making me a little eco-simplicity dress – ethically made, eco-conscious, and of natural organic cotton and hemp, in natural dyes – nature faery-perfect and trail-ready since we’ll be hiking to the site. Nothing fancy all around, but highlighting what’s near and dear to us.

Of course, any version of a honeymoon will be on hold, but we feel everyday is a honeymoon here. In general, the gift of life itself is worth celebrating and is enough celebration alone.

That said, we feel so blessed and grateful to live in such a beautiful natural environment where we’re constantly discovering new and incredible places and sights that help nurture well being.

In fact, we’ve been on a lot of new hikes and bike trails during these last few months, enjoying hidden beauties that expand our repertoire of nature fun to immerse in.

We’ve also been returning to some old favorites we haven’t done in a while. Overall, we have even more time to be the nature explorers that we are and continue to make that a daily necessity, as we know the benefits of integrating nature into our lives. And this is also why we intend to partner with nature for our wedding – a holistic commitment to natural harmony inside and out.

It’s been proven that forest bathing – being around trees and exposure to phytoncides they release – can boost immunity against viruses and decrease stress. This is why trees are so vital to us and need to be protected. You can also receive benefits from tree and plant essential oils with similar phytoncide elements. A friend shared this video with us that you might find interesting. The information starts at 51 seconds:

Our honeymoon is life’s daily natural adventure and we’ll be sure to include some fun explorations the days following our wedding. And who knows what surprises will arise.

Anyway, I wanted to share just a snippet of how we’re innovating a wedding during these strange times, enjoying and valuing what we do have, harnessing the gifts around us, honoring nature, and creating beauty despite challenge.

These times call for innovation and invite us to pick up the paintbrush and start being creative.

There’s still so much love you can experience and share, while embodying a voice for harmony and kindness.

Find ways to bridge the challenges and bring connection into the light.