Questions

Question

What is a handfasting?

Answer

The handfasting ceremony has its roots in ancient Celtic tradition and dates as far back as 7000 B.C. In ancient Ireland, when two people chose to be married, they were brought together to have a braided cord or ribbon tied around their hands in the presence of a priest. Today, the tradition is incorporated into the wedding ceremony or is the main event itself. In addition to the binding of hands, vows are also typically exchanged.

Question

I’m staying in a cabin. What should I bring?

Answer

Fun! The cabins have bare-bones twin bed frames with plain mats on them. Some people bring full sheet sets, other people just bring a sleeping bag and their pillow. There are a couple outlets in each cabin, too, so you can charge your phone. The bathrooms are communal only to our group, and they’ll be cleaned before you get there, but bring your toiletries and towels. Finally, remember to bring sunscreen and bug spray. I’m not saying you’ll need either, but it’s better to have them and not need them, you know?

Question

Am I going to have to do things that make me uncomfortable and/or go against my religion?

Answer

No! If you are at any time unwilling to participate in part of a ritual, just step back out of the circle. You’ll find there won’t be too many unfamiliar things, and everything we do comes from a place of love and inclusivity. You do you, boo!

Question

What is the dress code for this woodsy outdoor wedding?

Answer

Dress codes are confusing. We're calling ours Wear What Makes You Feel Fancy. We will be wearing what makes US feel fancy, and we want you to feel celebratory and gorgeous too! Obviously, that looks different for different people, which is kind of the point. We love that all our friends are unique. Come dressed to party, whether that means a ballgown or a tuxedo-printed shirt, that's up to you. Our only caveat is-- err on the side of wearing sensible shoes with your awesome outfit. These are the woods, after all.

Question

On that topic, what should I pack to wear the rest of the weekend? What is the weather in Virginia in October?

Answer

Good. Question. Fall in Virginia is famously unpredictable and to be honest, the best way to ensure that you are always comfortable is to have plenty of layers. Likely the days will be comfortably cool and then the temperature will drop a bit in the evenings. The almanac says typically the range is from 63 degrees F to rarely falling below 53 degrees F (that's 17 degrees Celsius to 11 degrees Celsius). If you're from Ecuador or California, definitely over-prepare because this may startle you: bring a sweatshirt and a light jacket, just in case, and definitely pack socks and sweatpants for nighttime. Since we have people coming in from all over, here are some outfits people might wear in this kind of weather: - https://joyfullystyled.com/what-to-wear-in-60-degree-weather/ - https://www.instyle.com/fashion/clothing/what-to-wear-60-degree-weather-outfits - https://outfitideashq.com/what-to-wear-in-60-degree-weather/ - https://www.leaf.tv/13400420/what-to-wear-in-60-degree-weather/

Question

Why are you doing this outdoors? What if it rains?

Answer

First of all, we LOVE the outdoors! We met in the woods, and we also spent our first "date" scrubbing graffiti off trees in the sleet and freezing rain. Of course, we don't want you to suffer! Having the ceremony outdoors seems like a great option for multiple (COVID-friendly) reasons, but if it rains, it'll be okay! We are planning on hanging tarp in case of sprinkles, but if it really comes down our campsite comes with a giant dining facility that we can quickly repurpose. If the grounds are really muddy for some reason, we will adjust! (See the earlier warning about wearing sensible shoes).

Question

Wait, where's your registry? Why can't I buy you a traditional wedding gift?

Answer

Listen, we will never say no to gifts. You can buy us whatever you want. However, since we are fully grown and already have a KitchenAid mixer, we decided that instead of registering for gifts, we would ask our friends and family to contribute their labor and love into making this wedding weekend a success! If you are feeling incredibly generous and want to make a monetary contribution to our lives, we have created a St. Croix Dream Fund so that people can help us achieve our goal of moving to that beautiful island within the next decade. We will probably be buying land and building on it, so every little bit helps!