The Kaelin-Lock Family
We are so grateful to have the opportunity to gather with you and celebrate our love.
The divine union that Derek and I share has catapulted our lives in a multitude of ways and we feel honored that you would come celebrate us and the family we are building. Derek and I are already legally married so we want to intentionally take this time for the ritual that typically comes with a traditional wedding ceremony, including the traditions that we are beginning with our little family and you!! Read on to hear about the tradition we are starting and other details about our special day.
Intention
The handfasting ceremony has its roots in ancient Celtic tradition and dates as far back as 7000 B.C. Handfasting is an ancient Celtic ritual in which the hands are tied together to symbolize the binding of two lives in divine union.
From The Magical Year by Danu Forest "Autumn Equinox - Gratitude September 20-23 (Northern Hemisphere) The second of the harvest festivals after Lughnasadh, at the Autumn Equinox
day and night are of equal length - and light and dark are held in balance. ... The Celts, skilled astronomical observers, noticed these points in the solar year as times of change,
tidal shifts in the productivity of the earth herself, which were of great spiritual as well as practical significance. ... Another modern name for the Autumn Equinox is 'the Feast
of Avalon,' referring to the sacredness of the Apple at this time and also to avalon, the magical Island associated with Arthurian legend that is the gateway to the Celtic otherworld."
We will be serving some of our favorite Swiss-German foods along with fresh produce from our family farm for you to enjoy. September 21 was chosen as our date because
in the Celtic wheel of the year, this time is celebrated as the Harvest Festival. A time of abundance, reflection and gratitude, family and friends would gather to honor
the harvest and the abundance of the past season. This is precisely the tradition we are starting. We will gather yearly at this time with the most important people to
cherish and reflect upon the accomplishments, lessons, connections and growth that we all have witnessed throughout the season and take time to celebrate with one another.
This will be a yearly celebration of our love, to honor our family and to give thanks to the abundance of mother nature. We hope that you will join us this year and in the years to come.
Be Mindful
Sobriety is an important aspect of our family, our lifestyle and therefore inherent in our celebration(s). We appreciate the vibrance and vitality of life when connected with one's true spirit and the sovereignty of nature. We ask that you take a few hours to enjoy this connection to nature, to yourself and to one another without the cloud of a substance (I.e. alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, or any other mind-altering substance.) Substances will not be served or tolerated at our celebration. Please come 100% sober or not at all. We thank you for respecting not only our lifestyle but also your own health and well-being. Mocktails and other rejuvenating refreshments will be served and we look forward to connecting with your most true and vibrant spirit.
Community
Children are welcome and most certainly invited, this is a family celebration after all. Lily will be dressing as a fairy and would love if any others would join her.
Please dress your child as a fairy if they would so like!
We have plenty of space for tents if anyone would like to camp overnight. There are also limited accomodations in the surrounding areas, so please ask for recommendations
if needed and book early. We will gather again the following morning for a farewell brunch for any who can attend.
There will be limited parking at our place, so if you can carpool, that would be appreciated.
We can also arrange to shuttle you from town.
Where & When
Where: Our Home in Newport, if you need the address please contact us.
When: 11am-4pm
There will be limited parking at our place, so if you can carpool, that would be appreciated. We can also arrange to shuttle you from town.
We live in the forest, so the grounds may be a bit unstable (compared to an indoor space) so please wear comfortable shoes that you can easily get around in on a forest floor type surface.
We request that everyone dress in a medieval fashion, as a Celtic Druid, and have fun with it! (Plenty of ideas on Google images or Pinterest if you search: druid, Viking, Norse,
Renaissance, medieval etc. costumes.) Any costumes that you do not want to keep can be donated to the Renaissance Faire of Newport.
Supporting Us
In lieu of a wedding registry, we have a fund for a honeymoon-type celebratory trip. Gifts are not expected but certainly appreciated; if you would like to gift us a portion
of our travel you may send funds to our Venmo you may also purchase us flights rental cars, or accomadations in Switzerland or Germany. Our plan is to go back to
Switzerland where we got engaged and also to visit the Black Forest in Germany; it will be a wonderful opportunity to show our children the land of our ancestors.
Please let us know you will be attending or not by August 1 and be sure to include the number of people attending. Feel free to reach out with any questions. We can't wait to see you this Fall!